Shared Office Space and the "Start-Up"

Starting a small business is a bold and exciting move, but can also be expensive and risky. The process certainly isn't simple, and often involves a lot of headache. Yet if successful, the entrepreneur has unlimited potential and flexibility.

For those of us in the shared office space market, start-ups hold a special place in our hearts. We get to witness again and again the early struggles and successes of a brand new business venture. While some do not succeed, many make the cut and go on to achieve great things. In our industry, we see small business success stories everyday, and these wins are part of what we enjoy about our work. This is because we are confident that, by providing a shared office space solution, we have played a role in this achievement.

What is shared office space? Generally referred to as executive office suites or office business
centers (OBC's), shared office spaces provide turn-key solutions to businesses large and small. Their locations may vary by size, breadth of services, and building class, and generally offer receptionist services, conference room space, access to business support services, etc. as part of an all-inclusive or low-cost package.


So what can this model do for start-up businesses? For start-ups, shared office spaces take the headache out of starting a business. Rather than starting a fully-functional office from scratch, which can be prohibitively expensive (imagine hiring your own secretary, setting up a network and phone connection, leasing copying and posting equipment, buying office furniture, etc., when you haven't even generated a profit yet!), new businesses can step into an all-in-one business community and start working the day they sign the lease. Plus, flexible lease terms mean that business owners are able to use the service only as long as they need it.

Furthermore, start-ups who are not quite ready for a full-time office can choose to "go virtual", meaning that they have the benefits of receptionist services, a corporate mailing address, and access by the hour or day to a class-A office, but without the price of physical space. Virtual packages are much less expensive and allow for an easy transition to a full-time office when the time is right.