Look no further, with collective_100 you have now found the perfect office...
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Finding the perfect office for your business can be a challenging process, with so many variables to consider from location to cost it can feel like an un-navigatable maze. To help you with your search for the perfect office we have created this handy list to help you in your search.
1. Location
Location is one of the first things you should consider when finding an office. Work out first is there parking nearby, if yes great if no check if it is accessible by public transport. Your office is simply no use if no one can get to it. Once you have worked out how accessible the option you are considering is to check that it is within a reasonable distance of all your staff who will regularly use the space. If they can all access it then great! Finally, when considering the location, carefully think about how the location will affect your clients. Does the office's facade represent your brand well? Will the office be accessible for any client meetings that you may have? Can you book out guest car parking for important clients? These are all questions that need to be asked and answered if you are going to host clients within your office space.
2. Space
Space is important for more reasons than you may think. When signing onto a long-term lease it is important that you anticipate room for growth. For example, if you are signing onto a two-year lease, it is imperative that you do your best job at estimating where your business may be in two years' time, will you grow by five employees or grow by ten. If you are looking to grow then it might be necessary to ensure you have the space for these extra employees. Additionally, you should plan out space and how you plan on using it to create an office space that will foster you and your teams' workflow, positioning desks near windows where natural light can help engage employees. Also, consider whether it is worth using space for costly meeting rooms. Do you need a dedicated space to meet in?
3. Cost
Now cost is important to consider in two ways. Firstly, what is the cost of the office lease? Secondly, what are the associated costs, electricity, water, printing, fit-out, cleaning, toilet paper, coffee, tax, etc. Additionally, work out who covers these costs, for example, in many coworking spaces these costs are all covered under one small monthly fee whilst other forms of leases require the business to pay for different things.
When considering your options it is important to take into account the size of your business, for a business with 1-30 employees coworking is far more affordable than a traditional office lease, whilst for companies larger than 30 the cost of a traditional lease begins to become more reasonable and eventually more affordable.
4. Travel Time
Based on the location is travel time, it is vital that you make sure your office is within a reasonable travel time of both your employees and anyone that your business needs to serve in person. For example, if your business often works with a lot of lawyers, make sure your business is located central to all the law firms within your industry to save time traveling between appointments.
5. How often will you use your office
Depending on the type of work you perform, it may be the case that you do not require an office 24/7, and one or two days a week may be sufficient for you and your team. If this is the case you could consider doing one of two things. The first is renting a smaller office and rotating your team through space, designating days to individuals and hosting weekly meetings with your team, or coordinating it so that all members of each team will be present in the office on certain days.
The other option is coworking, rent out an office within a coworking space, and rotate members, on days where you need to have a large meeting just rent out the meeting room. On days where multiple employees wanna be in the office and you run out of room in your office, simply book a few Flexi desks allowing for your teams to collaborate.
Conclusion
There are many options when choosing your office, however, when making that choice there are even more considerations. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out and we will do our very best to assist you in making the best possible choice for you and your team.
