Taking the leap from a home office, to an actual office is a scary move. There’s so many factors to consider, costs to weigh up, and worries that will play on your mind. Things such as where will you move, how big will it be, what is your budget, what additional costs may you occur such as maintenance. But sometimes, despite all the things you have to factor in, you just need to move. A home office is fine for smaller, really new businesses. But after time, you’ll need to acquire an office, or warehouse and start staffing it in order to cope with your company's growth demands.
Size
Generally, when renting an office out, you’ll be under a fixed contract. Meaning you’ll have to be there for a term of usually around 6 months to a year. So making sure you have the right space for you is essential. Take a look at your growth patterns so far, and see how it’s panning out, then make a decision with regards to what size you need the office to be. It may be that in 6 months time, you see yourself hiring 3 members of staff, but only have an office big enough for 2 people, including you, yet you’re stuck in a lengthy contract. Give your future business room to grow. Try and aim for one with a shorter contract so you can switch around sooner if needed.
Extra Costs
It is common for a lot of shared offices to have things such as electric, water, maintenance, etc to be included in your monthly payments. However some smaller buildings expect you to pay all of this on top of your rent. Sometimes though, it could work out a lot cheaper. The chances are, you’ll only really be using the electricity the most, and some companies offer discounted rates for business properties. You’ll most likely never need a handyman, but you will be likely to need a plumber or electrician at some point. A commercial electrician wouldn’t be too expensive however. You’ll also need to hire a cleaner, and will have to answer all of your own calls. The perks of managed office spaces is that all of this is included for you, and you would have a managed reception area. Meaning your guests would be greeted and phone calls answered if you weren’t around to take them. So weigh up whether it’s cheaper to have your own, or worth paying that little bit extra to have a helping hand if you need it.
Location
Depending on what your business does, you’ll need to be in a good central location. Unless you’re looking to relocate, make sure it’s not too far from your own home in case you need to quickly pop into the office. Make sure it’s not too far out in the sticks so that when it does come to employing people, you’re not too far away for them to travel. Choosing a location such as a busy city would be perfect. Not only will you have a wider range of people apply. But there are so many more office spaces to acquire, and the price ranges will be broader.
I hope you enjoyed this article about how to transfer your center of business operations from home to a real office.
Interested in more articles about office management?
Read My Posts:
- The Pros & Cons Of A Flexible Working Arrangement
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Published by Michael J Schiemer
Owner of Bootstrap Business
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