As a business owner, one of the biggest decisions you will make is the decision to move from home into a rented office space. It will be a big step towards boosting your business, and will allow you to hire more employees too. The real question is, how do you make the right choice when choosing your office?
Do Some Research
Before you just go all in and choose the first space you see, think logically about the decision you are about to make and the impact it could have on yours and your employee’s lives. You’ll want to think about convenience, commuting times and also cost.
Location
The location will be the first crucial thing you’ll want to consider when looking to rent an office space. You will want to make sure that the office is in a central location and close enough to transport routes so that it doesn’t create an issue for the people you employ. You may also want to check crime rates around the area, because if the office is cheap, you may find that there is a reason for the lower price.
Consider Virtual Office Space
If you would be more comfortable to stay at home because you like the way things are set up already, you can opt for a virtual office. This will mean that you have a place to hold meetings with your staff and clients, but you will still be based at home for the majority of the working week. Most will also give you mail and phone solutions so that all work based mail and phone calls come separate to your domestic ones.
Business Type
Think about the industry you work in and what kind of space you will need. If you plan on manufacturing and shipping goods, you will be looking for an office building with a warehouse space at the back with storage and space for hauliers to pick up and drop off goods.
Proximity
Decide how close you want your office to be in relation to clients, partners and competitors. You may not want to pick the office next door to your biggest competitor because it will cause friction. If you are a company who sells product, you may want to make sure you are within a short distance from your suppliers.
Office Space Ambience
You and your employees will want to work in a space which feels open, clean and clear of clutter in order for them to work productively and happily. You may want to add a set of chairs to your main office space for employees to sit at during their morning breaks, and you might want to install speakers to play the radio for everyone in the room. If you find that the office space you have bought is boxy and segregated, you may want to employ a builder such as TPM commercial building co. to open out the space for more comfortable working.
Accessibility
If you have any disabled clients or employees, you will need to make sure that all entrances are made accessible by ramp, and the doors have push buttons for opening.
