How To Find The Perfect Office Space For You
So you’ve decided that your office has finally reached that ripe age where it’s ready to expand and grow. For most companies, this is a scary time. Now is the time where your mettle will be tested. Expansion from a small office in the garage to an actual office space is usually the “make or break” phase of a company. If you can survive this, the chances of you thriving in your local industry goes higher. At the same time, the skills that you will acquire from this experience will help you navigate the business industry a lot better.
Studies find that 90% of all startups fail. This is a depressing statistic that is easily avoidable with better planning and a dash of luck. Before deciding on a drastic course of action, it is better to do a full audit of your business transactions and determine whether you are ready for expansion or not.
Now that you are sure you’re ready, one of the most important decisions that you will ever have to make is where to set up your office. The office space that you choose will directly affect not only your productivity and morale but also your company image. Your office will create one of the first impressions of your brand. If this is unsatisfactory, this can turn away any potential client.
Finding and leasing a professional office that would meet all your needs while staying below your budget can be quite a challenging task. It is crucial for your business’ survival that you are in an area with good internet speed, you can check this with an internet speed test then choose the fastest and best for your needs so your business stays connected. Make sure to also keep all expenses in check. In other words, even if you’ve got that massive funding from an investor, it’s best not to splurge it in a grand office.
I have listed down below some of the ways on how to find the perfect office space for you.
Location Is Key
As with any real estate opportunity, the location of your office is key to your success. Take into consideration not only the prestige of the place but also the price. Think about this crucial aspect before even thinking up a floor plan or any general design ideas.
Your location will also dictate as to how big of an office space you can get. For example, the price of a 50 m2 office in Bournemouth or Leicester will not even get you a co-working space in London. This reason is why location is important. Determine whether your office needs to be in a prime area. Is the prestige worth your investment?
For offices that offer remote services, it might be best for your bank to consider a less in-demand office space to save on rent. However, if you think your company would benefit from such an investment, suck it up and look for a prime area in the middle of the city.
One more consideration with location is the accessibility. Once you start hiring employees, you will realize that their access to the office will affect their quality and level of work.
Amenities/Services
Free coffee. Adequate Ventilation and Heating. Clean Bathrooms. Proper Trash Management and take a look at a range of supplies for your staff. These are just some standard taken-for-granted services that are important for the office’s workflow. Trash management, for example, can cause so many problems, both hygienic and productivity-based. Look for an office with an extensive janitorial and skip hire services to ensure proper waste disposal.
Space
As a startup, you need to live with the fact that for the first few years, you will have to make do with a small office with barely any extra space to save on money. A cramped room can hinder office productivity. However, there are some ways on how you can create artificial space.
Minimizing the number of items inside your office can be the key to surviving years inside a small office. Not only will this lessen the cramped feeling but also reduce clutter. Another option that you can take is to store all your company items that are not necessary for daily operations in business storage.
Furnished/Unfurnished
Usually, office buildings will offer both furnished and unfurnished units. The main benefit of a furnished office is that you’re assured that the space you’re renting is already optimized for professional needs. Having office furniture and equipment present inside the office also reduces the need for you to look for furniture suppliers.
One way for this is by using Innovative Office Partitions. Office partitions will allow each employee their own personal cubicle or space. Some benefits of having office partitions include:
- Giving employees extra privacy
- Creating set workspaces, without any invasion of space
- Lessen noise
- Create a professional and modern look to your office
Consider Co-Working Spaces
Instead of going for a full-time office, it may be better to consider co-working spaces for now. Co-working spaces provide fully functional office spaces without you having to shell out huge loads of money. At the same time, it removes the added pressure of managing an entire office and turning it into a functional organization. The best thing to do is to take everything slow as one wrong move can quickly turn catastrophic.