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What Makes a Great Workspace for Growing Businesses?
A great workspace for a growing business should support the way the company works today without making future change unnecessarily difficult. That means looking beyond desk numbers and considering flexibility, privacy, facilities, collaboration, location and whether the space can continue to work as the team evolves.
For startups and SMEs in particular, the right workspace should make everyday operations easier while giving the business options as headcount, working patterns and client requirements change.
What Should a Growing Business Look for in a Workspace?
The strongest workspace is not necessarily the largest or most expensive. For a growing company, it should provide a practical balance of:
Flexibility as team requirements change
Enough privacy for focused or confidential work
Space for collaboration and meetings
Reliable professional facilities
A location employees and clients can reach
An environment people are comfortable working in
Scope to adapt without paying prematurely for unused space
The relative importance of each factor will depend on the business. A five-person consultancy, creative agency and operational team may have similar headcounts but very different workspace requirements. If you're weighing up shared, dedicated and private space, our workspace comparison guide explains how the different options compare.
Flexibility Matters When Growth Is Difficult to Predict
Growth rarely happens in a perfectly straight line. A business may recruit several people quickly, switch to a hybrid working pattern or need more collaborative space before it needs more permanent desks.
For that reason, flexibility should be considered before committing to a workspace. Ask what would happen if the team became larger, attended on different days or needed greater privacy six months from now.
Flexible workspace can give businesses different ways to respond. A founder might initially work from a shared environment before moving to a dedicated desk or office as the business develops. Larger teams may eventually need more independent or specialist premises.
This has become particularly relevant alongside hybrid working. Office for National Statistics research found that 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked during the period from January to March 2025, illustrating why many businesses now need to think about workspace use rather than simply matching one desk to every employee.
At Gunnery Works, the range of workspace options allows businesses to explore different arrangements as their requirements develop, rather than treating every stage of growth in the same way.
A Good Workspace Supports Focus & Collaboration
Growth can create competing demands on an office.
Teams need opportunities to communicate, exchange ideas and work together, but an entirely open environment is not suitable for every task. Client conversations, concentrated work and sensitive discussions may require more privacy.
When assessing a workspace, consider how a normal week actually operates:
Where will people go for calls?
Can team members work without constant interruption?
Is there somewhere suitable for a client meeting?
Can several people work together without disturbing others?
Does the layout suit both individual and collaborative work?
The answer may change as the business grows. Shared workspace can work well for smaller or highly flexible teams, while an enclosed private office may become more appropriate where greater privacy and a defined team environment are required. Gunnery Works' private offices currently accommodate configurations from one to 15 desks, alongside access to shared meeting and breakout facilities.
The important point is to choose around working behaviour, not simply employee numbers.
Professional Facilities Should Remove Everyday Friction
Facilities can seem secondary when viewing office space, but small inconveniences become much more noticeable when a team encounters them every working day.
Reliable connectivity is an obvious requirement, but growing businesses may also need meeting rooms, reception support, kitchens, breakout areas, showers, parking or somewhere convenient to eat and meet informally.
Think about the activities that happen around the work itself. If clients visit regularly, what experience do they have on arrival? If employees spend a full day on site, can they comfortably take breaks? If several people need video calls at once, is there somewhere appropriate to take them?
Gunnery Works combines its workspaces with facilities including meeting rooms, breakout areas, reception and an on-site café. Different workspace arrangements have different inclusions, so businesses should check what is provided with the specific space they are considering rather than assuming every option works in exactly the same way.
That kind of practical assessment is often more useful than a long amenities checklist.
Location Influences More Than the Commute
A workspace can be excellent internally and still be unsuitable if getting there creates problems for employees, clients or suppliers.
For a growing business, location can affect recruitment as well as attendance. Consider where existing employees travel from, where future recruits are likely to live and whether important clients can reach the office without an unnecessarily complicated journey.
It is worth testing real journeys rather than judging a location by its postcode alone.
Gunnery Works is based in Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Transport for London maps show Woolwich on the Elizabeth line, with Woolwich Arsenal providing DLR and National Rail connections nearby and Woolwich Arsenal Pier providing river access.
Businesses considering the area can explore Gunnery Works' location and transport information and compare it with where their employees and clients actually travel from.
The Right Environment Can Support a Growing Team
Workspace decisions are not purely functional.
As businesses grow, the workplace can become one of the places where new employees understand the company, colleagues build working relationships and teams spend meaningful time together.
That does not mean every business needs constant networking or an office designed around social activity. It does mean the surrounding environment deserves consideration.
For some companies, being around other businesses can create useful informal connections, supplier relationships or simply a stronger sense of working alongside other professionals. For others, independence and separation will matter more.
Gunnery Works includes businesses from a range of sectors within its workspace community, while its workspace range extends from shared environments through to more independent BOXD units and larger studios.
The important question is whether the environment complements the culture and working style the business is trying to build.
Avoid Choosing Only for Your Current Headcount
One common mistake is treating the number of employees as the only measure of how much workspace a company needs.
Ten employees do not necessarily require ten permanent desks. Equally, a three-person business may need more space than expected if it stores equipment, welcomes clients frequently or requires separate working areas.
Before viewing potential premises, consider:
Current and expected team size
How many people attend at the same time
Hybrid and remote working patterns
Recruitment plans
Client and supplier visits
Storage or equipment requirements
Privacy requirements
Meeting frequency
Whether specialist facilities are needed
This helps distinguish growth capacity from simply renting excess space.
A workspace should provide enough room and flexibility to operate effectively, but unused space still carries a cost. The aim is not to predict the business perfectly. It is to avoid an arrangement that becomes restrictive after the first significant change.
View the Workspace Through the Eyes of Your Team
Specifications and photographs are useful for creating a shortlist, but an in-person visit can reveal things that are difficult to assess online.
When viewing a workspace, notice how the building feels during a normal working day. Look at natural light, noise, privacy, communal areas and the journey between desks, meeting rooms and shared facilities.
It is also worth asking practical questions. What is included? Which areas can your team use? What access arrangements apply? What happens if your requirements change?
Most importantly, picture an ordinary Tuesday rather than an idealised viewing. Imagine people arriving, taking calls, meeting clients, having lunch and trying to complete focused work.
If the workspace makes those everyday activities straightforward, it is much more likely to remain useful as the business develops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Most Important Feature of a Workspace for a Growing Business?
There is no single feature that suits every growing business, but adaptability is particularly important. A good workspace should accommodate the way the team currently operates while giving the business reasonable options if headcount, attendance patterns, privacy requirements or working practices change.
Is Coworking Suitable for a Growing Business?
It can be. Coworking can suit startups and small or hybrid teams that value flexibility and do not yet require their own enclosed office. As privacy, headcount or operational requirements increase, a dedicated desk, private office or more independent workspace may become more appropriate.
How Much Office Space Should a Growing Team Take?
Base the decision on actual usage rather than headcount alone. Consider how many employees are present simultaneously, whether people work hybrid schedules, how often meetings take place and whether the business needs storage, private rooms or specialist space. Taking substantially more room than required can be just as inefficient as choosing too little.
Why Are Meeting Spaces Important for Growing Teams?
Meeting space gives teams somewhere to collaborate without disrupting focused work elsewhere. It can also provide a more appropriate environment for client meetings, interviews, presentations and workshops. Businesses should consider how regularly these activities occur rather than assuming a meeting room is either essential or unnecessary.
Should I Visit a Workspace Before Making a Decision?
Yes. Visiting allows you to assess practical factors such as layout, noise, privacy, atmosphere and the surrounding location. It also gives you an opportunity to ask how facilities and access arrangements apply to the particular workspace you are considering.
Choose for the Business You Are Building
A growing business does not need a workspace that attempts to predict every future requirement. It needs one that works well now and provides sensible options when circumstances change.
If you are considering a new base, start with the way your team actually works, then compare flexibility, privacy, facilities and location against those requirements. You can explore the workspaces at Gunnery Works or contact the team to arrange a viewing and see the available spaces in person.