The Myriad Benefits of Flexible Office Space

Vetting business districts, forecasting growth, and signing complicated paperwork are just a few of the daunting tasks that come with choosing office space. In today’s cloud-based, mobile landscape, your office location can be one of the least adaptable resources. This restriction is why so many businesses, new and established, are turning to flexible office space as a solution.

What is Flexible Office Space?

Flex spaces are highly accommodating, with membership plans suited to a variety of business needs. Flexible office space gives business operators access to workplaces, meeting rooms, and conference areas without the burdens of traditional commercial leases. Instead of one company operating out of an entire building, property owners lease adjustable parts of an existing office building, fully equipped with modern amenities. These sections range from shared desks to entire suites. Standard offerings include co-working programs, part-time small workspaces, and even long-term private offices. From low overhead costs to advanced collaboration, here are just a few of the many benefits of leasing flexible office accommodations.

Easy Scalability

One buzz word frequently brought up in business conversation is “scalability.” Will this business model be conducive to growth? Can this innovative new product quickly ramp up production as demand increases? One of the most significant benefits of using flexible space is the ability to quickly scale up (or scale down) your office footprint. If you are starting a new sole proprietorship, but plan to add team members gradually, flexible office space is the perfect solution. You can start with a dedicated desk or micro office, then add more seating and square footage as you grow, without calling in a contractor to tear down walls.

Genuine Office Address

If you are using a home address for communications, you run the potential of having a client stop by your house at any time, assuming it is an office. When you sign up for flexible office space, you get a real business address that can appear on your website and invoices. If a client does decide to visit for a quick chat, you can treat them to many of the same amenities offered by large corporations, like coffee, conference rooms, and WiFi. Most flex space is found in familiar business districts, so if you live in the suburbs, you can still keep office hours at a central location.

Advanced Collaboration

Flex space owners know that technology is key to effective collaboration. Most offices include access to flatscreen monitors, projectors, whiteboards, and other essential tools for working as a team. These co-working environments also give you the advantage of a built-in professional network. As you begin to meet the other professionals that share the building, you’ll discover peers and mentors that you would never run into otherwise.

Privacy When You Need It

While a diverse network of professionals is one of the things that make coworking spaces truly special, sometimes what you really need to be productive is a private area. For you, that might be getting away from your home office, or even retreating from your larger corporate workplace. Distractions are everywhere, and flexible offices give you access to private rooms to make calls, crunch numbers or focus on that annual report. Too many knocks at the door during your last managers’ meeting? Take advantage of a small offsite workspace for those big brainstorming sessions.

Instantly Available

If you are looking to start your own business immediately, nothing could be faster than joining a flexible workspace. You can stop by, sign up, and get access to an adjustable desk, ergonomic chair, and super-fast internet within minutes. Or maybe you’ve been working solo for a few months, then land a big new contract that calls for three new team members. You don’t have to call a realtor-- send an instant message to the manager, and you could have a larger office by the end of the day.

Comfort For Your Entire Team

Because flexible office space is designed to be, well, flexible, your team can enjoy comforts that don’t exist in most workplaces. StarSpace46, for example, has two lunch areas, a wide variety of seating options, break out rooms, conference rooms, and even an event center. Need to relax and have fun for a few minutes? Hideout in the retro video-game room, or recline on a sofa and scroll through your news feed.

Low Cost

Running a successful business always requires attention to overhead costs, and flexible office spaces offer high value at low prices. Traditional commercial real estate contracts can expect years of commitment. Older office buildings require remodeling with the arrival of new tenants. And because you may be required to settle for something more substantial than you need at the time, you end up paying for unused space. Flex spaces have less-rigid requirements. As mentioned before, you can sign an agreement for just the amount of space you need, and make any necessary adjustments after six months, not six years. For new and growing businesses, this flexibility could make all the difference in terms of profitability.