Running an office in London is hard work, especially if you have to manage the building as well as the business. Facilities management is an area where small businesses and SMEs often struggle to find the time and the capital to operate effectively. From ongoing maintenance work to daily cleaning, how can you keep up with your legal commitments and safety responsibilities?
Most of the time, taking care of your own facilities management operation isn’t worth the time and effort. Here are some reasons why small enterprises find it difficult and why outsourcing office support services could solve all your problems.
Staffing
One of the main issues faced by SMEs across the board is staffing. Budgets are tight so you can’t always afford to hire the manpower you need. Maintenance jobs rarely require a full day’s work, and even if you need cleaners every day it will likely only be for a short amount of time, such as an hour or two. It becomes hard to find staff who are available for this sort of work, as many Londoners need full time jobs.
The majority of businesses cannot afford to hire one or two full time staff as part of a facilities management team. Not only will you not be getting enough work or value back in terms of the salary you will pay, but this will also cost you in terms of NI, pension contributions and other staff-related benefits.
Hiring a contract services company is almost always more cost effective than hiring in-house staff. You’ll only pay for what is provided, whether that’s one hour of standard cleaning or a handyman for the day. You won’t have to take care of pay, staff rotas or training as the service provider will ensure that all of their workforce are fully trained and arrive at your office as and when needed.
Investment in Supplies
If you decide to bring maintenance and cleaning in-house, the company will be responsible for providing all of the tools and supplies required. For the cleaning team this includes commercial cleaning products and equipment, which will need restocking regularly. The maintenance team will need paint and a wide range of tools to complete the tasks at hand.
This extra cost for supplies and equipment, and time ordering the products, needs to be factored in when budgeting for both scenarios. Contractors will have their own specialist equipment which they will bring to site.
Keeping your premises clean and in working order doesn’t have to be a logistical nightmare – trust an offices services company to take care of your office.
