For many new companies, renting office space puts a serious dent in resources. The average landlord for commercial properties often requires you to sign a lease for a minimum of three years. For a new business, this commitment may be severe and is often not ideal in terms of future growth and expansion. The typical office-leasing process can take months and involves a lot of numbers and paperwork, and even then, you could end up not getting what you thought out of your office experience. Leasing office space certainly isn’t new, but shared office environments go far beyond simple square footage. The collaborative workspaces also provide infrastructure, services, events and technology. It may be wise to consider shared office space.
Start off by determining your needs. Before you consider shared office space, determine whether your company really needs office space in the first place. The type of business you run, as well as the number of employees you have and the way in which you interact with clients, are the foremost factors to use to determine whether a brick-and-mortar office space is necessary.
When you’re running a young business it’s hard to predict exactly how much space you’ll need in a few months, let alone a couple of years. It’s hard to commit to an office lease contract for long term. This is where shared office space may be a great option for your business. You have the affordable options and flexibility of renting the exact amount of space you need right now, from a single desk, private office, larger shared space for your employees to a meeting or board room, with the option to expand or reduce it as your business grows.
Your co-working neighbors can make all the difference in your everyday work experience, so try to find out what other businesses are in the space before you sign up. In most cases, you’ll find that there are a lot of other startups and small companies like yours, so you can really benefit from each other’s experiences and connections.
Many shared office spaces even host networking events to promote and grow young businesses. The sense of community will ensure you’re not alone during the good and sometimes trying times. Access to mentors, development days and specific workshops are also often readily available, in addition to having professional colleagues willing each other on towards success.
There are a few things to consider when determining if shared office space is the best option for you. Other options are also available to consider, there are platforms that can help you launch a virtual office, complete with a post office address for shipping and receiving goods. The Office Quarters is currently running a special, $299 and $399 offer for shared space, Offices are nicely furnished and include utilities, daily mail service and janitorial service. Our clients receive 24/7 secure access, a generous allowance of meeting room usage, and the use of our business equipment (copier, scanner, etc.) and the OQ Café. Pop in or give us a call for more details.
