Why Paying for Empty Desks Is Killing Your Business—and What to Do About It
Let’s call it what it is: madness. Rows of empty desks, flickering fluorescent lights, rent draining from your account each month like a slow leak—this isn’t strategic planning, it’s self-sabotage. Yet, thousands of SMEs across Ireland are still clinging to outdated leases, paying for space they barely use.
The pandemic gave us all a taste of what flexibility feels like. Teams proved they could work from home, or a café, or anywhere with half-decent Wi-Fi. So why are businesses still tying themselves to rigid office contracts, with five- or ten-year terms, in buildings that sit half-empty?
It’s not just about cost (though that’s a big one). It’s about how you think about space. Office space shouldn’t be a status symbol—it should be a tool. If you’re not using it, why are you paying for it?
The Real Problem?
There’s still a lingering belief that ‘real businesses have all their staff in one big office’. But the modern SME doesn’t —it needs flexibility, adaptability, and access to professional environments on its own terms. Why fork out thousands each month for rows of desks when your team only needs a handful of them a few times a week – and that team is spread across different towns and counties in some cases!
What’s the alternative?
At Entára, we’re seeing more businesses move to a “just-in-time” model for workspace. Need a place to meet once a week- Book it. Need shared-desks in a satellite office – we have it! Need 24/7 access to offices in a few different towns – get it!
Want somewhere quiet for admin once a month? No problem. Need a full office for three months of a project? Sorted. You don’t need to own space—you just need access to the right space, when you actually need it.
Takeaway
Empty desks don’t earn revenue. They don’t build culture. They’re just sunk cost. The future of office space is pay-as-you-go, not pay-for-what-you-hope-to-use. It’s time Irish SMEs stopped seeing rent as a badge of honour—and started seeing flexibility as a strategy for survival.
Our coworking spaces in Kerry, North-West Cork, and West Limerick provide no long commitment licence-spaces. Reserve your flexible office space today
