A new phenomenon has slowly been changing the office as we know it and understand it. The Internet age has brought with is various kinds of professionals such as freelancers, and companies that are startups that are going to change the future.
These kinds of professionals need something drastically different than what a traditional office space offers. They need meeting rooms and other amenities, but on flexible terms such as monthly members or long-term contracts.
However, there are various concepts that cause confusion in the flexible workspace. Some will conflate a coworking space with a flexible workspace, others will say they are different. Others will say one is a subset of the other.
Rather than split hairs on which is which, let’s take a closer look at what flex spaces actually are.
Flexible Workspaces Explained.
The proper definition of a flexible workspace is that it is a fully serviced office. This office will have dedicated workspaces, furnishings and other amenities available to various professionals and companies. These amenities can be accessed via flexible terms that can be monthly memberships, or even longer depending on the needs of the professionals.
In essence, the term flexible workspace can be used to describe a number of office solutions such as private offices, co-working spaces, on-demand meeting spaces as well as executive suites.
The Benefits Derived from A Flexible Workspace.
If you are a company that is just starting out, or a freelancer who has been working from home, there will come a time when you need the space to conduct meetings and host clients. The problem is, setting up a full-time office can be a serious drain on your finances, if not a hindrance.
A flexible workspace will offer you great benefits such as:
- Flexible lease terms: You may not have the pull to negotiate a lease period of 15 years as that kind of commitment is just out of your reach. A flex space will allow you individual memberships renewable on a monthly basis. This way, you can expand, or even move out on your own terms.
- Reduced Costs: The most attractive thing about flex spaces is the reduced occupation costs. As the important things like IT infrastructure and furnishings are already taken care of, you won’t have to deal with giving out significant capital upfront to get started.
- On-Demand Amenities: A flex space is so much more than a desk and wireless internet. Meeting spaces such as private lounges and conference rooms are also available when you need them.
Flexible Workspaces and Productivity.
The flexible workspace is still a discipline in development. As such, many of the aspects that are common with flexible workspaces are not that conducive to the productivity of professionals.
Flexible workspaces are mostly characterised by communal workspaces. A good number of them are open spaces that can be acoustically poor. This ends up affecting productivity from the noise generated by tens, or even hundreds of people sharing an open space. Privacy and security are also not usually the best in an open space.
As the discipline matures, some of these pain points are getting addressed to enable professionals work in relative comfort to help increase productivity. Try our Melbourne office partitions to see the difference
To discuss on how to convert your office space into a flexible workplace, contact us