City centre versus business centre: where should your office be based?

The buzz of downtown versus the calmer pace of a business district. Having some distance between the locations where you work and rest versus the convenience of a ten-minute walk for your commute. An array of places on your doorstep to go for a drink after a long working day versus popping to your local, where everybody knows your name…

When choosing where to set up their base, businesses are often torn between a city centre location, or a business district that sits apart from the hubbub of downtown.

So, which is best?

We don’t like to sit on the fence, but it really does depend on what your business needs are, what your team members need to do their best work, and what a work-life balance looks like for each of you.

First of all, how do you feel about commuting? Are you among the 40% of professionals who consider it the worst part of their day according to IWG’s Global Workspace Survey? Or the 32% who said a shorter commute matters more to them than having a high-prestige role?

All things considered, commute times are one of the more influential factors in choosing your workspace location. For many, having the option to work in a local business park rather than joining the daily rat race is a no-brainer. It can also help achieve a better work-life balance, particularly if, for you, that means being able to drop your kids off at school or be home early enough to make your favourite exercise class around the corner from your home.

Being in the mix

But what if, for you and your team, a work-life balance is about being in the mix? What if the majority of your friends work in the city centre, and a key part of your social life involves meeting them at the end of a working day to catch up over drinks, or trying out the latest new pop-up restaurant? A suburban workspace location could end up cutting you off from your support network and the things you love to do.

Secondly, what does your business need to thrive? Would being based at a business district away from the city centre mean that you’re able to build your global presence more easily by being closer to the airport? Or do you need to attend evening networking events in the city centre to build your business and, let’s be honest, are you really going to make your way into town for all of them if you’re based an hour away? Before settling on a location, it’s worth keeping tabs on how you spend a typical working month, and where you need to be at each stage of your working day in order to achieve your goals.

Do it for the team

Finally, take a look at your strongest asset – your team. What does each team member need to reach their potential? Is it an inspirational location in a heritage building in the heart of the city – such as Spaces Keizersgracht in Amsterdam . Would they benefit from being based at a regional hub for businesses within the same industry where they can exchange ideas – such as Spaces Schiphol Airport, which has grown into a thriving base for artificial intelligence tech companies, having been developed in partnership with Microsoft Netherlands.

Aside from where your colleagues stand on commuting or their work-life balancing act, the atmosphere of an office is heavily influenced by its local area and other businesses that are based there. We strongly recommend booking tours of both city centre and suburban office spaces to see them for yourself and get a feel for which would best suit your team’s working style.

Although it’s an important decision to make, finding your ideal workspace has never been easier – be it in the city centre or a regional business district. With the sheer range of Spaces locations to choose from, and our team on hand to help, your company’s ideal workspace is out there, simply waiting for you to move in.

Having trouble deciding where to base your business? There’s always a Spaces that will suit your brand