Flexibility and convenience have become more and more apparent in the lives of small business owners – especially those who are always on the run. Last blog we explored virtual offices and this blog we’re exploring yet another office alternative – hot desking.
Catching on in both small and big companies, hot desking is a great alternative for small business owners who work for themselves or have a small number of employees, part-time or full-time. It’s a shared workspace where you can just ‘plug and play’. Come to that, I’m not sure there’s terribly much plugging in any longer as everything is driven by wi-fi. Bring your laptop, find a seat either working from a desk or a couch or the comfiest spot you can find in the office.
Not only are small businesses benefiting from hot desks, major companies are also jumping on the bandwagon.Commonwealth Bank turned to hot desking three years ago and they haven’t looked back. Not only have they saved on costs, they believe their ‘activity-based workspace’ has encouraged engagement and productivity amongst their team. And it’s catching on.. companies like Microsoft, KPMG and Macquarie Bank are also giving it a go.
The Benefits of Hot Desking
For a small businesses, the most touted aspect of hot-desking is often affordability. Cash flow can be a big hurdle when running a small business, working from a hot desk (rather than a 3 x 3 year leased space) will certainly help with affordability issues and the all important cash flow.
That having been said, there are several other benefits that are often missed.
1. Collaboration opportunities –
Having access to an open plan workspace will allow you to mix, interact and engage with a variety of business owners. That can mean you have extra brain power, experience and expertise to draw from when you need to. Just remember to give back.
2. New business opportunities –
A room full of warm bodies can also mean business opportunities – from both a supply and sell perspective. And as with all networking-esque opportunities – you never know who they might be able to introduce you to. But as with networking, the rules of etiquette apply – be interested in what you can do for them first before expecting anything from them.
3. Camaraderie –
Now this one can be a bit of a sanity saver – especially if you’re usually on your own at home for weeks on end with just the dog for company. A hot-desking space, despite being quiet – also means other people to talk to – in the kitchen, in the common areas, etc.
4. Productivity –
Let’s face it, as business owners, we have fewer constraints on our time and greater flexibility than many employees and that can lead to, well… procrastination. If you’ve ever worked from home, you’ll know how easy it is to just do another load of laundry, watch a bit of telly, clear out the fridge or catch up on breaking news…from last weekend’s papers. But often just being in a space where there’s nothing else (aside from work) to do, where everyone else is getting stuck into their projects and frankly it just doesn’t look right to spend all day on Facebook, can be really motivating.
What’s included?
Hot-desks usually have access to the internet via fast, high quality wi-fi (which depending on which part of Sydney you’re in can be a huge bonus), reception services, printers, meeting rooms as well as much of the usual office equipment that comes with working in an office. Sometimes, you might even have access to virtual assistance staff (as a paid extra of course). So if you’re thinking about changing up your work location, output or mojo this year, hot-desking could be worth considering. The best thing is, if you try it for a while and it turns out not to be the right fit for you, you’re not locked into a long lease. If this sounds like something you’d consider, we’d love to help you find the right fit for your business, Give us a call on 9994 8000 or drop us a note. We work with our clients to build custom packages that will help them effectively run their business, here’s our hot desk pricing to give you a bit more of an idea.
