In short. If you are paying for ever more desks and rooms, need privacy, want your own brand and can commit to a lease, a fitted office is probably the next step. If headcount is still very uncertain, wait.
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Coworking is a good way to start. It is flexible, quick to set up and needs no long commitment. At some point, for many teams, it stops being the best fit. Here are the signs we see most often in teams of 10 to 40 people.
1. You are paying for more and more desks and rooms
Coworking is usually priced by the desk, the room or the membership. As you grow, the bill grows with each person. Add a few private offices and extra meeting-room time, and the total can approach what a small office would cost. Here is how to compare the two on cost.
2. Meeting rooms are always booked
If you are queuing for rooms, or taking client meetings in corners, the shared model is working against you. A team of 20 or more usually wants its own meeting rooms available whenever needed.
3. You need privacy
Client calls, hiring conversations, legal and financial work all need doors that close. Open shared areas make this harder.
4. You want a space that looks like yours
Your brand on the wall, your layout, your culture. Clients and candidates notice the difference between a membership desk and an office that clearly belongs to your company.
5. Your team has outgrown one corner of the floor
When your people are spread over several rooms, or squeezed into a cluster of desks, working together gets harder. One floor or unit for the whole team keeps people in the same place.
6. You want more control over IT and security
A private space lets you set up your own network, storage and access, which some clients and regulators expect.
7. You can commit to a lease
This is the sign that decides the rest. A fitted office means a lease, typically two or three years, plus a deposit. If you can forecast headcount with reasonable confidence over that period, you are ready. Lease terms are explained here.
When to wait
If your headcount could halve or double in the next six months, or funding is uncertain, flexibility is worth paying for. Stay in coworking until the picture is clearer.
Next step
If several of these ring true, look at what a move would involve. Here is a 90-day plan for moving from coworking to your own office, and Ready Office lists fitted spaces designed for exactly this step.
