A business and choosing to move into your first office space can be a big milestone. If your budget is closer to coffee money than corporate funds, it may feel downright intimidating to try and save up to buy your own office space.
The good news is that with some creativity, some strategic planning, and a whole lot of sweet equity, you can set up a compliant, functional office on a shoestring budget. You can find, fix, and furnish a commercial space that ticks all of the right boxes without draining your wallet, and we’ve got how to do that for you below.
- Start small and scrappy. If you’re just getting started in your business, forget the glossy corner suite. You want to look for offices that are the ugly ducklings of the commercial property world. They are older, less polished spaces and they are severely in need of flea pest control, but they are structurally sound. If they just need some cosmetic work, you’ll see that they tend to be much cheaper to rent or buy and with a little elbow grease you can transform them. Look at converted residential spaces, small units in older commercial buildings and warehouse offices or Coworking studios. You don’t need fancy, just legal and functional.
- Learn the basics of commercial requirements. Before you sign the lease or put an offer in on an office, get familiar with the local laws around commercial properties. Even on a budget, your office has to meet the basic standards for fire safety, electrical systems, accessibility, health and hygiene. Speak to your local council or commercial inspector about the bare minimum you need to operate legally. If you choose to ignore these requirements, you may end up with expensive fines or forced closures and that kind of goes against the whole shoestring budget thing.
- Inspect everything twice. If a place is cheap, there’s usually a good reason. So before you commit to anything, get an inspection done.You want to look out for water damage or mold, old wiring and unsafe electrical setups, poor ventilation or issues with the heating and air conditioning. You also want to look out for signs of pests. Pest control in particular is non negotiable because offices that have been vacant may harbour anything from rodents to fleas.
- Renovate on a budget. Assuming the structure and the safety basics are completely intact. Cosmetic work can be done relatively cheaply with DIY effort. Paint is your best friend here because it’s a cheap way to upgrade an office without having to do too much. A coat of bright, neutral paint can brighten any dull, dank office space. You can use vinyl planks or commercial carpet tiles which are cheap and durable as well as easy to install when it comes to flooring too. You can replace any outdated fluorescent lighting with LED bulbs and get the electricians in to check the actual fixtures for you. All of these things will work together to help you to bring a renovation to your office without having much of a budget for it. You may also want to consider Office Cleaning Cheltenham to make sure the space is clean and ready for you to move straight into.
- Get smart with your technology. You don’t need to have a massive IT infrastructure to get started with your office. With cloud based software, instead of investing in expensive local service, you can get started and you can skip out on any of the pricey phone systems too. Voice over Internet protocol is one of your best things that you can do to get your office up and running.
- Don’t skip out on the insurance. Even a shoestring office needs to be insurable, so before your policy is approved, your insurer may want to check for fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, clearly marked emergency exits, secure locks and alarm systems, and safe storage. You can get inexpensive safety signage and first aid kits online to get started, but as long as you make sure they’re visible and up to code, you’ll be golden.
- Outsource what you can’t do. There are some things that just can’t be patched together with duct tape and a little bit of hope. Legal compliance, inspections, licensed electrical and plumbing work, and pest control are just the beginning. If you need help with things like this, don’t wait around for it. It’s a relatively low cost service and it can prevent lost business and health code violations. Call in the professionals early and if you’re unsure, it’s worth a phone call.
Thank you for reading.
