Things to Consider When Looking for Your First Office Space
Acquiring your first workspace is an exciting step in business development and means that it’s on the right track. However, you want to make sure that the workspace you find is suitable for your company and employees. You’ll need to consider everything from size and cost to the placement of the building itself and the available facilities.
Creating an engaging and inspiring workspace can help your employees reach their full potential and can attract promising, new talent. This can only mean good things for your business in the future so here is everything you need to consider when looking for your first office space:
Capacity
One of the first things you need to think about is how many employees are going to regularly be using this area. For optimum productivity and working conditions, you’ll want them to be comfortable. According to HSE, every employee is entitled to sufficient floor area, height, and unoccupied space for purposes of health and safety.
You also need to keep in mind how many of your workers are remote or hybrid. If you have higher levels of these kinds of employees, then you can get away with a smaller office space. If you have more in-office employees, then it’s better to be on the safe side and get a larger space.
Costs
Committing to an office spaced can be daunting, especially where costs are involved. Especially during the cost-of-living crisis, you must review the short- and long-term costs of your options to find the most cost-effective one for you.
With this in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you’re in a stable monetary position and are not about to hit a financial dry spell before you sign any paperwork. If you haven’t already, you should make a financial plan for your business to make sure that you are making a safe investment and to forecast where you will be financially in the future.
Facilities
If your clients or customers are going to be regularly visiting your office space, you’ll need more than just desk space for employees. In this case, you might need meeting rooms and basic facilities like toilets and a break room.
Remember that the more you expand your space and the more people you have inside it means that you’ll also need the necessary safety signposting. You can keep employees and clients safe with emergency exit hardware and fire safety signage.
Placement
Many employees travel to work via public transport and personal car, so you’ll need to make sure your office space is accessible to both modes of transport. Having parking onsite or nearby is a good idea for any visiting clients and customers.
