Finding the perfect office space is often a minefield, with different people in your team having different priorities, everyone having an opinion and the Finance Director having the final word. Once you’ve established how many people are going to work there, which area you want to be in and for how long, you can start to narrow down the choices. If you have a relatively short term requirement for office space for up to around 100 people, your best solution is probably to use a serviced office, where all the amenities are in place and all you need to do is move your people in.

The next set of choices you face will then be ‘which serviced office operator to use?’ There are the big name brands such as Regus and MWB alongside an enormous range of smaller operators who may be able to offer just what you need in exactly the right location. In the end it may all come down to cost and this is where it may look complicated, but a little explanation can help to simplify the situation.

Serviced office operators typically charge clients in two ways: the base rent per workstation and extras such as IT and comms. The reason these are priced separately is that IT and comms charges cover the cost of the infrastructure installed by the operator, whilst the price per workstation is determined by the market. That is why you will find that the extra charges for infrastructure remain broadly similar across the country, ranging from £50 to £100 per workstation, whilst the base costs vary widely depending on the location.

Looking at London as a whole, the average quoted base price per workstation is around £600; adding in the costs for additional services such as a telephone line and handset, phone answering and messaging service, a shared internet connection and tea and coffee provision can increase that figure by up to 15%.  In other areas of the country the infrastructure costs will make up a larger share of the total, as base costs are lower. For example, in Glasgow the cost per workstation is around £300, and £200 in the Thames Valley, meaning that extra services take the totals up by 25% and 38% respectively.

There may be scope for negotiation if your stay is anticipated to be a long one, but you should be aware that some operators also charge an exit fee.

Using a broker can help you find your way through this apparent maze to achieve the best combination of operator, location and cost, and ensure that all the different elements are factored in at the outset.