When you’re starting a business, there’s no end to the decisions you’ll have to make and no time to waste when making them. Despite the demanding schedule, you’ll no doubt be subjected to early on, some of those decisions can have a lasting impact on your company as it begins to grow, so they have to be made with due consideration and care. One of those decisions is choosing the right office space to house your growing startup. Here are four things to keep in mind when making that business-critical decision.
Consider Your Immediate Needs, Future Plans
Finding the right space for your startup requires striking a fine balance between containing costs and considering future plans. That’s a difficult line to walk because committing to too large of a space early on could drain the business of valuable startup capital, while choosing a cramped location could stunt the business’ growth. In general, you will need between 150 and 300 square feet per existing employee, depending on whether you opt for private offices or a more open plan layout. After that, turn to your business forecast to determine how many additional employees you expect to hire over the length of your lease (which you should negotiate), and add that amount of space to your total when conducting a search.
Consider Non-Traditional Areas
Depending on the type of business that you’re starting, you may not need an office that’s situated in a developed commercial zone. This is especially true if you don’t need a storefront or the ability to host clients on a regular basis. In that situation, it pays to consider office locations that are somewhat off the beaten track. If you’re going to expand your search into non-traditional locations, it’s a good idea to engage the services of local real estate agents who will be familiar with the area. In many cases, they may be able to help you find a low-cost hidden gem that suits your new business perfectly.
Of course, a neat and professional appearance is still essential when it comes to your office space, especially if you expect clients to come for meetings. In this case, don’t forget to make the outside of the building look good. Give it a new coat of paint, design clear car parking spaces (check out businesses such as SemperFi Striping, for more information), and put out signage so you are easily found. You may be in a ‘non-traditional’ area, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look the part.
Choose a Functional Layout
Finding an adequate office space isn’t just about headcounts and location. It’s also crucial to think about what you’ll be doing in the office during your day-to-day operations. For example, if your staff will be tasked with detail-oriented work, you’re going to need an office that’s isolated from noise and distractions. If you value collaboration, an open plan might be best, but you’ll still need to reserve space for conference rooms and private areas. You’re also going to want to make sure that your new office has reliable phone and internet infrastructure that can be adapted to serve your business needs, no matter how you adapt the space. Finally, an area that many tend to forget is the office bathroom. Get in touch with https://onepointpartitions.com/ should you need some upgrades for the bathroom.
Watch Out For Gotcha Clauses
If you’re unaccustomed to dealing with the commercial real estate, you’re not alone – most new business owners aren’t. Unfortunately, property owners know that, and they’ll often try to use that fact to their advantage. Depending on your location (local laws, restrictions, etc.), the lease that you’re offered for a commercial office space could have obscure clauses that will drive up the cost of your space over time. It’s not unusual to encounter hidden fees and maintenance responsibilities in a commercial lease that are designed to give the property owner flexibility in what they actually charge. In particular, beware of the structure of any Common Area Maintenance (CAM) fees included in your lease. Those fees cover things like building operations and tending to shared spaces like entryways and parking lots, but owners also use them as an opaque way to pad their profits.
Prepare To Succeed
Once you’ve chosen the right office space for your startup, you should have a solid base from which to grow your company. You should have plenty of room for early-stage growth without too much wasted expense. Just the knowledge that you won’t have to uproot your business as it finds its footing should be invaluable to both your confidence and your bottom line. From there, you can get on with doing what you do best, and hopefully building a lasting and profitable business in the process.
