Setting up an office is a big decision and a major milestone in the life of any company or business. It is one thing to start in a basement or a garage or from the boot of a car, but at some stage every business with designs on growth and profit, needs to set up a real base for all of its people. Even seemingly cloud-based businesses like Air B&B or Uber have offices and staff. So where should you base yourself and how do you make that decision? Here are a few pointers to look for when making the step, so as to ensure that you end up in the right building for you.

How is it run?

Every building has people who look after it and manage it. It is very important to know who you are dealing with and what their reputation is like. So do your research and ask around. Speak to other tenants in the building and look around online. Account for regional differences. A company who do Property management Murrumbeena might have a great reputation but their satellite office somewhere else might not be as good. So make sure you know the lay of the land. Having an efficient and friendly management company can make the world of difference.

 

Think traffic

Just because a building looks good or is available for cheap, doesn’t mean that it is good. Assess the situation properly because your staff will be travelling there daily, and you need to make sure that it is accessible and easy to get to. So look at how close it is to public transport. Is parking available in the area? And how bad is the traffic to and from the office during the rush hours. These are very important things to check out before the lease.

 

Allow for growth

If you are moving into a place that requires a reasonable amount of set-up and bespoke work in order to make it work for you, then make sure that the effort that goes in to setting it up is not going to be wasted when you have to move in a year or two. Think carefully about both your current and future needs and plan accordingly.

 

What does it say about you?

Building can say a lot about the people and companies who live in them and this is an important thing to think about. What is the message that you want the building that you occupy to send? If you are proud of your community roots then you need to stay close to them. If you are a high-tec computer company then you probably want to be in fancy modern offices. If you are going to be based in a refurbished warehouse then how are you going to use the space to create a feel and charm that is uniquely yours? There is an old saying that says you only get once chance to make a first impression, and your offices and the building that they occupy can go a long way in creating that impression – so choose wisely.