February 28th, 2014
Experts might be busy claiming that the traditional office is dead, but at the same time many growing companies are moving into business offices for lease. So is our office life really on the way out, or is it just changing with the times?
There are plenty of signs that the traditional 9-5 office existence is becoming a threatened species, with the growth of newer models such as part-time and flexible working. Increasingly, in many fields of work, colleagues are able to communicate and send in projects by mobile phone or laptop. It’s even possible to work in a coffee shop, taking advantage of free wi-fi. In this brave new hi-tech world, is there really any need for a building with partitions, desks, filing cabinets and computers?
Changes in Workspace
The advent of large open-plan offices and hotdesking mean that office space as we used to understand it in years gone by seems to have almost gone out of fashion. However, there is an argument that these trends were never driven by the needs of workers – but by pressures to increase the number of people who could be accommodated within a given space. Such work environments have often led to problems such as noise from one department distracting another, and therefore affecting productivity.
Difficult work environments, combined with ever longer and more expensive commutes, have driven the uptake of flexible working. In many fields of business, it is felt that “bricks and mortar” offices seem to go against a philosophy of flexibility, because they seem inherently inflexible. Nevertheless, there are still many advantages to an office rental compared to working from home.
Advantages of Working in an Office
One of the most important functions of an office is that it gives you space to meet other team members or customers, in an atmosphere dedicated to nurturing business. Meeting clients in your front room will not give the same professional impression, and meeting at your local café is bound to make any private conversations difficult. Serviced meeting rooms are a far better alternative all round.
Being based in an office also gives you access to essential services like internet, phone, post, photocopying, along with a business address for correspondence and a landline number for customers to call. In short, your business will have a home, and will immediately appear more established and reliable than a venture run over a mobile phone by someone who is constantly moving around.
Modern Flexible Office Space
If you don’t want to be tied down with a traditional office, but equally don’t want to operate without any regular premises, what is the answer? Increasingly, modern professionals are choosing newer types of business offices for lease which offer greater flexibility, and are better geared to 21st-century working methods.
Offices in modern business centres provide the space and facilities people need to perform business functions, from holding meetings to having a private discussion or interview. They also give access to the technology needed in everyday work, such as high-speed, reliable broadband and telephone connections.
Another advantage is the fact that they have a reception desk which can give your business a face, welcoming customers who call to visit you. You will also have all the other support services you need to help your business operate smoothly, such as kitchens and washrooms, with a management team you can call on if there are any problems which need solving.
However, by renting office space in this type of environment, you will maintain flexibility. You won’t be tied down in the same way as a competitor who has an old-style building, together with an old-style long lease. A business centre may offer you the chance to rent serviced offices by the month, so that you are not committed for a long period and can easily move if your business demands change, giving as little as a fortnight’s notice. Expanding or contracting your space as required will also be much easier than in a traditional office, because you are likely to be able to move to a larger or smaller unit on the same site.
If the nature of your business is such that you don’t actually need physical offices, another modern option is to arrange a virtual office rental under the umbrella of a business centre, meaning you have a professional address and somewhere to receive business mail and take phone messages. It is also possible to arrange this together with access to physical space within the centre as and when this may be needed.
Basepoint’s business centres offer the ideal way forward for anybody seeking business offices for lease, which will provide them with flexible workspace, together with a whole range of professional support services. Serviced office space is available in many areas including Dartford, Canterbury, Swindon and Evesham.
