Creative Ways to Obtain Office Space When You Can’t Afford It
By Debbie Gregory.
So you’ve decided to take the big plunge and launch your business. Congratulations! But if you can’t afford to have the office of your dreams in the prime location that you want, here are some alternatives.
Your local coffee shop may not be the ideal place to start your business, but at some locations you don’t even have to be a customer to reap the benefits. If your team consists of you, this may be an ideal temporary, short term option.
Working from home is the next best option. But in order to be successful here, you should delegate a space that is yours for you to work on your business, be it a dedicated room, space in the basement, the garage, or even a large closet.
Co-working spaces and shared office spaces offer flexibility, as well as the opportunity to collaborate. Incubators are all the rage for start-ups these days, and can be beneficial on many levels. A shared office space where two or three start-ups can work side by side does not only help in cost cutting. The businesses can learn a lot from each other. There are several places that sublet their conference rooms, projectors, and other office amenities to small businesses at an hourly or daily basis. You can book a hall for a day and hold your weekly or monthly meeting with your team members or prospective clients. It is a win/win situation at a very reasonable bargain.
If you identify a space that you think would work for you but it’s too much for you to take up on your own, you can turn it into a co-working space. Try to identify spaces that have sat vacant for an amount of time. The owner may be more flexible with you in an attempt to get it rented. Be sure that you are in a financial position to cover the cost of vacancy rates before you sign a lease.
