Businesses around the world are increasingly seeing the benefits of remote working, and are now exploring ways of integrating it into their future company practices.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of teams still need an office of some sort. After all, office space is much more than simply a “place to work”. Technology has made it easy for many of us to work remotely for a while now—but still, the office has occupied an important role in our working lives. Humans are social beings, and in-person connections are hard to fully replace.
As such, whilst many businesses will need office space less often or for fewer people, it will still remain an integral aspect of the world of work. To address this, workspace providers are working hard to adapt their offerings to meet the needs of businesses in a post-coronavirus world. And one option that is becoming increasingly popular is part-time office space.
Timesharing an office – what are your options?
There are a number of different routes that businesses looking to find space for their team on a part-time basis can go down. But here are the two most common options:
1) The DIY approach
The first option is the ‘do it yourself’ approach to office timesharing – finding another business to share with. This commonly looks like using your own networks or communities to find potential office share candidates.
For example, one business may occupy the space every Monday to Wednesday, whilst the other uses it on Thursdays and Fridays. Other businesses may wish to use the office on alternate weeks—it all depends on how you and the businesses with which you’re sharing want to structure your time.
Commonly an office timeshare will involve one business taking the lease and subletting to their timeshare partner.
The pros
If you find your perfect timeshare partner, hustling your own part-time office through your own network can be a great way of securing long-term space without having to pay for an office full-time. It can also build connections between the two companies.
The cons
However, office timesharing is not always the easiest option to facilitate by yourself. It can be difficult to find other companies to coordinate with whose office usage requirements fit perfectly with yours; and – much like a flat share – it’s up to you to maintain a positive relationship with the other company you’re sharing with.
You’ll also have to factor in issues like storage, insurance and security for the days that you’re not using the office – which shouldn’t be underestimated.
2) Use on-demand workspace instead
Booking a meeting room or day office, either on an ad hoc or regular basis, is a great way to share office space.
The pros
This is the most flexible approach to part-time space: the workspace provider won’t tie you into a contract, and you’ll have your pick of locations, facilities and surroundings from week to week.
You can also adjust requirements in line with your team size on any given occasion. For example, if 25% of your team are away on a specific day, you can simply book a smaller meeting room. So, not only will you have more control, but it’s also much more cost-effective.
Since you only pay for the space you use, it’s a great option for teams that don’t want to work in-person multiple times a week.
The cons
While on-demand space is incredibly flexible, it might not have the same ‘feel’ that having an office of your own might give you – you won’t be able to store equipment or brand the space as your own, for example.
For teams looking to meet more than once a week, it can also become costly – in these circumstances we’d recommend looking at a part-time office arrangement instead.
How do I find an office timeshare?
Finding another business to share an office with can work well, but coordinating schedules, managing contracts and handling practicalities like storage and security isn’t always straightforward.
For many hybrid teams, on-demand workspace offers a simpler alternative. With thousands of meeting rooms and day offices across the UK and beyond, Hubble On-Demand gives you the flexibility of office timesharing without the long-term commitment.
Simply book the space you need, when you need it, and only pay for the days you use!
