FLEXIBLE OFFICE SPACE

 
With modern business needs surpassing what traditional offices can offer, businesses have increasingly turned to flexible working arrangements such as remote work and flexible hours. This shift has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in demand for flexible office spaces that can accommodate dynamic working models. 
 
In this blog, we will explore what flexible workspaces are, their advantages, and whether they are a suitable option for your business.

What is a Flexible Workspace?

A modern office style called 'flex space' or flexible office space is designed to provide businesses with a versatile workspace, offering communal areas as well as private workrooms. It comes fully equipped with essential office equipment, such as desks, chairs, computers, internet, and phone lines, which means that businesses have lower setup costs and can minimize downtime during the move-in process since employees can quickly start working.
 
Compared to a traditional office, a flexible office provides more than just the fundamental office amenities. It also includes building management services, IT and secretarial support, break-out rooms, and meeting rooms. This is the primary difference between a flexible office and a conventional office.

Flexible workspace types include:

The three main types of flexible workspaces are:

1. Serviced Offices:

These are office buildings that offer fully furnished and equipped private workspaces, along with professional facilities such as communal areas and meeting rooms. Serviced offices can be rented on a short or long-term basis, and can be adjusted to meet a business's evolving needs. 

2. Coworking Spaces:

These offices feature an open-plan layout that encourages collaboration between teams, creating a social environment. Along with hot desks and communal workspaces, coworking offices often offer high-tech meeting rooms, shared kitchens, and a welcoming reception area. Coworking offices are affordable, relaxed, and perfect for creative companies, freelancers, and small start-ups.

3. Hybrid Office Spaces:

These workspaces combine the benefits of both serviced and coworking offices. Businesses have access to a shared communal workspace and the option to rent out a private office in the same building. This offers employees the choice to work in a more casual setting or a quiet office for focused work. Hybrid offices also provide building maintenance and customer support like other flexible office spaces. 

Advantages of a Flexible Office:

Flexible office spaces have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering businesses a variety of benefits that traditional office spaces often can't match. Some of the key benefits include scalability, productivity, quality facilities, networking opportunities, and affordability.

Scalability

Scalability is a significant advantage of flexible office spaces. Businesses can choose short - or long-term leases, making adapting to their changing needs easy. For instance, a business in need of temporary office space can choose a short-term lease, while a business looking for a secure base can opt for a long-term lease. Furthermore, as a business grows, it's easy to upscale the space and add more employees to the team.

Maximum Productivity:

Productivity is another crucial advantage of flexible office spaces. A flexible office provides a professional environment for employees to focus on their work, thus encouraging higher productivity amongst teams. Additionally, the collaborative workspace encourages creativity and innovation, which is essential for businesses in need of new ideas to improve their products or services. Companies are able to focus all of their efforts on the current assignment and delegate any time-consuming administrative tasks or building maintenance to the site team because construction workers are also available to give secretarial and IT assistance in addition to certain other ad hoc services.

Excellent construction resources:

Flexible office spaces often provide quality facilities that meet the needs of businesses. Depending on the office building, businesses can benefit from utilizing equipped meeting rooms for internal and external meetings, tidy break-out rooms, kitchens, and coffee stations. For added convenience, some office buildings also offer parking spaces and bike storage. These facilities ensure businesses can operate effectively and efficiently, without having to worry about day-to-day operations.

Networking Possibilities:

Networking is crucial for every business, but it can sometimes feel forced and unnatural. However, flexible office spaces offer ample natural networking opportunities. Coworking spaces, in particular, provide an excellent environment for businesses to meet like-minded professionals and build connections. A flexible workplace can help businesses meet other experts in their field, whether it is someone they chat with in the shared kitchens or run into at an after-hours event in their office building.

Affordable:

Finally, opting for a flexible office can help reduce overheads with lower rental costs and flexible lease agreements, which allow for better future planning. While most amenities like printers, furniture, meeting places, and parking spots are included in flexible offices, they can also assist reduce these extra expenses, which may seem little at first but mount up over time.
 
In summary, flexible office spaces offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes to work and grow in a professional environment. The ability to scale up or down, combined with quality facilities, natural networking opportunities, and reduced overheads, make flexible office spaces a popular choice for businesses seeking flexibility, productivity, and affordability.

Characteristics of Flexible Workspaces:

Flexible workspaces combine elements of traditional offices with modern technology and adaptable work areas.

Open-Plan Spaces:

Open-plan spaces foster communication between colleagues and encourage collaboration between teams. By maximizing the use of space, more employees can work comfortably together in a shared environment.

Private and Quiet Workstations:

Private workstations offer a secluded space where employees can focus on their tasks without distractions from the noise and activity of communal areas.

Shared Office Amenities:

Shared office amenities, such as printers, photocopiers, toilets, and coffee machines, are crucial for the smooth running of an office. Orega ensures that their buildings have enough facilities to accommodate all of their offices' needs, preventing shortages and eliminating the need for queues.

Why have flexible offices gained in popularity?

Flexible offices have become increasingly popular due to a variety of factors:

1. Flexible working arrangements: Many businesses are adopting flexible working models that allow employees to work from home or choose their own hours. Flexible offices offer a convenient solution that supports this trend.
 
2. Prime locations: Flexible offices are often located in desirable areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional office space. This allows businesses to establish a presence in prime locations without breaking the bank.
 
3. Excellent facilities: Flexible offices offer excellent communal facilities and customer service, catering to a range of business needs. This includes shared amenities such as photocopiers, printers, coffee machines, and toilets.
 
4. Startups: Flexible working spaces are particularly popular among startups as they provide a collaborative environment that promotes creativity and productivity. Coworking and hybrid offices, in particular, offer plenty of opportunities for small companies to network and establish professional relationships.
 
5. Freelancers: With the rise of self-employment and freelance work, there has been a greater demand for low-cost, convenient spaces to work. Flexible offices provide a solution that allows freelancers to separate work and home life, hot desk, socialize, and network.