About Serviced Offices
About serviced office space rental in London and the UK.
- Why Serviced Offices?
- Serviced Offices - alternative names
- Serviced Offices in today's market
- Who uses Serviced Offices?
- Is a Serviced Office right for me?
- Serviced Offices vs. Leasehold Office Space
- What does a typical Serviced Office rental fee include?
- How else can a Serviced Office support my Organisation?
- How do I know if Serviced Offices are right for me?
- Where can I find and view Serviced Offices?
Why Serviced Offices?
Serviced Offices are an easy and straightforward solution for companies looking to rent office space in London and the UK. Their 'plug in and play' nature cuts out all the expenses and headaches involved in leasing conventional office space, and you can start work the day you move in without having to concentrate on anything other than your business. The convenience and flexibility that Serviced Offices provide is invaluable. Serviced Offices can also provide meeting rooms, shared offices and 'hot desks' allowing flexible working solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Return to top of pageServiced Offices - alternative names
Serviced Offices are also officially known as Business Centres and Executive Offices.
Additionally, they are sometimes referred to as Furnished Offices, Ready Offices, Instant Offices and Flexible Offices.
Serviced Offices in today's market
Although relatively new in the UK, Business Centres have been a fundamental part of the North American property scene for more than 35 years and are now gaining the same sort of popularity and acceptance in London and the UK. It is even estimated that Serviced Offices in the UK will operate more than 400,000 workstations by the year 2008.
There are over 1000 Business Centres currently operating in the UK. These range from small independent and owner-operated centres to large international property groups. A lot of Serviced Offices can now be found in well-known modern and traditional landmark buildings, which can be viewed on our website.
Whatever the company's requirements in terms of fit-out, location, space and price, there is always a Business Centre solution to match. Their flexible terms means that the demand for them is now larger than for Leasehold Offices.
Who Uses Serviced Offices?
From a 1 person office to a building that can accommodate 500 people, Serviced Offices offer space for companies of all sizes. Some companies use them as their main office; some larger organisations use them as satellite offices for a new project. They are an essential choice for start-up companies, as they come ready equipped, potentially saving a new business a lot of money in its all-important first year.
Return to top of pageIs a Serviced Office right for me?
You may find a Serviced Office very beneficial in some of the following situations:
- Your company is expanding very quickly and expects to require larger office space soon.
- Your company is downsizing over a period of time.
- You require additional space for an unknown period of time
- You want to rent on a mid - long term basis but realise that you may have to vacate at some point.
- You want to have the use of premium facilities such as meeting rooms and reception facilities, but not to pay for them full-time.
- You are a new company that wants to keep your initial start-up costs to a minimum.
- You need admin services provided such as call answering or typing, but don't want to have to employ people full time for the work.
- You need emergency space.
- You want an impressive location at an affordable cost.
- You want economical solution with low start-up costs.
Serviced Offices vs. Leasehold Office Space
There are many benefits that a Serviced Office has over Leasehold Office.These include:
No Start-Up Costs - Conventional/Leasehold Office Space can cost anything from £5,000 (for a typical 3 person office) upwards to fit out. Serviced Offices come with everything you need, including facilities such as:
- ISDN Telephone systems and phones
- Desks and chairs
- Fax machines
- Broadband connections
- Break out areas
- Fit Out (if required)
- Meeting rooms
- Reception area
Flexible Licence agreement - Clients can sign a licence agreement, instead of lease, and move in the same day, cutting out lengthy and expensive solicitor's fees.
Maintenance - Maintaining a leasehold property in the UK can be extremely costly. Serviced Offices are managed and maintain their own facilities. For example, if a light needs changing, or a toilet gets blocked, the management deal with it at no extra charge. You only need to focus on your business.
Wider Office Space Options - There are 100s of Serviced Office rental locations over London and the UK. Depending on the property, Serviced Offices can offer anything from 10-200 offices to rent, allowing a much wider choice than the conventional property sector.
Expansion - Benefit from the first refusal on any additional office space that becomes available within the office, ideal if your business is likely to expand.
More Cost Effective - Visit our cutting your office space rental costs section for an analysis of the cost benefits of Serviced Offices over traditional Leased Office Space in London and UK. The last report, illustrated by the CIPS back in 2002, demonstrates that Serviced Offices have become the most cost-effective option for many businesses.
Ad hoc facilities - You can make use of extra facilities such as boardrooms and secretarial services which are available on a 'pay as you use' basis. Some Serviced Office Space providers even include them in the fixed office rental charge.
What does a typical Serviced Office rental fee include?
Serviced Offices charge a fixed monthly rate for office rental, so there are none of the unexpected costs that can arise with conventional office space.The flat rate charged for Serviced Offices will often include:
- Rent
- Rates
- Service Charge
- Utility bills
- Furniture (desks and chairs)
- Fit Out (if required)
- Office cleaning
- Phones and ISDN lines
- Cat 5e cabling
- Buildings Insurance
- Dilapidations
- Broadband
- Phone system and handsets
- Fully equipped meeting rooms
- Kitchen
- Toilets
- Onsite management and repairs
- Reception, call answering, meeting and greeting of clients * if required
How else can a Serviced Office support my organisation?
A lot of facilities and services offered in a serviced office are ad-hoc, many of which
are very beneficial for businesses required the extra help - without the full-time cost.
Meeting rooms - Meeting rooms can be used on an ad-hoc basis, ensuring that you don't have to fork out for space which you are not using all day every day.
Secretarial Support - An Ad-hoc service in which any administrative duties, such as letter typing, photocopying, faxing or call answering can be outsourced on an hourly basis.
An in-house reception team can also offer you part or full-time support to ensure
that you never miss a call. Calls can even be answered in your company name, allowing you to maintain the most professional image possible.
High Spec Technology - Serviced Offices employ high spec technology, such as a fast broadband or ISDN telephone lines, to ensure that companies renting on their premises can concentrate on their business without worrying about anything else. This technology ensures that your business has 'quality' resources
without the initial layout.
Unbranded Locations - A lot of Serviced Offices are unbranded, ensuring a smart and impressive location.
How do I know if Serviced Offices are right for me?
At Free Office Finder, we have a database of both Serviced and Leasehold Office Space on our system. Our advisors deal with 100s of different-sized organisations every month and are well trained to advise. Contact us now for to discuss your office search and determine a good solution for your business.
Return to top of pageWhere can I find and view Serviced Offices?
You can use our Serviced Office Search page to search the Serviced Office market or contact us and let Free Office Finder do all the searching for you.
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