Apr 14 No Comments

Serviced Offices in Dubai: The Dynamics of Office Setup

Author: Kate

Categories: Uncategorized

Setting up a business in an unknown place is a high-risk challenge for any entrepreneur. But if that place is Dubai, without a doubt, it is also a great break due to its extraordinary performance as an investment center. Still, when the situation is closely analyzed, many support mechanisms have been developed in the country for foreign investors to succeed. Business centers are an important part of these mechanisms, where you can also find serviced offices in Dubai.

In this article, concerning those mechanisms, we will talk about serviced offices in Dubai and the formation of new companies in the emirate. Let us see the following subjects:

The formation of new companies in Dubai
What exactly are serviced offices?
What are the keys to finding the best-serviced office?
How can we help you find the greatest serviced offices in Dubai?

1. The Formation of New Companies in Dubai

Dubai is one of the most thriving business spaces thanks to its suitable commercial and financial policies. It even takes advantage of its geographical position between the western and the eastern hemispheres. With such a liberal business environment, investors are reaching many successes by taking advantage of the platform provided by the Emirate. Those triumphs are even abroad from the territory of Dubai as headquarters.

However, although Dubai has extraordinary legislation to facilitate investments, there are still many legal procedures that investors must attend. So there are problems that require solutions. For this reason, there are many business centers in Dubai for providing services to other firms.

Thus, among those services are who support the inception of new firms in Emirati land. In particular, are the so-called Public Relations Officer services (PRO services), whose personnel is very familiar with the environment of the Emirate and has contacts at all private and public levels.

Due to that, these Officers help resolve any obstacles with the legal and administrative framework that faces any foreign investor. Thus, the Public Relations Officers will personally attend to what appears as strange contingencies for foreign investors clueless about the region.

1.1 Business centers offer serviced offices

As with PRO services, many business centers in Dubai provide entrepreneurs with state-of-the-art workspaces in prime locations to attract customers and business partners.

Of course, this industry is part of the mechanisms that in Dubai support the success of many foreign investors. These offices are very affordable spaces with all the services required so that foreigners (or natives if that is the case) can establish physical offices and start working in a short time.

Like any authentical serviced office, these places must have professional-level equipment and services. Finding a serviced office space in the right location offers expert visibility and access to diverse business networks.

Frequently, the contacts to settle a firm in Dubai start remotely. The main is done online from the country of origin without one person moving from its place. Thus, countless preliminary procedures pass from afar. Later, everything progresses with intense activities in the business center where on-site PR officers are in charge. With this dynamic, in a few days and before the arrival of the foreign investor to the UAE, most main things are ready.

1.2 Face-to-face interaction in the business center

In Dubai, foreign investors work directly with the business center staff. Usually, the preferred approach is addressing the needs as clients manifest them. Often, the first issue is the setting up of the new company considering the necessary legal and administrative aspects. Subsequently, detailed questions on the firm operation raise: whether or not it requires employees, their contracts, their legalization if they are foreigners, questions on residences, and the like.

Even the most particular personal problems, those of the daily life of the investors and their families, are touched. For instance, Public Relations Officers attend concerns about schools, training places, recreation areas, acceptable and impermissible modes of behavior, and the like.

Given that, other issues are posted immediately, including the election of the place where the firm will install. In Dubai, this is a very relevant issue because it is different to settle in the Mainland than in a free zone (there are also offshore companies, but in this analysis, we will leave them aside since they do not require -in fact, they are not allowed- to have physic headquarters in the Emirates).

The point now is what activities the company will perform and the licenses required. This entire field of decisions works smoothly with the support of the PRs Officers, who must find the solutions to these issues using all their skills, experience, and contacts.

2. What Exactly are Serviced Offices?

Now we can move on to the core of this article: how a supposed only real estate dynamics to get offices, intervene in a rapid and successful setup of a new company. Firstly, we must be aware that not everything is arriving, buying, and settling in the most luxurious building in Dubai. On the contrary, the vast majority of foreign investors know that the best decision is to seek the support of a business center. Then, they can provide access to high-quality rental offices with all services, meaning significant savings for the new investor.

Similarly, do not think that only small business owners use these services. The cooperative qualities of these office setups are also coveted by corporations keen not only to reduce their overhead but also to establish a working model that is both remote and collaborative.

Indeed, this offer of workstations is not at all conventional. They are places that provide offices and services to companies that wish to take advantage of the flexibility of a new organizational scheme at a low cost. We will delve into that topic below.

There has been a fast evolution of the industry of serviced offices in Dubai. Although Emirates did not create the concept, the implementation there has been the most relevant. Also, consider that the term serviced office is today considered old-fashioned. Nowadays, it is more common to call it a flexible office or cooperation space.

2.1 Why prefer a serviced office over a conventional space?

A serviced office at Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), for example, is an actual physical space rented full-time or part-time. You have to consider it as a thorough headquarters, a place to do all the core tasks of the new company. In a serviced office in Dubai, the work is done even at a higher level through technology and remote work. It must be an affordable space, furnished and equipped, available even if is requested with very little notice.

Subsequent decisions will depend more on your work philosophy. Hence, you agree whether you want a lot or little interaction with other tenants, whether you prefer an executive office or a hot desk if you will require the latest technologies for telecommunication, and other similar concerns.

Based on the above, it decides the size of the space, its layout, the existence or not of private offices, the specific equipment, the level of interactions, the meeting spaces or co-working rooms, and the like. A serviced office at JLT, for example, can change its setting whenever a tenant wants.

Simultaneously, it chooses the specific place in the city where you want to install it. The business center may have rentable offices at its headquarters or partner with other providers elsewhere in the Emirate. It is a relevant decision because being in the UAE is for gaining high exposure and visibility. Perhaps in other countries, the priority could be to find a quiet town to settle employees willing to escape the noise. But the decision was to set up the company in Dubai to make it visible. Definitively, it must know that the new company is there.

2.2 Serviced offices deliver services

In short, serviced office spaces are better and cheaper than renting or buying traditional space. Thus, you can arrive and start without worrying about any move, preparation of rooms, or installation of technology equipment.

However, you need to make sure that your serviced office in JLT, or another spot in Dubai, can at least offer a highly professional business environment, top-of-the-line in-house facilities, a reputable physical address, an ambiance for collaborative behavior, charges only for the actual use of the services, and an immediate availability with utilities already existing. These are minimal requirements to demand. Below, we provide you with a list more comprehensive to evaluate a site.

Of course, the most important thing is access to new contacts and collaborators and the promotion of new relationships with enterprising people. With such a deal, it is clear that this is not a traditional rental of a conventional office. It is an opportunity to start correctly, in the right location, fully equipped, controlling expenses, and without invisible and unrealistic costs.

3. What are the Keys to Finding the Best Serviced Office?

At this point, it is time to start making your checklist and plan some visits to take a closer look at the serviced office spaces offerings in Dubai. Appreciate that finding your ideal site is a task of the utmost importance. It is an excellent time to show your willingness to succeed, even if driving everything from zero.

First of all, assess how the business center manager treats people. It is a good indicator of the treatment you will receive during any eventual inconvenience. Then, remember that you are looking for these features:

Starting capital almost zero
Promising business address
Ready to start
Innovative workspaces with personality
Creative environment, with spaces for working relationships
Spaces for reception, rooms for meetings, and rest
Availability of offices of various sizes
Office equipment under your control
Technologies out of the box, up-to-date, fast, reliable, with full connectivity
Supportive staff all the time, and you only pay if you use them.
With security, reception, cleaning, and maintenance staff

Those positive elements allow us to build a contrasting quasi-mirror image with the features to avoid. Forget anywhere with:

Lack of Personality
Difficult or unsafe access
An external environment that unpleasant for customers
No receptionists
Not enough light, no windows, no fresh air in or around
Only one type of people and industries, which can spoil creativity
Unfriendly, moody, unpleasant people.
gloomy, uncooperative people
No comforts for a good rest
Congested spaces with objects and people
A too-loud ambiance
No cleaning
A manager who is too hierarchical and distant
Administrators who do not accept suggestions or changes are rigid in their points of view

4. How Can We Help You Find the Greatest Serviced Offices in Dubai?

Now that you have a better idea regarding serviced offices in Dubai, it is time to move toward your dreams. You can get an affordable office without even being in the UAE, as we can act as your remote assistant, immediately.

At Connect Business Centers, we offer you quick access to many inspiring, collaborative, and flexible offices designed to help you thrive in your new firm. Talk to us and get our company on your side. We can help you find the best supplier using our office database, the best in the UAE.

Apr 14 No Comments

Digital Offices: The Office Setup Transformation

Author: Kate

Categories: Business Center,Office Space

The COVID pandemic has served to test many ways of arranging remote work in the business world. Digital offices reached an impact never seen before. The question now is how to get the workforce back to regular sites. However, these offices seem obliged to change utterly.

In this article, we will address the new meaning of digital offices. We will discuss:

To what degree has the pandemic affected the workplace?
Benefits of digitally equipped offices
What are the features of digitally functioning offices?
What are the promises and problems of the new digital workplaces?
How can you set up a new digital workplace?
What to consider when setting up a digital workplace?
How can we help you set up a revamped digital office?

1. To What Degree Has the Pandemic Affected the Workplace?

It is assumed that the pandemic that changed the workplace will continue to do so. However, changes in workspaces and digital offices have been around since before the pandemic. Hence, the main topic is to know how this post-pandemic office is emerging and how it should be.

1.1 How is work changing?

Many workers do not want to return to a regular office. Until now, it used to go to the office day after day because that is what people supposedly do when working. But now it is more and more thought that going to the office should be only for meetings.

In effect, regular offices now are conceived as places for teamwork. Therefore, they should have shared desks, rooms for dialogue, and technology for talks with colleagues in different locations. It is about using the office to learn, spend face-to-face time, and rekindle the culture lost by working remotely.

In the meantime, remote work continues to spread and is almost the new normality. So, many companies are now making crucial decisions. They need to combine distance with talent strategy, cost reduction, and business risk.

1.2 The end of the traditional digital office

Thus, a new workplace seems ready to replace regular offices and even today’s digital offices. There are three areas for addressing: digital, physical, and human features.

The changes are already very varied and profound.

Some of those remotely employed now want to work distantly forever.
Joint spaces will need revamping, particularly emphasizing remote talent strategic management.
Coworking spaces will never be the same again, as shared desks are seen sideways, like other group facilities.

Many of these are just speeding up managerial and real estate trends that existed in lethargy long before the pandemic. In the end, digital change will enable a set of people and technical assets to work together to expand skills, preset tasks, abridge work, and boost accords.

2. Benefits of Digitally Equipped Offices

It is necessary to point out the contrast between a digitally equipped workspace with a digitally functioning workplace. The first focuses only on the needed technologies. The second is a larger strategy to provide a digital setting where everyone can team up and ably complete their tasks.

2.1 Improving the equipment of the present digital office

Not surprisingly, technology providers are happy to promote their products as complete solutions for the present digital offices.

An alliance of providers of digital offices in Dubai and Sharjah defined some elements as necessary to consider a workspace as digitally well-equipped: virtual desktops, collaboration tools, secure endpoints, virtual applications, print management, and general security.

A digital office is a great spot where data is stored and organized electronically and is easily retrievable. However, some people doubt that the correct output only comes from simply moving to a digitally equipped office.

2.2 Other advantages of a digital, well-equipped office

The successes of a digitally well-equipped office are:

2.2.1 Exploit output by reducing search time

Firms often do not realize the time spent searching for documents. Digital storing allows quick and easy retrieving of records.

2.2.2 Easy storing

Firms that do not have enough physical space tend to store vital files in the wrong spots. Digital location is a better solution to save records securely and fast.

2.2.3 Convenience

Digital site means no more walking through physical file rooms looking for a document. Digital record-keeping can give only lawful users easy and instant access.

2.2.4 Better customer service

Digital keeping gives easy access to all customer data. It equips the offices to respond more quickly and actively.

2.2.5 Security

Paper forms can fall into the wrong hands. Digital files are better on secure servers that only lawful users can access.

Those gains taste little if we talk about a change in the paradigm. Further, no single product or service delivers a fully digital workplace. Firms need tools and methods tied together by a solid strategy.

3. What are the Features of Digital Functioning Offices?

As said above, the meaning of the digital office has suffered a change during the recent worldwide health crisis. This forced learning has allowed it to discern that it is not just about the equipment.

3.1 Digitalization for unlocking human potential

The term digital evokes many unlike things: technology, new business models, and new working schemes. In this context, digital means the ability to apply technology to humanize the working place. Indeed, the core is the link between humans giving people access to data, products, and services that meet their needs.

When we focus only on technology, we forget the ends. Being digital requires reshaping structures, ways, methods, and decision-making. Thus, we will keep up with the changes.

In addition, this challenge is for many types of entities. Being located in the UAE, two examples concern us nearly. Firstly, the Sharjah Digital Office is delivering smart apps to enable its clients to access all its services remotely, at any time.

Secondly, there are demands for in-deep changes in digital offices offered by business centers to address this new context. It could mean going even further than the real estate deals, making, for instance, a complete fusion with PRO services tools.

3.2 A redefined digital workplace

No one knows for sure what the office will be like in the years to come. It could be the gradual (and often hybrid) return that we are living. But almost everyone agrees that only technology decisions do not bind success.

Some now define the digital workplace as a business strategy that builds the work setting and drives the workforce. It is a device to apply technology for improving business skills. Others are more succinct in defining it and affirm that it is a connected, secure work setting, independent of place and time.

In short, a new digital office is not a connected form of the old office. Creating new digital workplaces means much more than lets remote work through VPNs, access controls, and cloud-based applications.

Firms must adopt a joined approach that permits even new digital coworkers (artificial intelligence, robotic processes, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the like) and a workplace culture fostering engaged and empowered workers.

4. What are the Promises and Problems of the New Digital Workplaces?

With the new cohort of digital offices, certain goals are possible. All of them meet with better business performance. These are:

Explore more options to deal flexibly with new business chances or unplanned business breaks
Empower employees to work wherever they can by offering improved collaboration and multitasking features
Attract talent who values work-life balance and a remote work model.
Reduce overhead installing elements to minimize travel, renting, and furniture costs
Improve clearness by pushing more of the workflow into the digital space. It provides more insight into daily tasks, helping to find triumphs and chances for progress.
Increase incomes thanks to merging diverse cost-saving factors. Digital models supply more agility to hasten business odds

But there are also challenges to address:

They need reliable Internet linking at any time, usually worldwide and with human and non-human partners
Any digital setting is vulnerable to cyber-attacks and other threats. Unlike standard models, where assets are more isolated from external forces, valuable data can become the target of hackers and other nasty actors
They require starting funds and regular costs, including setup, training, upgrades, and the like

5. How Can You Set up a New Digital Workplace?

Where can we start to unlock the human potential that will drive digital change? It depends on the level of digital maturity of your organization.

Digital maturation is a flexible and endless process. It means lining up the culture, structure, and tasks to compete soundly. All the organizational elements must work together over time, in a consistent manner, in highly volatile markets. It is a challenge for managers at the helm of their firms.

Digital offices in the UAE are excellent spots for studying these events. Recently, we could see the transition from today’s well-equipped digital offices to the new digitally functioning offices in Dubai and Sharjah, locations quite mature in offering the best digital services.

5.1 What are the components of a new digital workplace model?

Briefly, new digital workplace models must include this set of vital gears:

5.1.1 Communication

It is critical to the success of any digital workplace. It is to interact and work together in real-time from one or multiple locations. Regular programs could include instant messaging platforms and virtual meeting apps. This component must also add asynchronous methods.

5.1.2 Protection

While it is convenient to do so, critical programs and workflows to online platforms can expose the firm to potential cyber threats. A digital workplace must stay protected from any raid.

5.1.3 Repository

Whether on-site on physical servers or uploaded to the cloud, having enough room to handle foreseen or sudden workloads is a priority.

5.1.4 Analytics

Saving and carrying large amounts of data is a critical function. It must exist as an efficient mainstay to increase agility and enhance innovation.

5.1.5 Managing

A digital work ambiance demands tracking every project chiefly when implying working remotely. Doing so will require watching the progress from start to finish, working together through a single interface, and process management to identify failures and solve them strategically.

6. What to Consider When Setting up a Digital Workplace?

First, forget about the physical office. Do not try a direct conversion to the digital situation. Choose flexible and easy-to-integrate technologies for guiding processes and tools.

User skills also matter. The worker must come first, and IT units must consider how employees work, behave, and use technologies to be fruitful. An aspect of the digital workplace is supporting continual change, not only in technology but also in processes and skills growth.

Said that there are to attend several essential aspects of the new digital workplace. For instance:

Automate work actions using an efficient software
An intelligent, decentralized work setting that reduces troubles by proactively and wisely planning the resources needed for crucial tasks
Secure linking for people, non-human digital workers, and corporate resources anytime, anywhere, and from any device
Tools that enable a joint workplace (able to enter non-human digital workers, as well as business partners, customers, and similar)
Strong security that does not hinder productivity or diminish the experience
Human resources and administrative solutions self-aware and self-service
Intelligent, agile, and flexible learning systems that allow new skills and constant learning
Joined workplace detection systems that optimize and brand the employee experience, improving productivity and safety
Knowledge insights that connect experts with relevant content across units and business processes

All those features plus human action show the difference between only being digitally well-equipped and being digitally functioning.

7. How Can We Help You Set up a Revamped Digital Office?

Digital office setup is already the present and the future. Many companies are familiar with the new online modality and are acting in consequence. In that sense, we hope you have learned many relevant insights from this guide and invite you to set up your digital office soon.

Dubai is a great city with many chances for investors. It is the correct place to expand your business all over the world. At the same time, Connect Business Centers connects you with the best business centers in the Emirates.

Digital or virtual offices, modern coworking rooms, and all the options you need. You can find a variety of offices for you to choose from in our business center database, the largest in the UAE.

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Day: <span>April 14, 2022</span>