The Winning Workspaces Q&A column provides clarity and insight into the vast array of office and workplace alternatives that are available today which cater to a variety of lifestyle-driven needs of the business professional.
How do hot-desks compare, price-wise, to virtual offices?
Hot-Desk offerings are usually priced a little higher than Virtual Office plans, but they’re still a lot less expensive than renting a full-time BC office – Check with your local Hot-Desk and Virtual Office providers.
Remember – you get what you pay for, so just because one provider may charge less it doesn’t mean you’re going to get the same value or equal service for your apparent bargain. If you can, speak to plan members at the location, or check-on-line on any available blogs that can give you a sense of the true service and value at any workspace you’re considering.
Some Hot-desk plans, just like some Virtual Office plans, may include:
- An hourly or daily personal usage component as part of the plan’s bundled packaging, for those that require occasional enclosed office privacy;
- Discounted rates offered and charged on a per-usage, a-la-carte basis for private hourly or daily office usage;
- Discounts for longer term commitments;
- Referral rewards programs that translate into free usage periods; and
- Incentives for transferring or graduating to a higher usage plan and commitment within the Operation, typically to a full-time private office if it’s at a Business Center.
Ray Lindenberg is a 20-year workspace industry leader, historian and consultant. He is Director of Branding and Marketing at Select Office Suites and can be reached at ray@winningworkspaces.org or at (888) 692-7353, ext. 2.
Winning Workspaces Q&A © 2012 • All rights reserved
I had never heard about this Hot-desk office before. This post gives good information about them but I am still confused about how these Hot-desk can be better than virtual offices. As you have mentioned, Hot-desk offerings are priced higher than the virtual office than what is the benefit of hiring Hot-desk instead of virtual office?
For the most part, a Virtual Office Plan is designed for the businessperson who needs a private workspace for a set, scheduled period of time (from a few hours to full-days). The sum of those hourly or daily bookings can really add up if they are substantial. The key advantage and appeal of the Virtual Office booking is that the VO Plan Member gets an office with uninterrupted privacy for a fee.
On the other hand, a Hot-desk plan is basically a Touchdown space, or what I call an internet-ready plop-down space where the Member has the freedom and flexibility to come in at any time of the day, and as often as they like during the month that the Operator is open or allows, and work as many hours as they like, but in a non-private, open team-room setting alongside other Hot-deskers.
So technically, let’s say the hours of Operation and accessibility of the Hot-desk space is 10 hours per day, 5 days per week, and it’s one of those occasional months that overlap into 5 work-weeks…that’s 250 hours of usage that the Hot-desker can use the space for their, let’s say $300-$500 a month Hot-desk Plan fee.
On the other hand, the Virtual Office Plan could turn out to be less expensive if the Member uses the space sparingly (or not at all and only uses it as a mail and address program, with maybe just rare hourly usage at somewhere between $20-$50 per hour usage charge). The cost of the VO plan depends on the amount of usage hours and rate, although some VO plans also include a private hourly usage allotment as part of the monthly fee. Due diligence and arithmentic are required to assess the best VO deals, dollar-for-dollar.
Conversely, the Virtual Office Plan could wind up being more expensive if the Member books private space frequently. And not only is the VO Member charged for the hourly usage, but in many instances, depending on the Operator/provider, there may also be a monthly, and sometimes a yearly fee involved for Virtual Office Plan membership.
The key distinction is that Hot-desks tend to be offered in large, open, non-private team rooms or conference rooms at Business Centers where the is no (or little) privacy offered — and that’s fine for many Mobile, telecommuters on the go to pop in, plop down and get down to work.
Virtual Office plan members, however, have the ability to, in most instances, rent private hourly or daily offices, and depending on how frequent, could wind up costing more, or less, of a monthly expense. But to VO Members, the added cost of privacy and/or ability to meet clients and guests freely when they book their space, is of greater value.
They are both great options and Winning Workspace alternatives for today’s mobility-demanding work generations. It’s a matter of which plan fits one’s work demands, lifestyle needs, and budget.
I hadn’t heard of hot desks either, having read the comment from Ray I now understand what one is (thanks for that). Of course hot desks are going to cost more than a virtual office set up as I suppose you do get more for your money (access to office space..). It has really got to depend on the individuals needs, if you can cope without needing the space then go for the standard virtual office set up – if you need space every now and again and can justify the extra cost then obviously go for the hot desk. Both are great services!
Mel.