The time comes in every business’s life when you outgrow your office space. Perhaps you need more room, the location just isn’t right or you feel embarrassed inviting your new clients to come and visit you because you can’t take them for an overpriced coffee at the hipster café next door.
But while part of you knows it’s a good idea to move, it is a stressful and time-consuming thing to do and staying where you are is just so much easier. However, sooner or later you need to face facts – your business is growing and in order for it to continue to do so, you need to upgrade your work environment. It’s like leaving home for the first time – you don’t quite know how to go about this next stage in your life but with some guidance and a little support you’ll be ok!
Here’s a list of reasons as to why it might be time for you to upgrade your office.
1. You need more desks
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It’s a great sign when you run out of desk space because it means your business is flourishing and you’re making enough money to employ more staff. However, asking the new person to sit on the floor with a laptop isn’t the nicest welcome to their new job.
Your colleagues need space to work and overcrowding just isn’t fun. When you find yourself battling for storage and you’re keeping important client documents in the kitchen cupboard, it’s time to move.
2. It takes you three hours to get to work
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When you first moved into your office you had less to do and were under less pressure to get to work early. Now peak hour traffic and constant problems with the Underground means your daily commute is long and painful.
Finding an office in a location that is easier for all of your staff to get to will make everyone happy. No one wants to travel across London in order to get to work every day, so choosing an office in a convenient location makes good sense.
3. Your current office is too far from your clients
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Most of your clients have city centre offices and when you ask them to visit your office in Blackheath (we know it’s super cute) their eyes bulge and they audibly sigh. With the price of office spaces being surprisingly affordable within central London, there is no real reason why you can’t afford to move to areas within in city centre. A central location will provide you with greater access to existing and potential clients, plus you will be surrounded by the buzz and inspiration a central London location offers.
4. There are no networking opportunities near you
Networking is critical to business development and if it currently takes you two trains and a bus to get to that StartUp meeting then it’s unlikely you’re going to go.
Moving offices can provide you with new networking opportunities, particularly if you choose to set up in a shared office space. Not only will you be surrounded by other businesses on a daily basis, but many office spaces also offer networking events and workshops that will help you grow your business even further.
Plus positioning your office in an area of London that is already a tech, creative or entrepreneur hub will provide you with daily interaction with other businesses in your field that you can learn from and potentially collaborate with.
5. You greatly dislike your neighbours
Whether you’re in an office block, a co-working space or a shared office, there’s always potential you just won’t get along with your neighbours. Or perhaps you just never see them or have any interaction with them whatsoever. Moving office can be a strategic decision to position your business in a more productive and inspiring location. Or maybe you just need to escape the never-ending drum and bass that pulsates from the office next door.
6. It’s more economically sustainable
It’s important to conduct regular reviews of your spending as a business and costs such as rent and bills are something you need to consider. Are you currently getting the most for your hard-earned cash?
This is particularly relevant to businesses that are currently working in co-working and shared office spaces and paying monthly rental costs per desk. If your business is expanding, you will need to rent another desk for your new colleagues. It may be cheaper to rent a private office space that you can furnish with as many desks as you require.
7. Need more flexible workspaces
While many shared and co-working offices have breakout areas and meeting rooms available for use, they are often being used by other people or don’t quite provide the level of privacy that you need. If your business has reached a point where you want more flexibility and reliable access to the types of spaces within your office then now might be the time to look at renting a private office.
A private office will allow your business to set up spaces how they best suit you – so if you really need a room with a pool table and a bar fridge, then that choice is yours.
8. You currently fight over who has to clean the bathroom
Maintaining an office space is time-consuming and paying for private cleaners can be expensive. Private serviced offices remove the issue of who is in charge of emptying the smelly bin in the kitchen. The cost of regular cleaning, and often other services such as mail handling and administration can sometimes be included in the rent. Co-working spaces and some shared offices can also remove all of these hassles by including services as part of the rent.
9. Your current office is just downright ugly
You were proud to be able to call the space your office when you first moved in, but now you realise that this concrete box with no windows just doesn’t have the ‘quaint charm’ that you first thought. There are so many great looking office spaces throughout London with modern furnishings, interesting interior design and plenty of exposed brick walls.
Working in a space that is aesthetically pleasing is important to your business’s productivity – no one performs to their best in a dark and ugly box. Working in a bright, open space can inspire new ideas and will definitely boost the mood of everyone in the office.
10. You just need a change
You have been working in the same office for the last ten years and it all just seems a bit the same. You take the same train, walk the same street, buy the same sandwich from the same shop every day. As a result, the work you’re producing looks the same as every other job you’re done this year. And people are starting to think you’re just a bit… well… boring.
It’s time for a change! Moving office can add a new lease on life into a business and spark some excitement and productivity into your work. A change is as good as a holiday, as they say, so it’s time to move office!
