With more businesses going remote and turning to a hybrid work model, businesses must understand how they can adjust their working model to include satellite offices. Here’s everything you need to know about how they work.
What is a satellite office?
A satellite office is a workspace that’s separate from a company’s main office location. This could be an office on the other side of the city, in the next town, or even hundreds of miles away. A satellite office could simply be a single desk in a coworking space, or it might be a large office with hundreds of workers using it as their regular base.
Why do businesses need satellite offices?
There are a lot of reasons that a business might set up a satellite office.
If you’re expanding into new markets, then you might want to take on an office space on a short-term basis to test out the market. This allows you to see how your local customers will respond to your business and product, without the long-term commitment – and associated expenses – of taking on a full office space.
If you’re a business looking to grow and hire the best talent, then you may consider opening a satellite office to target job-seekers in a particular area. A satellite office can help you to widen the talent pool available to you and may make your business a more attractive prospect to potential new staff, as well. Before the pandemic, workers spent an average of 29 minutes and £5.50 per day commuting to work. As long commutes have clear links to increased stress and poorer health, a satellite office that requires a shorter commute may be tempting for workers.
This also helps businesses to better accommodate flexible working – a crucial factor, with 43% of workers stating that flexible working hours help them to achieve greater productivity, whilst 30% say that a shorter commute, or no commute at all, enables them to be more productive.
Benefits of a satellite office
Whether you’re setting up a satellite office to kick-start project work, hire a local talent pool, or to accommodate flexible working, there are plenty of benefits for both you and your staff.
- Lower costs
A satellite office can reduce your overheads. If you’re just testing out a new location, for example, you can rent out a satellite office on a short-term basis rather than renting a big office that you haven’t yet filled. You can also choose cost-effective areas in which to set up your office to help you manage your budget.
- Connect to your local customer base
Rather than running all of your operations from one central location, a satellite office ensures your staff can live and work in the same area as your customers, helping them to get a better feel for who they are and what’s important to them. You can then use that intel to inform future business decisions, improve your marketing, and forge a more personal relationship with your customers.
- A prestigious address
Whether you’re hiring new staff, trying to attract new clients, or seeking investors, a business address that they recognise can go a long way to building trust in your business.
- A better relationship with customers
Customers like to deal with people in their locale – indeed, 63% of customers prefer to shop locally if they can. Opening a satellite office can help customers feel more connected to your business, whether they see a local address on your e-commerce website, or speak to a customer support team that’s based in their town.
- Improved staff satisfaction
As well as reduced commute times, a satellite office can also support you to offer more personalised perks and benefits to your staff. From regular lunches at a nearby restaurant to a discounted gym membership in their town, you can build better relationships with your people when you can offer them local benefits.
- Better connect your teams
With an increasing number of businesses turning to a remote-first work model, it’s important for businesses to ensure employees still feel part of a team. A satellite office that’s fully equipped with all the software and equipment your teams need to stay in touch with one another without any connectivity issues will go a long way to forging strong teams.
It also means that, for workers who do want to go into the office, they have somewhere to connect to colleagues in-person – important for many people who have missed small talk whilst working from home during the pandemic.
What to think about when setting up a satellite office
Ready to go ahead and find your perfect satellite office space? Here’s everything you need to consider.
Location, location, location
Location is one of the most important factors when deciding where to base your satellite office. Think about what you need from your new office space. Does it need to be in a particular town or city to tap into the talent there? Do you want an office space that makes it easier for your team’s commute? What amenities are there around the office?
How much does it cost?
Another key factor to think about is, of course, how the cost of a satellite office fits into your overall budget. Look into whether you need to pay for things like gas and electricity, cleaning and WiFi separately from the rent, or if it’s all rolled into one monthly fee.
Flexible contracts
If you’re just testing out how a new market could work for your business, then you’ll need the flexibility to end your contract whenever you need to so that you can explore the new market without worrying about being tied down to a long-term arrangement.
How to set up a satellite office
It couldn’t be easier to start a satellite office. We’ve got office spaces all over the country, from Edinburgh to London – and even worldwide – so no matter where you want to expand to, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch with our team at Easy Offices to let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll help to find the perfect satellite office for you.
