Originally Published in Treehouse Society’s Blog: http://www.treehousesociety.org/blog
Being the leader of a company that has so many potentials of growing and doing your best to stay in the path of this growth, you get to face some kinds of anxieties that hang under the surface of your daily tasks.
You probably are already treading the water regularly and you do not have the mental energy to deal with another thing, but one thing you need to consider is where do you want your company to work from? After all, unless you already have robots running your company, your company is built by humans, but even “WestWorld” robots need a place to be based out of, so maybe your team of robots and humans need an office. However, having an office lease is a big commitment.
Bear in mind that, any bad office lease decision will waste no time in killing the dreams you have of your startup before killing the startup in real-time.
Although, when you need the space, it seemed like a wonderful idea it is likely not beneficial to your company over time.
Tips To Avoiding Office Lease Issues
In a bid to avoid all of these office lease issues, there are tips to take along with you for you to keep your startup dream alive. These tips include:
Think about the office space early enough
When it comes down to making an office move, it is going to take longer than you anticipated, however, this does not stop you from planning. Always have an idea of what your next move will be even though it will happen either in some years to come or even months. Especially in San Francisco where permits process takes an unusually long amount of time. Plan Plan Plan!
Seek expert advice
As a startup company, it is ideal to work hand in hand with a commercial real estate broker that will assist you in landing the sort of office space you have always dreamed of. The fact is that a good broker will work with you in a bid to be aware of your priorities when seeking out an office space and also understand your business plus its space needs. Moreover, the ideal broker will have an idea of the buildings available in your area and have a good relationship with some of the owners plus an insight into the exact time that space will be vacant.
Do not knock off the quick hit sublease
Some brokers can assist you in finding a good short term sublease. This sublease could be one wherein the former company had the same look and feel like your startup and even some essential components for both data and power. All of this will make things easier and less of a hassle for your business at the main time.
Your startup will need space to grow
On your own, you can try taking an educated guess on the amount of space you need. Too much space or even a space that is too little can turn out to be a killer mistake. This happens most especially when you have not negotiated the ideal terms on the office space lease. Also, you should embark on learning about what is known as a target amount of people to hire and try applying it to your educated guess.
Maintenance and replacement
When the lease is about fifty pages, it is very easy to overlook some of the trap words that have to do with replacement and/or maintenance. Note that, words like these should never be dismissed. This is because you could land on the hook for thousands of dollars worth of repairs or maintenance should anything go wrong in the space you occupy. A good broker will help you avoid such trap terms as well.
To Wrap It Up
As mentioned earlier, an office lease can contribute to killing your startup before you even think of making necessary expansions. The amount of liability is huge with a traditional office space. A useful tip to consider is to consider some of the shortest lease terms deals possible. Or you can try coworking! Whether if you are a solo founder who just needs a desk or a small startup seeking a private office, or a corporation needing a satellite space, coworking space might just be the perfect choice for you.
Author Information
Treehouse Society is a supportive community network, a workplace, a cultural center, a place to learn, and a club in San Francisco. It is a unique environment for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and global citizens to connect, be inspired, and have an opportunity to learn from one another to change the world for the better.