First Office: everything you need in an office
"What did we need when the three of us arrived in Romania in 2005?" asks Indrek Elhi, a shareholder of IPC, and answers, counting on his fingers: "A desk, an Internet connection, a printer, a telephone and a secretary. Now we offer all that to companies in the First Office business centre in Bucharest."
At the time that IPC was launched, it was impossible to find office space meeting the needs of a small company in Bucharest. That is why the company began its activities in a rented apartment that was rearranged into an office.
In October 2006, an opportunity opened up to enter into a lease agreement for a new modern office, although it only existed at the time as a plan on paper. After some time, when the owner of the building offered another space in the same building, an idea came to us: why not help all start-up companies and provide them with the opportunity to rent all inclusive office solutions? Based on its own experience and needs, IPC developed a concept that has successfully proven itself to date.
Focus on your business
Two pairs of smiling eyes greet me at First Office reception. Two helpful Front Desk Assistants are ready to serve clients: they greet and instruct the visitors and help clients each day with all their smaller and bigger issues.
Haricleea Spaler, the Managing Director of First Office, arrives to introduce the company and the rooms available for lease. It would be appropriate to use the word ‘all-inclusive-package' to describe the products offered because the rental of First Office includes, in addition to office space, secretarial services, a secure Internet connection, possibility to use a fax, telephone, printer and copy machine, while bigger and smaller rooms are available for meetings. It appears that the price also covers the use of kitchen facilities equipped with all kinds of appliances, and even water, coffee and tea are included.
"Our client can focus on its business and does not have to worry about other things," Haricleea explains. "We make their life easy - they receive only one invoice." We learn from the conversation that foreign clients are more attracted to the package than Romanian companies. The latter see that the price per square metre is somewhat higher than elsewhere, and do not realise that this includes everything else in addition to basic rental. However, the situation is progressively getting better.
Clients from Finland to Australia
"We have on average 25 clients," says Haricleea. "Most often, they are small companies that need only one room, but there are also those who have several rooms." It is primarily foreign companies that use First Office in Bucharest: from Slovakia, Singapore, Australia, Poland, Finland, Austria, Israel, UK and Portugal. They operate in very different fields, ranging from energy and retail sales to information technology and fuel trading.
"The premises differ as well," the cheerful Director of First Office opens a door and reveals a well lit office that is currently awaiting new occupants. "The offices are mostly meant for three people, but we also have rooms for nine people." There are 13 rooms on the first floor and 20 on the second floor.
"If you have a visitor, the secretary welcomes him or her and telephones you," Haricleea explains. "The secretary forwards your mail to you, brings coffee and prepares the meeting room. In addition, their help is used to make travel reservations, prepare and submit documents. Everything is organised, like in any decent company - only you do not have to hire a secretary for yourself."
Plans for expansion
We enter one of the meeting rooms on the floor. There are two meeting rooms for each floor, which has proven to be sufficient so far. An additional bigger room, seating up to 16-20 people, can be found on the first floor. "The rooms can be booked through the secretary and the client has to pay separately for that," Haricleea explains. "Precisely for the time which you actually use the room."
We go and fetch coffee from the kitchen. It comes from a brand new espresso machine, is aromatic and strong. It is exactly what is needed. A cleaning lady is busy in the kitchen. "Cleaning is also included in the rental," Haricleea says, smiling. "And at least one parking place in front of the building,"
"We are also considering opening another First Office centre in the very heart of the city," Haricleea confirms, and makes sure that I will come for a tour once the new house has been opened. But the plans also include expansion elsewhere in Eastern Europe where office space is in short supply, such as Prague and Warsaw.