Prior to the pandemic, conventional business wisdom indicated that productivity and company culture, among many other advantages, were heavily dependent on the corporate office environment. Because of these perceived advantages, companies competed intensely for prime office space in key urban areas.
“We believe that flexible office space is the future of business,” explains Robyn Hunt, General Manager of MAX Serviced Offices. “The pandemic caused chaos during the lockdowns, and led to a lot of people losing jobs, which in turn led to many launching their own entrepreneurial endeavours. Others created successful ‘side hustles’ – personal projects to earn additional money that then took off – while many existing businesses were forced to downscale.
She adds that the company had already identified a shift towards this model even before the pandemic, driven by its sheer convenience, and that Covid-19 appears to have simply accelerated this trend. There are many other benefits too, adds Hunt, noting the multitude of networking opportunities that come with sharing office space with other, like-minded businesses.
“We have had clients from our offices use the apartments – which are only a few minutes apart – for customers or business partners who have travelled to Johannesburg. We have also had people who have relocated take up much longer leases, as it proved easier than house-hunting for them,” she says. “We really do try to make things feel just like home, adding little touches like – when a family moves in – putting the children’s names on the fridge with magnets. We have also been known to assist with everything from picnic baskets to romantic marriage proposals, as we genuinely treat our guests like family.”
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