6 critical considerations for your startup's first office space
Moving into your own commercial office space for the first time can be quite an exciting step in your entrepreneurial career. It indicates a coming of age for your new business, meaning it’s much more likely to expand and flourish. By accommodating more resources and staff in your new space, your business will be more productive.
Selecting the perfect office space for your business can be quite a challenging task. The space you choose might be a deciding factor in a number of other important decisions which will affect your business. For example, it will affect your office budget, the lease and rental rates, the accessibility and functionality of the space, utilities, and other unknown costs. If you are the owner of a startup and are looking to move into the perfect office space, here are 6 critical considerations you need to make before signing the lease.
The Location
The location of your startup’s office is perhaps one of the most important aspects of your future business. If you intend to have your office space in the heart of the city or in an upscale neighborhood, you might attract customers with larger spending power, however, you will pay high leasing and rental costs, which might cause a dent in your resources. On the other hand, offices in less-upscale areas may offer lower rent but may not fetch you as many customers who have considerable spending power. Based on the nature of your business, it is imperative to make a call and arrive at a decision.
Lease and Rental Rates
Real estate rates can change over time and get you into real trouble. The last thing you would want is to settle down comfortably into your office premises, then find that your landlord hikes the rent at the end of the year and rents it out to someone else if you don’t pay more. Most office leases are for a minimum of one year and can go up to ten years. It is important that you prepare your rental agreements with caution and ensure that they give you a chance to renew. Although rental rates are generally negotiated when you renew your lease, you could consider an agreement in which the increase in rent is capped at a maximum of 5%.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure plays a huge role in determining the suitability of your new office space. The total cost you pay towards electricity, phone and internet services, heating, and air conditioning in an office space will be a considerable investment; therefore, you need to conduct adequate research to decide on which service providers you will have on board. You can get in touch with your landlord or the managers of the commercial spaces in your neighborhood to gain a perspective.
Accessibility and Transportation
Your office space should be within close proximity to your home in order to ensure that you and your key employees do not spend a lot of time in commuting every day. Ensure that your office is in the vicinity of metro stations or other public transportation options. Your office premises should be able to take care of the parking needs of both your employees and your customers. Locating your office space in close proximity to public transportation is necessary if you have limited parking space.
Ease of accessibility will not only earn you loyal customers but will also help you to attract potential employees to work for you.
Designing Your Office for Maximum Functionality
You need to first understand which kind of office floor plan will best suit your business. Many recent, successful startups have adopted the open floor plan to foster employee bonding and team spirit. You could also consider open cubicles divided by partitions, which offer a considerable amount of visual privacy. Ensure that the windows are duly covered with blinds to filter the sunlight and to prevent outside noise from entering the office.
Assigning adequate space to your employees is important. It is also important to set guidelines with regards to employees’ ability to personalize their work spaces. Make sure that your office has provisions for differently abled employees.
Exuding Your Brand and Culture
Your office represents what you do and serves as a fantastic branding tool. It should embody everything that your brand reflects. Branding your office will play into your work culture and reinforce the work principles your employees abide by. They should see your company’s brand all around them – from the location of the office to what they see when they walk into the office premises. Their work culture should be shaped by the brand they work for. This is also applicable to clients and customers who visit your office. With great branding, it will be far easier to gain customers’ confidence in your business abilities.
Office environments and cultures have witnessed numerous revolutions over the past decade, courtesy of the startup trend. Office spaces that create an aura of comfort and motivation have been successful in fostering loyalty among employees. It is up to you as a leader of your business to make these important decisions that will help your business flourish.
Featured photo credit: Bench Accounting via unsplash.com
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