The Genie guide to short term office space
It used to be difficult to find short term offices, with long leases being the standard in the commercial property industry. But recent years have seen a boom in short term office space rental opportunities with the rise and rise of shared and serviced offices.
Here we’ll take a quick look at the difference between a serviced office and a shared office, before describing some of the benefits – and potential drawbacks – that a short term office lease can bring to you and your company.
Serviced short term office rental
A serviced office building is one set up specifically to cater for freelancers, small businesses and their particular needs. They can be seen as a little expensive, but this kind of short term office space comes with particular advantages. They will tend to be run by management companies or agencies who deal with this specific type of short term office on a regular basis. They will be flexible to your needs and whatever situation you may throw at them, they’ve probably been there and bought the T-shirt.
Shared short term offices
A shared short term office rental will tend to be a little cheaper than the serviced alternative, as they are usually run by smaller companies offering slightly less amenities and benefits. These schemes will not be entire buildings dedicated to short term desk space – they will be parts of offices occupied by another company who has found it has space to spare and is looking to generate a little extra income. They may lack a little professionalism because of it, but can often offer extra character and a personal touch as a result.
The benefits of short term office space
So why opt for a short term office lease? The most obvious reason is flexibility. You will normally sign up for a month-by-month contract, meaning that you can opt in out of the office when you need to. This makes it a great way to try out the idea of short term office space before committing, perhaps to a longer and cheaper deal. You also get the benefit of testing out a location, while also being able to easily cater for changes in the amount of staff you are employing.
Another big positive when it comes to short term office space is it tends to be hassle and organisation free. Whoever manages the property will be doing all the donkey work for you, such as organizing utilities (including broadband) to paying for dilapidations to organising security for the building. The place will already be decorated, with desks in place. You should also find meeting rooms available, and possibly a reception and post service included.
Short term office rental also tends to be quick to move into. As the office is essentially ready to go, once you’ve put down your deposit or paid your first month’s rent, you’ll be able to move in pretty much immediately.
Short term office space downsides
Any negatives in short term offices tend to correlate with the advantages above. For example, while some businessmen and freelancers may welcome avoiding decorating their new office, others may see this as an essential part of the process. The same goes for choosing your broadband provider, or deciding who you want to share the office with.
By choosing a short term office to let you are relinquishing this responsibility, which also means you’re paying a premium for someone else to do it for you. Rents can be higher because of this, but the flexibility and lack of admin can be more than enough to cover that extra cost.
How to find the right short term offices
With Office Genie, searching for a short term office to rent couldn’t be easier. Simply enter the location in which you’re looking for short term office space. This could be the name of a town or city, a postcode, or even a London district or tube station if you’re looking in the capital. You can also specify a distance away from that point that you’re willing to travel – if you start small, you can spread your search if you don’t find the kind of results you were hoping for.
You can add how many desks you need, and what you want to pay (if you have an idea), and away you go. If the results you get aren’t what you were hoping for, or you simply can’t find the short term office space that’s right for you, you’ll also see a number at the top of the screen – give us a call and we’ll have a look around for you.
