The way people work has undergone dramatic and notable changes.
For years, people have been waking up to commute to a traditional cubicle or open office at the same hour.
Then, the changes in technology influenced people’s mindset and their work environment.
The traditional office has slowly been replaced by more flexible solutions that allow remote or partially remote work.
Thus, digitalisation and remote work are trends that reshaped the global economy within the last decade. The pandemic threat has only accelerated these trends.
2020 was the year of transition. Now, 2021 should allow all organisations to rethink their business model and adjust to a new environment.
As a general rule, many companies abandoned the “lease it and forget it” concept. Work has become more flexible, and the office is no longer a long-term investment.
Hybrid work models and pop-up offices are becoming the new normal in today’s business environment. Many people believe that these massive changes are exclusively caused by the great lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, there are many other reasons as to why the traditional office is dying out.
3 Reasons Why Pop-Up Offices Have Become The New Normal
Pop-up offices are unconventional office spaces where companies operate temporarily. They can be located anywhere for a specific period.
When hearing the term “pop-up office,” some people think of an old shipping container transformed into an office. However, pop-up offices are more related to short-term rental agreements and no lock-in contracts.
A company can find an office space and “pop-in,” and once their work is done, they can “pop up” without being tied to long-term rentals.
Pop-up offices have become popular due to the following reasons:
1. Easy to grow & scale-up
Scale-up and growth happen when companies achieve success, and they’re ready to take it to the next level. As a result, businesses may enlarge the team or access more office equipment and services. With a long-term contract, companies may find themselves tied to an agreement that no longer works for them.
Flexible month-to-month contracts allow businesses to get the additional resources they need. Getting resources “as a service” is more affordable and cost-effective.
For this reason, virtual offices have become largely widespread. A virtual office is a set of professional services that companies can access as they grow or shrink. In a certain way, a virtual office is a “pop-up office” (firstly, because a high-quality virtual office provider does not require customers to sign long-term contracts. Secondly, small businesses can use them until they are ready to switch to a different type of office).
2. High-quality services
Office providers that do not require customers to sign long-term contracts are more likely to offer high-quality services. And this makes sense. A company that rents office space and has customers locked into a contract for at least one year has fewer reasons to deliver excellent services (e.g., provide maintenance and repair services, if required by the rental agreement).
At the same time, an office provider with no lock-in contracts is more likely to deliver outstanding services and be more responsive to customers (because an office provider with short-term contracts is aware that customers are free to change the provider at the end of the month if they underdeliver).
3. Companies no longer need fixed office space
Everyone knows that remote work is on the rise. After the great lockdown, most companies were divided into two categories:
- Companies that went fully remote
- Companies that shifted to hybrid remote (meaning employees spend some days in the office)
In both cases, fixed office space may no longer be necessary. Whether a company went fully remote or shifted to hybrid remote, office space may be required only temporarily (for conferences, face-to-face meetings, team interaction, brainstorming and creativity sessions, etc.)
Therefore, a long-term contract may no longer be necessary for these companies.
Conclusion – Pop-up offices that do not require lock-in contracts are the new norm for businesses. They are a flexible office solution for managers and employees.
Outside of the three reasons mentioned above, it is obvious that short-term contracts help businesses of all kinds save money (because companies pay only for space and services they actually need).
Soon, all traditional offices will be replaced by more affordable and flexible workspaces aimed to boost productivity.
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