Solutions for Today’s Changing Office Environment
Regardless of business size or type, the need and desire for flexible office and co-working environments continues to rise. In fact, co-working has exploded globally over the past two years. The number of available co-working spaces at the end of 2017 was 13,800, which represents a huge growth from just over 2,000 spaces in 2012. More than 1.18 million people choose these types of spaces as their office location on a global basis.
Flexible office space is quickly becoming mainstream, serving an increasingly mobile workforce, startup companies and small businesses that are focused on staying lean. The availability of flexible office space makes it easy for any business to reduce their brick-and-mortar footprint and reduce their budget dramatically. For some, co-working is attractive because of the energy and engagement of working in a shared office environment with other like-minded individuals. For others, it’s about getting out of the overly-public environment previously found only at Starbucks (or their small office at home) to enhance productivity without being trapped in expensive, long-term lease scenarios.
Seeing a need for this type of flexible office product in the Quad Cities, Russell brought several synergistic uses together in Birchwood Fields Learning Center. Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace solutions, opened on the second floor of the center in 2016. Regus users pay one price and get a fully equipped, brand new workspace that includes furniture, high-speed internet and a staffed reception. And because there are no long-term lease requirements, users receive all benefits of a professional business environment for the duration of their choosing.
For those companies who do require fixed, larger floor plans for their workforce, two additional trends are emerging. First, companies of all shapes and sizes are reducing the overall square footage for their office spaces and are minimizing the space per employee across a variety of industries. Second, a renewed and increased focus on employee training and education is on the uprise. Shrinking building footprints paired with an increased need for space conducive with teaching and learning leads many companies off-site to conduct educational trainings. To accommodate this need, the first floor of the center was conceived as the home for any organization’s educational delivery for groups as small as six and as large as 120. Rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including video conferencing and wireless internet connections. A center use like this allows companies large and small a professional training environment, without taking up square footage for this use in their own building. And, when Regus clients require larger meeting spaces for client or staff meetings, they can simply walk downstairs and utilize the state-of-the-art technology that comes with any room use on the first floor.
For more information about Regus, visit www.regus.com.
To learn more about the Birchwood Fields Learning Center daytime use, visit www.birchwoodfieldslc.com.
