You’ve been a digital pioneer for years, all from the comfort of your living room. But now that business is booming, it’s time to make the leap from homebrew company to a fully-fledged startup with a fixed address.
You need a place to house your stock, some employees and a location to conduct your meetings. And while your clients have so far been grinning and baring it when you’ve taken them to your spare room for a serious business chat, they won’t stick around for long.
Here’s the rub – securing a business premises is a full-time job in itself, requiring coordination, budgeting, and a high level of discernment to ensure you don’t sign a yearly lease agreement for a dud property.
What’s more, if you’re planning on making improvements to the property you’re leasing, you’ll need to figure out a supplementary budget to help you on your way.
With that in mind, we’ve come up with a few considerations for you to make before you sign any form of lease agreement.
Keep it fire safe
When you’re the person on the paperwork of a newly rented property, you’re also responsible for the safety of anyone in the building. That means, you must ensure the premises is safe from the threat of fires, and that you’ve got a viable plan in place should a fire occur.
If this seems like too lavish an expense, then all you have to do is make sure you have fire extinguishers dotted around your workplace, as well as sprinklers and alarms embedded in the ceilings.
Budget for extra maintenance
Every letting agent will hide the shoddier nooks and crannies of their property. There’ll be a crack in the floorboard here, a patch of damp on the ceiling there, a hole in the wall hidden by a pot plant. While it’s a letting agent’s job to conceal these flaws in a property, it’s your job to stay vigilant and uncover them.
Once you’ve noticed them, figure how much they’ll cost to fix, and if you’re willing to put up with the extra expense. If not, it’s time to look for a different property.
Get a second opinion
You’re the boss, but that doesn’t mean every decision has to rest solely on your shoulders. With a decision as large as where to locate your digital startup, listening to the opinions of others can be vital to making the right choice.
Ask your employees and financial advisors what they think of the new property, and how they feel it might benefit them. That way, you’ll understand every angle before you purchase.
Check for eco-friendliness
Eco-friendliness is a must in today’s society, but many properties aren’t up to snuff. If you want your property to be as cutting edge as the products you’re making, ensure that you’ve got a workplace that’s sustainable and future-proofed.
Have you got any more property-hunting tips for a digital startup? Then let us know in the comments below!
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