One of the outlooks for the internet is that it is going to become more local.
And a great way to start a website business is to look more locally for ideas. This business idea taps into this trend.
There are people/businesses that have extra or unused office space and there are people and small enterprises that are looking for low cost office space.
However, the interface between the two is missing and this is where you cash in with this business idea.
This is similar to an apartment sharing or room sharing service except that here we are talking about office sharing.
This idea is a very good candidate for an internet based business, so you might consider
setting up a website
as a first step. You can start with a simple website and add more features as your business grows.
Your website should provide information about the space available and include as many details as possible - address, driving directions, map or a link to map, area/dimensions of the available space, layout, flooring, desks, chairs, facilities available, details of the office space owner and their business, etc.
You could also include other information about local amenities such as restaurants, shopping, medical services and more that are within walking distance from the office space.
Classify the details in multiple ways to make it easier for the space hunter to compare and analyze on the basis of location, cost, facilities, area etc.
Use a data gathering template for obtaining the details about the office space and its owner. This will save you a lot of time and give you a professional appeal.
Make sure you have quality photos of the office spaces too.
Photos of your available office space listings will make the space hunters more comfortable and even help establish your credibility.
Encourage the office owners to share photos of the available space. State the benefits of a picture and offer them a priority place as a bonus, or take the pictures yourself as part of your service if your service area is within traveling distance.
To start this business idea you need to first get a list of people/businesses who are offering to share office space with others.
You might get this information in newspapers and also from the internet (websites of leasing agencies and real estate agents).
However, this is not enough, a lot of people might not be aware of such an option as sharing their office space. Some might not even know that their office could be re-arranged in such a way so as to free up space which could add to their income.
So, the success of your business depends on how well you are able to spread the word around about your service.
Advertise through local newspapers and also through emails/ letters.
Use catchy phrases, and ads targeting space owners like:
"Did you know that your office could earn $$$ for you?" or
"Share your office and add to your bottom line," or
"We need the extra office space that you have!" or
"Are you looking to share your extra office space?"
The ads for space hunters could say:> "Shared offices are the cheapest option" or "Cut down on set-up costs through shared offices" etc.
Offer aid in the initial setup as a bonus to the space seekers. You could offer space optimization services too by teaming up with interior decorators or office designers at various locations.
You could also offer a list of contacts for various services required by them in the initial set up, such as telephone and internet service providers.
You would in turn provide this in partnership with local service providers (maybe charge them a small commission or just use them as channels to getting information about offices which have/are selling extra space).
Charge your fee/commission only to the space owners.
This could be calculated as a percentage of the first month's rent.
This would make your service even more attractive to business owners since they would not have to pay out any money until the space was rented and they were receiving income.
