Over the last ten years, our understanding of what makes a ‘workspace’ has changed. You can now run a successful business with nothing but a mobile phone. So it’s no surprise that people are moving away from the traditional office. Crucially, the most popular alternatives seem to be working models that are fundamentally and inherently flexible.
They include virtual offices and coworking spaces, both of which swap exclusivity for very low rates and access to world-class resources. With a Servcorp office space, for example, tenants get to enjoy perks such as an onsite IT team, best in class software, variable terms of use, and the freedom to leave without penalties.
Whether you decide to go virtual, serviced, or shared, this guide will help you find a great office space in New Zealand.
Get Your Resources Right
It’s true that location is very important when looking for a new office. However, it should come second to resources and amenities. You could be in the hippest district in Auckland or Wellington, but it won’t matter if you don’t have the right tools. The wonderful thing about alternative options like serviced offices is that many essentials are included in the monthly fee.
Like your broadband, for example. To ensure smooth, reliable communications, you need access to a top class server from a trusted brand like HP, IBM, Lenovo, or Dell. If you are leading a team of more than ten members, your requirements will be a little different. Make sure you’re a serviced, or virtual provider can offer you plenty of speed and data storage.
Pick Out a Top Spot
Once you’re sure that your chosen office has fast broadband, IT support, printing facilities, and a good variety of workspaces, you can start thinking about location. The good news is that New Zealand is full of fantastic office providers, with some very impressive addresses to their names.
Auckland and Wellington are still the best places to look because they contain some of the busiest parts of the country. If you want to stand out in a crowd and convince investors that you’ve something special, you have to be visible. This means setting up camp in a dynamic, exciting city, with a lot of potential for brand exposure.
Find Your Breathing Room
Every business has different needs, so if you don’t feel comfortable committing to a long-term lease, with penalties for early termination, don’t do it. Opt for a negotiable contract instead, because you should have the freedom to make changes. Sometimes, when profit margins are tight, sometimes, all that stands between you and failure is the ability to strip things down.
Both virtual and serviced offices come with the option to bow out of a contract at any time. Serviced offices are a better option for larger business, as private space and scalable resources are guaranteed. If you’re a lone entrepreneur or a small team, you could save lots of cash by working from home and remotely logging into a virtual office.
Make It What You Want
The more control you have over the appearance and function of your office, the better. Traditional leases don’t offer much variability, so opting for an alternative workspace is a good idea if you want to minimise wasteful expenses. For instance, in a serviced suite, you get to cherry pick the resources you want and eliminate the rest.
It is a very effective way to save money and manage expenses. If you need two customer phone lines, instead of one, you can ask for it. If you have no need for a corporate mailbox, you don’t have to pay for one. If you want to add a full-time secretary to your monthly fee, it can be done. Serviced facilities put tenants in the driving seat.
