Rising rents, the increasing daily commute and the ability to access documents anywhere add to business owners questioning where the best workspace is for them and how they can make it work. Many entrepreneurs and business owners lead busy family lives and require a dedicated working space - launching a business at home isn’t always practical – and now, not always necessary. The traditional office environment may be taking a back seat, but as our approach to business shifts, I will explain the benefits of maintaining a base away from home.
Be a money saving expert
Working from home can seem like the best alternative to forking out for office space, where the burden of juggling bills and investing in new equipment can present panic-inducing overheads that eat into the cash flow of a new venture, but you’ll most likely be surprised at the amount you could save if you invest in a fully serviced office space.
Serviced offices negate many of these costs - providing the savvy business owner with a clean, professional environment that’s fully furnished and with access to meeting rooms; meaning you’ll no longer feel obliged to splurge at the local coffee shop to grab an hour or two online.
Look the part
Having a dedicated office space shows your clients that you mean business – it provides authority and structure. There’s no worry of organising meetings in your home or having to find the perfect environment elsewhere – your office, and the way you choose to present it, shows your dedication to your business from the off.
You may be a one-man-band venture, or you may have a team working with you – an office space can cater for either of these situations whilst ensuring you maintain a professional appearance. You may prefer, for monetary reasons or other, that your team works from home, or that you have a flexible environment whereby you can work together at some points, but not every day. Rented office space can accommodate these needs in a practical, cost-effective way.
Maintain productivity
For many people, an office environment is key for stimulating productivity – surroundings such as coffee shops or the home can prove distracting – you need to be able to close the door to noise. A serviced office will also offer you the opportunity for a receptionist to answer your calls, meaning you’ll never get caught on the blower with a client when you’re in the depths of concentration, but you’ll also never miss an important message.
Space with support
Aside from the financial benefits, sharing a working space with other businesses means you can network in a no pressure zone - expanding your personal and professional acquaintances. You’ll be working close to like-minded people who are potential investors, clients and partners – and you’ll have an instant audience to bounce new ideas off or help with problem solving. This new support system can provide advice and recommendations, as it’s more than likely that someone around you will have experienced similar hurdles to you and can offer guidance based on their experience.
Working close to those with experiences in differing industries offers you a wide range of perspectives and feedback on your business and ideas too – you could come up with your next project as a result of their influences!
In short, a serviced office provides a great alternative to working at home or searching for affordable, rented offices in good locations, providing businesses with as much space as they need with the option to scale up or down. Meeting rooms, kitchen facilities and the opportunity for networking, as well as fast broadband and pre-installed phone lines mean the effort required to set up is minimal and business can operate in a professional environment from the get go.
By Dave Sunter, Business Development Manager at Stonebridge Offices
