Moving your startup into an office for the first time can be nerve-wracking. It’s a commitment that can feel like a huge risk. You need to be able to keep up with your rent and other payments from now on. Your overheads have increased, and you have staff relying on you for a job. If you need room to expand, you might be feeling the pressure to choose your first office. However, it’s important to make sure that you don’t rush it. When you’re choosing and once you have chosen, there are some essential factors you need to consider.
The right layout
The layout of an office is crucial because it can dictate how people work. If it’s the wrong layout, it could affect communication and productivity. You need to think about your office layout both when looking for a space to rent and when setting up your new office. Open-plan offices have been very popular in recent years. However, there is some evidence that they could be disruptive and bring productivity down. It’s important to think about what will work for your staff. Do they need to be close to each other for collaboration and group work? Of course, if there’s space, you can create different zones.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Something that you might neglect to think about in relation to your office is keeping it clean. Every workplace needs to be kept clean and tidy so that anyone working there is safe. You should try to consider hygiene in the workplace when you’re choosing an office. Think about whether there are some things that may be difficult to keep clean. You also need to know whether it’s your responsibility to clean your office. If there are no cleaners provided by the building management, you’ll need to hire office cleaning services. This will be an expense to add to your overheads.
Client areas
Not every business has clients come to their office for meetings. However, many do, and it’s important to keep this in mind. If you plan to have visitors to your office, you need to make a good impression on them. Your office needs to say something about your brand that you want your clients to know. Of course, that something is probably a thing you want your staff to know too. If you’re going to have visitors, you need to ensure you can have areas set up for them, from meeting rooms to somewhere to wait.
Room to grow
A business just moving into its first office is likely to have big plans for growth. You might soon be bringing in more staff or doing more work in your new space. That’s why it’s important to consider your expansion when looking for your first office. You don’t necessarily have to choose an office that’s too big. There might be the possibility to rent the office next door or reconfigure the space to allow for more people.
Just like a first home, your first office will always be special. It’s worth considering a range of factors before choosing.
