Choosing the right office space for your business to thrive in can give you a great return on investment by helping to boost wellbeing, productivity and employee retention - among much more! However, office space is also one of the biggest costs to a business, and getting it wrong can be extremely costly, in more ways than one.

The good news, is that we’re here to help you on your quest to choose the right office space for your business and avoid a costly mistake. Take a look at the below office space selection criteria to begin your journey.

Location

It really is all about location, and it's essential that you position your business in the right place. Few office searches come without compromise, but you should think twice before compromising on location. It's important that your office is situated in a place that will help you to attract the right talent to your team. If you're losing out on the best talent because of your location, your better-placed competitors will be taking them. It's time to get competitive!

To help you decide on the best location for your office space, take time to consider the type of employees you wish to attract to your business, and how they are likely to reach you. For example, many young professionals commute by train or bus. If your office location is away from these links, it could affect your ability to hire the type of staff you want.

Nearby Amenities

In line with the location of your office space, it's beneficial to consider nearby amenities. Is a potential space located near to a supermarket, corner shop or café? Is it important to have a nearby pub for those post-work drinks? (Even if you're thinking no, your employees are probably screaming yes!). All of these features impact the happiness of your employees and clients, so it's an important consideration to make when searching for your new office space.

Parking Considerations

Considering people's commute to your office space is important, and so is parking at and near your office. You might decide that parking isn’t a necessity, but identifying this is an important part of the process! If you're in a central location with good transport links, parking may be less important in comparison to an office space located further out of town.

Find the Right Lease

Most businesses choose to lease their office space as opposed to buy it due to the considerable benefits associated with this approach. If this is the option you’re choosing for your business, there are some important features of your lease to pay attention to.

Firstly, it's important to decide on the best commercial lease length for your business. A short lease length has greater flexibility if you're expecting considerable growth in the future, but it's more difficult when it comes to investing in the space if it's only for a relatively short period of time. A long lease can be easier to find as it's landlords prefer to have a guaranteed tenant for a long time, however, it is a large financial commitment to make without knowing for certain what growth you will experience as a company.

For more advice on what to look out for with a commercial lease, check out this guide produced by The Guardian.

Cost

Once you've decided whether to lease or buy your office space, it's time to get into the nitty gritty. Cost is undoubtedly an important factor when searching for the right office space, not just in terms of the lease or purchase of the building, but also in the maintenance and running of the space. Additionally, it's beneficial to set a budget for transforming your new space into a bespoke and branded interior that helps you to motivate and engage your staff.

Size

Coppergate House for Lenta Business Centres, London

When choosing an office space for your business, size is undoubtedly a hugely important contributing factor. However, we recommend that you look to the future as opposed to searching for an office that fits the size of your team as it currently stands.

Resources such as our online space calculator can do the hard work for you, taking into account the different features of your business and future plans of your team to predict the size of office space you need. Having this number will assist you with your search for the perfect office space, helping you to future-proof your office space.

Interior Features

Although we're helping you to find the right office space for your business, it's crucial to note that you don't need to find the 'perfect' interior - feel free to breathe a sigh of relief!

Most commercial spaces offer a blank canvas of sorts, providing you with the opportunity to refurbish the interior with a bespoke interior design scheme and fit out. The benefit of this is that you can turn an office space into a branded interior tailored specifically to your business.

The features that you do need to look out for in your new space, however, are the following:

- Windows and access to natural light;

- Accessibility.

You need to focus on the features you can't change, as opposed to the features you can! If an interior has the fundamentals you need in terms of windows and accessibility, the rest can be improved and brought in line with your requirements.

When it comes to finding commercial office space, the above office space selection criteria should help you to focus on the important contributing factors.

Your commercial property agent will be able to guide you in the right direction, but it’s also beneficial to bring a design and build company in to recognise the full potential of a potential space. Chat to us today to find out how we can help with your search for the right office space!