But unfortunately, moving offices comes with a lot of challenges with one of the biggest ones being choosing the best new office space for both your business and employees. That’s why we’re here to help you out!
Here’s our complete guide to picking the perfect office space with the top 8 essential factors to consider.
Where is the best location for your business? Well, there are a few things that make up the perfect location. South Africa has several factors you need to consider, but here are the most important ones:
Considering your existing staff is important. You want to find a location that's still central to your team. Remember, the most important thing is to retain your top team members. No office space is worth losing someone.
Remember, many South Africans rely on local transport. Being close to a central hub makes it easier for your staff and you'll also be able to retain quality team members.
While logistics in South Africa is improving, being in a location close to your suppliers or your warehouses can help simplify things. Areas like Pomona, Kempton Park show how an industrial area has become a great hub for offices as well as warehousing.
At the end of the day, you and your staff need to feel safe wherever you are. Unfortunately in South Africa, added security like fencing and security services will always be necessary, but you want to choose an area that doesn't feel like it's falling apart.
Always a bonus, having spaces where your staff can spend their lunch time gives a better work life balance to your team. Not a must, but definitely a nice to have if possible.
This is a two edged sword, you want to keep your friends close and your enemies closer right? But being close to your competitors means you're creating a hub for clients to find and use your services.
READ: If you're looking for inspiration, here are the top places to rent office space in Johannesburg.
As much as you’d want a world-class office space with all the comforts and luxuries you can think of where everyone gets their own massive office with a view, unfortunately, you also have to think practically — you have to think about your budget.
So, first things first, draw up a realistic budget for your new office space while deciding whether you will buy or rent. Other than the official price of the property, there are some extra costs you should factor in:
Deposit
Utilities
Rates and taxes
Repairs and maintenance costs
Cost of any necessary employee relocations
Choosing the size of your new office is kind of like a Goldilocks problem — if the space is too small, everyone will be too cramped, if the space is too big, you’re wasting space and money, so you have to find one that’s just right.
A good rule of thumb for picking the right office size is to have 7 m² per employee.
But this is obviously a generalisation and very much depends on your business — for example, if every employee needs an office, if you have a hybrid system, or if you want to leave space to upscale.
The way an office is designed can have a significant effect on productivity — the better the flow of the office, the better the flow of work.
Every business and team functions differently, so you have to find the office layout that’s best for your work, and that’s the most conducive to productivity. This could be the difference between making workspaces more open and closer to allow for more communication and collaboration or separating workspaces for more privacy and isolated work.
You should also consider the other amenities of the office design, such as storage, meeting rooms, offices, lounges, outside areas, prayer rooms, nursing rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, as well as the structural design of the office, such as natural light, artificial lighting, air conditioning, soundproofing, fibre and IT infrastructure, health and safety features, etc.
When you’re looking for an office, you’re looking for value for money, which involves seeing what facilities are included in your new office space. These extra perks can greatly improve your employees' work lives and productivity.
Some important facilities to look out for include:
Convenient parking
Communal gardens or outdoor spaces
Wellness rooms
On-site fitness facilities
While this is one of the more technical factors, it’s just as important, if not more important, than other more physical factors. Even if you think you’ve found the best office space you’ve ever seen, if the lease doesn’t meet all your needs, it’s not worth it.
It’s crucial that the lease agreement matches all of your business’ needs.
You should go over every fine print and keep a special eye out for flexibility in cancelling the lease, hidden costs, maintenance responsibilities, etc. Have a lawyer look over the lease to make sure everything is in order and if you aren’t happy, feel confident to try to negotiate to see if they are happy with your terms.
Before you go and sign anything, make sure to give the office a thorough inspection to get a proper sense of the condition of the space. The last thing you want is to have already moved your entire office across and then realise everything is falling apart.
You should hire a professional inspector to see if there aren’t any major issues, that everything works, the plumbing system is maintained, there isn’t any water damage, and so on.
If there’s anything that needs fixing and maintenance or even updates and renovations, decide whether it’s something you’d be interested in doing or it’s not worth the extra hassle.
Moving into your business’ next chapter with a whole new office space is a great opportunity to think about how you can take your business to the next level.
When finding your perfect office space, it’s important to look ahead and give your company room to grow. This could be by literally upscaling to larger offices to allow space for more employees, but it could also be more strategic by positioning your business close to some potential partner companies that you can work with. You can also look ahead in the real estate markets and find an area that’s up and coming.
Moving offices already comes with a lot of stress and lots of costs, but if you make the wise move, your office movers don’t have to be another worry that breaks the bank. That’s where Wise Move comes in!
Wise Move’s moving company platform connects you with the top local movers across the country. Compare 5000+ reviews and prices to find a trusted and affordable office relocation service and guarantee a smooth move into your business’ exciting next adventure.
Check out Wise Move and get your office move quote today!
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