The right place and space can make a big difference to your business. If you are looking for office space in the market, what you choose is very important to your business.
It affects your brand image as well as your daily work and staff morals. Many things can affect the office you choose. However, five elements are absolutely important to the process when finding your space in London.
If you miss one of these, you can be disappointed.
Table of Contents
1. Location
Here are two really important questions:
- Can the client arrive without any problems?
- Can employees easily get there?
If you find an office space in London that meets these two boxes, you’re ready to find the right place. Also, think about the safety of your neighbourhood and near your office. Is there a gym nearby? Coffee shop? After the work bar?
All of this is important to keep customers and staff happy.
2. Price
Price is probably the most important factor for most companies when choosing a new office. If you spend too little, you may end up with an unsatisfactory office or move in a few months.
If you spend too much money, you may have a hard time paying the rent or you may have to move again to reduce the size. Neither of these scenarios is ideal.
Here are some important questions to ask you when considering how much to spend on your next office space:
- Can you currently afford to pay a 3-month rental deposit at this location?
- Have you heard about hidden costs? (Maintenance, additional parking costs, etc.)
- Does the price of this office match similar office space in the area?
Question 1 provides a very wide range of affordable indicators, and asking about hidden costs will help protect you from unexpected billing. The third question is to make sure you are doing the best deal possible.
There are various office spaces to rent in London which you can choose according to your needs.
3. Size
The above two factors, location and price, affect the size of the commercial space you choose, but that’s an important point to mention. You can choose your desired office among the various London office leases.
As a very general guideline, you usually recommend 70 square feet per person. For example, if your employees need a larger desk or more storage space, increase this number appropriately.
There are also issues with meetings and break spaces. You need an area to meet your clients and your colleagues need a place to have lunch!
Here are some simple questions to help you determine if the office you are looking for is the right size.
- Do you have at least 70 square feet of floor space per person?
- Is there room to raise staff levels based on growth forecasts?
- Is there a space dedicated to client meetings?
- Are my employees happy with their social / entertainment space?
Don’t waste your floor space, as small offices will reduce your productivity.
4. Infrastructure
This is a more important feature for some companies than others. But today, not many companies can operate efficiently without a reliable internet connection. Some offices, especially those that are managed or serviced, usually include internet access as part of their rent.
However, if you rent a place personally, you need to consider the connection cost of the line and the monthly payment to access it.
Quality and reliability of service are also important. It doesn’t make sense to pay for services that are constantly interrupted or cracked, especially under the pressure of a busy day.
If you have a cool and great place to work where your employees want to stay longer than elsewhere, they’re good for your business because they focus on the job and want more. All interior design in an office must be well-equipped and capable of attracting everyone.
The interior design of the office can be transformed into a natural impression and seems more comfortable for everyone sitting there.
Infrastructure doesn’t just mean the Internet. How about postal services and telephone connections? With the recent proliferation of mobile phones, the latter may not be as important, but postal services are still essential for signed documents and other physical items.
Here are some questions to help you ensure that your new office infrastructure is right for you.
- Did you include the cost of internet access in the price you pay for this space?
- Can you contact other companies in the building and share my infrastructure experience?
- Does this office have a unique mailing address?
- Can you ask the owner for a speed test to make sure my ISP is providing sufficient service?
Speed testing is a very simple thing you can do to get the actual data to answer your question. If the service is good, the owner never thinks about providing it again.
5. Style
This is often forgotten in people’s minds while looking for a new office. It’s wise to consider the “most important” factors like the four above first, but much is still said about office style.
If you have a business that wants to be a “brand” or protect your brand image from the start, you need to consider this. The office can be a great branding tool. Why do you think Apple has such a great plan, and why should your office be something different?
There are a few things to consider.
- What other companies are operating in this area? Is it consistent with the industry you are in?
- Can this office customize or personalize the office space at no additional cost?
- Are you proud to be able to post a photo of the interior of this office space on our website?
In some offices, simple things like painting walls and hanging photos can also be costly. An undecorated office will not help your brand image!
