For the majority of businesses, finding appropriate office space is one of the most important aspects of business planning. Of course, financial considerations come into place when it comes to renting office space, as the price of commercial property has experienced a slight increase even amid the financial crisis.

Nowadays, the average cost of office space stands at around £349/m2 in the private sector, a price that undoubtedly represents a large percentage of a company’s monthly expenses. The high costs of office space may deter some entrepreneurs from starting up a new business. However, there is no need to let this factor interfere with new business ideas, since under some circumstances UK businesses can benefit from a number of rent-free schemes.

Local council business schemes

It may be worth contacting your local council’s business support services, as on occasion the local authorities implement rent-free schemes for new businesses. For example, in 2007 Glasgow city council launched an initiative whereby local startups could access unfurnished office space free of charge for up to 2 years.

Business development units at universities

Most universities have a dedicated department that offers support to local businesses. In some cases, these institutions offer rent-free office space to businesses in certain sectors. For instance, the University for the Creative Arts offers 6 months of rent-free space to its graduates. Digital Enterprise Glasgow works with two local universities to offer rent-free space to startups in the fields of e-commerce and digital technologies. Similar schemes are in place at other British towns

Partnering

Entrepreneurs can also take advantage of the contacts made at networking events in order to find a business partner that can offer free office space in exchange for other services, including IT services, accountancy, web design, or even business blog writing.