Is Office Sharing Right For You?
Office sharing is a phenomenon that’s on the rise. It’s a handy option to have if you’re a business looking for office space. It’s also a great way to make a bit of money if you’ve got some spare space in your office. But, is it right for you? Peter Ames from Office Genie answers the question.
Are you looking for shared office space?
Yes (I want flexible office space): Perhaps the best thing about shared offices is the rolling month-to-month contracts they generally operate on. This flexibility also means you could add a few extra desks if things do well and you want to upsize.
No (I want my own long-term property): You won’t be able to customise a shared office as you could with a long-term lease. There is also the chance your hosts need the desks and may ask you to leave at some point down the line.
Yes (I want an all-inclusive package): You don’t have to worry about paying utility bills or managing a property. You can just turn up and get on with your work. There are no hidden costs and perhaps most importantly there are no administrative hassles – and yet you still get to be inspired by the buzz of office life!
Do you have spare desks in your space to offer to renters?
Yes (I want some fresh faces in our space): New people coming into the office can help inject a little bit of buoyancy. They might even be able to help you out with a new idea or give you feedback on existing ones. You never know, if your desk renters have got the skills you need, you could always take them on as freelancers.
Yes (but I am concerned about security issues): If either party has sensitive data they’ll have to be OK with sending the data through a shared network. There are also physical security concerns around sharing your space with people you don’t know, but issues with this are incredibly rare. It’s also important to ensure potential desk renters are not competitors.
Yes (I want to make some extra money): If you decide to rent out spare space you’ll get a little bit of extra money to help out with bills and utilities at the end of the month. If you like the sound of this, check out Office Genie’s desk-rental FAQs where we answer the key office sharing-related questions.
By Peter Ames who writes for Office Genie, a search-site for desk and office space.
