Your company has made it to launch. You’ve gotten some funding, and maybe you’ve even gone through an accelerator or incubator program. It’s time to move your startup into its own space and hang a sign on the door. Chances are, though, that you’ve been so busy launching your company that you haven’t had time to carefully consider how to make this move strategically.
And there’s certainly a lot to consider. Even tech startups and companies without physical storefronts should be selective about where they call home. Naturally, you want potential clients and business partners to be impressed with your space, but an expensive lease often doesn’t justify itself. Use these guidelines to help find the right home for your company, a space where your staff can be happy and productive.
The Neighborhood
More than anything, you want your office to be accessible and as close to your core audience as possible. Time spent driving to and from appointments is not time spent productively, so putting your staff close to the people they do business with regularly will increase efficiency. Rather than looking at leases all over the city, decide what areas are most relevant to your business and focus your search there.
The Lease
When comparing locations, research the lease agreement thoroughly and get all your questions answered so that you fully understand what will happen in “what if” scenarios, such as breaking a lease or expanding into a bigger space. Your company is young, and a lot of things can and will change in your business plan. Try and leave yourself room to maneuver.
Infrastructure
Your staff won’t be very productive without a solid Internet connection and office network, workstations, phone lines and other tools. Make sure the location you select has sufficient connectivity, available bandwidth and power, and always leave your business room to grow. You don’t want to have to deal with connection problems or move your office location again prematurely. Also, it takes time to wire, configure and test office networks (and plenty can go wrong), so address all infrastructure concerns prior to your move-in date or your staff could have a lot of unwanted free time on their hands.
Furniture & Office Equipment
Filling your office with trendy, ergonomic furniture and coordinating decor is not a priority. What is important is making sure your staff can perform their jobs comfortably and stay focused during the long hours that come with building a company. Outfitting your space can become expensive, so you’ll need to get creative to hold on to that funding you’ve worked so hard to acquire. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, mentors and fellow startups for whatever you can beg, borrow or buy for cheap. Check Craigslist regularly and haggle for deals. The less you spend on office equipment the better. You’ll find a more impactful use for that money down the road.
Square Footage
Professional office planners typically budget at least 175 square feet of usable working space per employee. Since your company is a startup and your staff can benefit from working closer together, you can trim that ratio down a little. Give everyone the same square footage to avoid office politics and remember to leave yourself a little room to grow.
Workflow Design
Your staff will use certain areas of your office more frequently than others, so you should design your floor plan to accommodate heavier traffic flow in those areas. Leave extra space for people to congregate around shared resources such as the office copier or fax machine. It’s a good idea to have a kitchen or some other break area for people to get away from their desks and socialize, but avoid creating idle space or bottlenecks.
Since you’re somewhat committed to your floor plan once your staff is moved into the office, being strategic now will help you maximize your productivity in the future. You can benefit greatly from the experience of executives who’ve made this move before, including friends, mentors or even public figures with opinions on the subject. Mark Cuban has written several times about his preference for wide-open space without closed-door offices.
Office Atmosphere
This is often what excites founders most about moving into their own office space, but just like furniture and office supplies, it requires creativity to do well on the cheap. The location you select may contribute to the personality of your office space, so be sure to highlight any unique features of your space like exposed brick, windows or natural lighting. Beyond that, encourage your staff to express themselves collectively and to contribute their personal skills and resources to decorating the office.
As an entrepreneur or founder of a startup, you should use your move as an opportunity for your team to bond. Be sure to provide them opportunities to take pride in their contributions to the company and the office. Before long, you’ll need to grow and adapt to new challenges, and any room you’ve left yourself to maneuver now will come in handy soon enough.
The post 7 things every startup should consider when moving into new office space appeared first on The Dallas Entrepreneur Center.