Tips for Booking the Right Workspace for Your Business

Finding the perfect workspace in Melbourne can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. With options scattered across the CBD, inner suburbs, and outer hubs, how do you know which space will genuinely support your business to flourish?

Whether you’re a startup hunting for your first office, an established business ready to expand, or a remote team seeking a professional home base, choosing the right workspace goes far beyond finding four walls and a desk. It’s about discovering an environment that fosters productivity, impresses clients, and genuinely excites your team about coming to work each day. But where do you start traditional or coworking?

Traditional office set ups vs coworking spaces

In order to know the specific factors to consider, it’s important to understand how coworking spaces have changed the game when it comes to finding a workspace for your business. In the past decade, they have become a leading option when it comes to setting up your business as an entrepreneur, innovator, or small business owner, so let’s see why.

Traditional office set ups

Traditional offices have been around for centuries. What started as purpose-built spaces designed for large organisations eventually became the standard for businesses of all sizes seeking a dedicated workspace. However, this model came with significant drawbacks: long-term lease commitments, substantial upfront costs, and the burden of managing everything from internet connections to cleaning services independently.

In a traditional office, owners sign lengthy contracts that usually last around 3-5 years and often with that time commitment, they’re stuck either paying for too much or not enough space. Most business owners in traditional offices, especially those running small or medium enterprises, find themselves trying to manage facilities and handle growth on top of running their actual business, which can be quite overwhelming. While these offices benefit larger businesses in the grand scheme of things, those who are smaller or just starting out need more flexibility and expansion opportunities, which is why coworking grew to meet this demand.

Coworking spaces

Coworking spaces flip this model on its head. Instead of signing a multiple year lease and fitting out an empty shell, you’re moving into a ready-to-go professional environment with flexibility built in. Not only is all the furniture there for you, you get access to professional meeting rooms when you need them, kitchen facilities without the maintenance headaches, and reception services without hiring reception staff.

With month-to-month contracts, the flexibility in coworking is genuinely liberating. As your team grows, you can scale up your space without breaking a lease or coordinating a costly relocation. If you need to pivot or adjust your operations, you’re not trapped in an oversized office paying for empty desks. And perhaps most importantly, you can focus your time and energy on building your business rather than managing office logistics.

There’s also something valuable about the community aspect. Rather than only being around your company, in a coworking space, you are surrounded by other businesses, from startups to established companies. This creates opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and genuine business connections that simply don’t happen in isolated traditional offices.
Now, let’s look a little more into the specific factors that matter when choosing and booking in the right workspace for your business.

Top tips for booking the right space

1. Pick a location that aligns with your business

While the location of where you work might seem obvious, it’s about much more than simply being close to the city centre. The right location needs to work for your team, your clients, and the daily rhythms of running a business. A place that’s near public transportation, has good restaurants nearby for team and client lunches, as well as good parking ,are all practical details that directly impact whether your staff arrive energised or already exhausted for the day.

When it comes to clients and customers, it’s important that the location you’re in sends a message about who your business is and how professional you are before they meet you. Having a central-based address they can come to, is a great place to start. If you’re targeting people in Melbourne, choosing an office in Bendigo or Ballarat will put you a bit too far from the action. Considering Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, such as Box Hill, strike an excellent balance between convenience and professionalism. You’re close enough to the CBD for ease, but with less congestion. Box Hill has a vibrant local business community that’s welcoming and close to transportation, making it simple for employees, clients, and customers to get to.

2. Find a space where design matters

The way your workspace looks and feels directly influences how your team works, collaborates, and feels throughout the day. Grey cubicles, uncomfortable chairs, and fluorescent lights in traditional offices are out and they aren’t going to cut it these days. Instead, a thoughtfully designed workspace that has windows with bright, natural sunlight and ergonomic furniture that’s built to sustain good posture and comfort, will boost mood and productivity more than ever. With room to move around in kitchens, meeting spaces, and lounges, it gives employees moments throughout their work day to take proper breaks and reset to get more done. If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur viewing potential spaces to move into, pay attention to how you feel in them. Would it open opportunities for growth? Would it be comfortable for your team? Is the space good for client meetings? If a workspace feels good to you, chances are your team will feel the same way too.

3. Decide if unfurnished vs furnished is better for you

Another aspect to think about is unfurnished vs furnished. If you go with a traditional office set-up, you’ll get an unfurnished space where you can customise everything to match your brand perfectly. However, this comes with higher initial costs, longer setup times, and the stress of managing a fit-out project whilst trying to run your business. Coworking spaces, in contrast, offer furnished spaces that come move-in ready with desks, chairs, and all the technology infrastructure you need. While it’s not personally branded, you can start working the day you move in and not worry about any of the maintenance. For startups and growing businesses, this hassle-free approach makes a lot of sense for convenience and flexibility.

4. Consider the amenities you need

The best workspaces provide more than just an office space, they offer facilities and amenities that support your daily operations. Here are some of the top amenities to look for in a coworking space:

• Professional meeting rooms: For client presentations and team discussions
• Reception services: Someone who greets you and your clients professionally and handles deliveries
• Kitchen and break areas: Proper space to recharge and connect with colleagues
• High-speed internet: Fast connectivity and reliability that won’t let you down during video calls or when uploading large files
• On-site printing and office equipment: Saves you from maintaining your own machines
• Secure access: Gives you peace of mind that your space and equipment are protected overnight
• Easy and affordable parking: Nearby parking for both you and your clients that can make all the difference between a smooth business day and a frustrating one

At the end of the day, amenities are practical necessities that keep your business running professionally and efficiently from the start. So it’s important to book your business in with a coworking space that truly values this and makes it a priority.

5. Costs

It costs a lot to run a business, that’s why so many fail. Beyond the base rent in a traditional office, you need to factor in utilities, maintenance, furniture, and the list goes on. However, with a coworking space, it’s all-inclusive pricing where utilities, internet, cleaning, and facilities are bundled into one monthly fee. This approach makes budgeting much simpler and eliminates surprise expenses that can blow out your overhead costs. When comparing different coworking spaces, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples because the cheapest base rent might end up being more expensive once you add all the extras. Overall, it’s important you understand all your workspace costs upfront because it will help you budget accurately and avoid nasty surprises down the track.

6. Wellness

Your workspace should energise your team, not drain them. Supporting health, wellness, and overall wellbeing improves individual and team productivity, morale, and retention. In fact, breakout spaces where people can step away from their desks aren’t wasted space and kitchen facilities with access to healthy food and drinks aren’t a distraction, they help to support better habits and improved health. Fitness centres, workout classes, and local parks within walking distance contribute to your team’s daily dose of movement and physical health. When your workspace actively supports wellbeing, you’ll see the benefits in reduced sick days and better work output.

7. Management

As a business owner, the relationship with your workspace management can genuinely make or break your experience, so it’s important they aren’t a burden. Management is not just about collecting rent, they are also partners in your business success. When something breaks or you need assistance with the space, you want to be with management who addresses things quickly, is easy to reach, and transparent about policies. Management that’s on top of things and responsive to your needs matters enormously when considering a coworking space.

8. Growth plans

The last thing to look out for is a place that allows for growth. It would be shameful to find the perfect space, settle in, then need to relocate again in twelve months because you’ve hired more people. When you’re looking at workspaces, ask about flexible lease terms.

• Can you easily expand into additional space as your team grows?
• Are there different-sized offices or suites available in the same building?
• What about temporary solutions when you need extra meeting space for a big project?

The right workspace should make expansion straightforward, not complicated. Growing your business is exciting enough without the added stress of finding and moving to a new location every time you hire a few more people. The good thing is expanding and changing month-to-month is what coworking spaces do best.

Where in Melbourne is best to set up your business?

When it comes to ticking all these boxes in a workspace, Box Hill has emerged as one of Melbourne’s smartest business locations. This vibrant eastern suburb is strategically positioned just 14km from Melbourne’s CBD, so you’ll get the professional credibility of being close to the city without the congestion, parking nightmares, and premium price tags that come with CBD locations. You’re also getting better value without sacrificing professionalism or amenities.

Additionally, the local business community is thriving, with a mix of established companies and innovative startups creating a dynamic atmosphere. The food scene is exceptional whether you need a quick Chinese lunch spot for takeaway or somewhere impressive to take clients, you’re spoilt for choice. Plus, there are heaps of parks for lunchtime walks and cafes that may just become your regular spots.

Set up your business in Box Hill today

At Work East, we’ve designed our Box Hill coworking space with all these considerations in mind. So, if you’re ready to find a workspace that supports your business ambitions, come and discover why more businesses are choosing Box Hill as their base.

Contact Work East today and let’s discuss how we can support your business success.