Self-employment doesn’t mean you have to work alone. Shared office spaces offer a flexible and affordable way to be part of a professional working environment.
Office space for freelancers
Renting a desk is traditionally associated with ‘serviced spaces’ where you pay a monthly rental fee for furniture, a receptionist, IT support, building maintenance, post services etc. Yet recently there has been a move towards ‘spare desks’ which offers a cheaper alternative.
Ciaron Dunne is co-founder of Office Genie, a website that maintains a UK database allowing you to search for a desk space that suits your needs. The business has been running for over two years and Ciaron attributes some of its success to the current economic climate.
"Renting a desk gives you a professional base, without having to buy everything from scratch"
"When companies make staff redundant and don’t fill positions they end up with spare desks in the office. They can generate income by renting these out to individuals on a flexible basis."
This is a great opportunity for freelancers, as going into an established office means good quality facilities are already in place. For others it enables their staff to have a desk space dependent on where they are working.
"Our head office is in Cambridge," Ciaron says, "but we have so many meetings in London it made sense to have an office desk rented there too so whichever colleague is in town, they can use it."
One advocate who has been renting a desk for two years is Chas Edwards, from digital design agency Touchpoint Digital. Having worked at home and in a serviced office, he found a desk away from home was all he actually needed.
"I’m in the office five days a week, it really gives me a chance to focus properly. It also means I can now keep work and home life separate."
How to find a 'rented desk'
Renting a desk is popular in the creative industries. Office Genie have noticed a trend in take-up among web developers, graphic designers, writers, consultants and architects.
Nic Coe runs Office Bloc, a desk scheme in Soho, an area that has one the highest concentration of media professionals in the UK. The offices have 45 desks spread across three floors. He’s found there can be a difference in the type of companies people are comfortable sharing with.
"Some offices welcome people from similar industries. Benefits of this include better chances for networking, sharing work and advice. On the other hand, there are those that prefer not to have renters in the same industry due to confidentiality."
Most office/desk spaces are either in city centres or spare desks in larger companies located in the outskirts. If you require something local, look out for noticeboards or try websites like Gumtree. Office Genie list availble desk spaces in the UK, so it is a good website to monitor.
Choosing a rented desk space
Ciaron and Nic both agree that you should never sign up for an office without viewing it first. Here are some of the considerations they suggest you take into account:
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Facilities
What can you use? -
Meeting room
Is there a room for client meetings? -
Communal responsibilities
What will you be obliged to take on? -
Cleaning
Who is responsible for cleaning, and how often? -
Colleagues
Who else works there and are they good network contacts? -
Security and access
What time of day do you have access? Is there security staff? -
Valuables
Do you get lockable drawers? -
Space
Request what area you want – specify a window, a wall, or whatever it is you require. -
Talk to other people in the office
Get some opinions on the working environment, broadband speed etc. -
Contract length
One of the benefits of renting a desk is it should be available short-term such as a month-by-month basis.
Benefits of a shared office
Sharing an office is ideal for start-ups with two or three colleagues as it’s far cheaper than renting your own office.
"At the beginning of any business you should keep your overheads low," Ciaron explains, "Renting a desk is the best way to do this, as you don’t need to buy everything from scratch, yet you still have a professional base."
"We have so many meetings in London it made sense to have an office desk rented there."
At OfficeBloc, the biggest team sizes are six people. However there is never a feel that one company has more rights just because they have more staff.
"Everyone here is equal," Nic explains, "They have the same access to meeting rooms whether they are large or small teams."
Chas feels that working in an office makes him feel like he’s part of a bigger team.
"Apart from the opportunity to network and get referrals for work, you feel as though you have an extended team that you can bounce ideas off."
Nic agrees that getting to know people is one of the biggest benefits and makes a point of arranging monthly lunches for his renters. He also believes the working environment is more comfortable because there is no main boss, which means no office politics.
Ciaron strongly believes you have nothing to lose when you rent a desk.
"Because contracts can be short term, if you’re not happy you can move. But until you’ve tried it, you won’t get to experience the benefits renting a desk will bring."
Advice for working in a shared office
- Make tea for colleagues – it brews a good atmosphere.
- Purchase noise reduction headphones – this shows other people that you don’t want to be disturbed
- Build a community atmosphere – attend or organise social events.
- Find out what the people around you do – look at their websites
- Be a sounding board – small businesses need objective feedback so be prepared to share ideas.
