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The
Myths & Realities of Serviced Offices
Myth: You pay for things, which are never
used
Serviced offices haven't always received
positive press coverage. This is probably because there was a lack of
transparency on the variety of services offered and associated charges.
This in turn led to confusion about the true cost: people paid a monthly
rental and were then stung with a bill for other charges, which were added
on their behalf.
Reality:
Pricing structures were reformed five to six years ago to make any
"additional" costs clearer. Today business centre operators list costs up
front and use all-inclusive rentals with stipulated add-ons. This means
that businesses only pay for the services used, such as having secretaries
and typists. When you sign a serviced office agreement you are given a
list of facilities and services which you can use, together with their costs,
so you won't end up with unexpected billings. Corporate Serviced
Offices prides
itself on its no-hidden-costs policy - we guarantee that you will never be
billed for items without being informed beforehand.
Myth: serviced offices are expensive
Reality:
Significant
cost savings
for companies with up to 60 people can be made.
Research has shown that businesses can save 30% to
78% by using serviced offices as opposed to conventional leases. The main
determinant of price
of office space is the length of
the contract, so the longer you
can commit to serviced office space, the better your savings.
Myth: moving in costs are the same as
in conventional leases
Reality:
Businesses who move into serviced offices get instant savings because they
don't need to do office renovations. In addition, they gain savings from
not having to subscribe to broadband Internet connections (a substantial
portion of cost for smaller companies) as this is included for serviced
offices, plus
there is no need for new furniture and office equipment including phones,
faxes and photocopiers as they are often supplied and included in the
cost quoted by serviced offices.
Myth: It's time consuming to move into a
serviced office
Reality:
There is normally less time involved in moving into a serviced office as
the IT back-up, phone lines, desks and filing cabinets are in place and
ready to use. It's often a case of just bringing over the paperwork and
plugging in a laptop. The serviced office operators will often assist to
guide businesses through the process of moving in and the associated
paperwork enabling small companies to focus on running their companies!
Corporate Serviced Offices is able to set up and have your office ready within 1 hour
- so make that YOUR competitive advantage today.
Myth: The contract's flexible but I'd be
stuck with one office location
Reality:
If your new office is part of an office network you can often pre-arrange
to turn up at another office location and hot desk. This has obvious
benefits for the traveling business person who may need to check email
and appointments between meetings. It is always worth checking to see if
the business centre is part of a UK or international network for those
traveling frequently overseas. Corporate Serviced Offices is an
affiliate of many networks with reciprocal partners in countries like
Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, UK and USA, to name a few - just let us know
2-3 days before your requirement and we'll arrange everything for you.
Myth: Changing to a serviced office won't
help with planning or staffing
Reality:
Serviced offices offer flexibility in a short business cycle. Businesses
can adapt to yearly or 5-yearly
business plans
by attaining further space or downsizing more easily without continuing to
pay overheads for additional staff. If the market you operate in is
particularly turbulent or staff turnover is high, this is a valuable
asset. It also mitigates some of the problems of trying to accurately
forecast headcount for several years in advance.
Myth: Serviced offices charge high telephone
rates to make profit
Reality:
Business centres have increased buying power and many can increase the
discounts against standard telephone rates (some are up to 50% cheaper)
thereby offering substantial savings. Corporate Serviced Offices
DOES NOT charge for local calls or faxes, and overseas IDD calls are billed back to clients
at-cost. There is no restriction on which telephone provider you
wish to use and detailed month-end invoices show all your calls made for
easy checking.
Myth: Serviced offices are only applicable
for start up companies and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
Reality:
Governments, banks and many large corporations use serviced offices as a
flexible means of expansion, or for short project teams. In fact, many
large companies find serviced offices so convenient and easy to use that
they never move out. |
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