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Serviced Offices vs. Traditional Office Spaces: Which is Right for You?

Posted on by aleks

The age-old debate of serviced office vs. traditional office comes down to what’s best for your business, but we think there are plenty of good reasons why serviced office space might come out on top.

Obviously for some large companies, there are benefits to having your own privately owned or long-term leased office premises. But for many businesses big and small alike, the flexibility of serviced office space makes much more sense.

Let’s look at some of the relative merits of serviced office vs. traditional office space, and why you might choose one over the other.

Length of Lease

If you’re looking for the flexibility of a shorter lease, serviced office space is typically more accommodating. While many tenants do stay for years, serviced offices are designed to allow for shorter stays too.

This is ideal for many reasons. Maybe you’re exploring a new local market and want to test the waters before committing to a long-term lease. Or perhaps you’re expecting rapid growth and just need some small premises until things really take off.

Serviced Office Company also offer hotdesking facilities in London, Manchester and Telford, under the same roofs as our serviced offices – so if you just need a desk for a day, we’re open to ad hoc bookings.

Fully Furnished

Traditional office space is often an empty shell, but our serviced offices come fully furnished with designer brand-name ergonomic office furniture.

We have searched high and wide for the best office chairs, desks and other furnishings, so that when you walk through the door to your new office on day one, it’s comfortable and ready for you at no additional setup cost.

If you prefer to use your own furniture – maybe you have an old faithful office chair that you find most comfortable – that’s great too. It’s your office space, and we want you to feel at home.

High-Spec Tech

Our serviced office space comes complete with non-BT telecoms and high-speed broadband, again allowing you to start working from day one without negotiating any business broadband rates or bundled telecoms deals.

SOC’s meeting rooms in Manchester, London and Telford all include high-quality AV equipment so you can give presentations in style, and again support ultrafast broadband so remote workers can attend meetings virtually via conference call and/or webcam.

We pull out all the stops to give you the high-spec premises you might want in your dream premises, without any of the hassle of installing equipment and arranging contracts.

See For Yourself

This is just a snapshot of why serviced office space is more flexible, more comfortable and more feature-packed than taking out a long-term lease on an empty office building.

We welcome you to take a tour of our serviced offices in Telford, London and Manchester, to see our complete offering for yourself – just contact us or tap the ‘Arrange A Tour’ button to express your interest in one of our locations.

In the end, it’s your choice what type of premises will be best for your business – we can’t choose for you, but we can provide the very best serviced office space possible. The final decision is up to you.

The technology of serviced offices

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Serviced offices give you instant access to the facilities you need to start work, including cutting-edge technology that enables you to work smarter, communicate more effectively and ultimately boost your productivity.

When you move into a Serviced Office Company space or hire a meeting room on our premises, you’ll have a host of communication options and audiovisual equipment you can use in training sessions and presentations.

All of this is offered as standard in our serviced office spaces, to make it even easier for you to get to work on the day you move in.

What tech do serviced offices provide?

Let’s look at some of the technology you’ll find in our serviced office spaces:

High-speed broadband

Essential for digital businesses, we provide fast, reliable internet access in our serviced offices so that you don’t lose valuable time waiting for web pages to load. Ultrafast broadband is also ideal if you have a number of employees who will all need internet access – including video calls and streaming HD video – at the same time.

Non-BT telecoms

Many business customers prefer to get their telecoms from a supplier other than BT, and Serviced Office Company rooms are equipped with professional telecoms equipment so when you need to make a call – or set up a conference call – you’re ready to go.

AV tech in meeting rooms

We have meeting rooms for hire in London, Manchester and Telford, all of which are fitted out to the highest standard. That means if you need to make a presentation, display a slideshow or play a video, the equipment to do so is right there with no setup needed.

How does tech help businesses?

Our clients know that our serviced office spaces are designed to enable productive business throughout the working week, with 24-hour access if you want to continue work outside of the standard 9-5 weekday.

But cutting-edge technology in serviced offices goes beyond just increasing productivity. Intelligent design of office furniture makes your day more comfortable and can even help to reduce the risk of developing RSI and other aches and pains.

The tech we provide can also help your business to be more sustainable. Our serviced office spaces are fitted with water-saving devices, automatic light detectors and energy-efficient air conditioning systems, all of which supports your environmental commitments.

What if there’s a problem?

We know that not everybody gets on with technology – so if you encounter a problem with any part of the ICT and telecoms tech provided in your serviced office or meeting room, we’re here to help.

Our clients get full access to our technical support desk to respond to any IT-related queries and to manage the supplied equipment, saving your business time and money when you need help.

Technology should be a tool that enables productivity and efficiency, and not an obstacle to wrestle with day after day. That’s why we work hard to provide the best tech tools in all Serviced Office Company spaces.

Find out more

If you’d like to ask about any of our serviced office tech, or arrange a tour of one of our serviced offices in London, Manchester or Telford, get in touch today and we’ll be happy to help.

How to find the right office space

Posted on by aleks

There’s no big secret to knowing how to find an office space, but there are some ways to make sure you choose an office space that’s right for you.

In this guide we’ll look at how to choose an office space that gives you the tools you need to prosper, in the right location, and with room to grow.

1. Think about size

Consider the current size of your business and how many desks or workstations you’ll need. Then think about future growth – do you want some space for expansion immediately, or is this something you’ll need down the line?

Serviced offices are a great option if you’re not sure, as they offer you the flexibility to take more space as and when you need it (subject to availability) and/or to use virtual offices to allow more employees to work remotely.

2. Think about talent

If you haven’t yet settled on a specific location, thinking about talent can be a fantastic way to find an office space in the right place.

Unless you’re a sole trader, you’re going to need to hire employees – so if there’s nothing else tying your business to one place, it might make sense to go where the talent can be found.

3. Think about access

Actually accessing your premises is another handy steer to use when deciding how to choose an office space. Access includes both getting to and from the building, and getting inside once you’re there.

Serviced Office Company premises are accessible 24/7 so you’re not limited to working standard office hours, and there are plenty of public transport, walking and cycling routes to get there without needing to drive.

4. Think about services

We’ve mentioned serviced offices a few times already, and if you’re just starting up, they’re a good way to get everything you need without any upfront costs.

Knowing how to find an office space to fit out yourself is a bit more challenging, but there are commercial real estate companies who can help you. If you don’t want to go through the extra cost and admin, serviced office spaces are probably your best option.

5. Think about facilities

At some point you’re likely to need kitchen facilities, meeting rooms and conference facilities, along with high-speed broadband and reliable telecoms.

Again, serviced offices give you a list of essential facilities on the day you move in, and Serviced Office Company premises offer you the support of our technical helpdesk so you’re not left to deal with any ICT issues that arise.

Honourable mentions

This list could go on and on. Some other factors you might want to take into account include:

  • Local places to eat and drink
  • Office space that reflects your brand
  • Ability to visit/tour premises beforehand

 

With nearby access to bars, restaurants and supermarkets, plus kitchen facilities on-site, you don’t have to go hungry when you work from a Serviced Office Company location.

All of our premises can be toured in person – just contact us to book a convenient time – and we welcome you to add your own colours, logos and other branding once you move in.

What are the benefits of serviced offices?

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Serviced offices are a flexible way to get some professional office space for a new start-up, a rapidly growing enterprise or to open a new branch office and explore new local markets.

For example, the Serviced Office Company operates serviced offices in London, Manchester, Salford Quays and Telford, giving you access to a combined market of around 15 million people in London, Greater Manchester and the Birmingham area.

That’s not to mention the great transport links, which can easily connect you to an even larger customer base across the North West including Liverpool, Lancashire and Cheshire, or across the Pennines to Yorkshire and cities like Leeds and Sheffield.

It’s this strong regional presence that can make serviced offices so powerful when you’re trying to tap into a larger market – but they have plenty to offer within each area too.

Business on a budget

They say you should dress for the job you want, but sometimes you have to dress within your budget too. Serviced offices are a best of both solution, giving you premises finished to a high standard, with superfast broadband and cutting-edge AV equipment.

Economies of scale mean that you get all of this at an affordable rate, by sharing certain facilities like reception areas, outdoor space and meeting rooms for hire on-site.

You still get 24-hour access to your offices, and you can add your own branding and interior decoration to put a personal stamp on your workspace.

With secure cycle storage, washrooms and kitchen facilities all on-site too, serviced offices give you everything you need to enjoy a comfortable day at work.

Talent on your doorstep

Serviced offices allow you to establish a presence in regions where the best talent can be found. Whether that’s the drive and ambition of Central London or the often overlooked Midlands and North West, you can go to your workforce, instead of asking them to relocate or commute to you.

With serviced offices in Manchester, London and Telford, we give you access to a huge talent pool of nearly ten million working-age people across the three regions.

And with less distance to travel to the office, there’s less risk of employees running late due to travel disruption, traffic jams or public transport strikes – reducing the overall risk profile of your office as a result.

Find out more

At the Serviced Office Company we’re proud of our cutting-edge facilities and love showing potential tenants around our meeting rooms and serviced offices in Telford, Manchester and London.

If you’d like to view one or more locations, just ask. We also have hot desking and co-working spaces available, if you need professional surroundings but don’t want to commit to an office of your own.

Finally, if you work remotely but need professional contact details, ask about our virtual office services, which allow you to use our postal address and geographic telephone number for your business, without leasing any physical space.

To get started, visit our Contact page to get in touch, or browse to the location you’re interested in viewing and click Book A Tour.

How to host a great hybrid meeting

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Hybrid meetings are a growing part of the modern workplace, driven by several trends of recent years.

You may need to host hybrid meetings if you have staff who work from home (or remotely from another office or location), or to meet virtually with clients, candidates and stakeholders who can’t be there in person.

There are many reasons for this, including:

  • Post-pandemic hybrid working practices
  • Cutting carbon by avoiding travel
  • Accessibility for disabled job applicants

 

Whatever the reason, hybrid meetings mean you can combine in-person attendance with remote access for those located elsewhere, so everybody is included and everybody receives the same information at the same time.

How to host a hybrid meeting

Before your hybrid meeting, think about how you will include those attending remotely. A telephone conference call is an option, but if your meeting includes a visual presentation or you prefer to meet face-to-face, video conferencing is the solution.

Modern video conferencing software like Zoom and Teams can put multiple participants on the same call, so everybody can watch the same video stream at the same time.

It’s a good idea to check that all intended participants have the right software installed well in advance, and either hold some initial one-on-one troubleshooting calls, or encourage participants to hold a test call in their own time.

Hybrid meetings best practices

If you’re confident that everyone will be able to ‘dial in’ to the conference call, you’re ready to start hosting hybrid meetings.

Make sure your own software and hardware is set up correctly, and know how to turn your camera and microphone on and off, and how to adjust your microphone volume so it’s audible but not distorted.

In calls with a large number of participants, it’s sensible to ask viewers to mute their microphones unless they need to speak or ask a question, so that you are not interrupted partway through saying something important.

Hybrid meeting solutions at SOC

All Serviced Office Company meeting rooms for hire are equipped with the technology needed to hold hybrid meetings without any problems.

This includes high-speed broadband, as well as visual equipment so you can incorporate presentations into your hybrid meetings.

We provide these hybrid meeting solutions as standard, but if there’s anything specific you need as part of your own hybrid meeting best practices, just ask and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request.

Find out more

Whether you have a hybrid workforce, or you’re a lone entrepreneur who needs to host hybrid meetings with multiple potential clients and/or investors, our meeting rooms have been designed to offer a variety of sizes, all with consistent comfort and high-quality furnishings.

If you would like a tour of our facilities, please let us know and we can arrange to show you round our meeting rooms, conference rooms and boardrooms for hire at a convenient time.

As the modern workplace continues to move towards virtual, remote and hybrid working, we’re here to make sure you can still meet face-to-face with your key stakeholders, whether that’s across a meeting room table or via webcam.

Serviced Office Company’s ultimate guide to hot desking

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When you need a professional environment to work from for the day, hot desking is the solution. Access to high-quality co-working spaces with all the facilities you need, without committing to a long-term office lease.

It’s a great way for freelancers and entrepreneurs to dip your toe into the waters of serviced office space, to meet like-minded professionals in a comfortable setting, and to gain access to a workplace that shuts out distractions and enhances productivity.

Serviced Office Company’s top-quality hot desking spaces are fitted out with designer furniture, high-speed internet access, telecoms capabilities and shared kitchen facilities, giving you everything you need to work comfortably throughout the day.

What is hot desking?

Hot desking as a concept has been around since the 1980s and one of the first uses of the term was in Godfrey Golzen’s 1991 Sunday Times article “Cut The Office In Half Without Tears”.

It refers to the practice of working without a permanently allocated workspace. Instead, workstations are booked on a first come, first served basis, allowing individuals to reserve a workplace only when one is needed.

The name is thought to come from the military practice of ‘hot racking’ or ‘hot bunking’ in which beds are not assigned to specific personnel, but anyone can sleep anywhere during their rest time.

How does hot desking work?

Hot desking is quite straightforward. When you need a place to work from, just book one of our co-working spaces and we’ll be ready to welcome you.

We provide non-BT telecoms, high-speed broadband and corporate-grade IT systems, with full access to our tech support desk if you have any problems getting up and running.

If you need some private space, we also have meeting rooms for hire on-site, so you can meet clients and investors in professional surroundings.

Just check meeting room availability on the app and book a room at competitive rates, and we’ll make sure it’s ready for you at the requested time.

Does hot desking improve productivity?

It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you normally work from home, hot desking can help you avoid distractions like building work or children home for the school holidays.

Equally if you don’t have any permanent office space, it’s usually very quick and easy to work from a hot desking space – that’s what they’re designed for.

While there may be other people sharing the co-working space, Serviced Office Company’s premises are designed to provide you with pods, breakout rooms and outdoor areas, so you’re not confined to your desk all day.

Does hot desking really work?

It really does! We’ve seen time and time again that individuals and entrepreneurs who were struggling to keep up with work at home find our professional surroundings to be the perfect productivity boost.

You can use co-working spaces indefinitely or treat it as a temporary springboard towards renting some serviced office space of your own. We’re here for you either way.

How to manage hot desking

We make it as easy as possible to manage hot desking bookings and related services e.g. to book a meeting room via our app.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch and we’ll have you hot desking before you know it!

How soaring energy bills are changing the way we work

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It’s a general rule that the larger the floor space of your office, the more it costs to heat and cool it, and to run the other utilities like lights and electricity. Because of this, at times when energy prices are high, greater flexibility can help you to tackle your running costs.

That’s where the Serviced Office Company comes in. With hot desking facilities, virtual offices and meeting rooms for hire, we can bring down your energy bills while still giving you the space you need to conduct your business.

All of this is in addition to the natural scalability of serviced offices, which allow small businesses and new startups to take only as much space as you need, and to expand later as your business – and your needs – begin to grow.

Hot Desking

Hot desking is perfect if you only need a single workstation, or for a small number of employees to work together from a hot desking or co-working space.

You get access to professional facilities, including high-speed internet access and telecoms equipment, in a comfortable but work-oriented environment.

In Serviced Office Company hot desking areas, everything is included in the price. There are no additional overheads – so you don’t need to worry about energy bills.

Work from your preferred hot desking location every day, or split your time working remotely or from home. It’s up to you.

Virtual Offices

remove the overheads completely – in every sense of the word. If you can run your business remotely, a virtual office is an excellent way to cut premises costs and avoid business energy bills.

Instead of having physical office space and associated running costs, you pay a fee to use a Serviced Office Company location’s physical address and telephone answering service.

You can do your actual work from home, or any other location of your choosing, and if you need some physical space at a location that matches your business contact details, we have meeting rooms for hire on-site.

Meeting Rooms

On the subject of meeting room hire, whether you work remotely or have serviced offices at one of our locations, you can save on overheads by booking meeting rooms only when you need them.

This allows all of the occupants of our buildings to share meeting rooms, with availability visible via an app whenever you need to book a room.

Rooms are left standing empty for less of the time, and no single tenant is responsible for the energy bills associated with the meeting rooms – cutting your costs and your carbon footprint at the same time.

Make the Change

With energy bills sky-high and government support focused on domestic customers rather than businesses, it’s a good time to make the change to a more flexible, cost-effective business model.

There are plenty of ways to do this: work remotely via a virtual office, take up the opportunity of hot desking facilities, and book a meeting room only when you need one.

For more information about any of these services, please contact us today on 0207 510 9400 or fill out the form on our Contact page for a prompt reply.

Looking for the perfect serviced office space in Telford?

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The Serviced Office Company’s recently refurbished St. James House is your first port of call for serviced offices in Telford, just a few minutes from the M54 and A442.

With 52,000 square feet of office space across four storeys, including an exclusive outdoor terrace for third-floor occupants and two communal outdoor spaces at ground level, there’s plenty of opportunity to get some fresh air throughout your busy day.

Our architects and designers worked hard to produce the high standard of serviced office Telford businesses need in order to thrive, creating our biggest premises yet right at the heart of the Midlands.

Express transport links with the North West and London mean you’re open for business to clients nationwide – and make it easier to visit our serviced offices in Manchester and London, if you need to schedule a meeting there instead.

Features and benefits

Our serviced offices in Telford come with an extensive list of features, starting with the office space itself, which is unbranded ready for you to make your own mark.

There are free hot drinks and kitchen facilities, allowing you to prepare snacks or lunch, or just to grab some liquid refreshment to stay hydrated through the day.

Comfortable breakout rooms and eco-friendly spaces help you to relax, recharging your mental batteries and giving you some crucial time to think about something other than work.

We’re open whenever you are, with 24-hour serviced offices in Telford protected by round-the-clock security. There’s even on-site showers and changing rooms if you need to freshen up without leaving the building.

Within easy reach

We’re easy to find, just a stone’s throw from the A442 and M54 in Central Park (TF2 9TZ, if you’re following satnav) or ten minutes’ walk from Telford Central Station.

There’s on-site car parking with electric vehicle charging available, as well as secure bike racks if you prefer to cycle to work.

With meeting rooms to hire in the building, you can also welcome job applicants, potential investors and important clients to meet face-to-face – just book a room via the app when you need some private space to talk in confidence.

As mentioned, we’re open around the clock, so you can get 24-hour access to your office space when you need to pull an all-nighter to beat a big deadline.

Want to know more?

We’re proud of the hard work that went into St. James House, as well as the fantastic results that we achieved working with top-quality architects, interior designers and bespoke office furniture suppliers.

In fact, we’re so sure that we’ve produced the serviced office Telford businesses have been waiting for, we’d love to show you round in person.

So if you’re looking for business premises in the area, get in touch to schedule your tour of the Serviced Office Company’s biggest development ever.

With open-plan office space on the top two storeys, and nearly 50 serviced offices, hotdesking and co-working facilities across the ground and first floors, we have the flexibility to support your business, and its need for room to grow.

Co-working and hot desking in Telford

Posted on by aleks

Our serviced offices in Telford are our biggest development ever, and across 52,000 square feet of floor space, we offer some of the best hot-desking and co-working space Telford residents could ask for.

Whether you’re looking for professional surroundings to work from as a freelancer, or you want to benefit from the flexibility of hot-desking in Telford, St. James House has plenty of capacity and is just 10-15 minutes from central Telford and the train station.

If you’re arriving by bike or car, you’ll find us just a few minutes from the A442 and M54, with on-site secure cycle racks, car parking and electric vehicle charging available to our customers.

What we offer

St. James House offers four storeys of fully refurbished office space, our newest and biggest location in the country. In addition to nearly 50 serviced offices on the bottom two floors, and open-plan office space on the upper storeys, we cater for occasional clients too:

Hot-Desking

If you only occasionally need a desk to work from, you split your time between multiple locations or you often work remotely, hot-desking gives you on-demand access to comfortable, professional facilities only when you need them.

Co-Working

Co-working in Telford is an excellent way to meet like-minded entrepreneurs by sharing a communal workspace. Again access the space when you need to, while also benefiting from access to our other on-site facilities.

Virtual Offices

We also provide virtual offices in Telford – giving you direct contact details at the same address as our hot-desking space. It’s the perfect solution if you want to be reachable at St. James House even when you’re not working from there.

Meet and greet

Good business is about building relationships, whether that’s your relationship with us at the Serviced Office Company, or your relationships with your colleagues, peers and customers.

We have designed our co-working space in Telford to facilitate collaboration and a sense of community, but also to allow you to get your head down when you don’t want to be disturbed by your fellow entrepreneurs.

If you need a private place to meet with external stakeholders, you can hire a meeting room in Telford, again on-site at St. James House so anyone visiting you in person can follow directions to your mailing address.

Finally, we would love to meet you ourselves – we welcome all potential future and current customers to visit St. James House and can show you around all of the facilities if you want to take a look for yourself.

Get in touch

If you’ve been looking for places that offer hot-desking in Telford, we hope the Serviced Office Company has the answer to everything you need.

You can find out more, including a full list of the features we offer in our serviced offices in Telford, by visiting our page all about St. James House under ‘Locations’.

If there’s anything else you would like to know, or you’re ready to make an enquiry about booking our co-working space in Telford, please get in touch via our Contact page and we’ll help you get the professional workspace you need as soon as possible.