What makes a great office space for Tech startups?

Discover the things you need to consider as a Tech startup

With tech startups popping up all over London, there’s a lot of startup office spaces up for grabs. But not all office spaces are created equal. Some are very Wernham Hogg, while others give Google HQ a run for their money. So what makes a great tech startup office space? The cool decor? Super-fast internet? Is it being near other super cool startups? To make things easier for you, we’ve put together this quick guide to help you find the perfect office space for your startup.

Find the right location for your tech startup

Getting the right location for your business is a big deal. With office space available all around London, it’s not easy to know where to start looking. You might find the perfect space but if it’s in a place that’s right out in the sticks and that requires a complicated commute, you’ll find it pretty difficult to impress clients and attract the best talent.

Luckily, London is full of top-notch office spaces but when it comes to tech startups, there’s one area that always springs to mind: Shoreditch. More specifically, Old Street.

As you probably know, Old Street — or Silicon Roundabout, as it’s often known — is home to a lot of big tech names like Wise (formerly Transferwise), Stripe and a loooong list of other tech brands. Getting office space in or near Old Street is a surefire way to make sure your brand is linked to the tech hub.

On the other hand, you might want an office space that’s more central to make it easy for your team to get to and from work and maintain a good work/life balance.

The right location for one business isn’t always the right location for yours. The reason that Old Street became the hub was that there was office space available at reasonable prices, so who knows what could happen if you break away from the crowd? Maybe you’ll start a tech revolution of your own in a new area of London.

Secure the privacy your tech startup needs

Tech startups are usually based on an innovative idea — a new product that will change the consumer experience and make people wonder what the hell they did before they had it. If that’s what you’re working on, the last thing you want is prying eyes glancing at your revolutionary ideas.

Say you’re a fintech startup in London that’s going to change personal finances forever, you definitely don’t want somebody to see your product before it’s ready, or worse, steal your idea and change the world before you.

While there’s a lot of options available for shared office spaces in London, having your own private office space means everything you do is kept safe and secure. It means that you don’t need to cover your laptop screen every time somebody comes close, you can openly discuss ideas with co-workers and you can leave plans on whiteboards without worrying about who might see them.

You might think that a shared office space would be cheaper than a private office but in a lot of cases, private office spaces can actually be a more economical choice than co-working spaces, especially when you factor in the risks and drawbacks that come with sharing an office.

You’ve got a need, a need for high-speed internet

We’ve all been there, you’ve finally hit your groove, everything is going perfectly and then BAM. The internet is gone. You’ve run the diagnostics, watched the loading bar as it troubleshoots and eventually it has come back. But the groove is gone. You’ve lost your mojo.

It goes without saying that no modern brand can get along without a decent internet connection, especially not tech startups. So, whatever office you’re considering, it has to have high-speed internet.

Get a flexible office space that works for your tech brand

As we’ve already said, there’s a lot of tech startups in London, especially East London, and if you want your brand to stand out then you probably want that something special.

Tech startups aren’t just known for their incredible creations, they’re also known for working differently and a huge part of that is their office space. Think about Google’s HQ. The space reflects the brand and it looks like an awesome place to work, right?

In fact, your office can act as a recruitment tool to attract top talent into your startup and as a way to impress clients and business partners. Can you imagine your disappointment if you were excited to work with a boundary-pushing brand and then turned up for the interview in a bland, grey concrete building full of cubicles and motivational posters? The best candidates want to work for startups doing things differently and your office is a great way to reflect this and create a great first impression.

An office space that reflects your brand is great for business relationships too. Not only does it help to inspire creativity but it shows potential clients exactly who you are -- not just when they visit the office but when they see it on Insta and mentioned as one of the best office spaces in London.

Getting a customisable and flexible office space means that you can make the office truly yours. You can create a workspace that inspires creativity and impresses clients and investors. Plus, if you work with your team to design the office, productivity can increase by up to 30%. Not bad for sharing the load, eh?

Create spaces for collaborative work and team-building

Collaboration is key for creativity, especially for a tech startup. You’re doing something new and innovative, or taking something old and making it a whole lot better. To do that, you’re going to want a space to get together and make those ideas a reality.

You’re going to need an office that has spaces that encourage collaboration like meeting rooms, breakout areas and presentation spaces. Spaces that let you and your team get together and hash out exactly what you’re doing and how you’re going to do it without the stuffy atmosphere of a boardroom.

But there are going to be times when deadlines are closing in. You’ve got to get your head down and get something over the line. In those moments when you’re working away on your own, spaces like lunch rooms and coffee spaces are often vital for inspiration. That quick chat at the water cooler might give you exactly what you need to get the job done.

While there are tonnes of office spaces offering these facilities, it’s important that you find one that is inspiring for you and your brand. One that suits the way you and your team work and the needs of your startup.

Make office hours a thing of the past

How often has inspiration struck when you’re whiling the hours away in a nine to five? Inspiration is a fickle mistress and can arrive at the strangest of moments. You might think of the exact idea you’ve been hunting for while you’re relaxing on Friday night and it’ll have to wait until Monday when the office opens.

But if you have an office space that is available 24/7 then you’ll be able to go to the office when that light bulb moment hits and strike while the iron is hot.

Not only does having an office space that is always available help in moments of inspiration, but it means that you and your team can work when you want and aren’t held back by traditional office hours.

In fact, 87% of employees now say they’re looking for employers that offer flexible working, so it’ll help you attract the best candidates.

It might be that you work better in the afternoon so you can miss rush hour completely and work into the evening. You might be an early bird and get to the office before sunrise. With an office available all of the time, you can make the nine to five office hours a thing of the past and work how you want to work. Just don’t tell Dolly Parton.

So what really makes a great tech startup office space?

A great tech startup office space is one that suits you and your brand. It needs to:

-- Be available when you need it.

-- Be in the right location for your startup.

-- Have the right facilities for you and your team.

-- Let you and your team work the way you work best.

-- Have a top-notch internet connection and look cool, obviously.

It’s important to remember that what makes a great tech startup office space for one brand, might not be the right office space for your brand. When you’re considering office space, find a place that suits you and your startup, a place that you want to go to and not have to.