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Renting an Office Space | The Complete Guide

Tanshire Business Park • Jul 03, 2022

The prospect of renting out your own office space can be a scary one, and when factoring in costings, amenities, and location, it can be difficult knowing where to turn. We have packed all this information into one helpful guide, which will cover everything you need to know when renting office space.

What is an office space?

Office space can be defined as a room or rooms within a building that provides a suitable environment to support workers in performing their job.

Types of office space

An important consideration when choosing a new office space is the different types of spaces available, and their purposes. Each space has its benefits, but it’s important to consider the needs of your individual business, and top priorities.

Co-working space

A co-working space refers to a large, shared office where working professionals can utilise shared facilities and hot desk in a collaborative environment. This arrangement offers opportunity for different employees to come together and share expertise, without signing a long-term lease.

Office leasing

Also known as a ‘traditional office’, a leased office is a space let out to a business by its landlord for a certain period of time. A working arrangement of this type will see costings in relation to square footage of the space. Traditionally, leased offices will come unfurnished, meaning it gives start-ups an opportunity to increase brand identity through décor and signage. However, Tanshire Business Park offers the best of both worlds, with the option to utilise their bespoke fit out service, minimising the need for third party contractors.

Serviced office space

A serviced office is a ready to use private office space with in-house facilities and services included. Serviced offices are a cost-effective solution, ideal for start-ups as they boast high levels of flexibility when it comes to rental agreements and opportunities for future expansion.

Incubators

Incubator spaces work to support the growth of start-ups and entrepreneurs, where cost and flexibility are of top priority. Offices of this kind have been designed to support and accelerate businesses with the creation of their products and services, in the early stages of development. Similarly to that of a co-working space, there is a focus on creating a sense of community, but incubators look to match companies by industry, whereas co-working spaces have a broader range of firms.

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Why should you rent an office space?

Renting your first office space can feel immense and is a calculated risk to the business. However, taking the leap could see a multitude of benefits which may be what is needed to set your business up for long term success.

One study demonstrated that office based workers were shown to be 50% more productive than work-from-home employees, demonstrating that an office environment is likely to enhance the output of your staff. But why does working in an office increase productivity levels?

From faster VPN connections and ample resources to increased collaboration and communication, having a dedicated office space could push your company towards further success, and in the long run, towards further financial gains. Discover our top 5 reasons why now is the time to rent out an office space as a small business owner.

What to consider when choosing an office space to rent

How do small businesses get office space? With extensive offices on the market, it can be difficult to understand which is best suited to your business needs. However, with a few careful considerations, you can better grasp which offers will work for you as a company and make an informed decision.

Consider your current working model

Working arrangements can vary drastically from business to business in a post-pandemic society. The right office for you will be dependent on the current working model you have implemented in your company.

Many businesses are moving away from remote working and have implemented a hybrid working model. Implementing hybrid working into your business can be challenging, and for it to be successful, it is crucial for your company to implement a flexible working policy. Read our guide to implementing a successful hybrid working model, with a clear view as to how day to day work will be achieved, without a loss of collaboration and communication.

Working models include:

At-Will Model
Office-Occasional Model
Office-First Model
Set Days
Teams

Within a company where the At-Will Model is in place, there will be a precedence on home working, but with the flexibility to allow for physical interaction when employees choose. This sort of arrangement may best suit a small central hub, where only a small amount of people are likely to work in the office space at any one time.

On the other hand, as an Office-First business where a fully flexible arrangement is not in place, upscaling your office with room for future growth may work best as a long-term solution.

Your working model will impact your office space requirements and is an essential consideration when relocating to new premises.

Choosing the right location for your office space

Your office location can affect business performance, from the wellbeing of your employees to the rental costs of a prestigious location. There are several factors to think about when considering a new location including:

Access to public transportation
Access to nearby amenities
Rental costs
Demographics
Employee wellbeing

Without transport links, not only will your employees be unable to commute to the office easily, but nor will your customers and clients. With this in mind, you should consider accessibility and parking, and if there is enough space for your business to continue to grow and thrive.

Whilst renting in big cities may help your business to thrive, it’s important to remember that this will also be reflected in rental costs. Consider your demographics and where they may be based. Where is your business likely to succeed?

Another consideration is the wellbeing of your employees. Natural surroundings and plenty of natural light have been shown not only to promote employee wellbeing, but to increase productivity by as much as 15%. A rural office location, such as Tanshire Business Park’s Surrey Countryside Surroundings, may be ideal for maintaining a happy and healthy workforce.

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Choosing the right size of office space

When making the large financial investment of renting out an office space, ensuring you get a space of the right size is essential for saving those all-important costs. Calculating your office space requirements involves factoring in considerations such as:

Office style – Are you looking for an open-plan working environment?
Equipment and facilities – How many printers and photocopiers do you need?
Future growth – You never know when the business will grow, have you incorporated an extra 10-20% of square footage to account for this?
Cost per square foot – Is the space cost-effective?

Use our handy calculator to help you estimate how much office space you will need per person to help you make your decision.

Consider the service package

Every office will come with a unique service package to enhance your lease. From catering facilities to showers and bathrooms, ensure you, as a tenant, have access to the amenities and services which matter most to you as a business, and will improve your workforce.

Be sure to consider the following options to optimise your space and ensure there are no hidden costs.

Office parking
Conference rooms
Internet connection
Heating / Air conditioning
Security
Cleaning
Internet
Electricity
Kitchen facilities

At Tanshire Business Park, providing, maintaining and developing the best possible working environment for tenants is a top priority. Explore the extensive range of facilities on offer at Tanshire Business Park.

Consider the security and accessibility of the office space

All office spaces should be secure and easily accessible. You should check the safety measures of the building – such as security staff and alarms, as well as how to access the premises outside of operational hours.

When considering accessibility, you should also think about the set up for inclusivity and making your office disability-friendly. Ask yourself questions such as: is this door wide enough for a wheelchair? Does this building have lift access? Reports suggest that over 15% of the worlds population are people with disabilities, meaning that you should take accessibility requirements and wellbeing into account when choosing your office.

Designing your office space for employee happiness and productivity

Now you have chosen your ideal office space, it is time to set it up for success. Download our free guide to making employees happy with office space and enhance the experience of your staff at work. But first, here are some other considerations when designing your office, with employee happiness a priority.

Layout and design

Did you know, 97% of survey respondents stated that they regard their workplace as a symbol of whether or not they are valued by their employer? Setting up your office interior isn’t just about making sure it’s the right size for your staff, it’s also about setting up space for collaboration and teamwork. Each office design comes with its benefits, and it’s important to consider what works best for your company, whilst keeping productivity levels and employee welfare at top of your mind.

Open plan: Entire rooms with no partition walls between spaces, this layout sees workspaces created using furniture for definition.

Ideal for promoting communication and collaboration amongst team members due to the absence of walls between employees.
Spaces of this kind tend to be versatile and can be reconfigured easily to best meet current needs.

Cubicles: This layout uses partition walls on 3 sides to create the feeling of a private workspace, within an open place office.

Cubicles offer privacy and a sense of personal space.
Can boost productivity through less distractions and noise.
In a post-pandemic world, cubicles are a good option to help control germ exposure and reduce the spread of the virus.

Cellular: Using the entire floor space, this layout divides the space into individual offices with doors between each.

Cellular offices can improve focus and concentration through private spaces, helping to reduce noise and distraction.
This layout is good for maintaining confidentiality during meetings and phone calls.

Traditional office: A traditional office layout is made up of a combination of individual offices, meeting rooms and a reception area.

This type of office ensures a professional place to bring clients, conduct confidential meetings and work collaboratively.
Opportunities for networking and socialising.

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Collaborative workspaces

Having a collaborative workspace is crucial for growing the company and placing emphasis on workplace culture. A staggering 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures. Ensure your company places high priority on collaboration and making sure there is space for effective communication and teamwork.

Temperature control

To ensure the happiness of your employees doesn’t fluctuate, it’s important to be able to control the temperature of your space all year round. Check whether your service package includes a good heating system, and for warmer climates, access to openable windows and air conditioning. Working conditions that are too cold or too hot have been shown to have an adverse effect on workers concentration, so considering temperature control when renting out a new office space, is imperative.

Keep your office space hygienic

Now more than ever, it’s come to the world’s attention how important excellent hygiene and cleanliness standards are amongst workspaces. Following the pandemic, the thought of going into the workplace, whether fully or partially, can bring about anxiety. Therefore, it’s paramount that businesses continue to take steps to look after the health and safety of their staff to help retain their employees and avoid disruptive sick days.

Download your free workplace cleaning checklist, and minimise the risk of infection transmission in your office space.

The impact of finding the perfect office space on business results

Finding your perfect rented office space could be the push your company needs to achieve long term success. Whilst renting out a new office space can feel high-risk, it’s a smart move that can reap extensive benefits from improved productivity levels and collaboration to an increase in profits and business growth.

Find the ideal office space for your business

It’s time to find the perfect space for your business. Tanshire Business Park is a thriving Surrey business park boasting a range of amenities, high-quality facilities and services, to provide a healthy and productive working environment for tenants. Located in the heart of the beautiful Surrey countryside, our offices are situated just a short distance from large towns and cities such as Guildford, Woking, Godalming and London, making the office easy to access for clients and employees.

Now is the time to make the big leap to find your ideal office space. Explore the current selection of Grade A office spaces available to rent and discover your next perfect workspace.

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