There has been an evolution of office and workplace ethos in terms of innovation, cloud technology, digital marketing and workplace design and planning all thanks to technology and the pandemic.  The UAE has been in the forefront of this change and continues to establish itself as a hotspot for startups and SME businesses by providing a conducive ecosystem for launch, nurture and support. 

 Being a startup or SME in this global setup has its own set of opportunities and challenges.  Opportunities include easy and fast access to global markets and customers thanks to technology – e-commerce and social media and digital platforms, the benefit of being a hub for global trade and commerce, utilising freezone setups and benefits to create business advantage, utilising the diverse multi-cultural population advantage for your benefit. There are specific challenges too – intense competition in the marketplace, financial constraints and limited resources as a small business setup, and economic and geopolitical events affecting the viability of your business.  

The flexible or coworking workplace is a perfect solution for startups and SME in this scenario, as it provides you with the opportunity to be agile and flexible in terms of space and requirements creating resilience and flexibility for your long terms business success and sustainability.

Let’s delve deeper into the concept of flexible workspaces in Dubai to understand the benefits for your startup or SME organization – 
Lower costs compared to traditional office leases - The biggest advantage for your startup or SME business is the flexibility and cost advantage affordable sharing coworking space offers. You can plan, design and rent flexi deskspace as per your needs and requirements and not worry about long term office lease costs or heavy commercial rent costs to factor into your financial resources.  The affordable coworking spaces are located in prime locations like JLT and gives you the added advantage without heavy investments from your end. 

Savings on utilities, office equipment and maintenance – The advantage of shared business space is that these flexible workplaces have dedicated utility services of internet connectivity, printing facilities, and cleaning staff with 24 hours maintenance available for you removing your hassles of moving in or out without the worries of overhead expenses eating into your business expenses. These are usually factored into your rental costs, and you derive the benefit of cost sharing with all other businesses on the premises.

Access to various office types / spaces – private offices, hotdesks, dedicated deskspaces - Flexible coworking spaces provide you the freedom of planning your office space into areas or designs as most suited to your startup or SME business. You can have separate professional areas for top level employees, creative open spaces for your team or even hotdesks and just dedicated spaces if you have hybrid work plan or travelling / temporary employees. You can plan and forecast your dedicated and flexi deskspace and build your office footprint accordingly.

Professional meeting rooms or event spaces – Another huge benefit of these affordable coworking spaces are they usually are outfitted with state-of-the-art conference rooms and other facilities like cafes, lounges and other common areas to give the benefit of an enhanced corporate identity for your small or SME business which would be unavailable in your personal setup.  You have the option of renting the space as per your requirements without a need for factoring it into your long term costs.

Diverse community of professionals from various industries – These flexible office spaces in Dubai are a huge opportunity for collaboration and networking for entrepreneurs, freelancers or small businesses.  Apart from sharing affordable workspaces you meet and interact with a wide range of professionals from different industries or backgrounds generating mutually beneficial opportunities and partnerships.

Additional services like mail handling, reception and IT support – All your additional business support service expenses are taken care of, whether it be security, maintenance or even professional reception for your reserved desk space. You can streamline your operational costs by renting an affordable dedicated desk space and utilize the benefits with minimal additional costs. 
Inspiring and dynamic work environments – These affordable shared office spaces are designed to improve and inspire creativity and productivity and a positive work culture. Employees and freelancers concur they feel more motivated, professional and productive in their environment in the flexible coworking spaces. The offices are designed and planned to provide your startup or SME with the maximum advantage of shared business space for rent. 

Opportunities for idea exchange and creativity - These 24 hours working spaces not just impact your business in finding talent and retaining employees, they help in creating an environment encouraging creativity and collaboration.  They have informal spaces like gyms, outdoor terraces that help employees meet and spend time with each other and develop a bond of trust and work culture encouraging and promoting relationships which eventually lead to better employee wellbeing. 

Finally, coworking spaces which were once considered an option for just startups and SMEs are slowly being an ideal option for bigger corporations as well. It is a trend which has become a norm in today’s changing corporate scenario. As a startup or SME it is a big decision for a business, and we hope the above pointers will help you make the right decision best suited to your business. You can contact us for more information and our experienced staff will help you with your specific needs.