Member Article

What should you be looking for in an office for 2021 and beyond?

Opting for a new office is a significant step for any business, and as such involves months of planning, multiple visits to potential locations, negotiations, before finally signing a contract tying you down… but the typical roadmap has been torn up by Covid-19. So, what should you be looking out for in an office in 2021?

Your business plan

Before any search can start there is one thing that will never change. What are your future business plans? This includes the time period you envision remaining in this location, staff recruitment drives, internal infrastructure. The last thing any business leader should be doing is making decisions without having all the information needed to make a well-reasoned and informed selection.

One new choice that you will have to make, if not in early 2021 at least by the end of the year, is how your employees work. Remote working has boomed this year and many businesses want it to stay. At least in some form. An Institute of Director’s survey shows that 74% of the 1,000 businesses taking part planned to maintain their working-from-home levels. There are two sides of the argument for employees working remotely, but that is for another time. Right now, you need to work out how much space you will actually require if part of the workforce is not present in the office at all times.

Location, location, location

It can be easy to forget that an office is not just a property for work. The entire ecosystem surrounding your premises will come into much sharper focus once you move so it is best to check out your neighbours before settling in. If, for example, you like of offer employee benefits it may be worth checking local gyms, bakeries, supermarkets, etc. for an idea of what you can offer once moved. Likewise, a new office may mean older benefits tied to the last location are no longer suitable.

The world around you also plays a role in your professional life. A window view of fields or parks in a location on the edge of a city is far more motivational than seeing rows of grey buildings outside.

Covid secure

Cleanliness and hygiene are two things that we all pay attention to, but we’re picking through them with a fine-toothed comb right now. Finding a Covid-secure location will remain a priority for any businesses looking to make a move in the next year. This means finding offices with certain services and routines. At MSO Workspace all of our serviced office buildings are rigorously cleaned and sanitised multiple times a day, social distancing markers are in place, and PPE is provided to all tenants and visitors.

We know that it is easy to be paranoid right now, especially in new locations. So, when making long term decisions for your business it is more important than ever to ensure you double check every detail before continuing. Office space will continue to see various levels of use in 2021, but one day this will all be behind us as a distant memory.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by MSO Workspace .