Making the Most of Your Business Premises

You’ll have to sort all sorts of things out when you decide to set up your own small business. But one of the first areas you need to tackle is where your business will be based. You’ll generally need to operate from some sort of premises to sell your goods or services. It’s good to know your different options before making any big decisions. After all, once you choose a premises, you’re likely to have to sign some sort of contract that ties you into a lease – and you don’t want to find you’ve made the wrong decision and now have to pay months and months of rent on a commercial property. So, here are a few different options you might want to take into consideration before getting started!

Consider Ecommerce

First things first, it’s important to remember that you don’t necessarily need a commercial premises at all. Nowadays, more and more people looking to set up their own business are making the decision to establish their companies online instead. There are a whole host of  reasons for this. Operating online comes hand in hand with a large number of benefits that make this a brilliant option for any business, but for small businesses who are looking to make a larger profit margin with fewer outgoings in particular. Running your business online tends to be cheaper overall. This means you can offer your goods to customers at a lower price without impacting your profits. Operating online also means that people can browse your stock and make purchases at any time of the night or day. This provides customers with ultimate convenience and flexibility with their shopping times. You can literally make sales and generate profit while you’re asleep! Selling online also means that yoy can even reach out and offer your goods to an international consumer market. All you have to do is add the option of international shipping to your listings. This is definitely something worth considering for any new business owner. Remember, you can always expand and establish brick and mortar stores later down the line when you have more money to invest!

A Brick and Mortar Store

If you feel that a traditional, tangible business premises is for you, you might want to consider a brick and mortar store. Brick and mortar stores are the types of shops you head into on the high street. Perhaps the most important thing to do when finding a brick and mortar store is to make sure the space is the right size. You don’t want a cramped store, as you won’t be able to show all of the goods you have to offer properly. However, you don’t want an overly large store, as it can quickly feel empty and customers tend to head into stores that look busy – it makes it look like there’s something exciting inside that’s worth going in to check out. Another important factor to consider when choosing a store to rent is to make sure it’s in a high footfall location. Having a store in the middle of nowhere will mean that people are less likely to pass in. You’ll have less b brand exposure to the public and your sales may suffer as a result. People might not even know that your store is there! High streets are preferable. Sure, the rent may be higher, but your intake is likely to match and be higher too, making this location more sustainable. Having a central location can also make it easier for staff members to get to work, meaning more people will want to work for you for the sake of commuting convenience. This will give you more choice when it comes to your staff and you can then pick the cream of the crop to work for you!

An Office Space

If your business provides services, you may want an office space instead of a brick and mortar store. Most of your work won’t be directly customer facing and you may benefit from having multiple employees completing work within an office instead of retail staff actively making face to face sales. There are all sorts of little quirks you can add into an office space too. You need to make it welcoming and comfortable for your staff, to make sure they feel appreciated and in a space where they want to be productive and get their work done. Consider small touches like company branded welcome mats from Matsdirect, branded coffee mugs, branded mouse mats and more. This will establish a team ethos while incorporating practical and usable items into the workspace too.

Outdoor Spaces

Remember, the spaces outside of your business property reflect your business just as much as its interior. People pass by the outside of your business premises every day and will form their judgement on its exterior. If you have a brick and mortar store, you need to make sure you have attractive and branded signage to attract attention and show your brand off to people passing by. You may also want to consider appealing window displays that can showcase your best stock in its best light. If you have an office space, you may have gardens or land surrounding the space. This needs to be maintained. Most business owners will hire a professional gardener or landscape designer to spruce things up and maintain this green space.

These are just a few of your options. There are, of course, various other types of alternative business premises out there that might better suit your company’s needs. But those mentioned above are some of the most prevalent. Hopefully, this advice will help to get you started in the right direction with as little hassle as possible! Be careful before putting money down on a property deposit or signing a lease. The more thought you put in, the less likely you are to regret any of your decisions and the more profitable and successful your store is likely to become!