For any business, location is important. Most company owners know this, and are willing to pay high rent to secure premises in a prime location.
Even small companies will try to base themselves in a city location because they feel that it gives them a competitive edge. This is understandable, and for many companies, it is exactly the right decision. However, it would be wrong to assume that a city location is right for every firm. Read on to find out why you may not need to pay high rent for a city office.
Are your really closer to more customers?
Business owners want to be located as close to as many potential customers as possible. They rightly conclude that the more potential clients they are close to the easier it will be for them to secure new business.
Most company owners naturally assume that this means that they have to locate themselves in a densely populated area. This is an understandable assumption, but it is not always correct.
If you locate yourself just outside a big city, you can actually end up being more accessible to potential customers than you would be if you were based in the centre. This is because in many cities congestion is a huge issue.
For example, in London, commuters and visitors are regularly locked out of tube stations that have become too busy (more details here).If you are located somewhere where that happens on a regular basis it is highly likely that potential clients will be put off coming into the city to see you, and place orders.
Moreover, for running a successful business from a particular location, you might also need to consider facilities, services, etc., to provide to your employees and customers. Office facilities could be segregated into two parts, i.e., hard facilities (HVAC, fire safety, plumbing, electrical, building maintenance, etc.) and soft facilities (cleaning, building security, waste management, dcor, landscape, etc.). You may have to hire a facility manager to manage the building services. To get more information on the same, you can check out a few blogs where soft, and hard facilities management explained in detail.
Cost
The cost of office space in all of the major cities of the world is high. Often, much more expensive than the rent for similar, or better, facilities located just a few miles outside of the city. One factor that is likely to influence costs in your office is the rising cost of energy. With this in mind, switching power suppliers can often help to reduce
these costs. For example, if your office is powered by fuel, taking a look at some of the fuel packages on websites such as romeosfuel.com can help you to compare a few different options and secure the most affordable deal.
Staff retention
In the past being located in an exciting and busy central location was vital if you wanted to attract and retain the best staff. These days this is not necessarily the case. People soon tire of the fast pace of city life. Given the choice between a half hour commute sitting on a comfortable train and two hours standing elbow-to-elbow most modern workers will opt for the easier commute. These days, it is often easier to hire and retain staff if you are located on the edge of a city.
Where can you find good office space?
If you are currently looking for office space, Brentford is a location that is well worth considering. This town is a great example of the kind of place we were talking about above.
It is only 9 miles from Brentford to Central London, so potential clients from inside the city can easily reach you should they need to. There is also a train station, an international airport and several motorways close by, so you are well connected to the rest of the UK and other countries. The rent in the area is far lower than it is in central London, but the facilities are every bit as good.