7 things to consider when moving your business to a new office space
Moving to a new office space is often an exciting, if daunting, step for your business. There are lots of things to think about when moving, and depending on the reason for your move and where you are moving your business from, you might have different considerations relating to your move.
We have tried to compile a list of things that we know can be overlooked when moving to a new office. They may not all be relevant to every business, but they should give you some idea of the things you might have forgotten or not yet considered.
1. Why might you need to move your business to a new office?
There are many reasons a business might need to move their office space. For some, it could be they are moving from their kitchen table to their first “proper” office. For others, it could be a move from a shared working space to a dedicated office, either due to taking on employees or requiring a more permanent dedicated space for clients to visit.
Sometimes businesses need to upgrade their office space to accommodate more employees. Following Covid, we have seen a number of business initially move from high street shop-front style locations to working from home, to now moving into a slightly larger but non-customer facing office as a compromise between the two extremes.
To ensure you find the most appropriate office for your business, you should carefully consider what your core reasons for moving your business are, as that will impact your choice of business space. You may struggle to find the perfect office space that ticks every box in your budget, so knowing where you are willing or not willing to compromise can help you to make the right choice.
2. How much space do you need and what type of space do you need?
This is a bit of a two-parter. Firstly, consider how much space your business needs to thrive: most office rental agreements are for at least 6 months and many are 12 months or more. Therefore, you need to consider not just how much space your business needs right now but how much space it may need over the next 12 months.
If you are a small online retail business, you may need enough space to store extra stock during busy periods such as Christmas. You may be able to negotiate extra storage from the office building on a short term rent, but this is a good conversation to have before you agree to rent an office.
Secondly, you need to consider what type of space you need. For example, if you are a business with many people, do you need an open-plan office space or one where you can isolate specific areas for private meetings and conversations. At our office block in Torquay, Castle Circus House, we have both open-plan offices and offices with sub-office spaces inside that can be shut off as required.
3. How will you need to prepare or change the space to suit your needs?
Depending on what type of business you have, you may need to fit-out the office space in different ways. At Castle Circus House, we have a huge range of businesses who have all fitted out their offices in different ways; from a therapist who has created a living room feeling in her office to settle patients, including comfy chairs, aromatic diffusers and a coffee making area, to accountants with traditional desks. We even a herbalist who had created a kitchen/lab type area where she can prepare tinctures and creams for clients.
Some offices would not allow you to do some of the above changes when outfitting your space,so it is important to consider what you will need in the office space and then ask the letting agent for details on what you can or can’t do within the space.
4. Do you want to network with other businesses?
If you have moved from a shared working space, or you have a new business that you feel could benefit from networking with like-minded businesses, then you may want to consider the community of the business space you are moving into. A large multi-business office block is likely to offer more networking opportunities than a single retail space. When viewing a space, you could ask the letting agent to introduce you to other businesses in the building or find out if there are community activities, if this is important to you.
5. What facilities do you need in the building?
Going beyond what you might need within your office space, consider what facilities you need within the building as a whole. For example, if you regularly have meetings that would be too large for your normal office space, you may benefit from an office building that includes a conference room.
If your business requires a good level of security or client privacy, you may prefer a building with a secure entrance that requires a code or key fob to enter. If you regularly have walk-in type clients, this may not be suitable, and you may prefer an office space with easy access from the street.
6. What about accessibility for your office space?
Accessibility needs could be related to your needs, the needs of your team, or the needs of your clients. Larger office buildings may include a lift, but it’s worth remembering that lifts can require maintenance or encounter issues that could leave you or your team stranded if they are unable to use stairs.
On a note for lifts, if you have large or heavy items to move regularly, it is worth asking the letting agent about the lift policy and capabilities. Some buildings include a smaller or older lift that is not designed for heavy use, and as such, may discourage businesses from using the lift to move large and heavy items regularly .
7. Updating your address
Once you have found the ideal office space, make sure you remember to update your address. This includes updating your business cards, website and Google listing as well as any directory listings you may have for your business. This is by far one of the most common things people forget to do when they move their business to a new office space.
If you are interested in moving your business, check out our commercial spaces here.
If you are a commercial landlord and are interested in how we can assist you in letting your commercial space, contact us here.