What Workspace is Right for Your Business?

How to choose between co-working, private offices and integrated serviced offices

If you are a business owner or planning to start your own business in Japan, what kind of workspace should you use?

Co-Working Space

Co-working spaces have become very popular recently. The big selling point of co-working space is that it’s like a big open café but with secure Wi-Fi and no need to make one coffee last a few hours! Although popular co-working spaces are generally less busy than cafes.

However co-working spaces can be occasionally be noisy. If you don’t mind noise and requests to socialize or discuss ideas with your neighbour then co-working spaces may be perfect for you.

You may also be able to use the co-working space as a business address for your company registration which will give your startup a professional appearance to the outside world.

One important aspect of co-working which can be overlooked is security.

Are you sure that you don’t have a competitor your co-working space? Working on your laptop might be relatively safe but overheard conversations with customers or co-workers might give your competitors some useful insight. Or your fellow co-workers could also get business cards from people you meet to explore business opportunities with them, which might affect your business.

Co-Working Space

Private Serviced Offices

In case you would like to manage the security and quality of your business, a private serviced office will be a good fit. You might worry about the price of private serviced offices, but you may be surprised at how affordable they can be especially if you’re flexible about the type of office and location. The definition of “serviced offices” are offices with furniture including desks, chairs and cabinet, and internet connections for individual usage. These facilities are optimized for businesses who want separate space to others. This is pretty much the opposite concept to co-working spaces, although both include individuals sharing a room.

If you are dealing with highly confidential information, you should think about getting a room which can be securely accessed by only you and your colleagues and one which has full height walls which can’t be easily overheard or looked through (many co-working spaces feature floor to ceiling glass walls which are great for light but not so good for security).

Private Serviced Offices

Integrated Private Serviced Offices

What does “integrated” mean in this case?

In many business centres you can just rent an office without any additional services, like secretarial or IT support.

Do you have several co-workers in the same office? If YES, you might think that you don’t need reception services because somebody in your office can answer the phone or meet clients or suppliers who visit the office. If you don’t have this luxury then the business centre team can act as your reception team by answering calls in your company name and meeting your guests and showing them to your room or meeting room. Even if you do have several people in your office, this meet and greet service can provide a professional touch to your company and help you concentrate on running your business.

When selecting an office, we’d also recommended looking for somewhere with meeting rooms.

There will be many occasions when you need to invite your business partners or customers to attend meetings. What’s better… to meet them in a busy coffee shop or your own professional meeting room? Coffee shops are fine for causal meetings and catch ups, but for confidential business meetings it should really take place in a professional setting.

With an “Integrated private serviced offices”, you can get reception services and meeting rooms in the same facility. You can just ask the receptionist to book a meeting room and take your client to the room when he/she visits you.

With this service your staff will be focused on their own work and you will have more time and energy to focus on expanding your business. Also, your mailed material will be taken care of by the centres receptionists. Reducing those administration burdens will keep your mind healthy and some of your time free so you can focus on new challenges. Also, in countries like Japan, it’s really important to make sure your reception team are bi-lingual so they can deal with local and international calls. In some centres only the sales or business centre manager might be English speakers, so it’s good to check.

Following these key points can help your business run smoothly in Japan. Giving a sophisticated and smart impression to your clients will help your business to grow in the long term. This will be an important factor for your Japanese clients. Many Japanese companies rely on good attitude and smart, professional behavior of their business partners. Of course, we can say this also true in many other countries!

Integrated Private Serviced Offices

What Kind of Office is Needed to Grow Your Business?

It’s true that when you start a business your budget tends to be limited. Every penny counts and managing cashflow can mean the difference between your business growing or drowning. Going for the cheapest office might seem like the right thing to do at the start, to keep costs down however you may quickly find that poor location, lack of support and limited credibility might affect your business and your growth. Investing in your business is important to make it grow so it’s wise to think carefully about the choices you make early on. If your company needs a strong relationship with its current clients and a professional ‘face’ to prospective ones, it’s important to set the right “stage” for your business.

If you are interested in starting your business in Tokyo and making use of integrated serviced offices in key locations with bilingual support teams, just contact us!

Want to read more, see this post describing the key points to succeed business in Japan.

What Kind of Office is Needed to Grow Your Business

Integrated Serviced Offices in Tokyo

Compass Offices have 2 business centres in Tokyo, close to key financial districts. We support your business with highly furnished serviced offices with bilingual reception services and various meeting rooms.

Toranomon Buiness Centre is directly connected to Kamiyacho station Exit #3, Hibiya Line, and Compass Offices Ebisu is located in the key business district of Ebisu in Shibuya-ku, steps away from Tokyo Metro and JR station. The convenient location is also very important to grow your business effectively.

Just contact us to succeed business in Japan!

 

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