Flexible Office Space: What Can Actually Change?

Jul 1, 2024 · Mike Thakur

You've got four people now. Maybe six by summer. Or perhaps the project finishes and you only need space for two.

Wouldn't it be nice if the office could keep up?

That's the appeal of flexible workspace: a choice of serviced spaces and membership terms that can suit a business as its needs change. The important part is finding out which changes your agreement actually allows, because flexible is a description, not a promise that everything can change tomorrow.

There is more than one kind of flexible space

Open coworking gives you a shared place to work. A reserved desk gives you a consistent setup. A private office gives you a room for yourself or your team, with shared facilities outside it.

Meeting rooms can be booked for particular sessions. A virtual office is mainly an address-and-services arrangement rather than a daily workplace.

Choose the format that fits your work before comparing membership terms. A shorter commitment won't make the wrong type of space more useful.

Ask what happens when your team changes

If you're growing, explain how many people work together now and what you expect over the next few months. Include your busiest in-person day if the team is hybrid.

WorkLodge offers office options for 1–40 people, subject to availability. Ask which rooms fit, what a move would involve and how the price and agreement would change.

Don't assume you can expand or reduce the space immediately, without cost or notice. Get the process clear before you rely on it.

Check what the monthly price covers

Serviced workspace can reduce the number of separate suppliers and building tasks you manage. At WorkLodge, private-office memberships include a furnished office, internet, utilities, cleaning, mail handling and on-site support.

Your quote should confirm the term, setup fee, any service retainer, meeting-room allowance and optional services. Included meeting-room credits vary by office size.

Use starting rates to narrow the options, then compare written quotes for the arrangement you need. The point is clarity, not a headline number with the important bits missing.

The building still needs to fit your day

Consider calls, visitors, storage and access as well as headcount. Private-office members at WorkLodge have 24/7 keycard access; other memberships have their own hours.

Both locations provide free covered parking for members. Visitor parking is free and isn't covered. Try the commute when you'd actually travel and think about where clients and colleagues are coming from.

An easy agreement doesn't compensate for a journey you resent every morning.

When a traditional lease might suit you

If you need a specialised site, substantial control over a fit-out or a location you expect to occupy for a long time, a traditional lease may be the better fit. Compare the full cost, responsibilities and terms with your advisers.

If you'd prefer furnished space and a team handling much of the daily workspace administration, flexible offices are worth a look.

Tour WorkLodge and tell us what you expect to change. That's a much more useful starting point than just asking how many desks we can squeeze in.