You’ve got an internet business that’s hitting the stratosphere – but you’re still fielding emails from the bedroom in your mother’s house.
Admittedly you’re not the first entrepreneur to find success without an actual business premises. Gaming legend and multi-million success story Ian Livingstone initially worked from the back of a van in London.
While on the phone to clients, Livingstone would pretend to be in a bustling office, despite the fact that he was eating, sleeping, driving and creating products in the same four-wheeled vehicle. From there he’s moved on to bigger and brighter projects, eventually hitting major success in the digital markets by publishing Tomb Raider.
But these are changed times in business. Clients expect to be able to visit a workplace and not be greeted by some old lady’s front room. They want a hip and happening digital media-oriented environment to fit the hipster aesthetic of net successes like Facebook or Twitter.
With that in mind, you’ll need a shop to let that can keep clients satisfied, all while not making a dent in your profits. So what can you do to cut the cost of a brand-spanking new workplace?
Know your market
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While anyone Googling your products will happen upon your site, a physical location is a very different beast.
Are you aiming to tempt groovy-haired hipsters, moody goths or blue-haired grannies with your shop? Because you’ll need an entirely different approach to every kind of customer.
A hip vintage shop, for example, won’t make top cash if it’s tucked away on an industrial estate. Whereas an ageing barber isn’t likely to reap a profit if they set up shop next to a Hoxton cafe.
Looking out at the business landscape, the companies that have stood for longest are the ones that chose the correct location from the get-go. So ensure you’ve got all the facts before you sign any lease agreement.
Call a pro
The property market is a dicey game at the best of times. Price rise, prices fall. If you’re really unlucky, the market will collapse entirely.
But it’s a pillar of sand with professionals to negotiate it. Letting agents aren’t just there to facilitate a purchase – they’re exist to impart advice.
So call up a professional pronto to help you understand paperwork and the state of the markets. It’ll save you a few quid in the long run.
Team up
The savvy business knows that sharing is caring – and it can save you plenty of money.
Find a fellow businessperson who shares your ideals and see if they’d like some floor space in a new shop or office. It’s worked for various ventures in the past, particularly artistic collectives, so why not give it a go?
