There are three common ways for a small business to get an office: rent a private office in an executive suite, take a membership at a coworking space, or sign a lease on your own space. They can look similar on a listing site, but they differ a lot in privacy, commitment and what you end up paying for. Here is a plain comparison.
The three options in one paragraph each
Executive suite. A furnished private office inside a shared business center. Your office is yours and locks; the conference rooms, kitchen, printing and mail service are shared with the other companies in the center. A monthly fee covers most of the running costs, and terms are usually short.
Coworking. A shared workspace sold as memberships: a desk in an open area (a different one each day, or the same one every day), sometimes with private offices too. The emphasis is on flexibility and community; privacy depends on what you buy.
Traditional lease. You lease space directly from the building's landlord, typically for several years, and you are responsible for setting it up and running it: furniture, internet, and often utilities, maintenance and build-out, depending on the lease.
Side by side
| Executive suite | Coworking | Traditional lease | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Your own lockable office | Open desks; private offices at some spaces | Your own space |
| Commitment | Month to month or a short term | Month to month is common | Usually several years |
| Upfront cost | Deposit, if any; no build-out | Low | Deposit, furniture, IT, possibly build-out |
| Included | Furniture, Wi-Fi, utilities, shared rooms | Desk, Wi-Fi, shared amenities | The space; the rest is up to you |
| Meeting rooms | Shared, bookable | Shared, bookable | Only what you build |
| Business address and mail | Yes | Often, sometimes extra | Yes |
| Growing or shrinking | Move offices as space allows | Add or drop memberships | Limited by the lease |
When an executive suite makes sense
- You need privacy for phone calls, client files or confidential conversations, which rules out most open desks.
- You meet clients and want a professional conference room without paying for one every day.
- You do not want to commit to years of rent, or you are not sure how big the team will be next year.
- You want to move in quickly, without buying furniture or setting up internet.
When coworking makes sense
Coworking suits people who mostly work on a laptop, do not handle much confidential material in the room, and value a lively shared space or the chance to meet other members. A flexible desk membership can be the lowest-cost way to get out of the house a few days a week.
When a traditional lease makes sense
A lease starts to make sense when the team is large and stable, you want to design the space around how you work, and you are confident you will stay in the same place for the length of the lease. You take on more up front and more risk, in exchange for control over the space.
Compare the total, not the headline
Rent per month is only part of the cost. When you compare options, add up everything you would pay in a year: rent or membership fees, deposit, furniture, internet, utilities, cleaning, conference-room time, printing, mail handling and parking. Then weigh the commitment: how much would it cost to leave early, or to add two people?
For an executive suite, ask exactly what the monthly rate covers. Our guide to what is included in a private office has a checklist.
Where Icon Centers fits
Icon Centers is an executive-suite operator: furnished private offices in nine business centers in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, with Wi-Fi and utilities in the rate, shared conference rooms and mail service at every center, and month-to-month terms with one month's notice. Longer terms earn free months. Icon Centers operates the suites; the buildings are owned and managed by others.
Browse by area: Downtown Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and Center City Philadelphia.