Office politics heat up
Just when it seemed competition between serviced offices in Central had peaked to fractious levels and could intensify no further, along comes another new entrant keen for a slice of the action.
Hong Kong's legion of stockbrokers and property dealers are known for being able to spot a profitable niche or a business trend with growth potential.
So, when Alice Lau felt her days of picking shares and pressing buy-sell buttons on behalf of clients were over, she looked for an opportunity to extend her finance knowledge to running a business.
She and fellow finance professionals teamed up with a property agency to have a crack at the serviced office market and to help other enterprises grow by offering a business consultancy to tenant companies.
The result is Go Goal, and Lau is CEO. 'I just wanted to try something new after being in the financial industry,' she says.
Go Goal has locations at Times Tower, Causeway Bay, and Des Voeux Road, Central. Although one of the smaller and newer players in the city's serviced office scene, Lau says Go Goal is being positioned in the middle tier of the market.
'We have several partners, all from Hong Kong, and we think there is potential in the serviced office market,' Lau says. 'The interest is picking up. Rentals are rising as it's getting more and more expensive for businesses wanting premises right now.'
A report by Savills says grade-A office rents have skyrocketed to nearly HK$200 per square foot. The tight supply in Central has also led to some jostling between business centre providers, as Compass Offices seeks to dominate in the area.
Go Goal is ensuring it has a presence on the edges of this fray. Lau says the finishing touches have been put to premises in Des Voeux Road, which is a smaller one compared with the 4,000 sqft offices on the 26th floor of Times Tower.
She says rents start from about HK$7,000. As is often the case in Hong Kong, however, there is a promotion in full swing. Sign for 12 months, Go Goal's boss says, and the tenant gets three months free with an all-inclusive deal.
The fledgling business centre will also bring the 'time-share office' to the marketplace. Lau says this is an original concept from Go Goal and comes in addition to flexible packages, including daily rates, being offered. There will also be storage lockers for clients, while the latest phone technology, free Wi-fi and broadband infrastructure have been installed at both locations.
