When looking at renting office space it’s hard to know how much space you actually need. Most serviced office buildings will give you a size in square feet or metres and guide you on how many people that might hold, but in real terms do you look at the number of employees you have and rent an office for that number of people? And what additional spaces do you allow for? Meeting or conference room? Kitchen? Break out areas for lunch and informal meetings? Or by doing all of this are you at risk of renting office space you just don’t use, and paying more than you need to?

Here’s how to avoid leasing office space you don’t use.

Who is in the office full time?

Instead of looking at the number of employees you have as a blanket figure, look at how many would actually be in the office at one time.
In a recent study, 76% of respondents stated that their companies had shifted to a hybrid working model, yet 63% of respondents claim that their companies have not made any significant changes to their workplaces to adapt it to this new way of working. This could potentially mean a lot of wasted space if every person is still allocated one desk whilst only coming into the office 2 or 3 days a week.

Divide up who is in the office full time – chances are they’ll need a full-time desk – and then look at who else is in for which days, and who is only in sporadically. Desk sharing, a hot-desking approach, or group work areas are a way to make sure that there’s enough space for everyone at all times, without a third of the office full of empty desks half the time.

Remember, that if you choose a serviced office space with shared areas available for use, on the off chance you have a lot more than you thought you would in, then you can always make use of those communal areas in that instance.

How often do you use facilities?

If you’re looking for an office with a meeting room, ask yourself how often do you use that meeting room? If you’re saying 3 days a week, do you really mean 3 two hour meetings a week? Do you need that space full-time? Or could you rent an office space with a shared meeting room you can book?

If you’re a creative business looking at ensuring you have facilities such as a photography or film studio onsite, could you instead hire an office space with these facilities onsite for you to rent only when you need them?

Shared space for breaks in serviced office spaces

Many serviced office spaces have shared spaces that can be used for breaks to encourage your team to come back to lunch refreshed without you needing to rent extra space with comfy chairs and eating areas to be used. There are also ones with outside meeting areas and spaces to eat and get some fresh air.

Find an office rental with a flexible approach

Some serviced office buildings have a flexible approach so that if you find out that you need more space than you need, they can adapt your space to meet your growing needs. Talk to the office managers on what would happen should your needs change in the future.

Finding the right office space to meet your needs

For more information on renting an office space that will meet your needs in terms of space, facilities, and flexibility, get in touch with Tannery Studios – for a modern serviced office space with communal areas, shared facilities including studios and outside spaces, and a flexible approach to business. Take the virtual tour of our offices.