A Directors' Guide to Finding The Right Office in 2019

How to Find Your Next Office Space

Finding a new office space can feel like a daunting task, with so many variables to consider it can be hard to know where, how and when to start searching for your new office. Luckily, after 25 years in the industry, we can help sort the chaos and focus on what really matters. Below is our guide to finding the perfect co-working space in 2019.

The Basics

Before starting your search make sure you’re aware of your fundamental needs. It’s important that you get this right, because break out spaces and communal showers won’t matter if you don’t have enough space or time to move.

What are you looking for?

With an increase in demand for office flexibility, the options available for businesses are numerous. While this allows you to find exactly what you’re looking for, it can be a pain trying to understand what option you really need. Read on and we’ll go through the types of office space available and which companies benefit most from them.

When do you want to move?

By understanding your timeline, finding appropriate workspaces becomes much easier. If you’re looking at construction sites but want to move in next week, you’ll be in for a shock. Make sure your moving dates are realistic, and give yourself time to find the right property. If you’re working to short deadlines, a great benefit of co-working spaces is immediate occupation. Indeed, with fully furnished offices available all over the globe, you’ll be able to set yourself up in no time.

How long do you want the space for?

One of the great benefits of flexible workspace is the ability to control the terms of your occupation. If you’re looking for a space while working on a project, or you’re a freelancer looking for something short term, you’ll be able to pick an office for a few days, weeks or months at a time. Big companies tend to prefer longer term contracts, opting for spaces they can modify with their branding and specific requirements.

How many people are you looking for?

Depending on your headcount, you’ll need to consider different workspace options. Knowing your numbers, will let you take your next steps in calculating your sq ft requirements. However, at this point it is crucial you consider any future developments, are you likely to grow while in the space? Co-working allows you to pay for what you use, so make sure you’re tailoring the move to your business requirements. We’ll look into this more later in the blog.

What are the different types of office space?

As we mentioned before there’s a lot on offer. Does your business need a fully serviced and furnished office space, or are you looking for meeting rooms, a place to meet or a registered address.

Popular options include co-working space, serviced offices and managed workspaces. Within these flexible workspaces you can choose whether you want privacy or a shared work space to encourage collaboration. Below we’ve gone into more detail about the differences between office space:

 

Co-working Space

 

 

Length of term - an hour, a week - whenever you need

Flexibility - Come and go as you please

Occupation - Plug in and go at a moments notice

Branding - No branding allowed, as it’s a collaborative and unbranded space

Fit-out - Fully fitted, shared and collaborative environments

Furniture - Everything is provided

IT - Pay as you go

Resources - Minimal staff required

Budget - Cost effective for individuals in the short term

 

Serviced Office

 

Length of term - a month onward

Flexibility - flexible with an easy exit

Occupation - Set up in a few days

Branding - Branding can be negotiated, though normally limited

Fit-out - Already fitted, but modifications are normally available

Furniture - Everything's provided

IT - Pay as you go

Resources - All managed by a single supplier

Budget - Cost effective for a fluctuating head count in the short term

 

Managed Workspace

 

Length of term - 18+ months

Flexibility - Flexible terms and lease breaks can be negotiated

Occupation - Ready to go in a month

Branding - Full alignment to your branding

Fit-out - Completely bespoke to your needs

Furniture - Either bring your own or it can be provided

IT - Install based on your companies requirements

Resources - Minimal staff required

Budget - Cost effective for larger teams in the longer term

 

Location

Location is key when looking for a new office space. It's important to consider available transport links, who your neighbours will be, how it affects your image and reputation, if you’re near options for lunch and coffee, and how easy it is to find your office. Essentially, it’s important to cater to your staff, consider these questions before you start your search. If you want to gather this information quickly, try creating a simple survey with a platforms like Survey Monkey. If your staff are worried about a big move offer useful apps like Citymapper to answer questions about the new morning commute. Once you’re clear on where you want to be you can start your search for office space availability in your area.

 

 

Amenities

There are a few essential things to consider when viewing a property, your staff will need access to parking, meeting rooms, effective WiFi, printers, telephones and computers, to name just a few. Serviced offices will source most of these as part of your lease, but you’ll need to ask. Another bonus of co-working offices are all the added extras increasingly found in these properties, whether it’s showers, creative breakout areas, fully equipped kitchens or even communal gardens for staff well-being. Get the most out of your staff by getting more from your office space.

Think about the type of office space available to you, many consider serviced offices to be the best option for their business but there are other options available, from managed offices, hot desks, meeting rooms and virtual offices. We'll discuss these in more detail later..

 

Design

Your office should let in the light, have open spaces, and attract talent to your business. It’s important to consider your industry when looking at office space. If you’re a creative agency you’re looking for breakout spaces and collaborative opportunities but if you’re a legal firm, you’ll need privacy, with call booths and closed meeting rooms. Consider your industry and how your staff operate to narrow the search for office space.

While it’s important that your office looks and feels the way you want it to, fundamentally it should be the right size and enable you to scale up or down based on your companies requirements. To make this easier for you here is a calculator to help you determine the best sq ft for your business.

 

 

Community

Finding like-minded tenants is key to an effective work environment. You want motivated, creative individuals who can help you develop your ideas and team. So if you are a media company, you’ll thrive in a creative hub rather than a legal focused space and vice versa. The benefits of collaboration are helping big businesses as well as startups looking to grow, Google have even opened their own collaborative campus. If community isn’t something you’ve considered, you should think about it now!

 

Price

Before committing to anything, make sure you're aware of your budget and how much room you have to negotiate on price. Serviced offices include a number of benefits, so when making an offer for the space make sure you’re getting all the benefits and extras included in your new contract. Another of the benefits of flexible workspace is that you have the ability to scale up or down on demand, only paying for the space you need. Refer to the type of offices you're looking for, to understand the cost effective option for your business.

 

It’s important to find an office that suits your specific needs, independent searches will provide you with so many options you may be tempted to settle. Luckily, our experienced consultants will take the hassle out of your search, finding you a new space so you don’t have to.

We’ve gone through a great deal in this guide, hopefully you’ve got a better understanding of what your business needs are and where you should start your search. The extent of things to consider and the options available, has seen an increase in the demand of companies who will find the space for you, This is where Office Freedom comes in, our free and impartial service can have you in your new office space within the week. Check out some of our listings or get in touch for more information.