Having the right workspace for your business is crucial to ensure you have an office space that suits your business needs, reflects your company culture and keeps your employees happy. It can therefore seem like a daunting process when it comes to choosing your first office space in Singapore with so many factors to take into consideration, such as location, budget and even thinking ahead to what the future may hold for your business.
We’ve therefore highlighted 5 key factors that will address some important aspects to consider when moving offices.
Location and transportation accessibility are important factors when choosing a workplace. Other than travel convenience, a strategic location in Singapore’s CBD Grade A buildings has an advantage of boosting one’s business reputation and credibility. A high-profile business address eg. Prudential Tower, UOB Plaza, MBFC, etc. can play a significant part in solidifying one’s business’s name. Being in the city’s commercial and business center, there is also an easy access to facilities all around the CBD area, heightening one’s overall work experience. Others might opt for a more convenient location out of the city area in consideration of other personal needs that vary very specifically with the nature of their business.
Primarily, self-employed persons and freelancers need to consider how certain location can unlock potential success for their business. It is also helpful to note that the location of one’s office may also have an impact on the branding of the business, even as a freelancer or self-employed.
It is important for one to think about the future before signing a lease. Will your business be expanding and experiencing growth? Will you have to move again soon? Are there going to be any other significant changes in your business especially in the early stages? The good news is that flexible workspaces offer freelancers and self-employed the scalability to evolve their business as it grows. Today in Singapore, flexible workspace providers are abundant, and most are professionally equipped to accommodate and support the growth of any business.
Workthere’s research results show how attitudes towards the office are changing, with amenities ranking as one of the foremost considerations for entrepreneurs picking their first office. Different individuals require different facilities and services, while most require the basics like high-speed internet, printing and faxing. The quality of amenities and services provided by the flexible workspace should be taken into large consideration as it affects how smoothly one functions in their work or run their business.
Technology is also a priority for any entrepreneur when picking their office space, with 68% saying that having the best technology is crucial. Freelancers and self-employed persons must be able to easily interact with the right technological tools to adapt to ever-changing work demands equally competitively as someone working in a traditional office.
Some of the flexible workspace listings in Singapore now have yoga studios, built-in gyms, kitchens, a lounge area or bars. These are some unique, luxurious and modern amenities one can consider when choosing a new working environment.
Price is most often the deciding point for anyone deciding on their first flexible office space. The flexible workspaces in Singapore are generally as cost-effective as they are functional. Nonetheless, a freelancer or self-employed needs to have a budget to work around with.
It is recommended to be very specific about what to invest in with requirements outlined clearly. One has to weigh up consideration factors and prioritise what matters most for the business. With a small budget, functionality comes first in the space you want to occupy. With a bigger budget, a space with more extravagant details can be acquired. A pre-per-use arrangement should suffice if you’re still in the experimental stage of your business, while selecting a whole suite of services would be more practical if you’re looking to fast-grow your business.
Community engagement matters, even if you’re hotdesking, doing independent work as a freelancer or self-employed. Flexible workspaces are designed with communal spaces where users from different areas can socialise, network and engage with each other. A majority of employees believes that hot-desking encourages collaboration (60%), efficiency (46%) and productivity (46%).
The community of businesses in the flexible workspace of your choice will affect your work life. When co-working, you’ll find a close knitted community sharing ideas, insights, contacts, creative inspiration and even services with each other. These networking exchanges are invaluable experiences and highly beneficial for many first-time entrepreneurs.
Some co-working spaces in Singapore have on-site childcare facilities, suitable for self-employed mums while some appeal more to the creative sector, offering golden opportunities for creative individuals to collaborate. There are also more upscale and professional co-working spaces eg. The Great Room, where you can find great communities of established entrepreneurs.
Finding a complementary community will connect you to similar networkers who are equally dedicated in their craft, a great start to being in the right collaborative community. Together, individual workers or businesses can be brought to unexpected career heights as compared to one working in isolation or at home.
Each freelancer or self-employed person has very different work requirements, hence what might complement one’s business needs, might not be ideal for another. An overview of all of our spaces can be found here.
Finding new office space can sometimes feel like a daunting task, but that's where Workthere (Singapore) come in. Get in touch with us today for expert advice, as well as practical tips on how to make sure you move in to the best possible office for your business. Our local experts and easy to use website make searching for a new space simple.
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