It's 2016 and the concept of a traditional office has gone out the door. With millions of startups in the US looking for a place to work, the office space industry has plenty of options to help entrepreneurs out of their home offices and into a professional workspace.The process of finding the right "first office" can be expensive and time consuming - researching the proper location, dealing with brokers, and handling all the additional expenses is often too much for a new entrepreneur. However, companies like Work Better have stepped in to help make this process as simple as possible. Having a professional work environment is key to your company's growth, and once you're ready to step into a new office for your company, you'll have to decide whether you'd like to use a coworking space or a shared office space. The differences and overlap between the two can get confusing, so here's what you need to know about each:
When to Choose a Coworking Space
If you're the only person in your company and don't mind working in what may sometimes be a noisy environment, you're likely get the best value out of a coworking space. An entry-level option at any work space provider, a coworking membership gets you a clean desk with access to electrical outlets, wifi, snacks, and coffee. You can also pay a bit extra and have a reserved desk with a locker to secure and store things like important paperwork or your work laptop. Included in your membership is access to a printer, copier, fax machine, and meeting rooms, allowing you to be far more productive than you were at home. Work Better also offers its facilities in central locations which make it much easier to meet with clients and partners alike as you expand your business. While all of this is great, once you start bringing in more people to work with you, that's when you may want to start considering a full-time private office.
When to Choose a Shared Office Space
So you've graduated from your own private desk and are now looking to have your very own office: congrats! You and your employees will be able to work in the same office every day without having to give up the perks of a coworking space: fresh coffee, tea, snacks and now a quiet office space all to yourself. You'll be saving plenty of money by not having to hire a secretary or operations manager to greet your visitors and stock your fridge/printer/water cooler. You'll also be saving plenty of money when it comes time to expand your business further. Traditional offices will also lock you into leases for several years at a time, which means that if you grow faster than expected, you may not be able to accommodate all of your new employees. Alternatively, you may not grow as fast as you originally may have liked, and now are stuck paying far more than you need to. Work Better makes it easy to increase and decrease the size of your office within your lease, and with 3,6 and 12 month leases available, you can plan your finances with confidence knowing your rent will not spike unexpectedly.
Conclusion
Using a workspace provider for your business is a huge step in determining how you want your business to grow. Which workspace provider you choose will also be a big part of determining your office culture. You want to work in an environment that represents your business, its values, and the values of your employees while staying within the means of your business. Every workspace comes with its own pros and cons, but Work Better is committed to offering your business an office to get serious work done within a community of innovative entrepreneurs to grow your business with. There are plenty of other places looking to offer you kegs, hammocks, and candy meant to entice you to work with them. We offer you lightning fast internet, bigger offices, and a community that will help you drive your business forward.
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