through the various experience we have gathered in our careers to date are a great advantage for us, each of us has his own strengths and specialist area. This of course also means that sometimes our ideas for the future of the business differ, requiring discussions and compromise.
And how do you make decisions on the strategic direction of the business in such situations?
The most important decisions are made in our regular Friday evening meetings, which often go on until 4.00 am. We start with a game of table football – tradition is that the loser pays for dinner. Decisions are made on an analytical basis and if necessary, we consult with friends of the company, who are all successful entrepreneurs.
Sammy Koch
What motivated you all to launch your own business? Over the years it often occurred to us that the promising market for serviced offices and flexible working space was entirely neglected by agents, and that there was significant potential for providing advice in this market. We really believe in the potential for growth in this market and that we offer an excellent alternative service to our clients.
How are you aiming for your service to differ from the existing brokers in the UK? We believe that the high level of service we seek to offer is heavily dependent on our support for our staff. Interacting considerately with one another and involving staff in decision-making are important to us. All members of staff see themselves as part of the whole company and thus play an active role in the company’s success. Our employ- ees are our driving force, which is why we seek to make them feel properly appreciated.
Serviced offices typically have a fast turnaround of occupants, this can sometimes be due to business failure… can office pro- viders do more to support fledgling businesses? There are a number of serviced office operators who provide extra services to their tenants, such as business networks. Many are start- ing to offer open plan office solutions to give tenants the opportunity to mix and network amongst themselves. This provides a support network which is certainly beneficial for many tenants.
Why have virtual offices become so popular? Virtual offices offer a cost effective solution for start-ups which need a representative business address in a specific area, but don’t nec- essarily need actual office space. Professional telephone answering services are an added bonus ensuring that no customer enquiries go unanswered.
What are the challenges of working in a partnership? What ad- vantages and disadvantages are there?
One of the biggest challenges is not being influenced by external fac- tors and not losing sight of your overall goal. The synergies created
68 • ENTREPRENEUR •
What do you all like to do to unwind after a busy day? Thomas: I go jogging in the forest, and then usually end up making a pit stop at the nearest ice-cream parlour. Wais: I like to beat my daughter at FIFA on the PlayStation (I probably shouldn’t tell you that she is only 3 years old!). Sammy: I’m always on the lookout for the newest gadgets, which I’m sure I would have invented if I’d had the idea first!
How do you maintain a work/life balance? We have flexible working hours which allow us to take care of family related issues and work in the evenings or weekends. It’s an import- ant part of our business model which we obviously extend to our employees.
Do serviced offices help business owners enjoy a better work/ life balance? Yes, in the respect that they take away a large part of the stress of starting your own business and enable financial planning with monthly fixed rates.
What are your top three favourite business gadgets? 1. Noise cancelling headphones from Bose. 2. Height-adjustable desks. 3. A coffee machine we control with an iPhone app.
Which entrepreneurs do you admire and why? Wais: Richard Branson for his vision and fearlessness in starting up new ventures. Sammy: Elon Musk for his technological developments and environ- ment-friendly approach. Thomas: Wolfgang Grupp (Trigema) for his loyalty to his company and fair and social policies for his employees.
What new markets are you planning to enter? We plan to open offices in London, Paris and New York in the near future. In 2016, we would like to expand our service to be advising customers and finding serviced offices for them in 50 countries. For us, it is about healthy growth and promoting the professional service that AllOfficecenters offers.
If you could summarise your business philosophy in one sen- tence what would it be? “Treat employees like they make a difference and they will!”
You will find AllOfficecenters in the UK among other places:
www.allofficecentres.co.uk
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