Establishing an office space is a crucial step for every small business owner. But the thought of moving out of a home office and into a new commercial space is definitely an exciting prospect, a milestone that signals the growth of one’s business. Naturally, you would want your business to grow, and growth means new equipment and employees among many other things.
In a way, a new office space can provide you more room for growth. Remember, having the right office space can impact your business greatly, affecting your brand image, your daily operations, as well as the motivation of your employees. For this reason, it’s important that you find the right office space for your business. Here’s how you can do just that:
- Factor In The Price
Many problems can arise if you don’t factor in the price when getting an office space for your business. Determining the right budget is definitely the way to go and sticking to it is everything. When you pay too little for an office space, you might get one that may not fulfill all your expectations and needs, which may also lead you to move to a new office space much sooner than expected. Pay too much and you may not be able to afford the rent.
When setting up a budget, it is important for you to consider your ability to make a three-month deposit on a property and align this with how much your business is actually making. It is important that you can actually afford the office space you’re trying to get. Furthermore, when a potential office space does come up for you to rent, it would be a great thing for you to ask if there are any hidden fees (e.g., parking costs, maintenance, etc.), or if the price is in line with that of those from other habitable office spaces.
- Determine The Right Location
You might have heard the phrase “location, location, location,” and when looking for the right office space, this phrase couldn’t ring truer. Finding the right location is a critical step. If you decide to locate at a high-end neighborhood, chances are you’ll be able to attract potential clients or customers that are oozing with cash. However, the downside to this is that the rent may be a tad more expensive for your own good. Locating at less upscale areas presents you with more affordable options, but you could also face an elevated crime rate and even vandalism.
What’s more is that when choosing a location, you would need to take into account a few important considerations like parking, public transportation, and even the neighboring businesses. Does the building you are eyeing offer a parking space that would accommodate not just your employees and customers, but those of other businesses as well? Is the parking underground, metered or on-street? Do they provide handicapped parking?
Access to public transportation is also important especially if parking is limited or unavailable. A business that provides good access to public transportation is not only attractive to customers, but even employees as well.
Nowadays, there are numerous companies out there that offer their aid to businesses that are looking to expand their horizons and set up their own commercial space. The Internet is home to such companies, like Aidan Office Space, which could be found at Gateshead, NE. Most of these companies have their own website set up so that more people could find them easily.
- Check The Size
The size of the office space should be enough to accommodate your customers, employees, and most importantly, your day-to-day operations. That said, the price and location will definitely affect the size of the space you’re planning on renting. However, there is a general rule for office spaces: allow 70 square feet per person.
While this rule exists, it is still up to you to decide what’s best for your business and how you can optimize your office space. You know your business the most and if you think your employees need a bigger space for their desks and to move around, it’s your call. But it is important that the office space you get also has room for an exclusive place where you can meet with your clients or partners, and also a place where your employees and yourself can relax and hang around.
- Make Sure The Utilities Are Adequate
While your employees are the life and blood of your business, the utilities act as the nutrients that sustain them. Because of this, the office space that you should get should come with adequate utilities such as heating, electricity, water, and air conditioning. Nowadays, Internet connection is also considered a utility and this should be added as a consideration as well.
Naturally, utilities add to your expenses and with this, it would be ideal to ask the landlord or even the other tenants a copy of the utility bills for the last six months. You may also need to make a new account deposit on the utility companies that the building is associated with. But if you have a prior relationship with these companies, a deposit may not be needed.
- Consider Future Expansion
You should also consider the future of your business when looking for the right office space. Always give room for expansion because you don’t know how quick your business’ growth would be. For this reason, it is important that you ask the landlord if the office space is applicable for remodeling. You never know when you would need to add a partition or remove a wall in order to make more room for your expansion.
Conclusion
Finding the right office space is surely no easy task. However, when doing so, what’s important is to have level-headedness. In order for you to make the right choice, the needs of your business should be a priority. Don’t be impulsive, but instead make decisions while looking at the bigger picture. What’s more is that you should also plan for the future in case you need to expand, or even move out if things don’t work out.
