This is a Guest Post by Rob Clymo. Rob writes on behalf of www.officegenie.co.uk, the UK's first proper online marketplace for desk space and shared office space. You can follow them on Twitter!

If you’re a small business owner, start-up, or freelancer then the hugely popular option is to work from home. After all, there’'s very little in the way of hassle if you work out of the spare bedroom, study or even the garage, while it can be mighty cheap too with virtually no overheads to consider.

However, there are also downsides to working from home, such as the fact that family members can often be the cause of unwanted interruptions and distractions. It may also be the case that your surroundings aren'’t exactly ideal either, with cramped conditions or not enough high-speed broadband to go round.



Another angle

In that respect, it'’s a good idea to consider joining the growing ranks of the people who have taken the leap into renting desk space instead. Considering the fact that working from home can also be something of a solitary existence, deciding to rent a bit of desk space in a bustling office area could also increase your chances of networking with other like-minded individuals.


Although cost is probably the first thing that people start worrying about when looking into renting desk space, this is actually a very cheap way of getting your own work area in a location dedicated to business. Contracts are generally short-term and on a rolling basis, while rents are minimal as landlords look to exploit vacant desk areas in their offices.

This is a competitive area too, so not only is it cheap and convenient, desk space rental can also mean that you'’ll end up working in a prime location too. Use the services of a free comparison website to find your dream office spot, and then check out what comes thrown in with the deal. Desks pace rentals are usually short on frills, so you might only get a desk, chair and broadband internet, but at least you may well get a prestigious postcode too.

The way forward

And it i’s that latter aspect of desk space rental that appeals to many people who are desperately trying to gain credibility with their clients and also attract new business too. After all, if you'’ve got a swanky office somewhere in a great location, then it will make an ideal meeting place and look rather better than inviting them around to your spare bedroom.

In addition, there is also the fact that you can use that impressive new location and postcode to help give your website presence a much needed upgrade and also put it all over your stationary. Add it all together and it'’s pretty easy to see that the pros of desk space rental far outweigh the cons. What’'s more, because it i’s such a flexible way of working, it i’s really easy to dip your toe in the desk space rental waters and then, if you don’t see it as working out for you and your business, you can always revert back to the way things were. Although, once you’'ve left that cramped study back home, it will probably seem even more difficult to go back.