If you’re looking to start a business in Thailand (or anywhere, really) and need to find office space, we have great tips and advice from CBRE Thailand’s managing director, Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, courtesy of The Nation.
As companies do not move office often, it is imperative to ensure that they make the right choice before relocating. Lucky for entrepreneurs and business owners there is a large selection of office and commercial space for rent in Thailand to search through, but if you need to rent an office space read these tips first!
Hire an Interior Designer First
Interior designers have lots of experience creating room layouts, which will be important for a new office space. You need to take into account not only the number of desks but the number of people and how much space each person will need, how many people will need to use conference space at any given time, etc. While it may seem premature to hire an interior designer before you find the right space, it could save you a lot of time and headache.
Having the interior designer on board from the beginning will ensure that you are not going to end up with a space that doesn’t suit your needs. Even better, your interior designer will act as a consultant and will help you visualize what the space will look like, before you commit.
Consider the Commute
If the majority of your staff is coming from one area of the city, be considerate and try to focus on locations that are easily accessible by convenient roads or public transportation, and consider what rush hour will be life. It will often work in your own favor to be considerate of the new commute you will bestow on your staff. If you are relocating your business somewhere far away from the original location, keep in mind that you may be required to pay severance to employees who choose to terminate their employment due to a new, undesirable commute.
Lifestyle Logistics
There are many small things that can make or break your level of satisfaction with the building. An important one to consider is the building security, especially if you have late office hours or employees who stay past dark. Having strong mobile phone signals is becoming constantly more important as well, so make sure there are no dead zones in the potential office space. Don’t forget about the smaller things though. A seemingly less important issue like having to constantly wait a long time for the elevator, low quality of food and beverages sold within the building, or a high cost of monthly car-park allocations can become very frustrating over time if they don’t meet expectations. Make a checklist of everything and test it out before committing.
Figure Out the Facts
Financing a new office space doesn’t stop at the lease rent. Property taxes and the price of electricity and air-conditioning need to be taken into the total cost of the space. Again, smaller and less important factors should be realized before signing any contracts. Look into the basis of measurement of space for each building, check for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications, and determine the capacity of emergency generators and the allocation of costs to tenants.
