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Hybrid Working is a flexible approach that allows employees to split their time between working in the office and working from home. So, what are the benefits of a Hybrid Office for employees and how can business owners adapt their own office to this working model?

The Benefit Of A Hybrid Office

Flexible working has become a sought after item for staff in full-time employment, with most employees expecting to work remotely at least three times per week.

By providing an emphasis on better work-life balance, reducing the commuters cost and desire for a greater ability to focus with fewer distractions, staff productivity and motivation levels have shown to increase from a working from home environment following the pandemic. 

A hybrid compromise will provide a collaboration-focused office environment, ensuring that human connection, knowledge sharing and staff interaction are still maintained. 

How To Adapt Your Office To Hybrid Working

In order for any type of Hybrid Office to be introduced, business owners should ensure they spend time implementing measures to be successful.

 1. Define The Policy

 The exact formula of a Hybrid Office will look different for each company. Some business owners might introduce a flexible system with more freedom for their employees, whilst other organisations could look at dedicated days for their staff to work remotely. Communicating this system clearly to your employees will allow for a smooth adaptation to a hybrid working environment.

 2. Provide The Technology

It’s not just about making sure your staff have access to a work laptop or mobile, it’s essential to provide them with the means to collaborate and communicate without needing to be in the office. Embracing the best applications, tools and technology will allow for teams to thrive in a Hybrid working environment.

3. Adapt The Workspace

There will still need to be a suitable environment for staff to remain productive, but with more team members working remotely, a Hybrid Office requires fewer desks and a smaller sized space. Business owners may look to downsize to a fully serviced location with flexible office sizes.

4. Stay Connected

Company culture is an important factor in any successful business and many employees often won’t cross paths in a hybrid office due to their schedule. Ensuring regular social opportunities for your staff will build togetherness in your teams, providing important human connection and interaction to result in a positive company culture.

The Brentano Suite

The Brentano Suite provides serviced office solutions across North London and Hertfordshire. Our offices come with access to meeting rooms and flexible layouts suitable to businesses looking to implement hybrid working.

Please get in touch to find out more or head to our latest news section to hear from our tenants.

Although traditionally the ‘place to be’, London has the highest rent prices for office space in Europe. We’re taking a closer look at where these costs come from and how business owners can minimise them when looking for new office space.

Where Do Typical Office Costs Come From?

When you see the perfect office space, it’s easy to focus on the rent price. In reality, there are other costs to factor in. If you opt for a traditional office space in London, you’ll need to think about utilities, office management, cleaning, internet, furnishings, decoration, and more. 

There are also costs associated with making the space suitable for guests, whether those are clients, partners, investors, or others. This might involve having large enough meeting rooms, a comfortable and well-decorated waiting area, and reception staff.

What’s more, if you decide to scale up or down, you might incur moving or expansion costs, including the time your employees need to take away from their day-to-day so you can make the necessary changes.

 However, choosing serviced offices takes away many of these additional costs, meaning businesses can focus on running their day-to-day activities (more on this below).

Reducing The Cost Of London Office Space

1. Make a list of must-haves

Determining what’s most important will help you focus your search. You can gain a realistic idea of which spaces will fit within your budget and make sure you don’t splurge on less important features or miss crucial ones.

This might include local amenities, layout possibilities, internet speeds, transport links, parking, meeting room size, and scalability options.

2. Consider a serviced office

Serviced office spaces come fully furnished, so you don’t need to spend time and money on décor. They also have fixed bills, so you know exactly what you’re paying each month. Ongoing maintenance is taken care of, so your company faces fewer unexpected costs.

What’s more, serviced offices usually include reception services; there is someone on hand to greet your guests, answer queries, and manage post. This not only takes the burden away from your team but adds value by creating a seamless and professional experience.

3. Choose a local London office space

Central London might seem like the best place to be. But moving to local offices can significantly reduce the cost of rent. What’s more, working close to home can be a very attractive option for employees.

While you might not pay for your employees’ trip to the office, it’s something that they take into consideration. A recent survey of 500 UK workers showed that almost half plan to stay away from offices because of the high cost of commuting.

The Brentano Suite

At The Brentano Suite, we offer serviced office suites in North London and Elstree, making work easier and more comfortable for everyone back in the office. Your office is a reflection of your business. That’s why our office suites are finished to the highest standards.

Find out more about our serviced office suites and meeting rooms.

Last year, there were around 1.9 million freelancers in the UK alone. With so much freelance talent out there, it can be difficult to decide where to look. We’ve created a quick guide with details of several well-known freelance websites to help you start hiring.

Is Hiring Freelance Talent Right For You?

Freelancers can help fill skill gaps in a flexible way. Businesses can hire quickly, as and when they need, and for how long they need. This means that freelance talent provides a scalable option for businesses that are growing or changing.

What’s more, freelancers also span a multitude of sectors at a range of levels, so businesses can work with highly specialised or entry-level talent.

However, it’s always a good idea to consider whether freelancers are the right fit for any role. For example, is there a steep learning curve involved in the job? Do you need someone who blends seamlessly into your company culture and provides long-term work? If so, a permanent member of staff may be more equipped to help.

Choosing The Right Freelance Websites

If you do decide to hire a freelancer, there are plenty of platforms to help. The problem is, you might find yourself spoilt for choice from the overwhelming selection of freelance websites available. We’ve rounded up details of a selection of well-known sites to get you started.

It’s always a good idea to make sure you’re happy that the freelance website you choose is legitimate, secure, and works for you. Please note, these are not recommendations.

 1. Upwork

Upwork is probably one of the most well-known freelance websites. Businesses can choose to have short- or longer-term contracts, which can then be divided into milestones. This means the hirer pays periodically throughout the project as work is completed.

You can find freelancers from a wide range of sectors here, along with ratings from previous jobs they have completed. Upwork’s homepage shows what they believe their freelance website’s key selling points to be:

• Proof of quality
• No cost until you hire
• Safe and secure

 2. People Per Hour

People Per Hour says it “connects clients to expert freelancers who are available to hire by the hour or project”. Businesses can post a project or search for a freelancer directly, based on what they need (i.e. skill, location, hourly rate).

Similar to Upwork, the funds are released to the freelancer once you are happy with the work delivered.

People Per Hour’s homepage highlights the following benefits:

• Get matched with expert freelancers in minutes
• Dedicated 24/7 customer service team
• Money back guarantee and anti-fraud protection

3. Toptal

Toptal works a little differently from the two freelance websites listed above. The platform focuses on listing only the best freelancers (what they refer to as the top 3% of freelance talent). Rather than a marketplace, they describe themselves as an exclusive network.

Toptal’s homepage gives an insight into their selling points:

• Hire quickly
• The top 3%
• Leading the future of work
• A level above

 4. Fiverr

Similar to Upwork and People Per Hour, Fiverr offers freelance services from a wide range of backgrounds. You can search for the right freelancer, read reviews, and share your requirements, starting from (as the name suggests) $5.

Fiver describes its benefits as:

• The best for every budget
• Quality work done quickly
• Protected payment
• 24/7 support

 5. Linkedin, Indeed, etc.

Freelancers don’t uniquely look at freelance platforms. You might find that you have great luck advertising through a more traditional method, such as Linkedin. If you choose this route, it’s important to state that the position is freelance and give an idea of the workload involved so that only truly interested candidates apply.

The Brentano Suite

Flexible businesses need flexible office spaces to match. If you’re looking for a high-quality office space, The Brentano Suite is here to help. We offer fully furnished, local suites, with meeting rooms, virtual office services, and more.

Watch a video tour to find out more or get in touch with our team.

Serviced Office spaces provide companies of all sizes in varying industries with a productive environment for business owners to carry out their day to day operations. Fast becoming a popular choice amongst leaders of many modern organisations, we look at some of the key benefits of a Serviced Office below:

1. Flexible Serviced Office Leasing Options 

Running a business is often challenging and unpredictable. Many modern business owners don’t want to commit to multi-year leasing agreements. Alternatively, they choose to locate themselves in Serviced Offices that provide short-term rental or license options, usually on 12 months contracts.

Serviced Offices provide the opportunity to upgrade and change your office size as your company scales, making them a perfect fit for startups and growing companies.

2. Cost Effective

Building maintenance, utilities and service charge are all included in the monthly rental price, making Serviced Offices affordable to businesses both large and small. Serviced Offices provide every tenant with a fully furnished suite and amenities such as luxury meeting rooms, wifi, and complimentary coffee stations. This makes Serviced Offices an extremely cost effective working environment.

3. Speed of Set Up

Serviced Offices are fully furnished, with equipment such as desks, chairs and shelves include in every suite. Broadband and wifi connection are accessible as soon as your contract is signed, allowing you to settle into your new office space quickly and efficiently with little down time.

There is virtually zero set up cost involved, saving your business valuable time and money to reinvest into your business.

4. Additional Services

Bookable meeting rooms, manned reception areas and kitchenettes with complimentary coffee. There are plenty of perks that make Serviced Offices an enticing option.

5. Customer Service

Depending which Serviced Office company you choose, customer service teams are there to help you settle into your new office and assist wherever possible as your business grows. Receptionists will greet your guests, manage your post and provide hospitality in your meetings wherever possible. In-house technology and maintenance teams work around the clock to make sure the office buildings are operating to high quality standards, and are on call to fix any issues that may occur. 

Maintaining an office can be very time-consuming, so having friendly staff available to relieve you of tedious issues comes in handy when running a business.

6. Serviced Office Location

Serviced Offices are located in key business areas, including local high streets and city centres. They are close to good transport links and often with car parking facility close by, making them easily accessible for your staff and clients.

The Brentano Suite operates a number of luxury Serviced Office spaces in local neighbourhoods of North London and Hertfordshire. For more details on our locations and meeting rooms click here.

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With approximately 300 million square foot of office space spread over multiple industry districts, Greater London was traditionally a place in high demand for businesses looking to set up their daily place of work. However, the hustle and bustle of central London might not be as appealing as it once was, with many people starting to see the advantages of working locally.

Finding an office space that is in a local area close to your home, is seen by many as a positive solution when searching for a dedicated working environment to grow your business.

Here are five reasons why:

1. Commute

The daily commute is commonly described as the part of the day that city workers dread the most. One’s morning rush can typically consist of alarm snoozing and coffee spills, with overcrowded tube and bus journeys after work being just as stressful. London’s daily commute averages at 74 minutes, significantly higher compared to the global city commute average of just 40 minutes. With this in mind, avoiding the lengthy trips to and from town can save almost 148 minutes per day, freeing up precious hours to focus on growing your business or spending extra time away from work with your family.

2. Safety

Just like any city centre, London’s streets and public transport networks are busy places and the large concentration of people makes social distancing a difficult operation. As more people begin to go back to work and the footfall of central London begins to increase again, working locally at an office just a short drive or cycle from your home is a great option for a safer commute. 

3. Cost Efficiency

One of the biggest benefits of working locally is the cost efficiency. Not only is there a significant cost difference in the price per square foot of office space, but there are also large savings to be made from the reduced cost of travel. Food and beverages are significantly less expensive in local areas than in central London. Tenants are often able to choose from a great variety of local cafes and restaurants, or simply head home on their lunch break as they live just around the corner. At The Brentano Suite, we offer unlimited complimentary tea and coffee to all of our tenants.

4. Family

Working locally allows you to be closer to those who depend on you. The flexibility of working from an office in your local neighbourhood allows you to spend more time with your family, meaning you can pick up the kids from school, ensure you don’t miss another parents evening, and be on call to let the plumber in to fix the boiler!

5. Social Responsibility

By having an office space nearby your area of residence, you play an instrumental part in being a socially responsible neighbour and giving back to the local community. Here at The Brentano Suite, our centres are perfectly situated nearby shops, restaurants and town high streets, making it easy and simple to interact and support local businesses. 

The Brentano Suite operates a number of luxury serviced office spaces in local neighbourhoods of North London and Hertfordshire. For more details on our locations and meeting rooms click here.

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For some people, having to adjust to working from home as a result of COVID19 has been a blessing in disguise, but as time goes on, many companies are starting to question the overall benefits for their business.  

Whilst employees may claim to be as effective working from their beds and sofas, is working from home really the most effective way to grow your business? 

As many organisations debate the reopening of their central London offices, we list five reasons why you might want to look at working locally, using serviced offices in your area as an alternative to working from home or having to commute into town. 

1. Structure

Working from home creates a very different daily structure to that of having a dedicated office. The luxury of falling out of bed into your office can eventually wear off, as many miss the ritual of getting up and out as part of the working day. Relocating to an office space that is based locally can bring back a sense of structure, consistency and productivity that many are now finding difficult to achieve when working from home, without the stress of an exhausting daily commute.

2. Work Life Balance

A healthy work-life balance matters immensely when running a business. However when your work and life spaces combine, it can be difficult for your employees to stay motivated, negatively impacting on mental health and ultimately affecting your business. A local serviced office is a great way to separate your work environment from your personal space at home, ensuring your employees always remain efficient and productive, also avoiding the long commute to central London you might have once had.

3. Privacy & Productivity

Whilst initially working from home was a novel welcomed alternative, in recent weeks many companies have realised that it can be difficult to obtain the same productivity and efficiency levels achieved by working in an office. A local serviced office space will allow for uninterrupted work as well as providing dedicated spaces for meetings, interviews and private calls – all simple business essentials that are not always easy to achieve when working from home.

4. Corporate Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility is a concept that implies your business has an obligation towards society. What better way to give back to the community than working locally? Our highstreets have seen the full force of the pandemic and many businesses miss the people with spare cash in their pockets to spend. Taking a local office space within walking distance to your local highstreets with their various shops, restaurants, pubs etc. ensures your business helps to feed and sustain the local community.

5. Complimentary Refreshments

Just because you’re taking an office space doesn’t mean you can’t still save money on coffee, like you did when working from home. Many serviced offices come with complimentary refreshments, ensuring you are always fueled and ready to be productive.

Brentano Suite operates a number of luxury serviced office locations in local neighbourhoods of North West London and Hertfordshire. Enquire today to speak to a member of our team and book a viewing at your nearest centre.

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