How To Choose Your Temporary Office Space
Choosing office space can be a daunting and difficult decision. You need to consider many factors, such as lease rates, utility costs, the size of the available space, whether there is enough parking nearby, and how close it is to traffic and public transit. For these reasons alone finding the perfect office location can take weeks or months of research.
But don't worry - we've done all the work for you! In this post we'll share our recommendations for choosing an office space that will meet your business needs as well as your budget constraints.
What To Look For:
When looking for an office space, you need to look at the following factors:
The location - The best office space is not necessarily the one in the most popular neighborhood. It's better to look at office spaces in locations with lower foot traffic and less competition. This will reduce your costs by cutting down on maintenance costs and increase your productivity as there will be less distractions. Furthermore, we recommend looking for free standing offices in areas (apartments) that allow you to be as close to your clients/customers as possible - this should save you time and money on transportation. Entertainment - Some people like to have a gym at their place of work. In our opinion, this is a complete waste of money. Your employees will be 3 times more productive if you let them work out at home. You should therefore check out the gyms in the neighborhood to see if any of them are suitable for your staff. It is also a good idea to find a place that has nearby amenities like restaurants, bars, and shops so that your employees can have fun outside of work. Free parking - This one's obvious, but it's important nonetheless! The last thing you need is for your clients to be impressed by the office space but dissuade from using your services because they can't find a parking spot nearby. The price - When you are looking for an office space, you have to consider the cost of rent as well as the cost of utilities. Depending on your business, you may want to look for an affordable rental rate and manage the utilities yourself. Alternatively, you can sign a lease with a company that takes care of these things for you. The size - It is important that the office space be big enough to fit your needs without being too large to affordably use on a monthly basis. A good range would be from 100 employees and above. The staff - You must consider staffing requirements before signing up for an office lease. If there is room for growth in your business, you need to sign a lease that will allow you to expand when necessary.
The Best Office Space In The World:
Location: Saratoga, CA (just outside San Francisco)
Space: Free standing building with parking and onsite management team.
Cost: $20/sqft/year. (After utilities and on-site management fees).
Staff: 5,000 employees.
Comments: We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered this location! It has all the benefits of a big city while still maintaining the peace and quiet of a small town. Furthermore, it has great transportation links ranging from train lines to Highway 280 (the main highway connecting San Francisco and Silicon Valley).
Access: Easy access to Highway 280 and 50.
We enjoyed working here so much that we decided to open up another office in this building! 😁
The Worst Office Space In The World:
Location: Hong Kong
Space: 2 rooms in an apartment building. Cost: $15/sqft/year. (After utilities and on-site management fees) Staff: 25 employees. Comments: We'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy working here. It was a great experience for us, but it wasn't for everyone! For starters, the location was far from ideal, being miles away from even the smallest of shopping stores and restaurants. The internet connection was also ridiculously slow, which was a problem for us as we used to run our business from home. The best part of working here was the security - you always feel safe because there are so many security cameras.
Access: Make sure to leave your car at the local park and walk to the office every day. You'll be fine! (There are no other public transport options available).
How To Save Money On Office Space:
To save money on office space, you must consider the following factors:
A company with a smaller client base will be able to get more for their money than a larger business. This means that the smaller company will need to spend less on rent and utilities. When you move into a building with an existing tenant, you will also have the benefit of knowing exactly how much rent your business will have to pay before signing up.
You should also make sure to use as little utilities as possible. If, for example, you are getting an office with air conditioning, ask if it is possible to turn it off during the summer months. You can then ask for it to be switched on just before your employees arrive and switch it off right after they leave. This will save you money in the long run!
Do Your Research:
When looking for office space, we recommend that you spend time doing your research on leasing companies and apartment buildings. This will save you money in the long run as you will only be paying for services that you will be using. Instead of relying on websites like Zillow (they don't always have all the info that's needed) we recommend looking at those with a good reputation.
Consider Our Advice:
At SF Office Space Advisor, we believe that there is no one size fits all when it comes to office space. You must first define your business needs and then find the office space to fit those needs. As an example, if your business is mostly a one-person operation, you might not need much in the way of utilities or parking and therefore can save money by signing up for a smaller office space with a shorter lease term.
As another example, if you are starting a business with 25+ employees within an office space shared with another business, you will need more utilities like air conditioning to keep the temperature cool. You will also need more parking spaces and an on-site manager to avoid any disputes.
As always, the most important step is to contact us for personalized advice. We can give you all the information that you need about your business' needs and then help you choose from among all available options.
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at info@SFOfficeSpaceAdvisor.com or at 1-415-349-6150.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Best And Worst Office Space In The World
The Best Office Space In The World:
Location: Saratoga, CA (just outside San Francisco) Space: Free standing building with parking and onsite management team. Cost: $20/sqft/year. (After utilities and on-site management fees). Staff: 5,000 employees. Comments: We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered this location! It has all the benefits of a big city while still maintaining the peace and quiet of a small town. Furthermore, it has great transportation links ranging from train lines to Highway 280 (the main highway connecting San Francisco and Silicon Valley). Access: Easy access to Highway 280 and 50.
Conclusion: If you want to enjoy the benefits of both a large city and a small town, this is the office space for you!
The Worst Office Space In The World:
Location: Hong Kong Space: 2 rooms in an apartment building. Cost: $15/sqft/year. (After utilities and on-site management fees) Staff: 25 employees. Comments: We'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy working here. It was a great experience for us, but it wasn't for everyone! For starters, the location was far from ideal, being miles away from even the smallest of shopping stores and restaurants.