Serviced offices versus conventional office space

Author: Ceri G. James Date: 25/11/2008 12:30

Looking for office space, what now?

So you’ve decided to take your business to the next level by moving out of home and getting office space. The challenge however is that you might find yourself faced with so many different options. Options such as: How much space will your business ultimately need? How long until Telkom has installed your new phone lines? Who are you going to choose to supply you with your Internet? Will your furniture fit? The list goes on. Although conventional office space has its place, more businesses are switching from a regular office space option to a serviced office space solution.

What is a serviced office solution?

Where conventional office space requires you to take out a long lease, normally 3 to 5 years with a minimum of 300 to 500 square metres of space, and a minimal TI (tenant installation), less than you will need. A serviced office space solution (also referred to as business centres, executive offices, furnished offices, ready offices, and instant offices), are much more flexible and provides a business with everything it needs, without having to commit to a long lease. Serviced office space provides a platform to allow businesses to run easily and effectively.

Typically, serviced office space solutions include a variety of additional services normally not associated with conventional office space. These services include a fully functional and staffed reception service; meeting and boardrooms; tea and coffee delivered to your office; office-cleaning services; secure parking; and furnished offices.

Although serviced office space is a relatively new concept to most businesses in South Africa, it is an option that has been widely used overseas for a number of years, with surprisingly impressive results. Serviced office space is the new trend in office space alternatives.

So why would a company consider serviced office space over conventional office space? Quite simply, it is a combination of cost, flexibility and scalability. A serviced office solution on average will save your business around 60% on a conventional office space lease. The duration of your lease can be from as short as 3 months, and as your business grows, you can take on more space, stay for longer and use more of the available services on offer. Some of the other hidden benefits include a prime business address; message taking services; secretarial and administrative services; modern furniture; and 24-hour security. In addition to this is the benefit of not having to employ additional staff, do unnecessary training, or become caught up with administrative intensive human resource issues.

Where conventional office space is really just an empty shell for you to move into, serviced offices provide your business with a professional, well run infrastructure to plug your business into and be up and running within 48 hours. No matter how you look at it, conventional office space will take far longer to set up than a serviced office solution. In a serviced office environment, you will have an address to be proud of, as most business centres run from prime business locations. A serviced office provides your business with all the essentials for one fixed monthly cost, allowing you to focus on your core business activities, while outsourcing basic services to the serviced office supplier.

When should you consider serviced offices over conventional office space?

The next step is to decide on the value that a serviced office solution offers to your business. Before choosing conventional office space, ask yourself the following questions:

• You are starting a new company and you want to keep your set up costs to a minimum.
• You want to start a business, but what if it doesn’t work?
• Your company is expanding rapidly, and you might require additional office space.
• You want to have access to boardrooms and meeting rooms
• You need reception and administration services, but you don’t want to employ additional staff.
• You want a prime office address at an affordable monthly cost.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then there’s a really good chance that you should consider a serviced office solution for your business.

Choosing the ideal serviced office partner

Important things to consider when looking for the perfect serviced office partner:

1. Location: Is your serviced office partner central to your clients, all major routes and highways and close to restaurants, ATMs and shops?
2. Total service offering: Choose a partner that offers a wide variety of included services.
3. Professional and friendly: Always consider how your clients will be treated by the serviced office partner when they come to visit you.
4. Value for money: It is important that you partner with the serviced office company offering you the most value for your spend

Before making your final decision, do your research online by comparing the variety of serviced office space companies. You can take this one step further and book viewings and inspect the various options and locations. Test-drive the routes to and from home, as well as to your clients, so as to calculate the best traffic options. Finally, imagine your business operating from the premises, the impact on your clients, and the overall image for your business.