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The Oxford Instant Office Program and Changing Office Needs
Oxford’s Instant Offices are Changing the Ann Arbor Coworking Space.
Office needs evolved quite a bit throughout 2020 and 2021. Many organizations shifted to partial or complete remote work, wanting to keep their employees as safe and healthy as possible after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. People who once had serenity in an office with their colleagues began trying to get their work done while also caring for young children, facilitating virtual learning, fighting the distractions of home, and struggling with the isolation that comes with quarantining for months on end. Some of the same folks found new joys in a non-existent commute, leisurely walks on their lunch breaks instead of rushing to grab a sandwich, and more time with family members.
Now, just over a year after the coronavirus began affecting our lives here in the Ann Arbor area, the needs and circumstances of office workers are still continuing to shift.
Some folks can’t wait to get back to an office with their coworkers, others like the idea of leaving the house for work but don’t necessarily feel pulled to resume the commute and the 8-5 routine of pre-COVID days. Some people who were laid off as a result of economic circumstances caused by the pandemic started new businesses from their homes, and may be looking for office space for the first time. Others left their Ann Arbor coworking space when it became less safe to work there, and set up shop in their garage or spare bedroom, but value a sense of community that comes with working near other people. Others still switched companies and started working completely remotely for an organization nowhere near their home – and with no office to report to, may be considering what a long-term remote work scenario looks like in a post-COVID world.
We think that for many of these folks, the Oxford Instant Office program could be the perfect fit. We know working from home has its challenges – whether you’re just doing it temporarily and you think at some point you may go back to a larger office setting, or whether you’re a remote worker in perpetuity – and the Oxford Instant Office program was set up to meet those challenges and provide value, flexibility, and convenience. Instant Offices come in a variety of sizes, and a variety of locations around the Ann Arbor area. Some come fully furnished. What makes them all part of the program is the simple lease agreement that we’re using for them – no complicated clauses, no intimidating contracts – and flexible terms of as short as six months. We’re also covering utilities and janitorial for Oxford Instant Office units, to keep things simple for folks who just want an easy office solution. We think that many folks, especially those who are accustomed to the amenities and streamlined services of an office building or Ann Arbor coworking space, will find great value in this program!
If you’re thinking remote work is going to be a long-term thing for you but you just can’t work from your house anymore, consider a spacious Instant Office with a view on Ann Arbor’s Southside.
In a building like 900 Victors Way (right off the highway, great parking, close to Zingerman’s Southside!). Are you thinking that you’ll probably get called back to your office at some point but need a space to work from until then? One of our super-economical Instant Offices on South State Street (in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor) might be the perfect fit – especially since we’re honoring lease terms as short as six months. If you came from an Ann Arbor coworking space, we think you’ll find a lot of value in an Oxford Instant Office. We also have private units, optimized for health and safety and located in a building with a tight-knit community of longtime tenants, like you’ll find at Nickels Arcade.
New organizations that have formed over the past year may now be looking for office space for the first time – and sometimes, folks find the commercial leasing process overwhelming. We’re aiming to alleviate that with the Instant Office program – so if you’re considering a space for a small or medium sized group of people, we’d love to chat with you. It may be tempting to have everyone work from home and simply rent an Ann Arbor coworking space conference facility every now and then, but organizations continue to demonstrate that there is tremendous, measurable benefits in having their teams come together on a regular basis to collaborate, brainstorm, and synergize. Why not try an Oxford Instant Office unit for six months and see for yourself what your talented team can do?