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.
What are the benefits of using part-time office space?
The main benefit of part-time office space is the way in which it allows businesses to have both a physical office environment and a flexible working policy, without wasting money on office space that sits empty for significant periods of time.
Activities better suited to “real-life”—client meetings or collaborative exercises, for example—can still take place in a professional environment that belongs to your business, but for a fraction of the cost.
Having designated “office days” can also introduce routine into a new flexible working structure, making it easier for businesses to transition away from having everyone in the office all the time, without too much of a culture shock.
Maintaining an office presence, even if only part-time, can also show employees that you still value team culture and bonding. Office time can help kindle the feeling of belonging that may suffer in a fully-remote team, whilst also giving employees access to the flexibility that remote working offers.
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.
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 a part-time office specialist
The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone when finding a part-time office – there’s expert help out there. Hubble launched London’s first part-time office search in 2023, and since has placed hundreds of businesses in their perfect part-time setup.
The pros
The main pro of using a specialist agent is that it takes much of the hassle out of your part-time search – they can do the legwork of finding the perfect part-time office and negotiating on your behalf.
What’s more, with Hubble, you don’t have to pay a deposit, and you may not even have to share your office with another company, while still only paying for the days you use it.
The cons
While part-time offices come with large amounts of flexibility for teams, they do require flexibility in return. For example, storage options may be limited on days that you’re not using the office. Likewise, if a provider permanently lets your office to a full-time tenant, you may need to up sticks and move to another office in the building or area.
3) Recreate the part-time experience with on-demand workspace bookings
Booking a meeting room or day office, either on an ad hoc or regular basis, is a great way to take part-time 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?
Hubble makes it easy to find a part-time office.
- If you want more detail, find out more about how part-time offices work here.
- Read our latest blog post on the hottest part-time offices in London
- If you’re ready to start your search, head over to Hubble’s part-time office marketplace.
