A serviced office is an office that is fully equipped and managed by a facility management company, which then rents individual offices or floors to other companies. Serviced offices, which are also referred to as managed offices, business centers, or executive centers, are usually found in the business districts of large cities around the world.
The concept of a serviced office came into existence in the 1980’s in major US cities. Evolving from call centers for traveling salesmen. Companies offering serviced offices are very flexible in terms of rental terms compared to a traditional leased office which may require furnishing, equipment and any other equipment. Serviced offices do not require long term commitment and additional office space can be provided at short notice. This is one of many reasons why serviced offices are popular amongst newer and smaller businesses and small scale representatives of large companies.
Serviced offices allow customers to share state of the art business technologies and other resources. They offer reduced costs and access to equipment which may otherwise be unaffordable. The facilities generally include security, virtual receptionist and mail support. There may also be additional facilities such as conference rooms, meeting rooms and services such as secretarial support. These services tend to be available on a pay-per-use basis.
Clients of serviced offices fall into different categories such as small businesses, local businesses and rapidly expanding businesses. All of which may require short term serviced office rental for developing and expanding the profile of their company. Facilities and services typically include full time security, insurance, heating, air conditioning, telephone, IT technologies, high speed internet access, comfortable furniture and canteen services. Serviced offices offer low startup costs, prestigious mailing addresses, flexible leasing, better maintenance and immediate availability of offices. More »
