How Do I Choose the Ideal Office Location as a Startup?
The matter of finding the perfect office place, such as the one in Kingsway aviation house can be incredibly difficult for pretty much any business out there, but it seems to grow in level of difficulty when the company is a young, growing one. Indeed, most landlords out there tend to prefer leases that are more than a couple of years long, which can be a tough requirement for a business that doesn’t quite know how many employees it may be needing in the future. As such, it can be helpful to keep in mind a few tips when it comes to figuring out where you should bring your start-up to life.
Time
As already mentioned, time is an essential aspect to consider, as it’s crucial to avoid getting locked into a lease that outlives your needs for it. Indeed, the fact that you’ve got 10 or so employees now, doesn’t mean that this is going to be the same in the future.
If you’re having a hard time finding a lease that’s shorter, and that works well with your long-term business plan, a good idea would be to look into subleases, as they generally have a bit more flexibility in that regard.
Size
If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, something that’s going to help you figure out how long you’re going to need the space for is the size of the space. In essence, you should have at least 70 square feet of floor space per individual working there. If you do want to stay in the same location for a longer time, then you should consider whether you can grow to the level you want in that space. In addition, it’s best to have a space that’s dedicated for meetings with clients.
Layout
If you’ve got a company that’s either creatively or technologically-oriented, the best option would be an open space, since it’s best to have ideas flowing naturally. Of course, this type of layout is unlikely to work well with other types of companies, such as law firms, where one may want something that has more separation, especially since clients in these sorts of situations often want to discuss very private matters. Consider this aspect before looking into spaces.
Location
When picking the location, it’s important to consider whether you’ll be having clients visiting you directly, or if this is not a concern you’ll be dealing with. If clients will be coming to the office space, they should be able to get there with quite a bit of ease. This also goes for your employees. Another important thing to consider is how safe the neighbourhood is, and whether there are coffee shops, after work bars, or gyms nearby, since these sorts of amenities can help make your employees even more excited about working at your startup.
Price
Of course, price is a crucial part of finding an office location that works with your start-up. Try to figure out how much you’re fine with spending per month on your team. Of course, you should remember to consider hidden costs, such as other fees, utilities and furniture.
The price you’re going to pay is highly dependent on the location you pick, a fact which you may already be aware of. There are other things that are also going to influence this cost, from availability, as well as the variety of types of offices the market has to offer.
Finding that ideal office can be quite difficult, but it can be done with a bit of research and effort. Of course, you’ll also be needing to be patient, so make sure that you start this search process 3-4 months before the date you’re thinking of moving.