Why Businesses Are Opting For Serviced Office Space

By Author: Lucy Carter
Total Articles: 102
Comment this article

Serviced offices, otherwise called executive suites or business centres, offer a fully equipped place of business, with facilities and reception staff already on hand. This is becoming an increasingly popular commercial choice as particularly in this current economy, a long term lease agreement or mortgage is a risk many companies cannot afford to take.

A serviced office or building is generally owned or leased by a facility management company. They rent their office space to other companies on a far more flexible basis than traditional leased offices. By opting for this, companies are able to choose short term license or rental agreements, allowing them to move in, choose a larger office if they expand, or vacate to another premises as needed and without any fuss. Tenants also benefit from the necessary business equipment, reception services and other office related facilities already operational, which saves them from including this in their budget spend.

The following article summarises the reasons business owners are increasingly turning to serviced office space for their commercial base.

Prime locations

Finding ...
... the right premises and ironing out a lengthy lease agreement can be tricky. In contrast, there is a wealth of serviced office space locations across the UK, from the most central hubs of commerce to areas that simply suit productivity and staff. Business centres in Manchester and London are examples of top locations that are always popular with companies.

Convenience

The setup needed for conventional offices can be a time consuming feat - there is the location hunt, arranging the lease agreement, the hiring and training involved in acquiring reception staff and the buying of office furniture and equipment. Choosing a business centre gives companies of all sizes the head start to be able to commence business from the day they move in, with all resources plus appealing decor already on hand.

No payment pressure

Rented office space gives business owners the flexibility of being able to choose the contract that suits their needs, long term or short term, at an hourly, daily, monthly or annual rate. This takes away the risk of the conventional lengthy lease agreement which could bind companies to premises which no longer suit them.

Savings

Serviced office space offers business owners a saving of 60-70% of the cost it takes to staff and equip a traditional commercial property. There is also significant savings to be made when moving - companies don't have the worry of being tied to a long term lease if they want to change to smaller or larger premises, plus the bothersome relocation of furniture and office equipment is removed from the equation.

Staff productivity

Every business owner is concerned with their core staff functioning productively and effectively to grow their services or products. Not only does the smooth operation of an office contribute to this effectiveness, it would be detrimental to have key staff being distracted by having to cover general office related tasks. With a business centre, companies can purely concentrate on their core business and have the office management already taken care of by highly trained administrators and receptionists.

The right fit

Serviced office space is available to suit the needs or every variety and size of business. For example:

* Companies that are tied to a lease but have grown out of their location in terms of staff expansion requirements can place the overflow into second premises as a solution.
* Entrepreneurial or start-up companies can opt for a short term lease to begin with while they establish themselves instead of having to commit to the risk of a binding long term lease.
* Organisations who have their headquarters overseas but who expand into other countries can have a convenient place of presence for their local operations.
* Temporary, project based teams such as for lawyers working on a case or a film production crew are able to easily fire away on their tasks.
* Business centres are ideal as a short term solution for companies that are transitioning to a new location but are experiencing delays in its completion

In a nutshell, more businesses and organisations are turning to serviced rented office space as it simply allows them to jump in running and focus on what they do best.
Simon Reston - business owner and writer on business centre tips.