Prittle Prattle News in conversation with Nikhil Madan, Co-Founder of The Office Pass (TOP)
1. Could you please provide a brief background about yourself and your journey as the Co-Founder of The Office Pass (TOP)? b. What motivated you to establish TOP and contribute to the coworking space industry in Delhi-NCR?
The co-founding team, consisting of Aditya Verma, Sachin Gaur, Saket Bijpuria and myself, worked together for nearly a decade at Makaan.com, an online real estate discovery platform that garnered significant attention in the real estate industry. Following the successful acquisition of Makaan.com by PropTiger.com, a company backed by Newscorp, we delved into the dynamics of commercial real estate, particularly office spaces in India and came across the rising trend of Coworking, which was gaining momentum in the Western countries.
We recognized the immense potential of this concept, and dedicated our efforts to developing a comprehensive model that encompassed layouts, interiors, membership plans, services, and more, specifically tailored to meet the needs of SMEs and Startups. Our vision was to establish an extensive network of accessible, affordable, high-quality, and flexible Coworking and Managed Offices in various cities across the country. Fortunately, we have emerged as the largest operator of flexible workspaces, with 13 offices in the Delhi NCR region alone, despite the setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years.
2. How does TOP help business leaders save on overhead costs, and what specific advantages does it offer in terms of affordability and value for money?
One of the primary advantages for businesses is the elimination of upfront capital expenditure when setting up their offices. By opting for TOP’s Coworking spaces, they can save on the initial costs associated with office setup. Additionally, businesses benefit from significant savings on monthly operational expenses. With a “Pay on Per Seat” basis, they only pay for the number of seats they require, and they can access premium shared facilities such as reception areas, cafes, conference and meeting rooms, casual spaces, and more without incurring additional costs.
Furthermore, TOP’s spaces relieve businesses from the burden of managing everyday office tasks. Housekeeping, internet connectivity, maintenance and repair services, administrative and facility management, office supplies, and other related issues are taken care of by us. This allows businesses to focus solely on their core operations and leave the responsibilities of office operations to the TOP team.
3. How does TOP foster a vibrant community and facilitate connections between business leaders? Are there any specific initiatives or events that encourage networking and collaboration among members?
Facilitating interactions among the members is at the core of all the activities undertaken by TOP. Right from introducing & welcoming every new member to the entire community to frequent ice breaking sessions we try to bring them closer to each other.
To further support our members, we undertake initiatives such as Founder’s Talk and Social Media promotions. TOP’s Founders speak provides a platform for business leaders to share their insights, experiences, and expertise with our community. This not only helps our existing members gain valuable knowledge but also promotes the leaders and their businesses to the wider audience, both within and outside our community. By actively encouraging interactions, providing networking opportunities, and promoting our members’ brands and expertise, we strive to create a vibrant and supportive ecosystem for our community members at TOP.
4. How does TOP provide access to skilled professionals, freelancers, and startups that can contribute to the growth of businesses? Are there any specific programs or platforms available to help business leaders find suitable talent within the TOP community?
TOP serves as an excellent platform for businesses to explore synergies and opportunities among its members. Whenever a member has a specific requirement for a service, such as a CA, lawyer, digital marketer, team excursions, or hiring, they can simply share their requirement within the TOP community. Other members who specialize in providing such services, whether they are freelancers, startups, professionals, or SMEs, can then connect with the service seeker.
Additionally, the TOP team proactively engages with members on a regular basis to understand their requirements. Through both online and offline modes, TOP helps businesses build relationships and have a range of their requirements fulfilled within the TOP community itself.
By providing a platform for collaboration and connection, TOP enables businesses to leverage the expertise and services available within the community, fostering a supportive and mutually beneficial environment for its members.
5. How does TOP offer flexible membership options to cater to the changing needs of businesses? Can you elaborate on how business leaders can scale up or down their workspace requirements seamlessly within the TOP ecosystem?
Unlike traditional office leases that typically lock companies into long-term commitments of 3-5 years, TOP offers flexible terms to its members. Furthermore, TOP enables companies to decentralize their human resources by offering their employees the option to work from the nearest TOP office to their homes. These convenient alternatives are very well appreciated by our members in today’s ever evolving business needs and challenges.
Also, we understand that the businesses operate in a dynamic environment where today’s head count requirement of a company might change in a quarter or so. This is where TOP’s pay-per-seat model gives companies the peace of mind as they only pay for the number of seats they need. Moreover, they might need talent in various locations to serve their customers and in such cases, TOP’s multiple office locations prove to be a significant advantage. Companies can easily hire employees in or near those locations and have them operate from the respective TOP offices. This flexibility in talent deployment helps businesses streamline their operations and better serve their customer base.
Overall, TOP’s flexible terms, decentralized approach, pay-per-seat model, and multiple office locations cater to the ever-changing needs of businesses, providing them with convenience, cost optimization, and talent flexibility.
6. What specific facilities and services does TOP offer, and how do they contribute to enhancing productivity and professionalism for business leaders?
At TOP, we ensure that essential services and facilities are in place to support the smooth functioning of businesses. This includes providing high-speed internet connectivity, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, ensuring adequate security measures, maintaining a comfortable ambient temperature, and offering well-equipped meeting rooms. These amenities are crucial for businesses to operate efficiently and effectively.
In addition to essential services, TOP also offers administrative support, which helps businesses offload tasks such as mail handling, office supplies management, and other administrative responsibilities. We also organize team events and activities that promote team building, employee engagement, and a positive work culture. This allows businesses to focus solely on their core operations and leave the responsibilities of office operations to the Coworking space operator.
7. How does TOP provide well-designed, modern workspaces that enhance the brand image of businesses? Can you elaborate on the availability of professional meeting rooms and common areas that facilitate client meetings and presentations?
Your workspace has a profound impact on how people (employees, vendors, prospective clients etc.) perceive your business as. Therefore, establishing a professional image is crucial for business growth. TOP offers well-designed, modern workspaces that can enhance a business’s brand image. Access to professional meeting rooms and common areas also allows business leaders to conduct client meetings, presentations, and workshops in a polished environment. This is one of the many reasons that Startups, SMEs and even large companies see value in choosing our classy & cozy offices as their business address.
Also, the use of technology at various touch points in the offices like face recognition and IoT controlled devices, superior audio video tools, online systems to manage the meeting & conference rooms not only brings great convenience to our members but also leaves a lasting impression on their clients and talent when they come to meet them for business or interviews.
8. How does TOP organize such events, and what topics do they cover? Can you share some success stories of business leaders who have benefited from attending TOP’s events?
In addition to organizing regular fun activities, at TOP, we place great emphasis on conducting seminars and workshops that hold significant value, particularly for young startups, freelancers, and SMEs.
Knowledge sessions on GST, legal compliances, banking & investments, debt & equity funding etc. and skill-based topics, to name a few like negotiation, effective communication and presentation, risk management, project management etc. receive overwhelming participation and appreciation from them and by implementing the learnings from these sessions and workshops. We have received feedback that our members have greatly benefited from these skill-based sessions at both personal and business fronts.
9. How does TOP’s strategic location in prime business districts and dynamic neighbourhoods facilitate market expansion for business leaders? Can you share examples of businesses that have successfully expanded their reach through TOP’s geographic advantages?
If leaders have to expand and seek new business opportunities by tapping into newer clients at various prime business locations by having their business’ presence at such places then the amount of capital and expenses they would incur would be huge.
TOP’s offices are present at prime business catchments and neighbourhood zones bring great advantage for the leaders as they can quickly have a presence and add a premium address to their business by choosing us. And all this at a fractional cost as compared to what they would have spent if they were to open multiple offices at these locations on their own.
Prittle Prattle News composed this article as an Interview.
