The economy has deteriorated considerably in recent months and many companies are struggling with declining orders and margins. And even if some augurs see light on the horizon again: Crises and economically uncertain times like these offer a good opportunity to critically scrutinize costs and look for intelligent savings opportunities. Perhaps moving to a business center is a smart option, especially in your case, to save comparatively quickly, adapt to changing circumstances and get your company back on track for success.
In my last article I dealt with the question of what you should pay attention to when choosing a Business Center. This article will therefore focus on how you can use a Business Center – in each case in accordance with your individual needs – and which models there are for it.
You will search in vain for the “average office” in the Business Center, because professionally managed facilities rely on diversity. As different as the user groups, the useful life and the respective requirements on the premises are, as different are the offices that are available there. The list ranges from “full time” single, double, executive and team offices to open-plan solutions and co-working variants. Our offices and conference rooms can even be used on a weekly, daily or hourly basis.
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Once again, in my experience, the wheat separates from the chaff. A good business center is characterized by the fact that it takes into account as many desired working environments as possible and provides the appropriate office forms. Modern room and furnishing concepts make it possible, for example, to remove walls or insert connecting doors in order to adapt to the customer’s needs. The resulting offices can then, if desired, also be designed according to the customer’s corporate identity. Your own company sign in the foyer and at the offices also makes the brand and company easily recognisable.
Not only the premises, but also the contractually regulated terms should be completely geared to the different needs and circumstances: from the company, which rents its team rooms for several years, to the individual office for the headhunter, who is always on site on Fridays only. Flexible terms also take into account the fact that circumstances – such as now in a phase of economic downturn – sometimes change quickly: In a business center with flexible contract terms and usage models, you can steam down your open-plan office to a double office in a short time. When things get better again, workstations can be booked just as quickly. So you have full flexibility. Costs such as for daily cleaning, energy, furniture, etc. are usually already included in the Business Center. For many other services, there is a suitable solution for every budget.
Tell me how you use your rental office and what positive and negative experiences you have had.
The terms should be adapted to the needs of the customers, a further quality criterion is open contracts with short notice periods – an advantage not to be underestimated, especially in a downturn or business crises. Customers who want longer-term contracts should, of course, also have this option. Basically, the Business Center should adapt to the needs of the customer and not vice versa!
Another option that could give wings to your business plans in uncertain times is virtual offices. For example, they can be used as a “forerunner” of a fixed office that can be rented later when the budget is available. With a virtual office, you rent a business address and, if necessary, a local telephone number. Your business correspondence is processed at this address according to your specifications, calls are answered on behalf of your company and according to your specifications by professional employees.
The secretariat located in the Business Center can be used “on demand” for further services so that your company can concentrate entirely on its core business. For business appointments, offices and conference rooms can be booked by the hour. Many customers from the Hamburg area who do not have a location in the city use this to be closer to their customers. Self-employed, freelancers or sole proprietors also benefit from a professional external appearance, as the (previously used) private address or a non-representative address is replaced by the renowned address of the Business Center as part of this service.
Other important criteria when selecting a Business Center are location, equipment, professional service and personal atmosphere. Because it simply makes a huge difference whether you end up in a call center or have an employee on site within minutes who can solve the problem immediately.
I hope that I have given you a few valuable tips for the search for a suitable Business Center and the right usage and contract model for you. Please feel free to write to me! The next blog in December will be about Co-Working & Co.
Good luck with your work until then.
With kind regards
Your Christian Schmidt
