Serviced offices are becoming increasingly popular, with many businesses now recognising their value. However, there is still some doubt out there. Let’s take a look at some of the popular myths about serviced offices and set the record straight for those who are looking to move into the serviced office environment.
Myth 1 – Serviced offices are pricey
Serviced office contracts tend to come as all-inclusive packages. As soon as you realise that – and you see the wealth of items included* – then using a serviced office is not expensive at all. On the contrary, it’s a far sight cheaper than a conventionally leased office. In the case of reputable serviced offices, your costs will include rent, service charges, insurance, business rates, gas, water and electricity, internet and telephone services, cleaning, furniture, reception services, meeting rooms and car parking. In some cases, you get even more than that. Some businesses can save between 30% and a whopping 78% by leasing a serviced office instead of a conventional office. This is a massive difference.
Myth 2 – Moving into a serviced office is a pain
We all find moving stressful, whether it’s a house or an office. But moving from one conventional office to another is a much bigger task than moving into a serviced office. Imagine if you didn’t have to take apart your desk and your phone and your filing cabinets. Imagine if your desk and filing cabinets were already built, your phone was connected and ready, your internet and IT backup was in place, and it was just a case of bringing your laptop and paperwork. When you think of it like that, moving into a serviced office is not nearly as painful as moving into a conventional office. In fact, it’s a doddle.
Myth 3 – Serviced offices make profit by charging high telephone rates
The opposite is true, in fact. Serviced offices are normally able to attain much better discounts on telephone services than conventionally leased offices because of their size and market. Customers reap the benefits of these discounts.
Myth 4 – Serviced offices are only suitable for small and medium sized businesses or start-ups
There is no reason why large companies shouldn’t use serviced offices, and in many cases they do. By leasing serviced offices on flexible bases, large-scale companies end up with a network of potential offices they can use. This is ideal for sending workers to particular areas for short periods, and makes serviced offices particularly practical and useful to small project teams. Flexible serviced offices are great for small companies, but even governments and major banks use them nowadays, so large corporations are recognising the benefits as well.
Myth 5 – You can’t make a serviced office your own
Most serviced offices allow signs and decorations so that you can brand your office as your own. Like any leased space – including a conventional office – you simply have to remove any branding when you leave.
Myth 6 – There are hidden costs
Decent serviced office providers will not hide any costs from you. They recognise the importance of being economical, which is the motivation behind offering flexible and all-inclusive packages. They want to be competitive and offer something cheaper and superior to a conventional office lease. They will therefore list all costs for any additional services and will ask whether you want these services before charging for them.
Myth 7 – The internet in a serviced office is poor
In actuality, most businesses only require a 1-2 MB dedicated bandwidth connection, which is available to customers of serviced offices. You’ll also find that peak-time lags are less common in serviced office environments. The truth is that serviced office internet is more often better than it would be at home and most serviced offices have backup fibre optic lines. One of the biggest selling points of the serviced offices at Send Business Centre in Surrey is the colossal bandwidth. High-speed Wi-Fi at Send is the result of the centre’s decision to lay its own optical fibre with DOUBLE redundancy to ensure high speeds with 3ms latency.
Myth 8 – Serviced offices are only a short-term solution
Leasing conventional offices can mean businesses are stuck with unproductive workspaces that they don’t really need, as a result of their contract. The benefit of serviced offices is their flexibility, which fits perfectly with businesses whose needs change frequently. It means they only have to pay for the space and the facilities they are using. As a result of this flexibility, many businesses end up occupying serviced offices on a long-term basis.
Myth 9 – Location, location, location – it doesn’t matter!
It does matter, because location is important to any business. You need to be able to get to work without hassles and also be convenient for your clients to visit. This is why it’s important that serviced offices have ample parking. For businesses looking to expand, the flexibility and lower rents of out-of-town business centres with easy access to motorways can prove to be inordinately helpful.
Myth 10 – You can only access your serviced office at certain times
This is a common mistaken belief about serviced offices, that you’re restricted to using them at limited hours of the day. In many cases, serviced offices offer 24-hour access because providers recognise that a lot of businesses have to work unusual or long hours. Send Business Centre and Tannery Studios offer 24-hour access to their serviced offices, which is particularly important given that a lot of their customers are in the creative sector. You can’t put time limits on creativity, after all.
If you’re interested in seeing what serviced office packages Send Business Centre have to offer, call 01483 225617.
* Many serviced office companies actually DO charge extra for your basics like internet, parking spaces and reception services. We at Send Business Centre don’t believe in luring you in on a false pretence of artificially low rates, which is why we provide a 100% all-inclusive rate for your office space.
