A managed workspace is a readymade office environment where a company can move in with minimal fuss. Depending on the company’s size and trade, it might even be possible to move in and start working almost immediately, provided that the serviced office provider has the right setup available.
Ever since the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed the public health risk of Covid-19, managed workspaces have gained significant traction as a business sector themselves. Read on to know how that development could or should affect your choice of managed office provider.
What Does the Newfound Popularity of Serviced Workspaces Mean for the Small Business Owner?
Where there is demand, there is the opportunity for growth. Therefore, it isn’t at all surprising that the number of serviced office providers, along with their respective client base are growing at an exponential rate. There are both pros and cons to this development. The advantage is that of choice for SMEs, because choice for them means competition within the managed workspace business segment. Competition leads to competitive pricing, which is always good news for their clientele.
The disadvantage which comes with growing popularity and demand is that of availability. In 2022, it is much more difficult than before to find a managed office that meets the client’s first choice of location. Even if they can find the ideal spot, they will need to pay more in rent money than what they would have had to pay before. Where there is a disparity between demand and availability, a rise in cost is inevitable.
How Should Small Businesses Proceed to Make the Best Choice?
If you are a small business owner, rest assured that renting a managed workspace is still going to be significantly cheaper than having to pay for setting up and renting a new office. However, that is where a bit of caution is advised. There is little doubt that a flexible, serviced workspace is supposed to be more cost-effective than the traditional alternative, but no business decision should be made based on conceptions alone.
The conception must be supported by hard stats, calculations, and estimations. Check to see if your current serviced office provider is charging you more than they should. Check if your company is indeed saving as much money as it can by working within the managed office model. If not, then it might be time to consider a better and more practical managed office space provider.
Is the Office Properly Serviced to Handle the Intended Work?
Larger companies generally do not have much to gain by shifting to a managed workspace, but the difference can be huge for small businesses and new establishments financially. However, any manged workspace provider worth considering should be able to meet the company’s office needs as closely as possible.
Therefore, pay attention to whether the office in question is indeed equipped to handle the kind of work that you and your team is expecting to do in there. For example, a radio station would need a studio to record, where as a software development team might need access to high-end PCs with the right hardware and software applications preinstalled.
