Top benefits of using a serviced office

Serviced offices are a great option for a range of businesses, from startups and small businesses to larger companies looking to expand. They are designed for flexible, short-term leases with amenities that make moving in a breeze – most come fully-furnished and are all-inclusive, so all you need to bring is your laptop.

The Workplace offers a variety of private offices for businesses of different sizes. With options in two Cheltenham locations, you can rent a furnished office on a rolling monthly contract for teams of up to 8. You can make the space your own with the option to bring in decorations, company branding, and more – whatever you need to make it feel like home.

We found the offices comfortable, bright, trendy and really well equipped […] The community was friendly, engaging and fun and quickly felt like the office was our home. – Paul Harris, Coacto.

In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of choosing a serviced office, who uses them, and why they differ from traditional offices and coworking spaces. But first, what really is a serviced office?

What is a serviced office?

Simply put, a serviced office is a rented office space that is fully furnished and ready to use. They’re also called private offices or managed offices, and unlike traditional offices, they can be rented on a short-term basis for one all-inclusive fee.

Serviced offices come with everything you need to start working from the day you move in, including desks, chairs, storage, printing, kitchen facilities, and a fast, secure WiFi connection.

Who can use a serviced office?

Anyone can use a serviced office, but the flexible contracts and convenience of a managed site are suitable for certain types of businesses. These include:

• SMEs
• Companies entering new markets
• Expanding startups

Benefits of using a serviced office

Cost-effective

Serviced offices come with everything you need to hit the ground running, so you won’t have to waste time looking for comfortable desks or chairs. At The Workplace, our Herman Miller chairs and electric standing desks guarantee a comfortable workspace – in fact, our clients love them so much that they’ve bought them for their own spaces!

Flexibility

Short, flexible leases allow you to rent offices for as long as you need to, without being sucked into a long-term commitment that might prevent expansion or adaptation to your target market.

Amenities

Most serviced offices come with facilities such as communal kitchens and staffed reception areas, and some offer extra amenities such as an on-site gym, IT support, and conference rooms.

Convenience

Once you’ve decided on your office space, there’s no waiting around for renovation or installations. These workspaces are fully-furnished with utilities all set up, including internet and electricity, with no need to hire movers to transport bulky equipment. At The Workplace, we also have a friendly, experienced on-site team that will see to your needs.

Maintenance

Cleaning is included in the set fee, so you don’t have to manage the upkeep of your office – maintenance is sorted for you.

Community

Serviced offices within shared buildings give you the opportunity to network with other businesses and to build relationships with people working in and outside of your field. Our thriving community here at The Workplace is great for people who like to work solo but enjoy sharing lunch with work friends.

Serviced offices vs. coworking

Whilst they may seem similar, there are several key differences between serviced offices and coworking spaces.

A coworking space is more flexible than an office as you can pay-as-you-go or visit multiple locations. It’s also more affordable for new businesses who are just starting out or for freelancers who want to rent a single desk by the day.

A serviced office is usually rented on a monthly basis and offers a more private space and fewer common areas. It offers businesses greater privacy and control over their workspace, as well as a dedicated zone for their employees to work in a team or independently.

Depending on your needs, a serviced office just might be the right choice for you. If you’d like to hear about our flexible private offices at The Workplace, get in touch through email or telephone, or visit our Private Offices page to learn more.

In January, we achieved our Plastic Free Award from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). This means that we’ve replaced several forms of single-use plastics in The Workplace at both locations. We instead use:

• Handmade ceramic mugs and plates produced by Surrey Ceramics.
• Drinking glasses and a communal water cooler in order to reduce water bottles in the workplace.
• Plastic free, biodegradable teabags from Clipper Teas, a Fairtrade company that uses only natural ingredients in their products.
• And more!

Why is this important?

Plastic never disappears. It simply breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, polluting the air, land, and sea – microplastics have even been found in our bodies and food.

Here at The Workplace, we think that the small things we do every day make a big difference. As a Certified B Corp, we believe in using business as a force for good. We want to do our bit to keep plastic out of the sea and landfills, to protect our community and the planet – now, and forever.

What’s next?

We’re going for Gold! We’ve applied for a Silver Award with SAS and we’re not stopping there. Gold is the highest award we can achieve and we want to continue working towards a fully plastic free business.

Why not join us on our journey? Let’s remove single-use plastics from our oceans and cities, one step at a time.

It’s our first B Corp Month since becoming certified at the end of 2024! We thought we’d tell you a little bit about what this means and how we’re celebrating our achievements as a B Corp™.

What is B Corp Month?

Every year, B Corps around the world come together to talk about the work they’ve done and their goals for the future. The aim is to spread the word about the B Corp movement and to encourage people to take part in changing the world, for good.

How did we become a Certified B Corp?

We started the application process in May 2023, and after a thorough verification process, we achieved our B Corp Certification on the first try. Most businesses don’t achieve this on their first attempt, so our success reflects all the hard work we’re doing at The Workplace.

2025: ‘Gen B’

This year’s theme is all about community – it focuses on the ways in which a generation of people are changing the world, one business at a time. ‘Gen B’ calls for every business to join together to push for greater social and environmental change.

What We’ve Achieved So Far

• In January, we became Plastic Free! We joined the Surfers Against Sewage to tackle plastic pollution, and we’re proud to say that The Workplace has been plastic-free for a while (we just have the plaque to say it now).
• We’re part of the nationwide group of employers who pay their staff a Real Living Wage and Family Wage – we believe in providing for our team and have incorporated the living wage into our policies into reflect that.
• We continually reduce our food waste by using separate bins for food, recycling, and landfill waste.
• Supporting our members is so important for us at The Workplace, and we encourage a work-life balance through our monthly socials and weekly social lunches. We want our community to be happy and healthy!
• We use sustainable products and have achieved a low carbon footprint throughout the building – we use sustainable and eco-friendly desks, with solid bamboo tops that are durable and biodegradable, and our ergonomic desk chairs are provided by Herman Miller (who are one of the founders of NextWave Plastics and use recycled ocean-bound plastic in their chairs).
• And so much more!

What’s Next

• Our resident B Corp Consultant, Fran Page, is offering a talk about the benefits of being a B Corp and how to begin your journey.
• We attended the annual Workspace Design Show in London to learn more about sustainable design – the verdict is more plants and more pods. Watch this space!
• We’re creating our first impact report that will outline our policies and goals.
• We’ll continue to improve and build upon existing policies.

Join Gen B with The Workplace

Become part of the generation of people using business as a force for good by becoming a member at The Workplace. Together, we’ll work towards a better, more sustainable future.

Member Stories

Steve, Dashine Electronics

We love hearing about what our members get up to in their spare time – there really is never a dull moment. Last weekend, Steve participated in a wrestling match in Portsmouth!

Happy Halloween!

We have never been big on Halloween decorations before, but this year we turned pumpkin decorating into a social affair…

Yesterday afternoon our members at Star Lodge got stuck in with pumpkin fun – without all the guts! To keep our bamboo tables in one piece we opted for the paintbrush instead of the carving knife.

Social events are a regular occurrence at The Workplace with our wellbeing boardgame Friday being well-attended. But painting definitely lends itself to more artistic freedom so it was fantastic to watch people’s designs come to life and not be ruined by a slip of the blade, which always seems to happen.

Although The Workplace hosts many cyber security experts and tech professionals, we are clearly still a creative community!

If you have never tried this, it’s definitely a lot of fun. Some of the team suggested it would be even better with glow-in-the-dark paints, which would be interesting to see.

Let us know how you’ve decorated during spooky season…