Service provider eyes expansion, startup boom pushes office space demand

CEBU, Philippines - After a year of operations in Cebu, Global Hub Serviced Offices, Inc. is now eyeing to expand its presence in the province and in other regions to address the increasing demand for small office spaces.

Global Hub is one of the few Filipino-owned businesses that provide shared spaces to start-ups and small businesses requiring ready-to-occupy offices for immediate operation.

It further caters to offshore companies who are interested to expand their business operations in Cebu but want to start with small operations in small office areas.

It is located at Unit 1204, 12th floor of Keppel Center in Cebu Business Park and  currently headed by general manager Cedric Tumulak III.

The Cebu-based company celebrated its first year of business operation last Monday. It envisions to be the first full-fledged service office in the country.

Global Hub Serviced Offices, Inc. chief executive officer Fritzie Kon said in an interview that the homegrown serviced office company is looking towards expanding in Manila by the end of this year and put up offices in Mindanao particularly in Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

They also plan to establish presence at Cebu IT Park and eventually have their own office building.

“Reaching the one-year of operation is a testament that the demand of office spaces is there and it’s increasing. We are even scouting for new locations to expand,” Kon said.

She added that the rising demand for office spaces is fueled by the upsurge of local and international investments to Cebu and the growing opportunities for Filipinos who are eager to start their businesses.

She said that amid the booming business community of the province, it is high time for local entrepreneurs to do businesses in a professional environment and eventually compete globally with other players.

“We give them a venue to start their businesses globally and provide them with more options of networking with local and international clients. As the local companies grow, they start here in Cebu and expand in other areas in the long run,” she said.

Kon cited that while the serviced office industry has been present in other countries for the past decade, it is still quite new in Cebu and Manila.

She said that most often foreign clients would ask companies the location of their offices since it represents stability and having an office in a known business district is usually equated to being a legitimate business.

Kon said that the  two companies that occupied office spaces in Global Hub before have already outgrown them and decided to have their own offices. These were an American e-commerce company that started with eight employees and now has grown to 50 personnel and a Japanese firm that now has 30 employees.

“We serve as an incubator for start-up companies as we support budding entrepreneurs and help them grow. Global Hub is also a natural hub for business networking as businesses are created while they talk. We are a community of businesses and we make it comfortable for them,” Kon stated.

The company poured an investment of P8 million for the 300-square meter facility that houses around 30 office spaces.

Global Hub currently has 70-percent occupancy rate to date. Leasers are mostly comprised of domestic and foreign players engaged to information technology, website development, call center, English language school, travel and tours, and e-commerce industries.

Kon said that clients normally stay at Global Hub for an average of six months to one year.

Its office spaces may be classified to shared offices and virtual offices that are good for one-man, two-man and even four-man space. Shared offices can also be converted into one that can accommodate up to 20 persons.

It also provides office management services, facilities and amenities that would help entrepreneurs and their clients attain their much-needed work space for more effective negotiations, business transactions and social functions.

Monthly rates range from P12,000 to P50,000 that are inclusive of an office table with comfortable executive chair, free-flowing coffee, Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, IP-based telephone services and printing and fax facilities.

In-house and external clients can also avail of the conference and meeting facilities of the company. Global Hub also conducts seminars on stress management and basic accounting for its clients.

The 24/7-operational company also features comprehensive built-in services from housekeeping to IT support and convenient collaboration with other businesses leasing in Global Hub. (FREEMAN)