How do you find an office? There are a number of different ways to find an office space for your business but, first, there are a few things you need to consider. We'll share with you some of our top tips for locating an office space, as well as a few questions you need to ask yourself before settling on a space and committing to a lease. Our handy guide will help you find an office that fulfils your professional needs, while also making life easier for your teams, whether you're a rapidly expanding organisation or a small enterprise just starting out.
A Step by step guide to finding an office space
- Consider your business size
- Find out where the talent is located
- Ensure accessible public transportation
- Decide what type of office your business needs
- Make sure you have all the necessary facilities
- Check out the local amenities
- Ensure your choice of office supports your brand image
- Book a tour
- What's next?
1. Consider your business size
When it comes to choosing an office for your business, one of the first things you'll need to consider is your business size. However, it's not always as simple as your current company headcount.
If you're likely to experience company growth in the near future, we'd recommend accounting for this in your new office space, and going for something slightly larger to accommodate new employees. Alternatively, you could look into renting a flexible office, like Orega, that offers more convenient leases with the option to up or down-scale at will. This way, it's easy to move into bigger or smaller spaces when required.
If your company is trialling more flexible working arrangements, with some employees working part-time from home, it may be easier and more cost-effective to have a smaller space with communal workspaces
2. Find out where the talent is located
One of the most effective ways to create an esteemed reputation for your business and boost your brand image is to position your offices nearby like-minded businesses. You might be wondering what we mean by this. Well, let's take law as an example. When you think of law, you think of the big names located at Old Bailey in London, right? Locate your law firm in the same area, and you can become part of this. Here's a few examples of business hotspots by sector, to help you determine where the top talent is located:
| Location | Sector |
| Old Bailey, London | Legal |
| Gracechurch Street, London | Insurance |
| Manchester | Media, Marketing & Digital Agencies |
| Gatwick | Export/Import, Airlines & International Freight |
| Aberdeen | Oil & Gas, Engineering |
| Thames Valley, near Heathrow Airport: Slough, Uxbridge & Stockley Park | Business e.g. Microsoft & BP |
3. Ensure accessible public transportation
Finding an incredible office space at a great price is one thing, but if it isn't accessible then it isn't very practical. It's imperative that you consider public transport links, motorways and airports when finding an office space.
Transport links within walking distance are essential for daily commuters, and are key to encouraging a healthy work-life balance by cutting commute time and stress. And, if you know many of your staff drive to work, you should also think about parking options, too.
Nearby airports are only essential for global businesses where employees are likely to go on frequent business trips or host international clients and visitors on a regular basis. That's not to say you need to say you need to have planes flying overhead, but just ensure the terminal is a quick train or easy taxi ride away.
| Office Location | Transport Links |
| London Chancery Lane | Chancery Lane Station - 5 mins Farringdon Station - 10 mins |
| London Gracechurch Street | Monument Station - 3 mins Bank Station - 6 mins Fenchurch Street - 6 mins |
| London High Holborn | Chancery Lane - 1 mins Farringdon Station - 10 mins |
| London Old Bailey | City Thameslink - 2 mins St Paul's Station - 5 mins |
| Manchester Arkwright House | Manchester Victoria - 11 mins Manchester Piccadilly - 15 mins |
| Liverpool Chapel Street | Moorfields Station - 2 mins John Lennon Airport - 30 mins |
| Leeds Park Square | Leeds Station - 7 mins Leeds Airport - 25 mins |
| Birmingham Colmore Building | Snow Hill Station - 5 mins Birmingham Airport - 25 mins |
| Gatwick The Beehive | Gatwick Airport Station - 5 mins Gatwick Airport - 5 mins |
| Aberdeen Union Street | Aberdeen Station - 10 mins Aberdeen Airport - 20mins |
4. Decide what type of office space your business needs
Nowadays, there are so many office options out there and, although traditional offices still have a place, you should take the time to look at what else is available. You may find there is a better suited office arrangement. Here are a couple of alternatives to conventional office space:
Unlike a typical office, a serviced office offers an all-in-one space solution, comprising a high-spec private office space with furniture and IT infrastructure included, as well as smart communal lounges, meeting rooms and additional building facilities, such as parking, cycle storage, hot drinks, printing and WiFi. Best of all, you can also benefit from premium customer service and technical support.
A serviced office also offers more flexible lease agreements, catering for your ever-changing business needs and accommodating sudden expansion or down-scaling. This is ideal for start-ups with limited initial budgets, but expecting rapid growth once on their feet.
A virtual office offers the ideal solution for remote businesses in need of a reputable business address without the physical space. Choose a virtual office and benefit from an esteemed registered business address, phone and mail handling services, meeting room discounts and more. Many virtual office providers, like Orega, will also offer the option to easily upgrade to a physical office as and when required.
5. Make sure you have all the necessary facilities
As discussed briefly above, you'll need to consider all the different facilities you need for your business, which will vary from office to office. In most cases, you'll require more than just desks and chairs. So, we've compiled a mini checklist to help you make sure your new space has got all the necessary facilities for operations to run smoothly.
- Soundproofing
- Collaboration spaces
- Business lounges
- Climate control
- CCTV
- Concierge services
- Bookable meeting rooms
- Tea & Coffee
- Free WiFi
- Parking spaces
- Bicycle storage
- Generous desk space
- IT Support
6. Check out the local amenities
Although not essential, convenient local amenities are nice to have. We recommend going out of your way to check out the local amenities nearby your chosen office building. Look out for quick lunch spots, sophisticated eateries for business dinners, hotels for visitors, shops and trendy bars for after-work fun.
7. Ensure your choice of office supports your brand image
A positive brand image is essential for any business, and your office space will play a major role in this. That's why it's essential that your chosen building reflects the image you want to portray. This could include how the exterior and interior of the building looks (Is it modern or run down?), where it's located (is it in an upmarket area or rough side of town?) and the types of businesses associated with the same address (are you sharing a building with a shady enterprise or a respected organisation?). We suggest doing a little extra research before signing a lease to make sure you're happy with the answer to all these questions.
8. Book a tour
Sometimes, a space can appear much different on paper or online than in real life. It's always best to book a tour and get a real feel for the space to make sure it's the right fit for you. A trusted office supplier should offer free, no obligation tours. At Orega, we offer both in-person, hosted tours, as well as online virtual tours via Zoom, Facetime or Skype if required.
What's next?
Only once you've considered all of the above, can you start thinking about the paperwork. There are two main routes you can take: approaching an office provider directly or working with brokers who have access to lots of different offices. There are benefits to both, however ultimately each business will be different.
A broker can help you narrow down your options or present you with new offices you may have missed on your search, however going directly will cut out the middleman and the broker fees, giving you access to direct-only deals and speaking to people who know the building inside and out.
If you're looking for a new office space for your business, browse our selection of serviced offices and virtual offices all across the UK, or get in touch with our expert team who would be happy to assist you.