In this interview, Mr Janko Siegert, Senior Head of Sales at the Collection Group, discusses the lean structures of the business centre sector and how these can help to ensure the three factors of production. He also touches on the importance of ensuring every customer feels at ease in COLLECTION Business Centres.
Question: Mr Siegert, you have been in the business centre sector for many years – what are customers’ most important needs?
Answer: “Quite clearly: the simple, streamlined structures that a business centre offers them. With us, you only pay for what you actually need: this applies to the duration of the tenancy agreements as well as to the size of the spaces. Flexibility is key. Just like most of our customers, we are entrepreneurs ourselves; we know what it means to have to generate profits, withstand cost pressures and use budgets as efficiently as possible. This common ground connects us with our tenants – and it is only by working together that we are strong.”
Question: In many major German cities, commercial property has become very scarce; too few new buildings are being constructed, and there have been numerous conversions from commercial to residential use. How do you view this development?
Answer: “This is a particularly difficult situation for small and medium-sized enterprises, but also for start-ups, for example, and it jeopardises economic growth in Germany. I come from a family of merchants myself, attended commercial college and learnt early on that there are exactly three factors of production: land, labour and capital. Through our business centres, we ensure that, at least in terms of land, businesses achieve the greatest possible efficiency in terms of the ratio of resources invested to benefits gained. If you take this a step further, it also takes the pressure off the other two factors of production: after all, anyone who can stretch their budget by saving money on office rent naturally has more capital available for innovation, investment and also for paying high-performing staff.”
Question: Nevertheless, terms such as ‘modern working environments’ and ‘feel-good factor’ are very much in vogue. Isn’t that a bit of a balancing act if the aim is to streamline structures?
Answer: “Not at all. We have fitted out our business centres with exclusive furnishings to ensure we always offer a five-star atmosphere; in doing so, we wish to emphasise our commitment to first-class service. This applies to the interior design as well as to the entire working environment. Our business centres are situated in prime locations in major business hubs such as Vienna, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt – and our priority is always: what do our clients want? We constantly monitor the market, engage in dialogue with our tenants, and therefore know that: Short distances are important, quick access to local transport networks, motorways and airports is important, and proximity to good restaurants is important. And, of course, our customers want to have peace of mind so they can devote themselves fully to their core business. We also see our role as taking the pressure off them in this regard.”
About the person: Janko Siegert is Head of Sales and co-owner of the Collection Group. This cosmopolitan and well-travelled Cologne native has been shaping the business centre scene for almost a quarter of a century and is regarded as one of the most experienced experts in the industry in Europe. It is thanks to his keen sense of trends and market developments that COLLECTION Business Centres are now regarded internationally as premier locations. Janko Siegert is still known to many industry insiders from his time with the Your Office Group and at Excellent Business Centre. The standards he set in many market segments – such as the virtual office or the co-working philosophy – are now applied across sectors in the modern world of work.
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