Choosing a new serviced office is like making any other decision involving your business – it needs to be the right fit, make sound financial sense and also help to move your company forward. Despite the importance of this decision, so many business owners plump for an option that looks good on paper but simply doesn’t work for them.
Do you know what you need from a serviced office?
As we noted in an earlier blog about choosing a location for office space, knowing what to look for, from the location of the office to what’s included in the package, is crucial if you want to find a serviced office that suits you in the long term. However, there are lots of things you need that you might not have considered.
Bear the following in mind…
Knowing your neighbours
The ethos and culture of any serviced office facility needs to align with your own values, or you’ll never fit in there. Your neighbours, the other tenants of the building, should be businesses that you are happy to work alongside and that are a good fit with your own company. For example, if your business is a tech start up, bursting with young creative talent and priding itself on fast-paced innovation, a building full of long-established lawyers or accountants is probably not the best fit.
Professionalism on the phones
One of the main benefits of serviced offices is that they give you access to a manned reception, which you wouldn’t normally be able to afford. This means your calls are answered and directed, your mail is received and, as we highlighted in this blog about city centre versus offices on the outskirts, you get a prestigious address to associate with your business. If the quality of the reception service isn’t up to scratch, however, this could actually damage your company’s reputation. You need a service that is professional, efficient and exceptional quality – and you won’t find that just anywhere.
Friendly, helpful staff – and great quality IT support
As well as a manned reception, there are other services and teams of staff you may need to call on during your working week. Setting up in a serviced office, which is ready to go with everything from cleaning staff to dedicated IT support teams in place from day one, can be hugely convenient – but you need to make sure that your support staff are providing the best quality services.
Carrwood Park, for example, has adopted a ‘go the extra mile’ attitude when it comes to support staff, meaning that everyone is friendly, helpful and happy to do anything they can to facilitate the smooth running of your business. This is definitely something to look out for when choosing your new serviced office.
Enjoying your working day
Actually enjoying using your serviced office is more important that you think. After all, you’ll be spending lots of time there, possibly even more than you do at home. You need to be comfortable there, or you’ll only end up shelling out to move in just a few months’ time. Do you like the style and finish of the building, do you get on well with your co-tenants, is it easy to get things done with the help of the building’s support staff? These are all questions to ask yourself before signing on the dotted line, and at least one (or more) visit to get a feel for the place is crucial.
You can also download our guide to serviced offices – it’s a useful read for first-time serviced office users.