There’s still quite no substitute for stepping foot into the office

The debate about whether entrepreneurs need permanent office space has been sparked by a book – Out of Office by Chris Ward – which highlights the merits of using temporary hotspots. The book has caused quite a stir on Twitter.

Alex Duckett, an associate with global property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds, said yesterday: “I believe everyone has a ‘fixed abode’ where they leave office stationery for example, even if this is just an area at home.

“I also don’t think there is a substitute for getting up and physically going to work, whether it be to work from an office or a less permanent location.

“It is difficult to quantify the benefit of what one picks up by moving around and interacting with other people, but how this is off-set against a fixed office and more logical approach to work is debatable.

“I suspect in terms of productivity, the answer is striking a balance. Having a base, yet having the capacity to work from anywhere and ensuring you constantly do so, is crucial.

“I really don’t think there is a substitute for a face-to-face meeting, but only when one is necessary. For example, I think time is often wasted with people travelling to meetings within cities, countries or even across the world when it could be done over the phone.” Alex Hailey, senior surveyor of office agency at CBRE Leeds, said; “For large businesses like CBRE, where we have a high volume of staff and multiple departments, office working is essential in order to effectively interact and work in unity.

“We have recently embraced hot-desking within our new Leeds office and it has led to a much more collaborative way of working.

“While there are clearly financial benefits of working from home for start-ups and smaller businesses, rental terms on offices are so competitive that even very small companies can make that commitment.

“Other factors also come into play such as, where businesses are client-facing, many feel that they need that city presence.”