Flexible office spaces are becoming an important part of modern business, and will no doubt continue to grow in popularity in London. No longer the choice of the small company or startups alone, large and established businesses are also leaning towards flexible office spaces in London to accommodate their growing pools of diverse and evolving talent.
Businesses need to manage physical and remote teams. Work with contractors, freelancers and international teams. When deciding to rent an office, there are a number of considerations to understand and prioritise. Outlined below are many attributes to hold in mind when looking for your next office space and why they’re so important to any sized London business.
Flexible offices – Responsive to business needs
One of the core attributes of flexible office spaces is just how responsive they can be to the needs of a business.
Flexible offices with shorter leases
From the short notice period can give, to the layout and size of the office space you sign up for – these are flexible and can be adapted to your needs. Having this level of freedom in your office space is a huge step forward from the days of long leases that tied businesses to properties that no longer fulfil their purpose. In today’s dynamic business environment flexibility is key.
Access to meeting rooms & facilities
Open plan office spaces are great for creating a platform for open communication and team efficiency. They’re not always so handy when you need to hold an interview, confidential chat or larger ideation sessions that could be disruptive to the rest of the team. Having access to the meeting rooms and facilities within your property – and in other buildings – allows you the privacy and forum to manage those ad hoc sessions. Hiring traditional meeting spaces can prove to be incredibly costly, so it’s worth exploring flexible spaces within your office building or choosing a flexible office provider that offers free use of meeting rooms.
Serviced offices
The majority of flexible workspaces will be serviced, which saves a great deal of time and money. Benefits include having a receptionist for the building to field and allocate calls, office and building maintenance on hand for repairs, technical support on hand at all hours and speedy WiFi. Serviced offices also usually boast 24/7 access, which allows for overnight tech deployments, last minute deadlines and socials.
Furnished spaces
It’s like renting a home – opting for a furnished office allows you to save money for the things you really need and value, and also enables you and the team to get up and go should you need to.
As the team grows, you don’t need to worry about additional furniture. Your office provider will take care of this for you once you’ve shared your requirements.
If you’re looking for temporary office space, selecting a furnished office allows you to avoid the additional costs for office furniture you may not need in a month or a year’s time.
Workspaces that inspire talent
Now more than ever, business leaders hold their future talent in mind when deciding to rent an office.
Ability to make the office your own
You’ll want to find office space that allows you to tell your team and any visitors you host, who you are and what you stand for. Whether it’s bold transparency or wild creativity – each of these can be illustrated in your office design. By having the freedom to decorate and design the space yourself, you’ll be able to commit to the brand you sold to your hires. No matter the industry, you should be thinking about creating spaces where people want to spend their time – and feel happy to spend their time in.
Aside from DIY and decoration, is the ability to include additional office features – from a breakout space filled with beanbags and sleep pods to fridges stacked with snacks and beers for staff socials and celebrations.