5 Things to Look For In Your New Office Space

With the expansion or creation of a new business, a central location is one of the number one concerns.  Beginning the hunt for a new office space can seem like an overwhelming flood of information searches.  There are a few little bits of information that may benefit you to know ahead of time to make the decision a little bit easier to finalize.  Here are a few of the most important aspects you should consider when searching for a new office location.

1. Can your customer base actually find your new location?

The last thing you want is to lose valuable clients due to the pure confusion induced when trying to visit your new location.  If they can’t find you, they can’t pay you!  You have to consider the ease of access.  Choose a location in a popular part of town.  Your employees have to get to work, as well, and you don’t want them to have travel issues when trying to get to work on time.  You may also want to make sure that your customers and employees both have plenty of room to park their vehicles.  There have been plenty of occasions that you have chosen somewhere else to go simply because there was no parking.  Keep that in mind.  

2. Are you limiting your company’s capacity for growth?

An obvious issue you will have to consider is the size of your company and its capacity for growth.  You don’t want a place that is far too large and costs more than you can afford just because you’re “planning for growth”.  You also don’t want to be cramped in a small office for the term of the lease.  Somewhere in the middle is your sweet spot when deciding upon square footage.  

3. Ease of access?

If this isn’t one of the first things you consider when you choose your new location, it should be.  Your employees are your business.  They keep your company afloat.  They deserve to be considered.  It could really hurt your company’s performance to lose your best employees over a change in location.  It’s just not worth the loss.  

4. How does it feel?

The feeling and mood created by the interior of the location matters.  It matters to clients just as much as it will matter to you and your employees.  You want to promote a healthy, happy work environment.  A bland, boring office space will affect the moods of your clientele and your employees.  Can you work with the space?  What does the space communicate to your customers? Consider every part of the company’s appearance to the public.  These things matter.

5. Is there security of rent and lease rates?

Before you ever sign a lease agreement, you should make certain that you know the terms and conditions of the agreement.  Don’t sign anything you haven’t read through thoroughly.  Remember that in the big city, rent is always negotiable.  Terms are always negotiable.  Make sure that your property owner does not have the legal ability to raise your rent past the ceiling over the timespan of your lease.