Serviced Offices - Small Business Guide

When a small business has grown to the extent that the front room, garden office or attic can no longer accommodate its growing needs, many small business owners face a dilemma over what to do next. Although virtual offices and mail forwarding services can provide a start-up with all they need to appear more professional, they cannot address the need for extra space.

In this article, we take a look at serviced offices – what they are, and how to go about choosing one.

What is a Serviced Office?

If you rent an office building, you will be responsible for dealing with business rates, utilities, telephony, office furniture, call answering, and many other things.

The serviced office provides all these services for a fee, allowing its clients to concentrate on doing business without the need to worry about office administration.

Flexibility

For many businesses, serviced offices provide the flexibility they need. Not only are you free from signing a long lease as you would with a traditional office rental agreement, you will often be able to upgrade to a larger office space as your business grows (or the other way round if you’re cutting back on staff).

You should be able to move in and start working within 24 hours – with telephony, broadband and furniture in place.

What’s Included

A typical serviced office would provide you with;

• Furniture
• Telephony (charged by usage)
• Broadband (charged by usage)
• Telephone answering
• Postal and Fax services (charged by usage)
• Refreshment areas
• Meeting Room rental

Be particularly vigilant with the following areas;

• Contract Term - Typically 3,6 or 12 month rental terms will be offered, with the monthly fee lower for longer term contracts.

• Negotiate - Given the current economic climate, you may well be able to negotiate a good deal.
• Company History - Make sure you credit check the service provider before signing a contract.
• Telephony - Many firms charge a “handset” fee, together will call charges.
• Broadband - Some companies charge a fee per person, which can work out to be quite expensive. See if you can install a wireless modem in your office space for a single fee.
• Deposit Return - You’d be amazed at how long some service offices take to return your initial deposit – over 60 days in some cases. Read the contract carefully, and raise any issues you have with the office manager prior to signing.
• Reception - Make sure you meet the people who will be taking your calls and greeting your clients. They will provide clients with the first impression of your business.
• Look & Feel - Choosing an office is a personal as well as a business decision. Make sure you feel “right” before signing anything. Does the office give you the space and facilities you need, and does it have the right professional feel to greet clients?

There are thousands of serviced office providers in the UK – from household names, such as Regus, to small providers with less than a dozen units. Companies such as our partners at City Office can search for space in thousands of global locations. You might also be interested in office space aggregator services, hundreds of which can be found via the mighty Google.