Seat leasing and incubation are some of the solutions offered at full-service business process outsourcing companies or BPOs for short. Though it mostly caters to businesses that already have staff in a particular part of the world (specifically where the seat leasing service is offered), startup businesses can also use this service as a start.
Seat leasing and incubation are essentially the same things. An incubator is a company that helps startup businesses in their early stages, either through the use of office space, management consulting, or financing. Seat leasing is the leasing or renting of an already existing infrastructure to businesses that already have employees but no workspace. One example of a situation where this service would be useful is if your building is under construction and you need a fully equipped space in order to continue operations. Seat leasing in an established space gives you instant access to resources you otherwise wouldn’t have and most places also offer additional services that also help you grow your business.
Seat leasing is priced per seat – the more seats you avail, the less it costs per seat. In addition to the number of seats, you will also need to specify the amount of time you’ll be needing the space. Most places will offer yearly contracts, but don’t let this stop you from asking if they offer shorter leasing periods. Other businesses offer some plans as short as a month, so there are alternative plans, you just need to search for one that best fits your company.
The seat leasing service comes with a fully set up infrastructure. Each of your employees will have their own complete desk with a PC complete with peripherals. In the event that your staff needs headsets to work, you should come prepared with your own as COVID has stopped many offices from offering shared or pre-owned headsets. General IT services are also sometimes included, but this isn’t standard across the board and needs to be asked when contacting a service provider.
Almost all seat leasing providers will offer a couple of extra services. These services usually are targeted toward newer businesses who may need help as they cannot afford to hire people to do them yet. Going back to the IT example, seat leasing providers who don’t offer this as a base service will offer it as an additional paid service, without an IT team hired yet, an upstart business can continue to work without large delays.
HR services are also offered at some locations. This means that the administrative tasks associated with having employees will be taken care of by the solutions provider. This allows you to focus on just the productivity aspect of work.
Recruitment services are also offered in the event that you need a new role hired or just a replacement. This allows business owners to avoid having to take on the role of a recruiter. You gain access to a dedicated team of recruiters who will find the right people for the roles you need.
Seat leasing is an overlooked service as remote staffing exists and ultimately will save you more time, but seat leasing still has its niche market. You can think of the service as an introduction to remote staffing, allowing you to get a feel for the service without fully committing to it. Don’t forget that there are additional services you can avail of while seat leasing, such as HR, IT, and Administrative Services. Although, if you’re looking at seat leasing without having any employees hired yet, you might want to consider remote staffing as your solution instead, it’ll save more time and money.