If you are relocating, or even if you have built your own new offices, you will need to go through a number of checks in order to make sure that you are in the right place for your business and your people. This is something that you can’t easily look after, not least because some of these checks are actually a legal requirement. Nonetheless, it’s important to be aware of them as early as you can so that you are prepared and you know what you are going to have to start looking out for when you look around your new offices. You want to make sure that your offices are safe, spacious enough to use, and that overall they will be the right kind of space for you to work in alongside your colleagues. Let’s take a look at some of the detailed checks you will need to make, so you can be sure that you have ended up in the right place for your business.
How It’s Situated
You first need to make sure that you are happy with the place the office is situated, as it is location which often affects things much more than you would expect, and which can dictate whether or not it is the right place to even begin with. This is why it’s the first check that you will generally need to make, and why you might find that you are going to have to try out a few locations before you land on one that you are happy with. It needs to be relatively central, without being dwarfed by other businesses, and it should be somewhere where you can easily and proudly display your brand on the outside, to maximum effect. If you are sure of those things, and that your employees can easily get there, then you might feel that it is a good enough place for you. Make sure you are aware of this before you get started, and that you are truly as happy as possible with where the offices are.
The Costs
Obviously, you need to make sure that your business is actually going to be able to afford the office in question, and that is something you should consider early before you start to look into it in too much detail. If you are buying outright, then you will already be looking at mortgages and so on. Whereas if you are renting, it will be a little easier, but you still want to make sure that the costs are within whatever budget you have set for your company. It’s not just about being in budget, either. You also want to be sure that what you are paying is going to be fair for what you are actually getting, and that is something which can take a while to be sure of if you start to look into it. You will need to have your real estate thinking cap on and really focus on the details to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth. If you are not, it’s not functionable or a good investment, and you should think about looking elsewhere instead. If you think it is reasonable, and it happens to be within budget, then you should feel as though that is good enough for you, and continue to look at other checks on the property.
Security
All offices need some form of security or another, even if it is only a small amount of it. If you are renting in a larger complex, it might well be that there is already a security team and equipment installed there. But if not, you will have to think for yourself as to where you can likely install cameras and guards and so on, and whether or not the building seems to be particularly suitable for that stuff. As long as you have the opportunity to place such security systems there, you will find that you are much more likely to feel safe there, and your staff are likely to be happy about that too. This is therefore a vital check which you should be careful not to overlook, as it can make a profound difference to how you do things and whether or not you go for that particular office.
Safety
As well as the security itself, you also need to think about safety, which is an issue which goes beyond security somewhat and yet is also hugely important. There are many things that you might want to think about when it comes to ensuring the office is going to be safe, and often it requires quite a deep check of the whole premises. It is absolutely worthwhile carrying out such a check, even if you are not sure exactly what you are doing, as it is likely you will be able to spot any particularly major breaches of safety early on. Some obvious ones are, for instances that you find asbestos somewhere. That is a hugely dangerous substance which is a major mesothelioma cause and cannot be abided. Or you might want to check for dodgy windows and doors and so on. It’s important to pay attention to detail as much as you can hear, as doing so will ensure you are keeping your future staff safe.
Space
The amount of space that the office holds is one of the most important things for you, as it determines whether or not you can actually function as a business within it. Clearly, you should aim to find a space which is large enough to fit inside comfortably without being cramped. But if it is too large, you might actually find that it is not going to be much good either, so it’s all about finding that balance wherever possible. If you can do that, you will be able to ensure that it is a good enough office space for you and your business, and worth looking into in a little more detail before you put your name down on it.