Dos and don’ts when looking for your perfect office space

Paul Slinn, founder of Flexioffices, a provider of virtual and serviced office spaces, has some great advice about what to look out for when you are researching office spaces. Many household names have started in their founders’ garages – Apple, Amazon, Google, HP, Disney and many more have all been there. But there is only so much you can do as a growing business inside a limited space.

Virtual office spaces

It’s worth considering a virtual office space such as from a service provider in London or business incubation centres at the beginning when money is short. These are usually shared with other start-ups. Virtual office spaces provide you with a postal address where you can get your mail sent, telephone answered, and the use of meeting rooms.

Business incubators 

The benefit of being in a business incubator centre that’s subsidised by the government or EU is that your rental costs are low and you can exchange ideas with other entrepreneurs who are equally as excited about starting up their own businesses. According to UKBI, a professional association for start-ups, business incubators have an average success rate of 98% of companies succeeding whilst in the business incubator and 87% surviving after 5 years. This is compared to a national average success rate of less than 30% of all small and medium sized companies registered.

Serviced office spaces

Serviced offices are probably the most suitable option for most start-ups as they offer an instant physical office space including furniture, utility bills, broadband and receptionists. An added benefit is that it’s easier to upgrade to a bigger space during your expansion phase.

Conventional office spaces 

Conventional office spaces are better suited to established companies that have the money and resources to add that personal touch to the interior of their office.

Top tips on how to get started:

·         Companies generally start with a location they want, be this city centre, close to transport.

·         Once you have a focus for your search see what’s available in the market. Always see more than one option and ask for quotes.

·         If you are shortlisting – ask to speak to existing occupiers – that’s the best way to get impartial advice.

·         Ask about the frequency of cleaning and check all the facilities.

·         Check the small print of the agreement.

Flexioffices database of office space includes thousands of properties which can be searched online by postcode, street, town, stations, airports, and countries. They can set up viewings and send quotations. Here is a selection of office spaces in Marylebone, London for example.

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