MORE companies in China are seeking flexible and creative ways in renting office space in which their employees can work because they need to trim costs due to rising rents, a survey showed yesterday.

Instead of renting a single office, companies may adopt a virtual way in establishing their presence in a city. They are now likely to place employees in temporary sites or short-term lease offices and have them work using the Internet, international workplace solution provider Regus said in the survey.

"Working simultaneously via the Internet is a quiet revolution happening worldwide across industries, and the improved technological infrastructure is the key component to facilitating it," Filippo Sarti, CEO of Regus for Asia-Pacific operations, said yesterday.

Doing it this way can help the companies be more versatile and flexible in adjusting the rent budgets amid high inflation. China's Consumer Price Index, the main gauge of inflation, hit a 37-month high in July of 6.5 percent.

"To operate cost-effectively is critical to start-ups as they may expand or shrink quickly," said Hong Yue, editor-in-chief of start-up website Magme. It has leased three sites in Shanghai to handle growing projects.

Working via the mobile Internet method over different sites may prompt firms to go to lower-tier cities as it cuts entry costs, Regus predicted.
 

Source:shanghaidaily