Category: business

How to get business premises that work for you

How to get business premises that work for you

Your business premises are more than just a place for you to do your work. It’s an extension of your company, influencing how both customers and employees view your organisation. It can also impact the quality of the work done, too; people work better when they’re in an attractive and comfortable environment rather than one that’s a little more uninspiring. Therefore, it’s worthwhile looking into whether it’s worth upgrading your business location. In this post, we’ll run through some useful tips that’ll point you in the right direction.

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Where do you need to be?

Location is more important to some business types than others, but all need to think about it. It’ll impact how easy it is to reach the space, how easy it is to connect with other businesses, how customers view your business (some addresses are more prestigious than others), and so on. You’ll need to decide whether you want to be in the centre of town or whether being slightly further afield will work for you. There are advantages and disadvantages to both!

How much can you afford?

If your business premises are to work for you, rather than against you, you’ll need to ensure that the space is in line with your financial situation. No company wants to spend more money than is necessary on rent, and they positively don’t want to run the risk of financial problems because of overspending on their premises.

Five years’ time

You’ll hope to be in your premises for a while, so it’s a good idea to think about the plans for your business. Where will it be in 5 years’ time? If you’re planning to add a lot more employees or make the move to remote working in the future, then that should influence your decision.

Getting the lease

You’ll have identified the location and can see that it’s the right place for your business to be for the years to come. Now, you’ll need to get your hands on the lease. Since commercial rentals work a little differently from residential rentals, it’s recommended that you work with solicitors such as Beyond Law Group Solicitors to thrash out the details. This will be doubly important if you’re planning to buy the space that you’ll be occupying. Working with legal experts will ensure that your lease doesn’t come back to bite you in some way later on down the line.

Smooth transition

Moving into a new office isn’t as stressful as moving home, but it’s not far off. You’ll likely have a lot of equipment and furniture to move into your new premises, plus it might take a few days before you’re fully up and running. Since it’s important that your move doesn’t disrupt your work operations, it’s best to either move into the new office slowly (transitioning from old space to new) or to pick a quiet time of the working year. That way, you’ll have time to settle into your new space without it having an impact on your customers.

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How to rent a business warehouse

How to rent a business warehousecredit

Are you planning to rent business warehouse space? As organisations expand, many of them need a larger space to store their products and inventory.

Warehouses provide the necessary space and conditions for storing various types of products. Nevertheless, there are multiple factors to take into account when choosing such a unit, including square footage, property features, accessibility, lease type and length of tenancy etc.

If planning to rent a warehouse near you, follow the tips below to make the best choice.

Huge empty warehouse

Consider the square footage

The initial point of consideration when renting a business warehouse is square footage. Business owners should calculate the amount of room they need for their products and whether it’s feasible to stack them. Additionally, if there is no forklift access, you should reconsider the space you’ll need to stock all products at ground level.

Moreover, it’s important to determine if the current square footage amount will be enough after several months or a year. Make sure to ask the landlord whether you’ll be able to rent more space on short notice. Also, it’s important to determine the way in which the landlord calculates the square footage, as you should only pay for the space you use. It’s important for the walls not to be considered as part of the price per square foot.

Large business warehouse with multiple conveyor belts

Check the property features

Another important factor to take into account is property features. It’s essential for the landlord to provide parking spaces in order for employees to have where to park when they arrive at the location. Some lessees require a storefront with more visibility, such as having glass doors and windows, whereas others need the traditional one.

Air conditioning is of vital importance for warehouses, as some products require such a system to keep the products in optimal condition. If your stock is likely to be affected by cold, heat or humidity, there should be a HVAC system. Not many landlords offer climate-controlled storage units, meaning you should discuss the installation of the system with the agent. Find out more about the way in which HVAC systems work.

Furthermore, warehouses usually come with overhead doors, which is convenient for lessees planning to use machinery and trucks to go inside and out of the unit. Therefore, make sure to get informed on the height and width clearance of the unit. If your business involves constant loading and unloading of materials, you would need a loading dock.

Additionally, it’s paramount to check whether the warehouse has energy-efficient lighting, as it can reduce your costs significantly. Each unit should be equipped with a fire-prevention system, such as alarms and sprinklers. These systems are essential for preventing fire damage to your stock.

Warehouse and green forklift

Consider the lease type and length

The lease type should be tailored to fit your business, which is why business owners need to go through a process of negotiation. There are two types of commercial leases, gross and net leases. For instance, gross leases require tenants to pay a higher monthly rent, including taxes, maintenance, insurance, utilities and other costs.

In the case of gross leases, lessees are required to make a single payment, while the landlord will be in charge of dealing with the building. Nevertheless, you should ask which types of maintenance and janitorial services are provided, as well as check whether you will be responsible for paying for utility consumption over a given limit. Follow this URL https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gross-lease.asp#:~:text=A%20gross%20lease%20is%20a,office%20buildings%20and%20retail%20spaces., to learn more about the types of gross lease.

Conversely, net leases require tenants to pay a base rent on a monthly basis and a pro-rata share of the other costs related to the building, depending on the amount of space they occupy. Nevertheless, you should also pay for your own utilities and janitorial services. In theory, net leases are less expensive due to the savings in operating expenses. The monthly rate, however, is prone to fluctuating and more difficult to budget.

Potential tenants should also keep the lease length in mind by making forecasts. For example, if you need the space just for a couple of months, there is no need for a long-term commitment. Anyhow, if you plan to use the warehouse space for years, you can negotiate a longer term of five to ten years and take the price down. Business owners who aren’t looking for commitment should find a landlord that offers month-to-month renting.

After deciding on a lease, you should request the landlord to provide you with a copy of the document. Make sure to examine it closely by looking at all expenses and hidden fee provisions. Tenants are advised to review the document with a commercial real estate attorney prior to signing anything.

Stacks of wooden storage pallets

Final word

Make sure the space is designed for maximum efficiency and has 24/7 security. Don’t make unnecessary commitments!

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Benefits of remote access for small businesses

Benefits of remote access for small businessescredit

With a small business, it’s important to note that remote access isn’t something that will only be beneficial for larger corporations. A lot of small businesses are finding that when they can access office files and resources remotely it provides a lot of benefits for the business as well as for employees. Supporting flexible and remote working is an obvious benefit, and by using remote access it means that the business will still be able to keep up to date and catch up, in this post-pandemic era. Remote access solutions are something that can benefit your small business, and they don’t have to be things that are expensive or out of your budget.

Illustration of remote working outdoors

Flexible office solutions

One of the big costs that a business will have is the office space that they occupy. With employees who work flexibly and work remotely the majority of the time, you can reduce the office space that you use, if you need one at all. If there are fewer workers that need a desk space, the cheaper or smaller place that you could rent for an office, if at all. As the site https://physicaladdress.com shows, you don’t have to have a physical office space to be able to get business mail, neither do you need to include a personal address on a business website. If you do decide to go down the route of getting rid of the physical office, then you have real flexibility as well as more adjustable office solutions.

Interview taking place over a conference call

Talent recruitment

If you work flexibly and run this across the whole of your small business, then it improves the talent pool that you can reach when it comes to recruitment. Normally, the talent pool for a business only extends to people who live in a commutable distance from the office. However, if you work flexibly and allow employees to work remotely, then it increases the geographical location of potential candidates. You can really choose the best people that apply, rather than having to choose the people that apply only because they live in the vicinity.

In a similar vein, you can also have continued access to existing staff. If they’re moving home to a different part of the country, they don’t have to leave working for you when remote access is implemented. Another benefit for business and the business budget.

Three people working remotely and collaboratively

Collaborative working and resource sharing

When you have a remote working business, you can work with colleagues on a collaborative basis, as well as externally with clients, third parties or suppliers. When you interact remotely, it helps to save time on travel, save money and improve productivity on the part of all involved.

Using remote access and accessing something in the cloud for document sharing means that you can share work with others, wherever they are in the world. As documented here, https://workplace.com/cloud-collaboration, cloud collaboration can be something that can really benefit business and be a good thing for employees too. You just need to think outside the box and it will help to make a difference to how your business works.

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Things to put in place when setting up your new small business

Things to put in place when setting up your new small business | H is for Home

Setting up your own business

When starting up your own company, the work needed can be hard, but the end result is usually worth the struggle. Here at H is for Home we know what it’s like to be an independent business and we love to be able to bring individuality into homes, which is something we love to do when it comes to our vintage décor. Learning about your products and what you really want to achieve is a great place to start when setting up your new small business. Therefore, we decided to create some tips to help you if you’re planning on setting up your own small business.

H is for Home website

A website

If you’re looking to start up a small business, a website can help to attract potential customers. A website is important as it offers a place for your products to be purchased, a way for potential customers to get in touch with you and so much more. Having a website also offers a sense of security for those who are looking to buy from you.

The H is for Home packaging box

Packaging

Perfecting the art of packaging is key to making a good first impression as a new small business. By using packaging which can be recycled, like what Lil Packaging offers, allows the consumer to dispose of their packaging with ease. They offer a number of different types of packaging in different sizes, all of which are plastic free.

Marketing illustration

A marketing plan

Working out how you’re going to market your business is key, deciding how your marketing budget is going to be used to maximise the results before spending it. If you make a plan of what you’d like to achieve in terms of sales targets, follower numbers, unique users, clicks etc, it’s beneficial to set goals to work towards.

If you need help with creating a marketing plan there are plenty of people out there willing to offer advice on where to get started. Check out digitalspotlight to know more about digital marketing.

Smart phone social media apps

Social media

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are free services that should always be utilised as a small business; not only does it allow you to promote your business and products online, but it also allows you to interact with potential customers and help them to get to know you and your business better. You can share customer reviews, respond to any queries and issues as well as distribute any news or updates.

Some other helpful tips:

  • Getting business cards can be useful for events and for sharing your contact information. Although these are not essential, they make a good, and lasting, first impression.
  • Prioritise your budget where it needs to be most, whether you can only put a small amount into marketing and more into product production, you know how and where your money needs to be split.
  • It’s OK to ask for help if you feel like you’re struggling, there are plenty of others who have been in the same boat as you and would be happy to lend a hand; that could be professionals in your sector or even free advice from places such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

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