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As a small business owner, choosing the right office space is a crucial decision. Whether your a start-up looking for your first commercial space to rent, an established business relocating to buy, or a remote business making a move to premises, you’ll want to take these considerations into account to ensure that you end up getting exactly what you’re looking for.
Establish your needs
You’ll want to establish precisely what your needs are before you start looking, this will ensure that you don’t end up choosing something that isn’t the right fit. Consider what your must-haves are? For example, does the space need to be open plan? Do you need a large meeting room? Are you looking for somewhere with a short-lease or does the building need to be in a particular location? Whatever your needs may be, you need to go in with an exact idea of what you’re looking for.
Location
Choosing your location will depend on a few factors. Firstly you need to consider your employees and where they live. You’ll need to establish the commute times in each different area that you are considering renting, or buying, to see if they are viable. Make sure to look at the public transport options and think about how most of your employees would travel to work. In addition to this, if you’re choosing somewhere in a new neighborhood, ensure that you spend some time in the area to make certain that you like it and will be comfortable spending lots of your time there. Sites like www.proplist.com can make your search a whole lot easier because you can search straight from there without having to find the right agencies first.
Budget
Do your research beforehand so that you can get a rough idea of prices, what you can get for your money in different areas and what the average costs are. Work out what your budget is based on your turnover and expenses, and determine what you can afford to pay. Don’t forget to factor in any hardware, furniture and utilities that you will need to pay for too. If you go in with a set budget in mind, you won’t end up paying more than you can afford and losing money.
The aesthetics
You should never underestimate how much the look and feel of your workspace can contribute to productivity. You’ll want to choose a space that has plenty of natural light and is visually pleasing enough to allow you to relax and be creative. Spaces that are cramped, neglected, or dull can create the opposite atmosphere that you will need to thrive. Having said this, there’s nothing wrong with finding a fixer-upper and using some bright colors, plants and nice furniture to spruce up the place later on.
When you’re spending Monday-Friday here, you’ll want to ensure that it’s a place that you can enjoy working. Lastly, make sure that there aren’t any significant repairs that the office needs which could present themselves as high costs later on.
With so much to consider when running a business, choosing an office space doesn’t need to be another added stress.
