2016 is Hailed as the Year of Serviced Business Centres

May 16th, 2016


2016 is being hailed as the year of serviced business centres, after recent surveys have shown soaring demand for this type of workspace, which is expected to continue over the coming months. The serviced office sector is now estimated to contribute around £2billion to the UK economy, showing just how important it is.

It’s well-known that soaring office rents are causing pressure on firms in London in particular and making it difficult for many companies to find suitable space. Yet the capital is still seeing a constant stream of new business launches, with 200,000 start-ups based here in 2015 alone. Many new and growing companies are exploring options such as moving into centres like Basepoint’s business centre in Eastcote, west London.

However, deciding to rent serviced offices is not just a trend in London, with this option also becoming increasingly popular in other areas of the country. Some small companies are looking to move out of London because of lower prices elsewhere, with many choosing bases in the South East or the Midlands. According to one recent survey, enquiries about renting flexible office space in the UK went up by around 21% in 2015, more than the figure for conventional offices.

What is Fuelling the Demand?

There has been a sharp rise in number of start-ups in the UK over the last few years, and more than 608,000 new businesses started in 2015 – a record-breaking figure, and a rise of 4.6% compared to the previous year. In order to get up and running quickly, ambitious start-ups look for a base in an accessible location with a good professional business address, where they have the facilities they need to establish themselves.

In practice, however, it can be hard for new businesses to find somewhere suitable. It may be hard to find a suitable location which is remotely affordable, and you could face having to commit yourself to paying the rent for a long period, before you can really be sure that your business will be profitable in the longer term. If you are worrying over whether to take on a small office rental which isn’t really what you are looking for, then opting for serviced office accommodation instead could prove to be the answer.

Another reason for moving into shared space is that many businesses, such as digital start-ups, are looking for an atmosphere which will help to foster staff engagement. This means having a feeling of membership, with well-planned break out space, good facilities and opportunities to network.

Serviced business centres have shown the way forward in creating workspace which includes all these elements. Indeed, many larger companies are now following in their footsteps, with collaborative working influencing office design, as they try to re-create the lively feeling and colourful layouts which business centres offer. Getting rid of obviously corporate furnishings and creating a more relaxed, modern and informal layout is all part of this trend.

Basepoint’s Serviced Business Centres

If you are looking for a serviced offices rental, you will want to see what different providers have to offer and get a feel for the atmosphere. You’ll soon discover that Basepoint business centres are different because they have a strong sense of community, with many networking events and opportunities for the various small businesses within each centre.

All our centres are in prime locations, in towns including Crawley, Newhaven and Gosport. As well as having your own office space, you will also have access to all the other facilities within your chosen centre, including the ability to hire serviced meeting rooms.

Even if you are working from home, for instance with a micro business which has only just started up, you could still be part of the Basepoint community by arranging to lease virtual offices. There are various different packages to choose from, which all mean you can use the breakout spaces at our serviced business centres and have the right to hire meeting rooms, as well as joining in with networking events at the centres.

Serviced Business Centres – Click to contact us and find out more about how we can help your business.