Katerina Manou, Regional General Manager at Regus for Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus is answering to a few questions for Novinite.com

1. Globally, the Flexible Office Space model is becoming more and more popular. Tell us more about it and about Regus, which is the world leader in this sector?

Regus is the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace solutions, with a network of 3,000 locations in over 1,000 towns and cities, across more than 100 countries, serving 2.3 million members.

We offer companies and individuals everything they need in the modern workplace. Our products and services include many different options so that every client can choose the perfect space for their bussiness. Our options include office spaces, virtual offices, meeting rooms, co-working spaces, business lounges, a space called “Businessworld”, which provides access to over 2000 business lounge locations around the world, as well as a space called “workplace recovery” which is dedicated fixed and virtual office space set up to customer’s exact needs, including telephone and IT connectivity. Every one of our clients can choose their membership based on how many days they need each month and what type of workspace they use most. 

2. What are the benefits of flexible office solutions? 

Flexible working demand is growing everywhere and network expansion is a key part of our strategy – the larger our network and the more innovative we are, the more attractive our customer proposition. Having a network in places where companies want to trade is important to us, as it is what our customers expect.

With the costs linked to workspace representing between 5 and 10% of a company's turnover, corporations of all sizes are increasingly looking at office space needs as a strategic component of their business plan. This is a major evolution in the way companies’ think, as confirmed by our recent survey stating that globally, 81% of companies intend to cut or freeze their property/premises costs this year. Outsourcing offices provide companies with greater financial flexibility. Regus enables its customers to acquire, grow or maintain workplace flexibility by helping them minimize their second largest cost of doing business - the expenses associated with leasing, equipping and staffing their office space.

At Regus we go beyond the logistics of just creating a working environment for our clients. We enable companies to rapidly seize new market opportunities, providing immediate and flexible office infrastructures already in place, which is particularly important for businesses setting up offices in emerging markets. Our aim is to build a community of interesting people who are doing exciting things and to take care of the talented and forward-thinking businesses of the world.

3. What are the plans of Regus worldwide and for Bulgaria?

We continue to see significant opportunities in the market for flexible working. Our expansion program is decidedly demand-driven. Network expansion is a key part of our strategy – the larger our network and the more innovative we are, the more attractive our customer proposition.

Our strategy is to continually expand our global network and diversify the type of location we offer, making it even more convenient for business people to work flexibly and productively, when and where it suits them.

Particularly, Bulgaria’s economy is growing rapidly and the business environment is changing to accommodate an increasing appetite for new ventures and expansion both internally and from external investors. Regus plays a key role in facilitating businesses growth by offering agility and flexibility in work space. Our third Regus office is one more proof that more and more companies need this kind of flexible places and we are happy to be able to answer our clients’ needs. Regus Sofia Airport has the advantages of all Regus centers around the world, including a very communicative location with easy access to Sofia center and the highway to Plovdiv and Varna.

Furthermore, we are proud to announce that in the next few months we will open our first Regus center in Plovdiv and we are extremely excited to announce the center is to be launched very soon, in early 2018.

4. How do you assess the investment environment in Bulgaria?

The investment environment in Bulgaria is quite promising. Furthermore, given the ongoing Presidency of the EU Council, Bulgaria is expected to attract lots of European visitors and entrepreneurs this year. That’s why we are really excited to expand our network in Bulgaria and especially to the bustling city of Sofia, where more and more businesses will be able to grasp the benefits and opportunities offered by flexible working. All sizes of business are clamoring for greater flexibility, agility and choice of location. We are delighted to bring to these businesses and workers in Sofia the opportunity to experience workplace flexibility and to work from where they want.

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