HOW TO EFFECTIVELY CHOOSE AN OFFICE FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS Tips, suggestions, and inspiration from GennGlobal

INTRODUCTION

Finding the right space for your small business is probably one of the first important decisions you will make as a small business owner. Therefore, it is crucial that you make a well-informed decision.

Next, we will discuss some of things you should consider when searching for your small business’s first office space.

INSURANCE

Will you need insurance for your office space?

The two most common varieties of insurance you might consider are building insurance and contents insurance. Simply put, building insurance relates to the

physical structure of the office and the building it’s in, while contents insurance relates to the belongings and assets inside the office.

Building insurance might be more important if you are purchasing an office, while contents insurance is certainly valuable even if you are renting.

WILL YOU BE SERVING THE COMMUNITY?

Will you be directly serving the community by selling your product or service out of your office? Simply put, are you expecting customers to come to or interact with your office space?

If the answer is yes, then your office’s location becomes very important. You must conduct a great deal of research on the

location of your office, including what city you will be in, and where exactly in that city you hope to set up shop.

Being thoughtful and strategic about your office’s location will allow you to best serve your customers.

THE MOVING PROCESS

Don’t underestimate how long the moving process might take.

While getting an office space might sound relatively simple at first, there are many things that must be done before such a move can occur.

For example, roadblocks like negotiating contract terms, filling out and filing paperwork, acquiring necessary permits and insurance, and designing your office’s layout are among the things that can get in the way before even setting foot into your new office.

HOW LONG WILL YOU STAY THERE?

How long do you plan to reside in the chosen office space?

Compare this amount of time against your projected company growth and profits to ensure that you are making a good decision.

It is important to find a space that will work for you now and in the future.

You don’t want to outgrow an office and have to begin the search all over again in the near future. However, you also don’t want to purchase too large or expensive of a space and thereby suffer from both wasted space and wasted money.

Don’t be like this guy.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Answering the following questions will provide you with a better idea of what your small business needs from an office space. What security needs do you have? How much physical space will you require? What is your budget? Where do you want to be located? What requirements do you have in terms of

parking or for commuting? Do you have technology requirements?