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Office Space
Dioltas
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So as it happens I am tangentially connected to a small start up tech company, and there comes a time in any young business' life when it beings to dream of living on its own. In other words, I need to be schooled in the art of renting an office. How does it differ from renting an apartment? Are there any things in particular that the landlords (?) will need to see, possibly to prove that the business is legit? Any other random advice?
For what it's worth, we're looking for something in the $500-$1000 range (not including utilities... what is the standard practice on utilities?). From my preliminary research this seems entirely doable. It will mainly be used as a space to meet clients (have to make a good impression and all that), so I'm assuming we would be renting a single office within a larger building. Any advice on that?
Really I'm just looking for anything you can give me. Any tips, traps, what have you.
For what it's worth, we're looking for something in the $500-$1000 range (not including utilities... what is the standard practice on utilities?). From my preliminary research this seems entirely doable. It will mainly be used as a space to meet clients (have to make a good impression and all that), so I'm assuming we would be renting a single office within a larger building. Any advice on that?
Really I'm just looking for anything you can give me. Any tips, traps, what have you.
Dioltas on
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Try and get an office in a building with a reproductive clinic in it. Rent will be cheaper, and hours of entertainment can be gleaned from laughing at the protesters.
I decided a year or two back that I'd be a much happier person if I could have a dedicated workspace, and hey, what web designer doesn't dream of having their own studio with big walls to make pixel art out of post-it notes on.
First off, decide if you're going to be getting a lot of visitors. As a client (prospective or otherwise), nothing is worse than having to find your way through a labyrinth of offices to find the one you're looking for. If you're expecting to have visitors more than "rarely", something with a storefront -- that is, an office/retail space which customers can see from the street, walk right up to, and barge on in -- is a necessary purchase. If you're in a small-to-medium town, renting a little shop downtown is absolutely perfect for a small IT/consulting/design business.
Your next question is how much room you'll need. A good guideline for office space is 100 to 150 sq. ft. per employee. If you're going to be getting visitors, a small reception area and a conference table are both musts, and you'll need storage for documents, extra hardware (ALWAYS have an extra computer and monitor, even if they're junk), extra furniture (ALWAYS have a couple of extra chairs, even if they're junk), etc.
Once you have size and location pinned down, the final big question is furniture. Budget for desks/cubicles, chairs, tables, shelves, file drawers, and whatever kitchenette stuff you'll need (a water cooler and mini-fridge are actually required by law in some areas!). An arcade machine is also $300 well spent.
Settling on the "right" space is tricky. You need to pick a place that fits your company's image, provides adequate space now (and some room to grow -- remember that you'll probably be signing a 1 to 3 year lease), and is in a safe, secure neighborhood.
When you go to see a place, take a tape measure, a camera, and an outlet tester (ungrounded outlets in commercial space = run).
Stuff to ask includes:
Stuff to physically check includes:
As far as red tape: you'll probably need to register your business with the local city government. Go down to city hall and ask what they need, they can tell you what you'll need to square away as far as fees, taxes, and what benefits they can offer you. Additionally, you'll want to swing by the local police station once you take possession of the space to give them your name and contact information, as they'll probably want to have that on file in case of a break-in, fire, etc.
Good luck!
Also, will now be researching used pinball machines. Thanks :P
As far as registering the business with the city goes, is it usually enough to have all the LLC paperwork done, or is there a separate process of which you speak?
Check with the city to see what condition that street can be expected to be in come emergency/disaster conditions. (Check especially to see if that area has ever flooded.)
Watch the traffic on that street during rush hour. Is your area still accessible?
While not a deal breaker, check to see how the sun hits your building during dawn and dusk. Sucks to be the person with a desk by the window if they are blinded every day.
Fire escapes, pull stations, extinguishers (hoses?), emergency vehicle access.
Pest control.
Access for mobility challenged.
Take note if cars stay overnight in the parking areas.
chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.