So, you’ve decided to make the switch from a traditional office space to a coworking office. The benefits of a coworking space extend far beyond lowering costs. You don’t need to be concerned with day-to-day office administrative work, your team can work from a space closer to their home, networking becomes much easier and so on. To maximise these coworking benefits of small and mid-size businesses, you need to not only choose the right coworking space, you also need to find an arrangement that suits your business.
Coworking spaces typically follow two models – fixed seats and flexible seats. Let’s look at how to find the model that works best for you.
What Are Fixed Seats in a Coworking space?
A fixed seat or dedicated seat plan is one where a particular desk is set aside for you as long as you are working from the coworking space. It gives you a sense of ownership over the space and you don’t need to spend time looking for a space to work from every morning.
What Are Flexible Seats in a Coworking space?
A flexible seat or hot seat plan is one in which you don’t have a fixed place to work from. You can claim any unoccupied desk as your own – for that day. Flexible desks give you the freedom to work beside new people every day.
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Choosing The Right Coworking Arrangement For You
Choosing the right model for your business is all about weighing the pros and cons of fixed and flexible seats against your needs.
1. When You Have A Very Tight Budget
One of the key reasons for the popularity of coworking spaces among small businesses is the lower costs as compared to running an independent office. Choosing the right coworking arrangement can help you cut down costs even further. Flexible seats are typically priced 10-15% lower than fixed seats. These seats can also be booked on a per-day basis while fixed seats must be booked for a longer period of time.
2. When You Want To Network
Coworking culture is all about networking. You never know when the person sitting next to you may help you brainstorm a new idea or collaborate with you on a design or even help you expand your audience by cross-promoting your product.
If your business is in its growing stage and you want to network more, flexible desks are the ideal solution. You get to work with new people every day. Thus, every day becomes a new opportunity to find collaborators.
However, if your business is still in its initial stages and you’re working on fine tuning details, you may not benefit as much from networking. You might be looking for a desk where you can focus and work during work hours and of course, network with people when you take a break. In such instances, a fixed desk is a better option. When you’re working, distractions are minimal and you can still experience the networking benefits of coworking in common spaces and during workshops and events.
3. When You Like Having Control Over Your Workspace
Some people thrive on regularity while others need every day to be different. If you like having things in their place and a regular schedule, a fixed desk would be the best choice. Every morning when you walk into the coworking space, you know your desk is going to be waiting for you. You know the people you’re going to be working beside and can build longer relationships.
With flexible seating, you never know what to expect. These seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. One day you may find a great desk by the window but the next day, the only desk available may be in the center of the room.
4. When You Need Space For Your Team To Work Together
The popularity of coworking for mid-size companies is growing. It’s not just freelancers and entrepreneurs looking for coworking space. As the number of people wanting to work in coworking spaces increases, so are the sizes of these offices. Today, you can easily find a coworking office space with 250 or more desks. Thus, small and mid-sized businesses can have their entire team working from one coworking space.
When you have a team working in the same office, you probably want them to be able to sit next to each other. If you were to pick a flexible seating option, you might not be able to find space for all your team members to sit together every day. Worse, there may be days when there are only 9 vacant desks but you need 12.
Thus, fixed desk plans are the best choice. When you book a set of dedicated seats, you are assured of a semi-private space where your team can work together every day without any hindrance.
💡 Are you looking for Coworking space in Gurgaon, Noida or Delhi?. We are just a call away.
Call now: 08999 828282
5. When You Want A Flexible Lease Choice
If you’re not going to be using the coworking space every day, a flexible seating model will be more cost-effective for you. Fixed seats have to be booked for a longer period while flexible seats can be booked on a per-day basis. So, if your office is running on hybrid mode where you work remotely for part of the week and in the central office for the other half, choosing a flexible seat plan will help balance costs.
In Conclusion
When it comes to coworking, in some cases, it’s fixed seats that will benefit a business and in others, flexibility is the better choice. You need to consider your budget, the size of your team, how often you will be working from a coworking space and other such factors before signing a contract. To know more about the fixed and flexible seat arrangements available at The Office Pass (TOP), contact us at 08999 828282.
