A Comprehensive Guide to Coworking Solutions for Entrepreneurs in Singapore

Many entrepreneurs come to Singapore to start their businesses due to the abundant talent and investment opportunities, as well as the ease of incorporating a business here. When it comes to office solutions, we often hear entrepreneurs say, “We decided to go with coworking spaces over traditional offices, but we're not sure which coworking solution works best.” With so many questions around the range of options that coworking spaces offer, we wanted to cover them all and help you find the ideal office solution. Here are the types of coworking solutions you can rent:

Private Office

Private offices provide an enclosed room in a coworking location that includes 24/7 access, internet connection, furniture, cleaning and maintenance services, and a business address. While this option usually comes at a higher cost per person compared to hot desks, dedicated desks, or virtual offices, it offers the convenience of having a ready space and privacy from shared common areas. Private offices range from 1 to 20 desks, with prices starting as low as $400 per person in fringe areas. For more central and premium locations, the average is around $900 per person. With over 200 coworking locations in Singapore, all offering a variety of private offices, OflexCo can help you source, shortlist, compare, and negotiate the best private office. Contact us here.

Hot Desk

Hot desks are ideal for freelancers, digital nomads, or early-stage startups, as the cost is minimal. They provide access to essentials like a desk (on a first-come, first-serve basis), internet connection, pantry, shared areas, meeting room bookings, printing facilities, and networking events. You can even subscribe for just a month to see if this solution works best for you. Memberships can include global access to thousands of locations or be limited to a single location, starting as low as $150 per month. Popular hot desk packages in Singapore include JustCo, with access to 22 locations, and WeWork, with 13 locations, both offering access to their global networks.

Dedicated Desk

Similar to hot desks, dedicated desks are in a shared area but are reserved exclusively for you. It’s like having your private office without the walls. You get all the perks of renting an office, such as storage space, 24/7 access, and access to events, but at a lower price than private offices. Dedicated desks start from $300 per desk and can go up to $700 per desk. This is a great solution if you have a large monitor or belongings that you want to keep in your workspace.

Virtual Office

Virtual offices offer a prestigious address for your business, mail-handling services, and a live receptionist to answer calls in your company name. This option is the lowest-cost solution if you only need an address to incorporate your business. Depending on the package, you can also include call answering, premium call recording, mail forwarding, or even access to hot desks. The most basic virtual office packages usually include just the address and mail collection services. Many businesses combine virtual office services with hot desk memberships to meet the need for both a work desk and a professional business address to display on their website and business cards.

Enterprise Offices

Enterprise offices are designed for large teams, usually with more than 20 desks. They provide a private office space that includes not just desks, but also attached meeting rooms, private restrooms, and a pantry. Essentially, it's a larger private office with more flexibility in layout and customization options. It's recommended to secure such an office at least three months in advance to allow sufficient time for layout planning and move-in. A major advantage is that coworking spaces, unlike traditional offices, won't charge you for the period between signing the lease and starting to use the office. You pay only when you actually move in, which can save substantial costs. Additionally, you get the benefits of coworking spaces, like networking, maintenance, cleaning, and furniture. For example, The Work Project’s enterprise offices start from $860 per person at Asia Square, while The Working Capitol at Keong Saik Road offers rates from $600 per person.

Hybrid Solution

Last but not least, hybrid solutions maximize your office utilization by combining private offices with hot desks or virtual offices based on your business needs. Often, we recommend evaluating your headcount based on full-time office workers who come in daily, versus those who come in on a less regular basis. For those who don’t need a full-time desk, it's best to subscribe to a hot desk or solutions like Superpass from JustCo and Hybrid Supplement from IWG, which allow employees to rotate desks within the office on different days for minimal costs, such as $10 per person per month. This approach helps minimize costs and avoid underutilized desks. At OflexCo, we pride ourselves on designing the most efficient hybrid solutions and have saved thousands of dollars for our clients through detailed headcount analysis and identifying the true need for full-time desks.

As every stage of a business is different, your office needs will also change over time. Coworking spaces provide the flexibility to adjust solutions as your needs evolve, without penalties, making it easy to review your requirements periodically. If you’re looking for a coworking space but can’t decide which solution is ideal for your startup, we’re here to help!