Oxford’s Instant Offices are changing the Ann Arbor coworking space

Oxford Companies' Instant Offices. (Oxford Companies)

ANN ARBOR – Office needs evolved quite a bit throughout 2020 and 2021.

Many organizations shifted to partial or complete remote work, wanting to keep their employees as safe and healthy as possible after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People who once had serenity in an office with their colleagues began trying to get their work done while also caring for young children, facilitating virtual learning, fighting the distractions of home and struggling with the isolation that comes with quarantining for months on end.

Some of the same folks found new joys in a non-existent commute, leisurely walks on their lunch breaks instead of rushing to grab a sandwich, and more time with family members.

Now, just over a year after the coronavirus began affecting our lives here in the Ann Arbor area, the needs and circumstances of office workers are still continuing to shift.

Read: Ann Arbor-based Oxford Companies announces new architecture, construction brand

Some folks can’t wait to get back to an office with their coworkers, others like the idea of leaving the house for work but don’t necessarily feel pulled to resume the commute and the 8-5 routine of pre-COVID days.

Some people who were laid off as a result of economic circumstances caused by the pandemic started new businesses from their homes, and may be looking for office space for the first time. Others left their Ann Arbor coworking space when it became less safe to work there, and set up shop in their garage or spare bedroom, but value a sense of community that comes with working near other people.

Others still switched companies and started working completely remotely for an organization nowhere near their home -- and with no office to report to, may be considering what a long-term remote work scenario looks like in a post-COVID world.

For many of these folks, the Oxford Instant Office program could be the perfect fit.

Working from home has its challenges – whether you’re just doing it temporarily and you think at some point you may go back to a larger office setting, or whether you’re a remote worker in perpetuity -- and the Oxford Instant Office program was set up to meet those challenges and provide value, flexibility, and convenience.

Instant Offices come in a variety of sizes, and a variety of locations around the Ann Arbor area. Some come fully furnished. What makes them all part of the program is the simple lease agreement -- no complicated clauses, no intimidating contracts -- and flexible terms of as short as six months.

Read: How an Ann Arbor company has maintained office culture while working remotely during pandemic

Utilities and janitorial services for Oxford Instant Office units are covered to keep things simple for folks who just want an easy office solution. Oxford Companies thinks folks, especially those who are accustomed to the amenities and streamlined services of an office building or Ann Arbor coworking space, will find great value in this program.

If you’re thinking remote work is going to be a long-term thing for you but you just can’t work from your house anymore, consider a spacious Instant Office with a view on Ann Arbor’s Southside in a building like 900 Victors Way.

Are you thinking that you’ll probably get called back to your office at some point but need a space to work from until then?

Oxford’s super-economical Instant Offices on South State Street (in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor) might be the perfect fit -- especially since Oxford is honoring lease terms as short as six months.

If you came from an Ann Arbor coworking space, we think you’ll find a lot of value in an Oxford Instant Office. Oxford also has private units, optimized for health and safety and located in a building with a tight-knit community of longtime tenants, like you’ll find at Nickels Arcade.

New organizations that have formed over the past year may now be looking for office space for the first time -- and sometimes, folks find the commercial leasing process overwhelming.

Read: The future of Ann Arbor’s Southside from a real estate perspective

Oxford is aiming to alleviate that with the Instant Office program -- so if you’re considering a space for a small or medium sized group of people, Oxford is here to help.

It may be tempting to have everyone work from home and simply rent an Ann Arbor coworking space conference facility every now and then, but organizations continue to demonstrate that there are tremendous, measurable benefits in having their teams come together on a regular basis to collaborate, brainstorm, and synergize.

To learn more about our Oxford Instant Office units, click here.


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