The flexible workspace industry offers a wide variety of types of office space. While choice is a good thing, it often makes the decision harder, which is why it’s important to know the key differences between each offering.
The right type of workspace for a company or individual will be highly influenced by their line of business and their working model. Let’s take a look at the 3 main types of workspaces and what each offer.
Private office
Flexible private offices offer a fully-furnished ready to use office space. They oftentimes allow for the user to personalize and brand the office and they usually include a wide variety of additional administrative services like landline, call answering and screening services, mail handling and forwarding, free parking, and reception services.
Private offices provide for privacy, which is why this is the logical workspace solution for certain types of businesses, with small or medium sized teams; as well as individuals whose work includes managing sensitive information (lawyers, psychologists, accountants, etc.) Though privacy is a huge plus for these lines of work; private offices come with the downside that they are slightly isolated from the rest of the workspace and the community. On the plus side, private offices often allow teams to work together in a secure space, with the added advantage that the space can grow as the team grows.
Shared space
Shared workspace has slowly become the new norm. Whether in flexible or traditional office space, the cubicle has for the most part disappeared, and this has been due to the growing popularity and the various benefits associated with shared, open space.
Shared workspace provides individuals and businesses with a buzz and dynamic that is inspiring and encourages healthy collision. The latter of this is a key driver of collaboration and networking opportunities. One of the many advantages of shared workspaces is that they can be paid for by the day, week, or month–and they include all the basic amenities a business needs to operate efficiently: WIFI, printing, utilities, meeting room access, and staff support. In addition to this, individuals can choose to add more services at an additional cost.
Shared workspaces have been glorified over the past few years; especially because of the role they’ve played in innovation and helping startups get off the ground. Because shared spaces require the sharing of resources, they are often a cost-effective solution for people or businesses that would otherwise be operating from home or coffee shops. Having a professional place to work from has allowed startups and entrepreneurs to be more productive and collaborate. On the downside, however, shared spaces do come with their own set of distractions–especially high noise levels and, at times, lack of privacy.
Virtual offices
Virtual offices are the perfect solution for businesses and individuals that don’t necessarily need a space to work from, but that at times need a place to meet with clients and that are hoping to present a professional image at all times.
Virtual offices provide prestigious business addresses, mail handling and forwarding services, live answering services, and VoIP numbers, and more. Virtual offices are highly flexible in nature; individuals or companies can personalize or create bundle packages depending on their business needs and requirements.
This type of workspace solution is ideal for businesses that don’t require a local office, but do require a local address; for individuals that work from home but don’t want to share their home address, and for businesses that need a touchdown space a few times a week or month to meet with clients. While they provide flexibility in all terms, virtual office solutions are significantly isolated from the workspace community, and collaboration and networking opportunities are very limited.
In the end, the essence of these types of spaces is the same: they provide access to space, people, and infrastructure. They also provide for a plug and play setting that eliminates the hassle and complications associated with office space. Your workspace choice should be based on your business needs, personality types, and the additional support services you might need.
For more information about basic amenities and additional support services for flexible workspace in Annapolis, click here.