Setting up a perfect place where you can work comfortably is not a small affair. While it all initially begins with setting up a brick, there is a lot more that needs to be done.
When you plan to set up an office space, you invest your aspirations, money, time, and the dream of your life. And it becomes very disheartening to see your efforts go in vain just because you overlooked some minor improvements in the process. So, if you want your office space just how you imagined it to be, follow these essential tips.
These are six eye-opening steps that must be taken care of before setting up an office space.
1. Locate First
While selecting the location of your office, monitoring the geographical area is not enough. There are important concerns such as water and electricity supply, availability of public transport, parking slots, and proximity with customers.
Basically, you need a location that increases the feasibility of the approach to-and-from your office. If your business requires you to have frequent access to a certain type of transport and shipment system, you may even consider that before selecting a location.
2. What is your budget?
Purchasing the new property largely depends on the size of your pocket. Draw a free-size figure of your budget that you can invest in the setup of your office. However, remember that the actual amount of investment might exceed the pre-decided budget. So, it’s always wise to keep a buffer and be prepared beforehand.
Don’t ignore any star-factors of the property just to save money. If you can afford it, invest – properties are one-time investments and can yield ROI in multiple ways.
3. Buy or Lease
You will also need to figure out the best way to fund the initiative, for which you may discuss it with your real estate agent and business accountant. This will help you narrow down your applicable choices and analyze the pros and cons of each of them in detail.
As a result, you will be able to an informed decision – suitable for both kinds of business goals, short-term as well as long-term
4. Consider future-expansion
Another simple but a very practical step would be to choose a location that allows expansion of the office premises.
Would you like to flock with your business team to new places as and when your business expands? Obviously, no. A better idea will be to choose a location that has space for broadening the business premises. Maybe, you could add an extra floor to the existing building!
5. Do not ignore the hidden costs
The estate that you are investing in might require some hidden costs that you would pay in the form of repairs and enhancement of the property, such as adding rest areas as well as making bathroom stall dimensions more inclusive and spacious.
Do not ignore these costs, and make sure to keep them as extras in your budgeted figure. Then you may proceed to make an apple-to-apple comparison in your choices.
6. Get your services set up
Apart from everyday utilities like electricity and water, you would have to decide on a fixed setup for the internet and other telecommunications. Before you let furniture occupy the space of your office, plan a functional layout of your office. Look for a comfortable, spacious, and productive set up of wires and cables along with the working machines.
7. Software and Supplies
You should focus on enhancing your technical ability with the right tools, technologies, and software. Make sure to have the necessary tools like an employee portal or some basic essentials like Microsoft 365, formerly known as ‘Office 365’– it will give you access to powerful software like Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Further, you can invest in more advanced software depending on your business nature and requirements.
Over to you…
Opening a new office would require you to prioritize your inputs and expectations. Merely knowing these ideas is not enough. Implementing the ideas in a prioritized sequence is even more important.
Let us know how you used these suggestions. We’re excited to hear your “new-office” stories!