The third in our series of co-working spaces in Canberra looks at Servcorp and their co-working spaces at the Realm in Barton and Nishi in New Acton.
Like it or not your office is not just a workspace, it's also the public face of your company.
When your business has grown beyond the kitchen table and its time to move out of home, you need to think carefully about the message you want to send about the type of business you are.
We visited the Servcorp offices in the Nishi building and came away with the following five things to consider:
1. Location, Location, Location
The Servcorp philosophy is based very much on the idea of the best offices in the best buildings in the best locations. This works very well for companies where proximity to clients is important and the image they need to create is one of professional service provider rather than hip startup.
The Barton Servcorp offices are well placed for those companies doing business in the Parliamentary triangle and the Acton office for companies with clients at ANU or based in Civic. That's not to say they don't do business with clients based elsewhere.
2. Flexibility
We got the impression that flexibility was a real benefit to membership at Servcorp. There's flexibility in terms of facilities including co-working, private offices and different size meeting rooms. And there is also flexibility in terms of services offered from virtual office services, meeting packages and communication packages. It is pretty much a made to measure solution option.
 |
 |
 |
3. Options
Having options can be very useful, especially when your business is at that in between stage where you have more work than you can manage, but you're not quite at the point when you can afford to bring on an admin assistant or commit to a long term rent. Servcorp offers the ability to purchase personal assistant services on a hourly basis, to cover the time you need them so that you can focus on your core business.
4. Networking
You don't necessarily associate Servcorp with the beer and pizza networking events you might find at some other co-working spaces, but Servcorp offers some really good networking events. These events are both internal for members only as well as events where external guests are invited to attend. They provide an excellent opportunity to build relationships and meet potential referrers, customers and partners.
5. Beyond the First Customer
Walking through Servcorp we got the impression that there is an interesting mix of early stage companies, multinationals and small professional firms using the space. This can be a real plus for startup businesses that have moved beyond the proof of concept stage and have landed a few customers.
We often find that once you reach this stage you need to be in an environment where you can mix with more established companies who can both motivate you and challenge you in order help move your business to the next level.
 |
 |
 |
We can't end this article without commenting on the view. From every side the view from the Nishi building is amazing, definitely worth checking out.
For more information on the services offered by Servcorp visit www.servcorp.com.au
About Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre
Lighthouse has a strong track record of supporting entrepreneurs, researchers and inventers on the path from concept to commercialisation. Since July 2008, Lighthouse has worked with over 990 distinct enterprises and provided group and peer based services to over 3400 enterprises and individuals. For over five years Lighthouse has successfully delivered business advice, education, mentorship and networking opportunities to help these businesses commercialise their ideas and grow their companies. Lighthouse also delivers programs such as the ACT Microcredit Program for the ACT Government. Visit www.lighthouseinnovation.com.au for more information.
