Common Leasing mistakes #2 : Space

Decide on how much space you need...
When selecting a new office space, it’s important to get this decision right. Your new workspace can influence your internal work culture and says something about your brand to visitors.
If your workspace isn’t working for you, now is the time to start thinking about why and what you can do about it.

It's easy to get it wrong
The shape, size and layout of a building’s floor plate can impact productivity and cost efficiencies.

It’s important to take a long-term outlook when selected office space.
Commercial leases tend to run for 3-5 years so it’s important to think about where you see your business in that time and what your space needs will be beyond what you need now.

The type of business and work style of employees will dictate the amount of floor space you need. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift towards alternative work settings which provide flexibility and can be quite cost effective. Alternative work settings include a combination of open, semi-open and closed workspaces such as hot desks, break out spaces, quiet booths or zones.

It’s important to think about how your employees work as individuals and as teams. Open space encourages collaboration and communication but can impact noise levels, productivity and privacy. It’s important to get this balance right.

​"While the Building Code of Australia requires a minimum of 10sqm per office worker,
larger professional service firms may require 14-20sqm per person."

ImpactGen Reception Lounge

For some organisations open workspaces simply don’t work. A range of factors influence why open plan may not work.

For example, client facing employees within larger professional services firms such as lawyers or accountants may need more space to accommodate their need for private offices.

While the Building Code of Australia requires a minimum of 10sqm per office worker, larger professional service firms may require 14-20sqm per person.

Client meeting rooms contribute to brand perception. What are your clients’ expectations?

Consider what type of impression your reception area and public meeting rooms give off. The space and layout of these areas influence the feeling of warmth or level of prestige to visitors.

Client meeting rooms contribute to brand perception. What are your clients’ expectations? How do you use these rooms? How many people typically attend and will the space accommodate?

It’s important to think about where you see your business in 3 to 5 years

Overall, avoid a cramped workspace. It doesn’t work for the business, your employees or visiting clients.

Is your commercial office lease coming up for renewal?
Even if you are not considering new office space, you should be considering a new lease as a minimum.

BRM Projects can help you find a space that works. Contact us today.
contact@BRMprojects.com.au or (03) 9521 1007