Future of Work
Analysts, influencers, and talking heads are trying to predict what the #futureofwork looks like, yet every day we receive new information that turns these predictions on their heads. One prediction we’re sure of? Flexible office rentals are essential for future-proofing your business.
Where flexible office rentals can help today
Let’s start with examining the present-day situation. We’re still in a quasi-pandemic, energy prices are skyrocketing, and logistics continue to be a bit of a mess. However, let’s say nothing else changes. This is a world that requires quite a bit of flexibility.
Employees are demanding full-time remote work, employers are pushing for full-time in-office, and experts believe the standard will land somewhere in the middle - a hybrid approach. This will result in a lower in-office headcount than many businesses would hope for, leaving many workstations, rooms, or entire floors of office buildings unused.
Suppose you have a 3, 6, or 9-year lease. In that case, it’s understandable that you may be worried about the excessive overhead costs associated with wasting electricity, gas, and internet on offices that aren’t being used. As in, your employees’ resistance to in-office work could be counter to your most efficient utilization of your investments. These two points of view may seem at odds - but they’re not. Flexible office rentals are a way to reduce overhead costs - you can actually recoup some of the cost of your lease or property ownership by becoming a host and subleasing your unused office space to other companies (as guests) on flexible terms.
Renting office space flexibly is also easier in some ways than traditional commercial real estate agreements. For one thing, there is an understanding from guests that they can’t make too many demands on the property owner or leaseholder for customization. However, it’s also easier for the guests who benefit from immediate availability, and in many cases, already-furnished spaces with fewer administrative needs.
All things equal, in today’s market, renting flexibly just makes sense for helping existing tenants and property owners to manage their expenses.
Using flexible office rentals to guard against the unpredictable future
We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Another pandemic, or revolutionary advancements in healthcare. Sociopolitical instability, or long-lasting peace. Climate disasters, or repairing the damage to our planet - anything is possible. The most positive perspective is how we know that humans will always keep innovating and that requires spaces to come together and get work done.
It’s hard for truly innovative businesses to predict where their needs will evolve. This could include more or less space, international locations, satellite offices, or any number of influences and decisions that might change their location, size, and service needs. A traditional 3-6-9 commercial lease does not allow companies to be reactive. Flexible office rentals are the only way for businesses to most effectively manage unpredictability.
This complexity in predicting long-term office space requirements is even more true for growing startups and SMEs. Committing to a long-term office rental contract in this case can become a real nightmare.
As the CEO of Fiveoffices, my main goal right now is to grow my team to make sure we can do more for our customers. We have new recruits each month and support this growth with our own platform allowing us to rent offices with flexible conditions.
Benjamin Tillier, CEO of Fiveoffices
What’s next for flexible office rentals and the future of work
Mid-term leases are not a new concept, but they are still rarely done as they often require just as much work as a long-term lease, with little benefit to either party. Classic agencies still want their fees, and the motivation to close is not there when talking about commitments as short as 2 to 24 months. So how can flexible office rentals take off and grow in popularity?
Fiveoffices is a refreshingly different search, match, and workflow platform connecting host companies which have unused office space and guest companies seeking flexible office rentals from 2 to 24 months. List or view office space, find your perfect match, and manage contracts and renewal processes seamlessly. It’s quick, incredibly easy, profitable for hosts, beneficial for guests, and highly sustainable.
The future of office rental is flexible, shareable and sustainable.
