As the name suggests, a start-up needs to start up quickly. Time lost is often an opportunity lost. No value can really be put on opportunity costs. But start-ups often face a number of hurdles that come in the way of their getting down to business fast. And one of the biggest of these is finding the right place from which to start working. Being generally low on capital and other assets, start-ups can’t afford to buy office space. If they rent space, there are innumerable problems such as furnishing, equipping, staffing and running the office – all of which means an investment of both time and money.
There is one solution to these problems: a serviced office. This allows a start-up to literally walk in and get down to business. It offers an enviable address in a prestigious location that start-ups can put on their calling cards and stationery –and so enhance their perceived image, which is so important when you are looking for customers, vendors and employees.
A good serviced office has infrastructure and support facilities ready to go. Telephone systems are in place, internet connections work. There is business equipment like fax machines, photocopiers and printers – of far better quality than a small business can afford when starting up—and the equipment is frequently updated. Utilities such as electricity and water can be taken for granted. There is usually a kitchen or pantry area with a microwave oven, a fridge and crockery and cutlery. Many serviced offices provide an efficient catering service so that much-needed cup of tea or coffee is available at the press of a button.
The back office staff is a major advantage in a serviced office to keep things running efficiently. This band of workers usually includes a professional receptionist, an IT support team and maintenance staff. Imagine even one day without all these people doing their work. Your schedule would go haywire and you would also need to pay out money for infrastructure that you hadn’t budgeted for.
Paperwork. This can confuse and even derail a start-up. Rental agreements. Complicated legalise before you can even dream of getting started. Fortunately, a good serviced office makes it all simpler and easier. Besides, it offers flexibility in the length of the lease,
allowing the start-up to grow without relocating and also downsize if needs be. All this without changing the address and telephone numbers which can also eat up valuable time.
There is another attractive benefit for start-ups in a prestigious serviced office. A networking opportunity. This happens when many businesses use the same facility. Networking here is not so much structured as informal. A chance encounter in the reception area or over a cup of coffee and you could make a valuable contact.
DBS business centers offer start-ups all these facilities and more. Serviced offices in Bangalore or shared office spaces in Bangalore have proved to be excellent choices for start-ups, enabling them to focus on business growth without bothering about infrastructure hassles.