What To Consider When Looking For Office Space
Your office promotes your brand
Whether you are the principal partner of a law firm or the owner of a logistics company, your office can big a huge boost to your brand image. Office space impacts daily operations, which in turn determines the morale of your staff. When the time comes to move into another office space, you should consider eight important factors that showcase your company’s products and/or services.
Location, Location, Location
Successful restaurateurs know about the importance of location. Open a restaurant along an isolated road with just one entrance into the parking lot and you can kiss your restaurant goodbye within a year.
Location is just as important, if not more important for an office space. You want to make sure your clients or customers can reach your business without any hassles. The same principle applies to your employees. One of the reasons why job applicants move on from a business is because the location of the business is too far out of the way.
Another factor to consider is what types of businesses are located near the office space?
Cost
Cost is often the most important factor for businesses in search of new office space. Pinching pennies can find your company in an office that does not accommodate all your business needs. Spend too much on space you do not need and eventually, you will have to cut costs in other areas. You also must consider the hidden costs of renting an office, such as parking, maintenance, and utilities.
Comparison shops in different parts of town to determine whether you can find an upcoming neighborhood where the commercial property rents have not yet soared through the roof.
Size
Many companies move from one office to the next office because they need more room to conduct daily operations. After location and cost, you want to consider the size of your new office space. The general rule for office space is to provide at least 70 square feet per employee. However, do not go strictly by the 70-square-feet standard. Maybe you need more room for storage or to add larger desks.
You also have to consider the projected growth of your company, as well as create a dedicated area for meetings with clients, purveyors, and employees.
Design
The design of your new office space is the most effective way to leave a positive first impression on anyone that stops by for a visit. This is the factor that has the most influence in promoting your company’s brand. Color is a big design element to consider, as is the theme of the décor inside your new office space.
One of the questions you should ask the commercial property owner is do you have the flexibility to customize the design. The language for changing how an office looks should be written into the lease.
A good question to ask when it comes to office design is “Would I be proud to show this office to my family and closest friends.”
Security
Your new office should provide your employees, purveyors, and clients/customers with a strong sense of security. Renting office space on the wrong side of town can jeopardize business relationships. It also can cost you plenty of money, from hiring a security team to paying for the most advanced security system and business insurance on your company’s fleet of cars.
It would also help to consider FM Safety & Security. A commercial security system is one of the most efficient ways to secure your office. After setting up and installing the system, you will find you offices to be more secure.
Lighting is one of the key components to developing a safe work environment. Make sure the illumination in the parking area is bright and there are not any dark spaces leading up to your office.
Technologically-friendly
Not every building provides the technological amenities that most businesses need to complete daily operations. You should check to ensure any office space under consideration has the technological support in place to support the most advanced smart gadgets. There also has to be enough power outlets and Internet connections to get your team moving flawlessly on the digital highway.
Easy to Access
Making your employees park in a lot located four blocks away is not going to cut it. Ideally, you want the parking lot or garage to connect to an entrance to the building. You also need to consider the employees that take public transportation to work. An office near a bus line or subway station is an amenity you cannot put a price on for your employees. If your business remains open outside of typical business hours, ask the landlord to provide accommodations that allow your employee to enter the building.
Work Environment
More like work ambiance, because the ambiance you create for the office goes a long way towards determining the mood, motivation, and productivity of your employees. The space should include large windows that invite the sun in to brighten the mood of your team. You also should ensure the space remains relatively quiet and there are no unhealthy indoor pollutants.
The Bottom Line
Checking off the eight factors to consider when looking for office space can give you a new home for your company over the next decade or two. Utopia Management, which is a property management firm out of California, has one more factor to add to your checklist.
Before you sign a lease for new office space, enlist the help of a real estate attorney to review the lease with you.
