Should you initially work from home to save costs? Should you take on the lease of a larger office?

One thing you should do is investigate whether a serviced office is for you.

Brett Parry, General Manager of Llantrisant’s Sovereign Connect, says serviced offices like his have great advantages.

Sovereign Connect is also much more than simply an office block housing a number of businesses. It’s a business community.

Mr Parry says: “We are not just your average workspace.

“We care about what our members think and our aim is to ensure that their stay with us is an enjoyable one. We also want to be part of the development of their businesses from the moment they start their journey with us.”

He says Sovereign Connect’s location in Llantrisant is ideal for access to the M4 corridor and the Valleys, which is attractive to his clients.

 Why use a serviced office?

1. The cost – Mr Parry says companies can be faced with a basic rent of £300 or £400 a month on an office. Factor in business rates and paying for utilities like heating and broadband, and that could mean a bill of £600 or £700 a month.

“Compare that with the cost of our serviced offices, at £97 a month plus VAT,” he says.

“The savings which can be made by using a serviced office are substantial.”

For a company paying £700 a month, that could mean an annual saving of more than £7,000 a year.

A serviced office would also mean you would not be liable for any maintenance or repairs – they could push up the cost of your office even further.

2. Flexibility – Renting your own office outright could see you having to sign a three or four-year lease.

Mr Parry says: “We offer far greater flexibility. We have a 30-day rolling contract so companies can expand or move when they need to. Businesses grow and change greatly over a period of three or four years.”

3. Additional facilities – Sovereign Connect has meeting rooms which can be hired by the hour and a refreshment area on hand.

If you need to schedule business meetings, but don’t always need that amount of space, that kind of serviced office offers you flexibility.

4. Networking opportunities – With other businesses on hand in the same building, there are natural networking opportunities. Sovereign Connect also organizes its own networking sessions which are well-attended by local businesses who are based in the building and from outside.

Mr Parry says: “We have several networking groups that operate from our building – all on hand to help develop your business contacts.”

5. Some people don’t want to work from home -  Working from home is not ideal for a number of business people. Some may have families at home or other distractions, or not enough space for a proper home office.

For other people, working from home can be an isolating experience. A serviced office allows people to have the best of both worlds – to work from home when they need to, to work in a professional, office atmosphere when that would suit them better.

It’s worth checking with any serviced office what the access times to the building are as some are restricted. Mr Parry says: “Sovereign Connect is different - our clients can get access 24/7.”

If you’d like to check out what Sovereign Connect has to offer, go to thewebsite or call 01443 805500.