After the seismic shift of the pandemic, the world of work is changing. This has meant that companies of all sizes are starting to cast their net wide for increased agility in their working environment; for more flexibility, ease and cost-effectiveness.

Maybe you are moving from a more traditional office environment to a hybrid model in the coming months or looking for a lower commitment with monthly rolling contracts. You might need an affordable dedicated desk for your brand new business or perhaps Covid-secure, sustainable, dog-friendly and flexible with breakout rooms and bike storage might be the important factors for you

Whatever rings true for you, the fact is that each company has their specific requirements and with various workspace service providers offering a smorgasbord of options, the biggest question is often ‘where do I start?’.

Firstly, consider what your personal non-negotiables are, they might be:

• The amenities needed- Cheap meeting rooms, printing facilities etc
• Design aesthetics from acoustics to lighting
• The rates you are willing to pay
• A specific location in Cardiff, Liverpool, London or elsewhere in the UK
• The type of workspace you’re renting- virtual office, serviced office, hot desk or coworking
• A fully furnished office for immediate usage
• Community or membership benefits from networking events to marketing opportunities
• Accessible 24 hours a day or at weekends
• The flexibility or duration of the contract

Now the search can begin

As of 2019, there were over 6,000 flexible office spaces in the UK alone and that number is growing exponentially in 2021- whilst you won’t be short on choice, it does make finding the right fit a little more time-consuming. However, with the right tools, it needn’t take forever.

Remember that some larger workspaces tend to dominate the front pages of search engines so it’s worth delving into as many pages as you have patience for – it’s possible that a smaller operator without the big marketing budget might actually align very well with your requirements.

After hunting through the sites of the various providers armed with your freshly minted workspace wish list, we recommend whittling the options down to three that broadly fit the description.

Next comes the in-depth comparison

We have created a handy tool to help out with this stage- a checklist that lets you see what’s included in a membership at Clockwise that can then be completed with the details of other providers for easy comparison.

Once three become one, it’s time to discuss your requirements directly with the provider to see which of their memberships makes the most sense for you and to arrange a viewing. By taking your time, making use of the checklist and following the process step-by-step, this could be one of the most successful and productive dotted lines that you sign this year.

Our range of flexible memberships at Clockwise aim to ease the transition from traditional office space to a more agile environment, all tailored to your requirements- contact us to find out more.