You are growing and need new offices. Or you are setting up a brand new company or branch. One thing is certain: You want your new working environment to be worth it and the investment to pay off. Take a look at what you should consider if you decide to rent.
Start searching on time
Luck favours the prudent. Don't leave your search and move to the last minute. If your business has one hundred or more employees, you should start looking for new offices ideally two years in advance. If less, set aside at least a year and a half for the search. "This is the only way to get offices in the desired quality and at an appropriate price," points out Adéla Kudrnáčová, an expert in the representation of office tenants. Impulsive and hurried decisions will not lead to success – and they can also be quite expensive. Also, leave yourself enough time to negotiate the lease agreement. With the help of a real estate agent, you will be dealing with the necessary bureaucracy for three to four months, without one probably even longer.
The location matters
Consider where your target group is before you begin to address a possible location. Have you selected specific parts of Prague? Do you need good transport accessibility or do you not mind more remote locations? If you are moving, build on your experience: if clients complained that they have no place to park, you have a unique opportunity to remedy this. To a great extent, the location effects the amount you pay for the lease, so pay sufficient attention to it.
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Flexible coworking, or more stable classic offices
Shared offices have been a hit in recent years. The figures say it all: according to the Statista research platform, you will find more than 26 thousand coworking spaces in the world today, while ten years ago there were only around six hundred. The flexibility of the lease agreement is an indisputable advantage. It is especially the ideal choice when you don't know exactly what pace your business will develop and you don't want to take a risk.
In contrast, the classic rental of offices usually binds you to five years. "If you opt for a fixed contract, you should know what plans you have for the future and if you plan to increase the number of employees by 50% or 100%,” added Adéla Kudrnáčová. Try to estimate the development of the head count as accurately as possible. This will prevent you from finding out in a year that you need twice as much space because three colleagues are squeezing around one table and the meeting room is always full.
A community atmosphere, peace and quiet, or both?
Deciding between coworking, open-space and separate offices should reflect the nature of the business and employees. "The company should determine its vision and the average age of its employees. And if it needs more enclosed spaces, or if it is desirable for people to communicate as much as possible,” explains Filip Muška, Workplace Strategies & Change Management Lead. You can then customise the actual design and architecture. Looking for a space with relaxation zones and community kitchens? Do your employees prefer minimalism or perhaps decorativeness and cosiness? Do they need complete silence at work, or do they not mind office noise?
(Source: Adobe Stock)
Often a good solution is the middle ground: many projects today combine community and private zones. In such spaces you will find both a place for louder teamwork as well as isolated zones for soloists. This is an ideal solution for businesses that have employees with different types of agendas and preferences. The nature of the workspace should simply reflect the nature of your business. Because you can tell a lot about a company from its offices.
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