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Like many prospective corporate tenants, you may not have as much of an idea about renting an office as you think is adequate for deciding between alternatives. And that’s normal. But you do need to know what to look out for when exploring options. If you’re wondering what those things are, you’ve come to the right place for answers. What follows is a rundown of the various factors you should weigh before settling for any specific place.
Accessibility
Your office has to be accessible from multiple parts of your town or city. If it’s relatively easy to get to, your clients and partners will be eager to visit. Here, we’re defining ease of access to mean that the roads leading to your location are in good condition and that your business is close to a major transportation hub. The easier it is to connect to your office, the greater the likelihood that you’ll have meaningful contacts with clients and partners, other factors held constant.Utilities
The satisfactoriness of your experience as a renter will greatly depend on the availability of utilities. Power and water are especially important; so are telecommunications and waste management. Without these, operating from a permanent office would be extremely difficult. Make sure to ascertain the presence and reliability of these utilities at your potential office location before going with them.Rental Costs
Perhaps the most obvious thing you ought to consider before you rent an office space is what it would cost you to renew your tenancy annually. You will want a place that you can afford, with costs that don’t rise more rapidly than you can keep up with. Besides inquiring about current rates, find out about the historical trend of rent for the office you’re looking at occupying, as well as how quickly it has risen for other places in the neighbourhood.Sign up for the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
Physical Condition
You don’t want to move your business into an office only to find out that it has physical defects. These problems are best spotted before renting, with a thorough inspection. When checking out office candidates for your organization, look for things like damaged or leaking doors, windows, or roofs, and worn-out wood or rusting metal. Cracking walls is a concern too. Also, check for ventilation and the adequacy of space. You would surely prefer a work environment that’s free from hazards brought on by physical faults with your rented compartment.Aesthetics
Earlier, we made a point about the impressions that your office could have on the public—and people in your target audience. Unless it’s not relevant to your operations, it has to be impressive enough to elicit admiration from your clients, partners, and people in general. We aren’t saying you should spend a fortune to make your office location pleasing to the eyes. If the neighbourhood is decent enough and the building in good condition, your office may only need limited touches to lift its look.Emergency Readiness
Disaster happens. It’s a sometimes unpredictable part of life, and of doing business. While emergency readiness is often overlooked by people hunting for a place for their business, you must pay close attention to it. One thing to check for is the existence of multiple exits. You will be better off having more than one way to escape if a fire or some other disaster occurs.Security
The security of your workplace should be non-negotiable. Don’t settle for a place if it has a questionable track record with the safety of lives and property. Even if security incidents occur only at night, there’s a chance that criminals could break into your office at that time and make away with valuables. You can avoid this sort of thing by being firm about finding a secure neighbourhood in which to site your business.Register to attend the CN Business Mixer
Final Words
Anyone looking to rent an office space should consider the accessibility, utility, rental costs, security, and emergency readiness of their potential office locations. They also have to ascertain that the place and its surrounding area are in good physical condition, and aesthetically pleasing too. Your preferred office site should have these things in order, at the very least.Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com