Serviced Offices Vs Virtual Offices Vs Meeting Rooms: Which is right for your business?

With online meetings more readily available than ever, it can be a tough decision to make; deciding whether serviced offices, virtual office space, or actual meeting rooms are more suitable for you and your team. 

In this article we take a look at the differences between these three options, their pros and cons, times when each of them may be more viable solutions, depending on the task in hand, and instances where booking meeting rooms to rent can be advantageous. 

Business meeting rooms

Corporate meeting rooms for rent work very similarly to serviced offices. Whilst serviced offices offer a whole range of office services, from hot-desking to offices for whole teams, business meeting rooms focus primarily on meeting spaces for numerous occasions. 

Providers of business meeting rooms to rent often offer a range of meeting room layouts. Meeting room setup styles can be varied to suit every company’s individual needs. Whether looking for individual desk space for virtual meetings with others from afar, meeting with individuals who’ve travelled from abroad by plane, or a presentation space to present fresh ideas to your team, business meeting rooms to rent can meet all of these needs. 

Business meeting rooms for rent are ideal for companies in need of meeting rooms for coworking within their organisation, as well as collaborating with external individuals. They come in a range of sizes and styles, so there is a business meeting room to rent to suit every need of every company from every industry. 

Some of the different styles of the business meeting rooms to rent include:

• Training rooms
• Airport meeting rooms
• Board meetings
• Interview rooms
• Offsite meetings
• Presentation space

What is a virtual office space?

Whilst companies have at times been forced to work from home on online platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, virtual office space is a different thing altogether. 

Virtual office space is typically a service offered to help give companies a presence in a new town or city. As well as offering a foothold on the area’s market, virtual office services are often tied to an existing office space. This service means that clients, customers and company partners have a physical location they can visit should they wish or need to. 

Having a physical office like this helps establish your company as a leading competitor in the vicinity and this can assist with building your reputation as a reputable leader in your field.

Virtual office advantages usually include the capacity to have your mail and phone calls handled for you by a fully staffed reception desk, as well as the option to hold meetings onsite for a limited time every month.

Virtual offices can be a great option for any company looking to branch out to a new location, small startups on a tight budget, and businesses of any size that would rather operate remotely, whilst having a base still to make them easily contactable.

What is a serviced office? 

A serviced office is usually what people mean when they are referring to office spaces that can be rented from established business centres. Purpose-built for administrative operations, business centres usually have purpose-designed rooms for meetings of all sizes, from more intimate interview rooms to lone desks for freelancers and large halls ideal for international conferences with hundreds of attendees.

Serviced offices usually come with options as to furniture layouts, overhead projection equipment, and even videoconferencing technology if needed. Internet access and phone lines can be provided, along with reprographics and photocopying services. Kitchen areas are often accessible, along with break-out areas for group work.

Serviced offices can be ideal for companies looking to keep their overheads low. Whilst renting or even purchasing your own premises can be a large expense you’d rather avoid, renting serviced offices can be a happy medium between giving you access to professional meeting spaces, without having to pay extortionate fees to make use of them. It can also be far less stressful to hire meeting rooms than purchase your own, as it means you are not responsible for paying upkeep bills nor electricity, heating, internet or other utilities.

RELATED: The Advantages of Face to Face Meetings

Ultimately, hosting a business meeting in a physical location where you and your colleagues, potential new employees, business partners, or clients and customers can meet face to face is the best way to discuss ideas and get your messages across as succinctly as possible. 

Virtual office spaces can be a great way to help grow or expand your business in a new area, but for the utmost impact when it comes to getting together with people, serviced offices and meeting rooms to rent are the most impactful way for holding certain meetings. If you are unsure of whether or not your meeting warrants a meeting in person rather than virtually, this handy tool from Harvard Business Review can help you decide.

Once you are certain an in-person meeting is best for you, finding a meeting room to rent is straightforward with Meetingo’s search facility.