At Duo Works, we get a lot of inquiries for short-term office space for companies who are either relocating to the area or are looking for short-term space for a stop gap if they have signed a lease on a new place and have a short-term need to office somewhere. This typically means that there was a delay in construction or other obstacles that prevents you from moving into your new space immediately upon relocation. Even if you’ve visited Austin to check on the progress of your new office space, there are some important things to consider besides parking and move-in.
Considerations to Make When Setting Up Your New Office
In particular, when companies sign a new lease with an office space, it’s important to take possible interruptions and delays into account and have a backup in case you’re not able to move in right away. I’ve never seen an office space ready early which is why over-planning and strategizing is key when negotiating and finalizing your new office lease. Here are five things to consider when choosing your new office location and lease:
#1 – Contract finalization and due diligence. Even if you’ve vetted your contractors or property management company, there are sometimes delays in construction that are beyond your control. Business permits, licensing, zoning issues, or construction delays could all potentially delay a move-in.
#2 – Timing, or how quickly you’ll be able to move in to your new space and set up a functional office. Quickly setting up and the ability to move in and acclimate once you’ve relocated is imperative to running a profitable company.
#3 – Your responsibilities versus your property manager’s responsibilities. We’ve worked with companies who have relocated to Austin only to find that their understanding of what the property manager was to handle differed from the property management company policy. Consider things like internet cabling, construction cleanup or setup, painting, or setting up workstations. You should know whether these things are covered in your lease or contract, or if you’ll need to take care of them prior to your arrival.
#4 – Workforce hiring or relocation of the current workforce. If you’re relocating employees, consider that they are moving into new residences and the same delays you may experience moving into your office space could be on their hands as they move into residential rentals. And if you’re hiring in the area immediately, you don’t want to invite interviewees into a construction zone. Having a conference space or temporary shared space gives you the professional edge and won’t scare away potential candidates for employment.
#5 – The little things. If your new office space isn’t ready to accommodate you and your team, you’ll need a functional space to be able to continue your business without interruption. Rather than officing from home, your newly relocated team might respond better to a flexible and functional office space as they acclimate to their new city.
Having different options or a group offering like an office plus coworking memberships allows your team to have someplace to land. Whether you’ll need it for weeks or months, temporary office space at a shared office space like Duo Works provides you and your team with flexibility. It’s important to have a backup reserved in case of delays like the ones we’ve mentioned above, as well as a ready-made community to welcome your team to their new city.
Adding a Satellite Office as an Employee Perk
Additionally, because Austin is so spread out, many companies have multiple offices or coworking and shared office spaces as officing options, making it easier for clients and employees to select an office that is located in the area that is best for them. This is a great way to retain your workers and really show them you care by setting up an office in a different area of Austin. Not only does this offer up a shorter commute time for your current staff, but it’s a great way to recruit and attract talent from different areas of Austin.
Finally, welcome to Austin! Duo Works has amazing coworking office space available for lease, and we did our homework before we selected a location with an easy commute and plentiful free parking. If you need a temporary space to work from while you’re checking out office space for your relocation, check out our available leases.
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