Renting your first office: a practical starting point

Give renting your first office a clear purpose

Renting your first office becomes easier when you can name the work it will improve. Perhaps home working makes joint reviews awkward, client conversations need a more suitable setting or your team wants a consistent place to concentrate. Write that purpose before browsing photographs or making a shortlist.

Imagine a small creative business preparing to work together more regularly. Its first office brief might centre on reviewing work, taking calls and keeping project materials organised. The useful question is how those activities happen together. An attractive address can then be judged against a working routine, rather than becoming the reason for the move by itself.

Separate must-haves from preferences

Ask colleagues which parts of the day currently cause friction. Turn the answers into observable requirements: a place for a confidential conversation, a workable route for visitors or a way to leave equipment securely. Describe the activity and the condition that would make it work, so a provider can respond specifically.

Keep a separate list for preferences such as the neighbourhood, atmosphere or character of the building. These can make an office a place you want to use. They also help distinguish suitable options once the essentials are met. Avoid letting a long wishlist hide the few requirements that would rule an office out.

Rehearse an ordinary day at each shortlisted office

Take the brief into your enquiries and any visit. Walk through arriving, setting up, reviewing work, taking a call and leaving. Ask where each activity would happen in the particular office. Mark any answer that depends on shared space so you can discuss how that space is used.

Use the visit to test a routine, not to pretend you have already moved in. Ask about permissions before trying equipment or occupying a room. Bring the people whose needs could change the choice, or share the plan with them afterwards. A short, focused conversation can reveal a practical mismatch early.

Prepare a first-office decision brief

Before deciding, write why the chosen office suits your work, which costs and terms have been confirmed and what must happen before your intended start. Name the person who will coordinate the move and day-to-day questions. Ask a colleague to read the brief and explain the choice back to you; any confusion gives you a useful point to clarify. Keep outstanding points visible until they have an answer.

The worksheet below turns that decision into a brief your team can share. For Figment Work Studios, enquire for pricing with your purpose, preferred area and working requirements. You can begin with Club House, Kongsi House or an open house preference, then ask about the specific office and package.

Blank first-office decision brief

Use these headings for your own notes. Complete the blank cells from the particular proposal or your observations.

Keep the decision connected.

• Read the space and layout
• Compare your first office proposals
• Discover Figment Work Studios