Setting up in business involves making serious decisions that can deter many from following their dreams, but this need not be the case.
As the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, Regus helps to facilitate success with an array of business products and services. Thanks to our experience working with thousands of small and medium sized businesses, we have compiled out top five business tips for you to consider.
Be mindful of investing in technology
For a small company, dealing with IT equipment like printers and broadband wastes valuable time and/or money. If you can outsource it to someone else you can focus your resources on core activities. Business centres offer small firms access to facilities that they could not afford themselves, such as videoconferencing suites.
Avoid high overheads
If you do need physical space, try to avoid fixed leases. In the initial stages it is virtually impossible to predict your progress in 6-12 months’ time. A long-term fixed lease on property acts as a straitjacket – physically constraining your ability to grow or forcing you to pay for unneeded space.
Outsource the legwork
It's also important not to let the administrative requirements drain your resources. Acquiring property, equipment and furniture abroad consumes time and money; better to let someone else do this for you such as in a shared workspace.
Outsource the peripherals
With traditional office working, there are often separate bills for rent, cleaning, IT and broadband, and so on. But SMEs can outsource all these aspects to a single provider in business centres.
Contain the costs of mobile working
There are plenty of ways to reduce the cost of working away from the office. Free wifi is not just available at coffee shops, but often at quieter places too. Business centres can offer free tea and coffee, and some offer fixed-price deals that offer drop-in access to workspaces and internet at centres all over the country. It’s an end to the unexpected expenses associated with working on the move.
Regus is currently working with Microsoft to offer its customers in the UK a free 90 day trial to experience Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM - if you are a Regus customer then please email microsoft@regus.comor call 0845 872 0100 to take advantage of this exclusive offer. If you would like to find out more about Regus, then simply head to our website www.regus.co.uk
Guest author
Steve Purdy – Managing Director, Regus UK
About Regus
Regus is the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces.
Over a million customers a day benefit from our locations spread across almost 100 countries. With our ever expanding range of innovative products and services we enable people to work their way whether it’s from home, on the road or from an office.
Where we do it
Regus is a global organisation with more than 1500 business centres across some 600 cities. We were founded in Brussels in 1989, are currently headquartered in Luxembourg and our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Who we do it for
More than a million customers including half of the Fortune 500, as well as hundreds of thousands of start-ups, small and medium sized companies across every sector.