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Graduating from Working from Home
Your little company is going well, you've taken on more work than you can manage, you've had to hire a few people to help and are now really cramped in your cozy home office. It might be time to think about moving up to the next level, an out of home office.
As someone who has made the transition from home office to rented office space I know that it can be a bit daunting. You've never done this before, you don't know what it will cost, what the extras will be, who to talk to or where to start.
First of all, take a deep breath. Now, decide if you really need an out of home office. If you do then think about what you will be doing in your rented office space. Will clients be visiting? Will you be out on the road most of the day? Will you need extra space for meeting areas? Do you really just need enough space for two desks? It is important to decide what your requirements are before venturing out to find office space.
If you only need space for a desk or two then you could try finding an office that has extra space and would let simply rent workstations. If you'd like more than that but aren't sure if you will be expanding soon then you might be best off with serviced office space. The lease terms are more flexible than standard rented offices and very often serviced offices will come with fax, phone and internet connections already set up. So all you have to do is move in and get working.
If you are a bit more settled in your plans and know that you will want a certain amount of space for about a year but aren't sure after that, then go for semi-serviced or flexible office space. The lease terms are usually year by year with utilities included. You will probably need to set up your own phone, fax and internet connections. You will also need your own furniture but the office space should be clean and painted. Most semi-serviced offices are kept in good condition with at least the public areas cleaned regularly.
So your options, when graduating from a home office to your first rented office, are:
- Workstations: good for the tiny company or the company that only needs space for 1 or 2 people. Not the best option if you need to have a lot of client facing meetings.
- Serviced Office Space: perfect if you're not sure how much space you'll need and for how long. This option is flexible and lets you move in and out with a minimum of fuss. Everything is set up already and meeting rooms are usually available
- Semi-Serviced Office Blocks: great choice for the company that has a year long plan but isn't sure how things will grow/change after that. You'll need to get furniture and organise communications but the overall cost is usually lower than fully serviced office space.