How to find the best offices for startups

by Startacus Admin

If you are on the hunt for brand new office space for your startup, there are a variety of factors that need to be considered beforehand in order that you find the most suitable working environment for your firm. 

With over 216,000 new startups launched in London last year alone, more and more offices are catering to the startup proposition, and finding the right one can be key for collaboration, finding the right staff and traction.

This is important not only in terms of finding something that is cost-effective but it is also important when it comes to team morale, which can help in the long-term foster innovation and development. 

But how exactly do you go about finding the best office for your small business? Here is our advice on finding the right place for you.

Think carefully about location

Do not underestimate the importance of location, as this can be detrimental to the success or failure of your firm as it can affect the happiness of your staff (for example, if it means they will now be required to do long commutes to and from work) or to your business’s perception by clients. 

“Startup locations in Location tend to congregate around areas such as Shoreditch, Hackney, Kings Cross and Camden,” explains a spokesperson from office agent Pilcher Hershman. 

“These areas are traditionally very young, have a lot of flexible work space and attract like-minded staff, agencies and investors.”

Whilst you should always keep in budget, do think carefully about the location as it can be a great chance to take advantage of skills sharing and may provide networking opportunities.

Think about what you want from an office space

If you want to have office space in an expensive location in the UK (such as in London) due to the potential benefits of being in this area could bring for your firm, but you are worried about the expense, it's worth thinking about what you would like from the space itself.

For example, could you look at hot-desking or looking at a co-working space? This could end up being considerably less expensive than renting out a whole office yourself. What’s more, sharing with other businesses could provide inspiration and opportunities for collaboration.

Many co-working or serviced offices also provide lectures or networking events, making them even more appealing as a startup location.

Think about space

You need to make sure that your team has enough space to be able to work effectively, even if as a startup it may be likely that the budget for physical office space is a bit limited. Try to take into consideration opportunities to make the most of what may be potentially limited space (such as using shelving bays or installing lockers) whilst also think ahead of the future of your startup so that the office space can be altered to accommodate a larger team at a later date, or just generally has the capacity to evolve over time, as any startup does.

Think about accessibility

Another important thing to remember when trying to find the most suitable office space for your startup is to think about accessibility. This means inquiring about internet access (how fast is it as well as how affordable) as well as things such as parking spaces or wheelchair access.

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Published on: 19th October 2019