7 main differences between a serviced office and regular office space

When you are on the lookout for new office space, it’s best to know all your options. Probably you are expanding or need to relocate after your lease expired. Either way, you’re in the market for a new office, and it’ll pay off to know the differences between a serviced office and regular office space.

Today, businesses have a number of options when it comes to leasing an office space. Traditional office spaces are slowly being replaced by new, modified versions of themselves. There are serviced offices.

Serviced offices are fully-furnished, functioning office spaces. These spaces have been designed specifically for office use. Usually, small businesses, start-ups, and even large corporations venturing into new waters lease these on a short-term basis.

Serviced offices differ from regular office spaces in the following ways:

Ready for Business

All the hard work has already been done for you. Office spaces are laid out. A serviced office has the entire infrastructure required for a corporate office. The internet and electricity are working. Since serviced office providers hire professional designers, you can expect a corporate feel to the entire office. You only need to sign the papers and shift in. Resume your business right away.

With a regular office, the real work starts after you sign the papers. You have to buy furniture, get internet access, and get the water and electricity working.

No Additional Costs

A serviced office may look pricier than a regular office space, at first glance. However, we advise you to look closely. In a serviced office, the electricity, air conditioning, internet, mailing services, security, and maintenance comes free. The contract with your serviced office provider will cover these costs so you needn’t worry about utility bills.

Budget and Costs

Serviced offices are pocket-friendly for some small businesses that don’t have a lot of working capital. If are working on getting your business off the ground, chances are you don’t have enough capital to invest in a long-term lease plan. Regular office spaces are less costly when you can pay for a 5 or 10-year lease. But most small businesses and start-ups don’t want to stall their working capital in long-term commitments. In this case, serviced offices work best for small businesses. They are available to rent on a 3-month basis, also.  More typically businesses rent serviced offices for 6,9 or 12 months.

Flexibility

Many businesses also go for serviced offices as they allow room for growth. When your business grows, you can just ask for more space. With a regular office, you don’t have much room to add space. You can even downsize easily when orders are slow coming in. Flexibility is an important consideration for businesses that can’t predict their growth clearly in the coming years.  

Location

You’ll find the most serviced offices for rent in Dubai in prime locations. Serviced office providers realize the importance of having an office in a prime location. You automatically get a stronger positioning. This does increase footfall, which would eventually mean more business for you. Regular office space won’t necessarily be in a prime location. You may have to wait longer to get a regular office space in a prime location. And the cost would probably be higher.

Administrative Support

When you lease a serviced office, you get to benefit from pay-per-use administrative support. You don’t need an entire IT department. Most startups can’t afford that. But with a serviced office, you can still avail of secretarial services, IT services, tax services, etc. when they need them. This way you don’t need to hire employees that you only need seasonally.

Less Stressful

Serviced Offices are definitely less stressful than regular office spaces. You can concentrate on attracting and servicing your clients, while we look out for your office maintenance. If your computer suddenly stops working, you don’t have to go looking for an IT guy. A call to your provider will take care of that. Serviced office providers have their own team of experienced professionals for most corporate tasks.

What’s Right For You?

Choosing the right kind of office depends on your requirements. Make a list of your requirements for an office. Cross-check them with the above-mentioned differences between a serviced office and a regular office space. What kind of office allows you to tick most of your requirements? You have your answer right there.

If serviced office spaces look appealing to you, give us a call. We’d be happy to answer all your questions.