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Finding A Workspace That Fits Your Brand

Like the products or services offered by a business, the place and quality of which it is located communicates a message to its clients, customers, employees, and visitors too. Think of that time you walked into a dive bar in college with a sticky floor and no windows – or the time you sat down in a waiting room with chairs and wallpaper from the ‘90s – or the time you kept passing the driveway to a business on a busy road in an unfamiliar area. These are all unpleasant situations, which give us that icky or frustrated feeling which we do not want associated with our own businesses.

So to help, we put together a list of key factors business owners should consider when selecting the best location that fits the right image for their business.

Building Type and Class:

Different types of buildings communicate different messages. A single-story flex building with individual suite entrances feels much more casual than a high-end office building with a fancy lobby and elevator. And a healthcare provider located in a neighborhood shopping plaza is going to feel more relaxed and inviting, whereas a doctor in a medical office building feeds off the synergy of other providers, giving the space a sense of prestige. None of these building options are right or wrong for everyone. Businesses just need to decide which type of space works best for their brand and culture.

Design and Style:

Another way a business can distinguish the vibe of their space is through design. An office space could have lots of open space with cubicles or collaborative workspaces, giving it a modern tech atmosphere, or an office could feel more traditional with an office-heavy layout to promote independence and provide privacy. The furniture and decor also perpetuates a brand. A minimalist style may feel cold to some people, but modern and edgy to others. Wainscoting and chandeliers could come across as outdated, or it could be impressive and elegant. Again, the aesthetics of a space need to be intentional and make sense for the company’s identity and functionality.

Common Areas:

Zooming out from directly inside the space, people will notice its surroundings as well. Some businesses may want as little shared space as possible due to convenience and cost savings, while others prefer amenities and plan to make use of a lobby meeting space or outside lunch area. And if the building does have interior common areas, are those easy to navigate? Do they feel inviting? Are the shared bathrooms outdated? Are the stairways clean? Does the landscaping outside look nice and well-kept? Some of these things can only be determined in-person, so decision makers should keep this category in mind when touring properties.

Parking and Accessibility:

Stepping outside the building, a person is going to be affected by the convenience of the location itself. Do clients, visitors, and employees need parking? If so, how many spaces and how far away is the parking lot? If not, is the location walkable, or is it near a transit stop? Think of the demographic using the space. A doctor’s office with lots of elderly patients will have a much better experience with parking close to the entrance, while a college student resource office is better served in a walkable area near campus. A company needs to keep this in mind when weighing the pros and cons between locations.

Visibility and Signage:

Lastly, businesses should consider how visitors will find the location. If people are commuting off a highway, is the location easy to identify and turn into from the main road? Is the building tucked back into a larger complex? If so, does this matter to the business? If the space is only used by employees, perhaps it is not problematic if the building is hard to spot from the road, but if there is rush hour traffic backed up from the highway every day, this will feel frustrating to those employees. The amount and type of signage available may also be a deal breaker for some businesses, so that factor alone needs to be prioritized from the beginning.

This may seem like a lot of factors to consider when choosing a commercial space, and that’s because it is! But this is why we are here to help. One of the first steps to our process is to guide our clients through a needs analysis to ensure they are fully considering the experience of their customers and employees when determining their space requirement. And these factors should not just be considered by companies searching for a new space, but even if the first choice is to renew a lease, a business needs to assess their current situation and determine what improvements would be desired or required to improve the overall experience and efficiency of their current workplace too.

For more information on this topic, check out our Essential Guide for Commercial Tenants and Buyers and watch our video, What You Need to Understand Before Leasing Your First Commercial Space for Your Business.