What is a serviced office?
If your idea of a serviced office is hotdesking with strangers in an open plan room that gets a daily onceover with a vacuum cleaner and little else, then either you’re stuck in the past or you’re not getting your money’s worth from your current serviced office provider.
Modern serviced offices are not just communal spaces filled with workstations – they are finished with your own branding, design and layout, so that they meet your needs perfectly.
A good, modern serviced office works around you, not you around it, so if you’re stuck with a serviced office space provider who refuses to be flexible, it might be time to consider a move (which, luckily, is much easier to do when you’re only renting the space too!).
Modern serviced office space
When you move into a modern serviced office space, most, if not all, of the utilities and amenities should be set up and ready to go, or at least ‘plug and play’ if you have your own equipment to connect.
For example, good-quality ICT connections make it easier to set up your own wired or wireless office network, connect to cloud services and establish high-speed internet access for your workstations and server.
Good serviced office providers will also be on hand with ICT support if you have any problems connecting to the supplied network services, so you’re not on your own on moving-in day.
Furnished for comfort
Setting aside the technical aspects, one of the main things you want from serviced office rooms is comfort, and fully furnished offices with brand-name, ergonomic seating and tables are a step in the right direction.
But you also need space to feel comfortable, and this goes beyond the office itself, with spacious reception areas, meeting rooms, breakout spaces and even on-site kitchen facilities all getting you through the day with in comfort.
Air conditioning and complimentary beverages keep you cool and hydrated in the summer months, while for your corporate environmental or sustainability commitments, there are green energy options, carbon offsetting schemes and on-site recycling facilities – and even motion detectors for the lights so you’re not spending on electricity if the last person out forgets to flick the switch.
Getting there and back again
Finally, a serviced office space needs to be within easy reach so that you and your employees don’t face a gauntlet on your morning or evening commute.
Prime locations in London and Manchester – including postcodes in the hugely significant MediaCityUK development – mean public transport links take you very nearly to the doorstep of your serviced offices.
Cycle racks give eco-conscious employees somewhere to securely park their bike during the day, with changing rooms and shower facilities to cope with any sweat or mud splashes from the ride in.
Last of all, there are restaurants, bars and cafes within easy reach – allowing staff to go out for lunch or grab a well-earned drink at the end of a long hard day, and making the working day a much more pleasant experience as a result.
