Photo : DR
Office rentals on hourly, daily or monthly bases have been largely facilitated in recent years by the development of business centres. An increasingly attractive long-term solution for companies, these centres, which offer much more than the rental of workspaces, are for now much more appreciated in the Anglo-Saxon than in the French culture.For François de Sonis, Managing Director and founder, in 1999, of Business Facility International (BFI), mentalities are nevertheless changing rapidly. “Previously, it was thought that whoever was based in a business centre lacked the financial means to afford a commercial lease; now, the opposite can be said. Working from a business centre is a sign of wealth that allows such companies to fully benefit from the advantages of flexibility.”High-level consultants, business creators, recruitment cabinets, growing companies… more and more are those who outsource their premises and are happier for the change, whether for strategic meetings or as permanent bases for their businesses. “Client companies have no idea of just how many services we can offer. This no doubt explains why with us, the average rental period for an office is now two years,” specifies François de Sonis, whose company, a subsidiary of the commercial property group Affine, manages 15 business centres throughout France, including six in Paris and the Paris region. In coming years, the company intends to extend its regional capital offers by nurturing the opening of offices in business districts and influx zones (high-speed train stations, airports) where it is already present, for example in Lille or Lyon - La Part-Dieu. Amongst its future establishments, it is worth noting the launch of a Business Facility International, from 2009 onwards, at Terminal E2 of the Roissy–Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, an event that will not fail to increase the fame of the company name amongst an international clientele already familiar with BFI services. 40% of clients are in fact subsidiaries of large international groups, with another 40% made up by SMEs and 20% by consultants or freelancers.With an average cost of between 1,500 to 2,000 euros per month in Paris, for an office with two work stations, or 150 euros per day, services, which automatically include the availability of a nearby car park, are as much appreciable for their location as for their prestige. “Our profession basically runs on the same criteria as commercial boutiques; what matters is location, location, location…” This is particularly true in Paris where requests for this or that district are often reliant on the degree of prestige required for a particular activity.Another tendency in the professional world that works in favour of business centres: project-based management that requires partners to meet for meetings or working sessions, in locations judged neutral by the various parties. This is notably the case for computing services companies that furthermore appreciate the personalised welcome provided at BFI as well as the “club” atmosphere in each centre. Each centre is managed autonomously, a mark of conviviality and adaptation to the specific needs of clients. The recent creation of an online office (bureau en ligne) also offers the advantage of a large securitised storage capacity and an easy access to one’s personal data.Many other offers (concierge services, manning the telephone, etc.) further make up the services of BFI which is capable, on an in-house basis – the company employs 45 people in France – of providing interpretation or translation to and from English, for example.Whilst 90% of orders for offices or meeting rooms are made by Internet, the company, a member of the international network Alliance network (over 600 business centres throughout the world), has deliberately chosen to foster close trust based relationships with its clients for whom it is always vital to establish their place in the world.And in a universe where work plays a key role, there is still no substitute for conviviality.
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