Just because you start a business in a garage doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever.
Many large companies had humble beginnings. It is said that Jeff Bezos invented Amazon in the garage of a house he rented in 1994. And in 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin rented a garage from homeowners in Menlo Park, California. Page and Brin, then doctoral students at Stanford University, went on to build the Google juggernaut. And who can forget Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who started Microsoft in a garage? That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
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While these and other companies started out in garages, they eventually moved into offices.
If your business grows to the point where a garage stops working, what factors should you consider before moving? Keep reading to learn about things to consider, such as location, office size, and moving costs, before you pack up and move into a rented office.
Location is everything
One of the first things you’ll want to consider carefully is where to set up shop. If you’re on a tight budget, you may be more limited in where you can rent an office. But you still have options. Make sure you do some research. And ask yourself questions like:
Is there a part of town that would be the best home for your business? Where are your customers located? Where are your suppliers located? Is the office space easily accessible for employees, customers and clients?After you answer these questions, you can narrow down your list of possible locations.
Talk to the owners when you find some rental spaces that interest you. Ask about the lease terms and make sure you also factor in taxes, utilities, and other costs associated with renting or leasing.
Office size
According to one source, the average two-car garage is about 20 feet x 18 feet, which equates to 360 square feet. That’s not a lot of space – especially if there is also at least one car, some tools, gardening tools, a few bicycles and other things.
If you’re moving from a garage to an office, how do you find the right size office?
Before choosing an office space, visit several nearby buildings to get an idea of what’s available. Don’t just consider how much space you need now, but also consider your space requirements as your business grows over time. If you have more space than you need, you get scaling opportunities if you want to hire more staff. Also consider the need for meeting space, parking spaces and multiple workplaces for different departments.
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Moving costs
When considering the location and office space, also consider moving costs. Your first task when preparing to move from a garage to an office space is to find a reputable commercial moving company. If you want everything to run smoothly on moving day, you want a mover to handle the heavy lifting and logistics. A reputable moving company will visit you to see what needs to be moved before you get a quote.
Make sure to find a moving company that handles commercial moves. A company that only does residential removals is not what you want. Commercial movers know the ins and outs of office removals and can minimize downtime for your business. Typical services they can provide include furniture assembly and installation, movement of fine art and sculpture, movement of computer and IT equipment and more. It also makes sense to look for a mover that offers storage solutions if you want a safe and accessible place to store things.
These are just a few of the things to consider if you are planning to move from a garage to a rented office space. Don’t underestimate the importance of hiring the right mover. You’ve no doubt heard nightmare scenarios about people hiring infamous movers and soon regretting it.
With the right moving company behind you, moving to a new office will be a breeze.
This post Here’s what you need to know when it’s time to move your business from your garage to an office was original published at “https://www.noobpreneur.com/2022/04/22/how-to-move-from-your-garage-to-an-office/”
