There is no fixed number of employees beyond which coworking stops being a good fit. Moving to a private office makes sense when confidentiality requirements, difficulty concentrating, limited meeting room availability or the team’s regular presence begin to disrupt day-to-day work. The decision should be based on how the team actually works, rather than simply on company size.
In a coworking space, everyone can have a desk and the team can still lack somewhere to work together. Meetings get moved, people work around the constraints, and the day goes on. Until those workarounds become routine.
A private office, also known as an enclosed office, is a space reserved for one company within a shared workplace. The team retains access to the services and communal areas included in its plan. A managed office is also private, but offers greater independence and more scope for customization, with much of the management handled by the provider. This differs from a conventional office lease, where the company has to fit out and manage the premises itself.
What are the signs that coworking is no longer enough?
The first signs are rarely dramatic. They often look like minor organizational issues:
- Confidential calls are becoming difficult to arrange.
- Meeting rooms are regularly unavailable.
- Noise is affecting concentration.
- The team is adapting its working hours to the constraints of the space.
- Client meetings have to be rescheduled or moved elsewhere.
- Extra services and bookings are starting to add up.
What matters most is not always how often these problems occur, but what they lead to. An unavailable room for an informal catch-up is not the same as a postponed sales meeting. Likewise, spending a few minutes looking for somewhere quiet is no big deal, unless it happens several times a day.
To find out whether these difficulties warrant a change, a simple two-week assessment can be revealing.
During those two weeks, record:
- The difficulty encountered.
- Its actual impact on work.
- The temporary workaround used.
- How often it occurs.
- Which teams are affected.
You may discover that the constraints are concentrated at certain times, such as mornings when the whole team comes in. Or the assessment may show that several essential activities are being disrupted, even when rooms are booked in advance.
This distinction can save a company from searching for new premises when a change in organization might be enough.
Six employees may need more space than twelve
Consider two companies.
The first has six employees who work on site together four days a week: three salespeople on the phone, a founder on a call with an investor and two developers trying to focus on demanding work. The team also welcomes partners and holds confidential discussions.
The second has twelve employees but operates almost entirely remotely. Only three or four people come into the coworking space each day, rarely at the same times. Team meetings are scheduled in advance.
The first team is likely to reach the limits of its shared workspace long before the second.
Team size alone doesn’t tell the whole story. What matters is the peak number of people on site at once and whether different activities can take place without getting in each other’s way.
A private office becomes worth considering when the need to work closely together, concentrate or maintain confidentiality is part of the team’s regular routine. But the layout still needs to accommodate those activities properly.
When does coworking start to cost too much?
Do six coworking memberships cost less than a six-desk private office? It sounds like a straightforward comparison, until you look at what’s actually included.
Meeting room hours, storage options, equipment and occasional bookings at other locations can all add to the cost of coworking. On the other hand, some coworking plans already include many of these services.
The first step is to review the invoices from the past few months and compare the total with the price of a private office offering equivalent services.
But how many days people actually come in can make a significant difference.
Over a five-day working week, a six-desk private office provides 30 available desk-days. If each of the six employees comes in two days a week, only 12 desk-days are used: 40% of that capacity.
Comparing the cost per desk-day actually used can give a clearer picture of the value of each option, provided the services included in each are taken into account.
It’s also worth checking the length of the commitment, exit terms, security deposit and any moving costs. An attractive monthly price may be less appealing if the company has to commit for much longer than planned.
Then there’s the time spent managing the limitations of the space. If someone regularly has to find an available meeting room, coordinate bookings or reschedule appointments, that administrative effort is another cost worth considering.
A private office isn’t automatically better value for money. But when desks are used regularly and extra charges are mounting, the comparison may come as a surprise.
Stay in coworking, move to a private office or choose a different space?
The right decision depends both on how the team works and on the level of independence it needs.
| Option | Best suited when… | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Shared coworking | Employees come in occasionally or on an irregular basis | Privacy and space availability need checking |
| Private or enclosed office | The team works on site regularly and wants a space of its own | Typically less scope for customization and independence |
| Managed office | The company needs dedicated, customized spaces with management taken care of | Commitment and budget need assessing for each project |
The choice isn’t necessarily either/or. A private office can be complemented by meeting rooms and shared desks. At some locations, it’s also possible to switch plans without moving the entire company.
At Hiptown, private offices are designed for teams of 1 to 20 people within shared workspaces. That means more privacy while retaining access to communal facilities and shared amenities.
For companies looking for a more customized setup, with greater independence and much of the property management handled for them, managed offices offer another option.
A private office won’t necessarily solve every problem
If several employees spend their days on the phone, putting them in the same enclosed room may simply move the noise problem behind a door. And if shared meeting rooms are always fully booked, having your own office won’t make them any more available.
That’s why it helps to arrive at a viewing with a clear list of needs. Is the sound insulation good enough? Will phone booths be available when the team needs them? Are meeting rooms easy to book? Can you welcome visitors without disrupting other employees?
A viewing should test how your team would work, not just show you around the premises. With that in mind, visiting at a busy time will often tell you more than a Friday afternoon when the space is almost empty.
It’s also important to plan for change: desk numbers, additional spaces and contract terms. An arrangement that works today should be able to accommodate tomorrow’s needs, or at least offer reasonable exit conditions.
Before signing, there’s one final question worth asking: what will actually be easier from the very first week? Without a convincing answer, you may just be paying to move your old habits to a new address.
Coworking, private office or managed office: which option is right for your team?
Tell us how your team works and the three biggest obstacles you’re facing. Our team will help you identify the most suitable office format and number of desks.
