When leasing or renting commercial real estate for an office, one of most exciting parts is planning the space. Every business has specific needs, and it is important to know what
one’s office space requirements are before signing a lease. If you rent too little office space, employees will be cramped and inefficient, and there will not be room to grow. Rent too much, and you will be tying up resources that could be better allocated. Ask yourself some simple questions to help decide how much office space is right for you.
Try using this space planning worksheet to figure out how many square feet your office needs.
How many employees are there, and what are their functions?
Workspaces can range from 60 to 100 square feet or more for administrative staff to 250 to 400 square feet or more for C-level staff. Consider the office equipment and supplies each of these employees’ needs, as well as whether they’ll need space to host visitors.
How much common space is needed?
Break rooms, restrooms, conference rooms, and reception areas are all important parts of the office space. Factor in the square feet now, so clients will not have to stand in a corner while they wait for appointments.
What are the storage needs?
It’s easy to forget about storage needs when planning an office space. Huge amounts of information can be saved on external hard drives these days, but there will likely still be a need to set aside extra square feet for server space, filing cabinets and office supplies, not to mention a place to hang winter coats during the workday.
What are the growth plans?
If business is booming, there may very well be a need for extra space soon, to add more employees to the office. Plan ahead by factoring them into your floor plan, or ask your leasing agent if the lessor offers an expansion space guarantee, or has other creative ways to accommodate a future expansion.