Are you trying to decide between using a serviced office and renting vacant office space? There can be advantages to both so you need to work out what will suit you and your clients’ best. Let’s have a look at a few of them.
Serviced offices.
Leases in serviced premises often start from three months; you can usually move in the next day and have the advantage of a prime location for your commercial visibility.
Reception, secretarial services and meeting rooms are all charged out per usage, providing flexibility for your business. Many provide mail handling and courier services and offer fully equipped conference and meeting facilities.
A serviced office will give you a professional look. You might also be lucky enough to be able to find business alliances and opportunities from the other tenants in the offices.
Sounds good? Before you sign think about this. Serviced offices can be expensive compared to a simple lease space, especially long term, and a small office in a large serviced business centre can give an impermanent or “rented” feel to your business.
You also need to look at how your business would work within a serviced unit. How easily can those generic services be incorporated into the way your company runs?
Rental space
Renting a space for your office can involve a hefty up-front cost, especially if you need to modify the layout or build in new facilities. On the other hand, leasing an unserviced office space can give you the freedom to individualise the space to match your brand. You can maintain continuity for your ongoing customers. In general, ongoing rental costs are lower.
In serviced offices you use the staff employed by the facility. When you hire your own staff you have control over your quality of service. You are also responsible for all of your own insurance and utilities, which would normally be covered by a serviced office lease.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of accommodation. Ultimately it comes down to what best suits you, your budget and your clients
