The choice of location is one of the most important factors which determine the success of a business. Many companies opt for locations out of the city centre, in which they can buy or lease bigger office space for a smaller amount of money. There are also some entrepreneurs who claim that opening an office in a more prestigious location is a guarantee of bigger income. Today we will try to discover the benefits of city-centre offices. We will also focus on some problems business owners may encounter and how to solve them.
The benefits of having your office in a city centre
If you are still wondering if it is worth having your office in a city centre, there are many reasons why you should consider it. Firstly, companies located in the middle of a city are usually considered more credible. How is that possible? While looking for a specific type of company on the Internet, we often check their location. If they are centre-based, we automatically think that they are more trustworthy. What is more, such companies are very easy to access from different districts. This is an unquestionable benefit for both employees and partners who can swing by the office while running errands. If your office has a limited parking lot, you can install a parking space app to allow your employees to book free parking spaces.
Problems related to centre-based offices
There are also some disadvantages to locating your office in the city centre. Although some of them are inherent to such popular and crowded locations, there are also some which can be easily turned into advantages.
The most common problems of centre-based offices include:
Smaller office space
City centres are usually strewn with buildings. Many of them are fully occupied so it can be difficult to find a huge office in a central location. This is even more problematic if we are looking for a place with direct street access.
Higher prices
This is also something that we can do nothing about. Higher property prices in city centres are natural as such locations can provide you with big possibilities. If you want to slightly reduce the cost of the office, look for properties which are unfurnished or need renovation. The cost of works is usually lower than hiring a modern pimped up office.
High traffic
One of the biggest disadvantages centre-based office employees usually list is high traffic around the office. Leaving the city centre or getting to the office during rush hours can take a lot of time. The easiest way to deal with it is to set up unconventional working hours, e.g., your office can open and close 15 minutes before regular working hours in your region.
Large numbers of visitors
This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. If you run a business that is not focused on random visitors, consider leasing an office on the upper floors. This way people who pass by won’t enter and disturb your employees. You can also opt for some automatic access control systems that will only let authorised people in.
Limited parking capacities
When you lease or buy an office in the city centre, you usually get a limited number of parking spaces. Many modern apartment complexes also offer underground parking garages. If you worry that your staff will encounter problems in finding parking spaces, go for parking booking software such as Parkalot.
Having your office in the city centre provides you with big opportunities and can easily increase the prestige of your company. It can also affect your brand image and make it recognizable. If you are still hesitating as to whether a centre-based office location is for you, give it a chance. Use simple tricks and benefit from advanced systems, such as access control or a parking space booking app, to make your life and the life of your employees simpler.
If you’d like to introduce Parkalot in your company, please contact us at contact-us@parkalot.io or book an onboarding call.Start using Parkalot in an hour. Allow your colleagues to commute by car, and park on the parking spaces assigned to those who are working from home.