Many small businesses and start-ups begin at home, grow fast and soon require more space. Traditional offices with long-term, multi-year leases are not as appealing as they used to be in the modern world where companies are much more agile and hybrid working solutions have become the norm – so what is the solution?

For many businesses, choosing a flexible serviced office space is the perfect next step. What are the main things SME business owners should look for when considering their next office space? Read this article to find out…

Ability to scale

If you’re in charge of an SME, it can be tough to predict exactly how large your business will be from month to month, let alone even further in the future. The speed at which small businesses and start-ups can grow is often remarkable, and if you are at the stage of searching for office space you need an option which takes this into account.

Flexible offices are the perfect choice with this in mind. Unlike with a traditional long-term office lease, a flexible office allows you to rent only the space you need when you need it. This means that you can start out renting a few desks on a monthly basis and then add more to the agreement as you expand. Likewise, if your head count suddenly shrinks or more staff move to working at home, you can reduce the number of desks you rent just as easily.

Easy accessibility

It sounds obvious, but it is vital that potential customers and clients can access your offices easily. This accessibility could be the difference between your business succeeding or failing if it leads to more custom and sales growth.

In the age of hybrid working, it is also important that your office space is easily accessible for your employees. More people than ever before are choosing roles that offer hybrid work due to a dissatisfaction with commuting and a desire to get more time back for themselves.

For these people, an office that is close to great transport links and convenient to get to will be much more attractive than one that isn’t. Flexible offices on the outskirts of town and city centres across the UK are growing in popularity for this reason – a huge change to the long-term trend which saw central business districts rise in popularity – and SMEs would be wise to pay attention to this as they look to secure the best employees.

Work-life balance

Related to the previous point, employees are now demanding a better work-life balance and that starts with choosing companies who take their wellbeing seriously. A big part of this can be choosing a flexible office which provides more than just desks.

Offices like the ones provided by FigFlex come with amenities and facilities including breakout rooms and relaxation areas, kitchens, landscaped gardens, gymnasiums and more which promote a healthy work-life balance in the workplace. When not working, people can truly get away from it and clear their heads in flexible office spaces like ours.

Networking with other businesses

Making connections in your industry, or getting creative inspiration from businesses in other sectors, is the lifeblood of the young, growing SME. The more ideas you can soak in, the more productive and creative you will be.

A flexible office will give you a huge head start in this regard. Companies in traditional offices are siloed off and employees rarely get to interact with anyone from outside the business. In a flexible building, the opposite is true.

As well as sharing a floor with other businesses, you will also all have access to the same communal facilities as part of your flexible lease. It is said that random encounters in offices are one way to generate new, progressive ideas in business.

A place designed for work of all kinds

The fifth and arguably most important thing that an SME business can get from a flexible office space is that while these buildings are designed for comfort and networking, they are also designed for work of all kinds. Building a business from home is great, but there comes a time when you need extra space.

All of the flexible offices available at FigFlex give you that space on top of all the other benefits talked about previously. You will have access to collaborative spaces perfect for group meetings and projects, as well as private spaces which are ideal for solo work requiring more peace and quiet.

Our buildings also provide state-of-the-art meeting rooms with the latest telecommunications technology to ensure that you can hold virtual meetings at any time and keep everyone involved, whether they work in the office or not. Conference phones throughout and high-capacity fibre broadband complete the picture of a flexible office that is a truly fantastic work environment on top of all the other benefits it brings.

Looking to rent flexible office space for your SME or start-up? Get in touch with the team today to find out what we have available near you by clicking here.