Small World Financial Services is a cross-border payment solution that is trusted across 196 countries worldwide. Their global network of digital payment options and physical network of more than 250,000 locations ensures that transfers take place in seconds and can be collected in minutes.
In 2023, they started their relationship with Kickstart by acquiring thirty desks at one of our locations in Karachi. In just one year, they have grown to 220+ desks. We have supported them with a variety of solutions during the course of their growth.
The STEM Lab co-founders in their office at Kickstart MM Alam
Choosing the Right Partner
When Small World joined us back in 2023, the primary reason for joining us was to quickly get the team onboard and get to work without getting into the hassle of leasing and setting up an office. They also had plans to quickly grow their headcount, so they thought joining a coworking space would offer them the flexibility and cost-effectiveness to grow at their own pace.
At that time, Small World was sure that they had to join a coworking space, but they were not sure which one. Salman Khan, who heads Pakistan’s operations at Small World Financial’s Pakistan, articulates their thought process:
“We visited many coworking spaces and chose Kickstart because it was very flexible with custom service offerings. We needed a dedicated internet line and a custom IT & Networking solution, which only they were willing to provide.”
Serviced Private Office at Kickstart Clifton
Scaling Up with Kickstart
After they joined Kickstart, they consistently kept adding eight to twelve (8 – 12) people to their team every month. After a year, they were a team of one hundred and twenty (120) people, all based at Kickstart.
“We also chose Kickstart because we thought they were the partners who could fulfil our requirements as we grow. We felt that they have the execution capacity to meet our changing needs”, added Salman.
Moreover, following this model, where they kept adding desks gradually as and when more team members joined, helped them keep their costs low.
“If we were to set up our own office, we would have to plan for at least 18-24 months. Since leasing and setting up an office is an arduous process so we couldn’t afford to set up a smaller office at the start and then move to a bigger one when our team grew. So we had to plan for future, and we would be paying for a much larger office in the start than what we needed”, added Salman.
The flexibility of the coworking model allows you to only rent the space you need when you need it.
Beyond Coworking: Custom Office Solutions for Growing Enterprises
After a year and a half, Small World was now looking at a headcount of 220+ resources in six more months, they initiated a conversation with us for a fully customised office solution with dedicated meeting rooms, server rooms, and pantries. Kickstart again came with a fully custom solution for Small World that also made economic sense for them. Usually, there is a perception that coworking spaces are only for freelancers and small teams. However, we offered a 220+ desk solution to Small World that makes perfect financial sense for them as well.
While making the decision to get a custom office solution with us, Small World was also comparing our solution to leasing a space and setting up their own office.
“When we joined Kickstart, the idea was to grow with them till a certain point and then move to an office of our own”, Salman adds “However, given the price point and the services Kickstart was offering, we decided to stick with Kickstart. Moreover, we were also factoring in the capital expenses we were going to incur if we set up our own office, and we were also wary of letting go of the flexibility that we had with Kickstart. However, if I have to pinpoint one thing that tilted our decision to Kickstart, it would be the services they were offering us at the given pricepoint”.
Meeting Room at Kickstart Clifton
Service over Space: Crafting a 220+ Desk Solution
The process of doing a 220+ desk custom office solution was not a simple one. As obvious, a fully furnished and serviced office solution of this size is a complex product, and both sides have to weigh many variables before closing a deal. In fact, we proposed a couple of different buildings to Small World where we offered them a custom office solution however, both solutions didn’t work; one because Small World didn’t like the locality and the other because our deal with the building owner didn’t through. Salman recalls the process:
“I think the communication and trust level with Kickstart team was key during the process. At one point, we were exploring setting up our own office alongside exploring deals with Kickstart. It was a messy process weighing different deals, but it was the persistence of Kickstart team with creating a solution that suits us and the communication during the entire process that was instrumental”.
