Having (low cost) office at prestigious location

It is understandable if Mee Kim, President of CEO SUITE, which provides instant office services, has a broad smile on her face. Early in December, CEO SUITE, the company under her leadership, opened its 10th branch at One Pacific Place in the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD). This new building is a business and commercial center cum serviced apartment, a hotel and hi-end shopping center.

According to Mee Kim, many multinational companies make use of instant office services her company provides. It is common for them to choose professionally managed ready-to-occupy offices, which is why she was prompted to open a new branch in Jakarta, after providing the same services on the 39th floor of the GKBI building and on 17th floor of the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) building, with an occupancy rate of 85 to 95 percent.

Aside from these three office locations in Jakarta, which have been in operation since 1977, CEO SUITE also has office locations in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai Puxi and Shanghai Pudong.

The improving economy, marked by the entry of foreign direct investment, Mee Kim said, has made Indonesia increasingly more attractive in the eyes of foreign investors, which is why there is a bigger demand for serviced offices. “We focus on serving the premium market requiring hi-end services, ranging from office space, human resources, sophisticated technology and any other services that tenants may need,” she said.

Serviced offices are the type of offices that business players in major cities in the world, Jakarta included, need. Take Yogas, for example, this accountant requires an office in Jakarta’s Golden Triangle. Although he has a spacious house in an upmarket area in the eastern part of Jakarta, which he could use as an office, he feels the need to have more strategic business address.

That’s why he needs the services of a company that rents office space in the Central Business District (CBD). And it is not just any office space that he needs, but office space that comes with built-in modern office facilities such as a fax machine, a telephone, an internet connection and, most importantly, secretarial support services. According to Yogas, the facilities provided in this office space are more than sufficient for his business. “I feel as though I have hired my own dedicated secretary,” he said.

For an accountant like Yogas, an instant office is a wise choice. To lease an office space is common, but not the type of office that he is renting. Although his office is not as massive as an office on the fringes of town would be, it is more than adequate for his needs. Plus having all the facilities available helped to minimize his initial financial outlay. This concept of a small office is indeed made available by the office building management for those desiring a virtual office, which may be used to establish a presence or just for the purpose of a mailing address or telephone number.

There is indeed nothing new about having a (low cost) office in a prestigious building. Providers of office space services, for example, operate like a business center. It is not just the space but a fully furnished designer office complete with a full range of services like, telephone lines, high-speed internet, video conferencing, a fax machine, filing cabinets, electricity and air-conditioning not to mention secretarial services to deal with appointment schedules, catering, event organizing, mail shot, colour printing and photocopying files.

These serviced offices can be rented monthly at competitive rates. A client wanting to lease an office only needs to submit copies of his resident identity card and business license (SIUPP) and once the initial rent and deposit are settled he can be operational 24 hrs. An office measuring 16 to 20 square meter rents for Rp 4 million to Rp 8 million a month. This includes office equipment such as an executive chair and an executive desk for the director, a telephone line, a filing cabinet, office assistant and incidentals like electricity, cleaning and maintenance. Within the centre, there is available, a luxuriously furnished meeting room and conference room that can be used alternately with other tenants and operate on a first come first serve booking system.

The serviced office concept has developed over the years, with service becoming more complete and more sophisticated. It is not just empty offices that are leased but a total office solution that is fully furnished, fully staffed complete with IT support team and fully equipped.