From easyJobs to easyPizza, easyJet’s founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou isn’t afraid to branch out into new industries. His newest foray piqued our interest, since it’s a concept we wrote about three times last year—flexible working spaces. easyOffice aims to bring flexible and affordable, serviced office space, allowing entrepreneurs to ‘match the space they rent with the demands of their business’.
easyOffice’s first location will open in Kensington, London in May or June 2007, with rooms for rent long and short term. Gulf News reports that Stelios is also eyeing Dubai: “There are so many start up businesses in Dubai and people are constantly moving in and out. With the things that are happening here and the dynamism of the economy I think a flexible office space solution might work here.” It might work, indeed. With office space vacancy as low as 1%, rents in Dubai are high. For more examples of spaces that offer business professionals everything they need to stay productive outside a traditional office, check out our previous coverage of start-ups in Canada, the UK, Australia and South Africa.
Website: www.easyoffice.co.uk
Love it. Working for a similar company in Portland, Oregon, USA. Also check out current Business Week article on co-working,
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2007/sb20070226_761145.htm
and the accompanying slideshow:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0227_coworking/index_01.htm