Starting your office search: which space is right for you?

For many, searching for your first, or even new, office space can be a daunting task. Often, you might find it difficult to know where to start. How much space will you need? What kind of facilities will your employees want access to? Where is the best location for your business? One thing you might not have thought about though is what type of space your company is going to need.

The days of long term office leases are buried deep in the past, as businesses look for more flexibility for their employees. Companies no longer look for just one type of office space, instead recognising that as the way we work changes, so does the type of workspace we need. And more importantly, that your space can develop with you as your business does.

With employee retention now a major fact within businesses, there’s now more of a focus on what amenities can be gained from a new office space. This helps companies to not only retain staff, but also attract and motivate a happy workforce. With the cost of replacing a member of staff now over £30,000, it really does pay to make the workplace somewhere your employees want to be. Here we take a look at how the different office types may benefit your employees and your business.

Virtual offices
If you’re happy working from home, but feel you’d like to portray a more professional facade for your company, you might want to consider a virtual office.

You’ll get a professional business address, with on-site staff who can hold your mail. You can also add the option of call and email forwarding, meaning you’ll get a landline phone number which is answered by staff on site, keeping your personal and work phone number separate.

Coworking: hot desks and dedicated desks
As workspace trends have developed and flexible, mobile working has become more common, coworking has grown more popular.

Coworking gives you the opportunity to work as and when suits you. Most coworking spaces are open 24/7, so whether you’re an early riser, a night owl, or you just need to put in a long day, you can always access your space.

This type of space offers people the chance to work among like-minded individuals, each working on their own meaningful businesses and projects. Coworking creates a sense of community for users, one that they wouldn’t necessarily get working from home.

Another benefit to coworking environments is that you don’t need to worry about internal politics, plus there’s little competition. The other people within the space could even come in useful with your own projects; you might find your next graphic designer just sat across the room.

Coworking can be especially useful if you’re just starting out and don’t want to worry about the cost of setting up your own office.

With coworking you can either opt for a hot desk or a dedicated desk. Hot desking is all about the flexibility, giving you the option to choose from a variety of high-quality workspaces across a range of locations.

Dedicated desks however, give you the guarantee of your own workstation in a shared office at a specific location, with private lockable storage for your own items. Plus, you’ll still be able to benefit from using hot desks at any other location.

Serviced offices
Serviced offices might sometimes seem like an expensive option, but they can actually be cost-effective for your business.

With a serviced office, everything you need from your office space will be incorporated into one monthly bill. Rent, heating, maintenance, internet, cleaning; it’s all included. You’ll also benefit from on-site reception staff who can take care of greeting your visitors and handling your mail.

With front of house building teams on hand to take care of your office space, you can concentrate on the more important things, like your business.

Managed office
Managed offices are the bridge between a serviced office and a leased office. These are great if you want someone to take away the hassle of running an office, but also want the ability to create your own space. 

You’ll get your own office, on a flexible lease, but it will be expertly designed and managed by your office provider. You can pick and choose what you’d like to handle yourself, and which services you want to be handled for you to make your life easier.

Leased office space
If your business is at the point where it needs something bespoke a leased office can offer this. You can make your office truly your own, conveying your brand through your space, rather than having a standard office fit out. You can choose exactly how you want your office to be designed and manage it how you want. This is great if you have a team with very specific needs.

This is an ideal choice for the organisation that likes to take full control, safe in the knowledge that your accommodation needs are completely taken care of. However, you will want to think about the costs associated with this type of office. Unlike with managed office spaces however, your monthly fee will only include your space, so you’ll still need to add in the cost of added expenditures such as fit outs, utilities, and business rates.

Flexibility as standard
No matter which option you decide to take, the great news is that you can always be flexible with a rented office. At Bruntwood, all of our contracts are flexible, allowing you to grow as your company’s needs change.

Start your search now by finding out about our products and where they're available.