January has long been known as a peak month for jobseekers updating their CVs and looking for a fresh start in their careers. But new data suggests the new year reset isn’t just happening at an individual level, as the ripple effects of this annual shake-up are now being felt by businesses, particularly when it comes to office space decisions, according to serviced office provider WorkWell.
Recent Google Trends data shows UK searches for “serviced offices” have spiked by 59% in the past week*, signalling a growing reluctance among businesses to commit to traditional office leases at the start of the year. As hiring plans, budgets, and growth forecasts are finalised in January, many companies appear to be delaying or avoiding long-term property commitments altogether.
For many businesses, the start of the year is when the true cost of office space becomes harder to ignore. With rising costs across multiple areas, office space is increasingly being scrutinised as a controllable overhead.
According to Oliver Corrigan, Managing Director at WorkWell, January is increasingly when office decisions are shaped by caution and flexibility, rather than expansion alone.
1. Office leases are being reassessed as a financial risk
“January is when many businesses properly scrutinise their costs”, Oliver explains. “What looks affordable on paper can quickly become expensive once all the additional responsibilities of a leased office are factored in.
“While leasing can initially appear cost-effective, businesses often find that rent is only part of the picture. Utilities, maintenance, cleaning, IT infrastructure, and ongoing management costs can quietly add up, putting pressure on cash flow at a time when businesses are setting budgets for the year ahead.”
2. Businesses are prioritising speed over long-term commitments
“January is a busy time for recruitment, and businesses don’t want office space slowing them down,” Oliver says. “Delays around leases, fit outs, or setup can quickly become a barrier to growth.
“As new hires join and teams begin to change shape, traditional leased offices can take months to become operational. In contrast, serviced offices allow businesses to move in and start working immediately, helping companies support recruitment plans without unnecessary delays or disruption.”
3. Flexibility is replacing expansion as the priority
“January is when plans are still taking shape, so businesses are understandably cautious about locking themselves into long-term decisions,” Oliver adds. “They want space that can change as they do.
“With headcount, working patterns and market conditions still uncertain early in the year, traditional leases can quickly feel restrictive. Serviced offices allow businesses to scale space up or down as needs change, offering agility without committing to space that may no longer fit six or twelve months down the line.”
As January hiring accelerates, and with the month also seeing a strong wave of new business launches across the UK**, the growing shift towards serviced offices suggests that businesses are becoming more cautious about locking themselves into long-term property decisions. While this surge in entrepreneurial activity reflects renewed confidence and innovation at the start of 2026, for many organisations flexibility is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but a practical response to uncertainty and the need to move quickly.
For further information, visit www.workwelloffices.com.