photo credit: mkosut

At a certain point of time, “being virtual” loses its appeal, especially if you hire new team members or it isn’t possible to work from home. As a startup, you’re on a tight budget and at the same time it is important to have a good office space for your team. A trade-off between the two is an ideal win-win situation for a startup.

A small suggestion here to all startup businesses is that look for an inexpensive office that will help you survive in the initial period. No private office, prime locations, pretentious architect or sixty story buildings.

Here are a few other points you should keep in mind when looking for an office for your startup:

1.  Don’t get carried away with too many choices. Try being more decisive
2.  Try striking a good bargain whether buying or letting
3.  Find a balance between what your clients expect, a good price and the kind of atmosphere your team will be most productive in
4.  Identify all parameters when choosing your office space. Location, size and price are the obvious ones but also think about access to extra amenities (coffee shops, communal areas), parking, atmosphere, furnished/unfurnished and security.
5.  Avoid agents and try doing your search. Make a good comparison of available options
6. Stick to being conservative. Don’t lease expensive premises the moment money starts coming in. Wait for a good three to five years before taking such a step.
7.  Find office space that comes with tax benefits

You can also use the “SPACE” test to get a good deal on office space:

                     S- Savings, P-Productivity, A-Address, C-Clauses, E-Expansion

To get more insight on the issue, we recommend you read:
http://www.coachwei.com/blog/2009/11/09/a-geeks-guide-to-startup-office-space/
http://thenexttrain.co.za/2009/03/6-tips-for-finding-start-up-office-space/