With the uncertainty of the economy at the beginning of our 21st Century, businesses are finding that they can no longer be spend-aholics. Recently many major companies have had to cut back – some in small ways, and some in big ways. Large offices realized they no longer needed a plant watering lady, because staff could take turns doing it. No more free coffee, “bring your own”, the employers seemed to be saying. And the worst hit of all has been with the many lay off situations.
While it’s true that cutbacks are necessary, and a re-evaluation of company spending habits is always wise, there are ways to cut back without compromising away too much. Though often unconsidered, an office is a great place to start with cutbacks that will seem invisible.
Partnering with the right executive suite or business centre can save not only time and money, but it can make your workplace even more dynamic, effective and fun to be in. For example, moving into a shared office centre will allow for the following savings:
Lease commitments: what if one day your company just can’t afford to make its lease payment on conventional office space? Shared office centres are designed with flexibility in mind, adding to its reputation for being a “smart” way to run a business. Organizations of all sizes are finding the value in cost effective office solutions that just so happen to be a hallway apart from other like-minded businesses.
Photocopier, furniture and mail machine leases: In a packaged office centre, things like these are part of the deal when you sign up. You don’t have to worry about finding or moving in your own furniture – a cost in addition to the actual product you buy at the end. The executive suite company takes care of it all, providing you access to a photocopy room, boardroom, fax machine, scanner and even handling your mail with their mail machine, saving you the expense and precious time of having to buy and manually stamp envelopes. They not only put the postage on, but they’ll ensure that it’s at the correct amount, plus deliver it to the mailbox for you!
Kitchen and coffee space: Believe it or not, offices use a lot of coffee, and that means increments in office budget that add up over the year. In a shared office centre, when you rent a beautifully furnished office, it comes complete with coffee and tea! Not only that, the microwave, fridge, dishes and other kitchen utilities are also all taken care of – right down to the hand soap and paper towels.
Security and cleaning: Since you’re a renter of a shared office centre, included in your office rental fee is the security and cleaning. You no longer need to worry about any of this – it’s all included in your monthly rent.
If you think about the advantages of what we have mentioned above, using a shared office (aka “packaged office” or “executive suite”) can let you keep your professional image, your employee perks, and all the other advantages of having an office, without the need to cut back on the obvious things that will make your organization ‘feel’ like it’s in a depression. Your staff will stay happy, and so will your budget.
