Office space? Isn’t the future of small business going to be digital? You would think that considering the number of people who are certain home offices will take over physical workspaces. There’s no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has added to the number of employees who want more flexible working hours and environments.
However, this doesn’t mean they want to do it all the time. As you have probably noticed over the past year, it’s not fun being at home all the time. Once the boredom and monotony strike, the advantages soon disappear, such as increased productivity. According to Forbes, this is already happening since they report that only 16% of employees working from home full-time are thriving.
If that isn’t a kick up the butt for entrepreneurs, nothing is. These figures highlight the need for traditional workplaces, particularly if you want your company to grow and be successful. However, going out and finding an ideal landlord isn’t as straightforward as hiring an estate agent and signing on the dotted line.
Times are changing, which means you should focus on the features that often go under the radar. Don’t worry if you don’t know what they are because you can find six of the most important features when looking for an office space.
A Nearby Location
Near to what? Your team. The way businesses work is undoubtedly different now than it was before Covid-19 was a thing. After all, Pew Research says that 71% of workers are now based at home, an increase of 51% from before the Coronavirus outbreak. While only 54% want to continue with their current routine, it’s still a significant number of people.
Your office is going to be split. Some will be ten feet away as per usual, others will be in coffee shops and their houses, and the rest will combine a mixture of both. The pertinent thing to keep in mind is that your employees will be spread out. Yes, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are excellent at bridging the gap, yet nothing beats face-to-face interactions.
Sometimes, you need to talk to a person in the flesh to get your point of view across and discuss tricky subjects. Of course, workers won’t want to travel if they have to commute one or two hours to your destination. That’s why you should get a general estimate of where people live – towns, cities, etc., – and use the data when searching for real estate.
Anything that is in the middle of the most popular hot spots and satellite towns will ensure that commute times are lower. This is brilliant for people who are office-based, and it’s also healthy for remote workers who need to visit the workplace semi-regularly.
Car & Bike Parking
Parking is the last thing you’ll think of when scouring the internet for commercial office space. You have bigger fish to fry, such as whether the roof is leaking or the foundations are subsiding. Parking is a nice bonus, but it’s nothing more than a cosmetic feature that makes little difference to the final decision.
When you understand the importance of parking to other people, you will probably change your opinion. Take your clients as examples. You must highlight the best elements of the brand to impress them, which is why you go to such lengths to take care of their needs. However, if they can’t park when they arrive, the lack of facilities will already reflect poorly on the company.
Then there are your team members to keep in mind. Not only do they need parking to get to work on time and be productive, yet it saves them a considerable amount of money. The Frontier Group estimates that the billions the American government spends on the Federal Tax Benefit cuts expenses for commuters since they paid to travel.
You don’t have to give people extra a raise for getting out of bed in the morning, yet you can encourage them to strive for more if they have a cheap and accessible parking space. The same applies to bike storage units, too, as more and more workers are cycling to work now the benefits are widely understood.
A Meeting Place
The office shouldn’t be a prison cell. The more drab and dreary it feels, the less motivated people will be to work. Once their output levels drop, it takes more than a tin of paint and natural light to restore them. The key is to avoid cubicles and desks, or anything that is reminiscent of archaic working methods.
Instead, you want to follow the Google and Facebook strategy – make the workplace feel like home. Bean bag chairs and home cinema rooms might be out of the question, yet they aren’t the only tactics available. Creating a meeting point for employees to congregate and socialize with coworkers is just as effective.
You can do this by designing a kitchen with the basics. That way, workers can use it to cook food and make coffee during their breaks while relaxing and taking time to unwind. This also benefits the company as regular breaks increase concentration levels.
Don’t forget about a meeting place in the strict sense of the word, too. A room for meetings is essential if clients are going to be on-site. After all, you need a quiet place to discuss matters that’s private and professional in equal manner.
Versatile Access
You’re an able-bodied person, so you don’t notice anything wrong when you climb a flight of stairs. However, this isn’t the case for people who deal with disabilities. It’s their right to lead a normal life, but it’s difficult when there are obstacles in the way. Steps and stairs are prime examples.
Businesses must consider these factors for several reasons, yet the main one is the value a bigger talent pool adds to the company. When you are inclusive, you benefit from a wider range of ideas, concepts you can use to push the organization forward. So, if there isn’t a ramp access or a big enough elevator, you will need to address these issues.
Also, there is the problem of workplace lawsuits. Trips and falls result in employers being sued for not creating a safe and secure work environment. Just ask a lawyer. As Leinart Law Firm points out, people or their loved ones are entitled to compensation for many reasons, from liquid spills to construction and safety code violations.
The last feature affects almost every business as you can break safety codes by failing to fix a broken tile. The office space you pick will directly impact the company’s exposure, which is why you should choose carefully.
Maintenance Liability
As surprising as it sounds, entrepreneurs are happy to sign a lease even if the contract isn’t in their favor. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of your mind telling you that you’ve missed something, yet the adrenaline is pumping through your body. Due to the excitement, you continue on your merry way and hope for the best.
Not long after, you notice a maintenance issue that needs fixing. You let your landlord know, and they inform you that it’s your responsibility. No way. It can’t be. The owner has to take care of repairs, right? That’s usually the case, but it isn’t if the contract explicitly states otherwise. In that scenario, it’s down to you.
Considering how a misplaced floor or ceiling tile can cause havoc in a modern office, it’s imperative to know which party is liable for repairs. The best way to find out is to ask the landlord before putting pen to paper. Alternatively, you can get your attorney to double-check the phrasing.
Understanding who is responsible helps you in several ways. Firstly, it encourages you to consider whether the property is the right choice. After all, you don’t want the hassle of maintenance work as a tenant. Secondly, it ensures that your back is covered. Thirdly, it alerts you to the fact that you’ll require a larger budget to deal with potential fixes.
An Exit Strategy
Last but not least, you need to know what you will do in an emergency. Not a physical emergency – the details will already be in place, so please make sure you’re familiar with fire exits – but a contractual one.
What will you do when the contract no longer works in your favor? Too many businesses cross this bridge when they are already in the deep end treading water. At that point, the contract means you must do whatever the terms and conditions dictate. However, there are more options if you think about your exit strategy in advance.
It can be as simple as only signing a lease in six month increments. That way, you have the flexibility to find alternative office space if things go sour. Or, you can write how much you will pay and when the payments will end into the deal.
The choice is yours, but remember that it pays to be proactive.
Summary
It’s human nature to be forgetful. However, when your business is on the line, you must eliminate as many risks as possible. The above will help you do that, along with standard protections such as considering your budget and hiring an expert to offer assistance.
