| You have decided to strike it out on your own and set | | | | Some building management will not allow new tenants |
| up a business consultancy. Chances are you want to | | | | to make major changes to the décor of the |
| look at getting your own office premises. Besides | | | | office. This policy is in line with trying to keep to the |
| ensuring that your rental payment does not create | | | | uniformity and identity of the whole building. You have |
| serious cash-flow problems in the medium term, you | | | | to decide if the building's identity is coherent with what |
| have to look out for these other factors: | | | | your company wants to project. However, office |
| The anchor tenant: | | | | renovation should not take precedence to being close |
| Every office building will have a few anchor tenants. It | | | | to your target market. |
| is important to find out from the building management | | | | Your clients: |
| when their lease will end. The reason is that these | | | | If your clients have to frequent your consultancy, it is |
| anchor tenants collectively create the image of the | | | | essential that there is sufficient car-park space or the |
| office building to the public and will generate the initial | | | | office building is near an MRT station. With the current |
| customer traffic for your company. Their presence will | | | | working trends and globalisation of operations, your |
| also be factored in the quotation of the rental payment. | | | | staff may have to put in irregular working hours. |
| Office Supplies: | | | | Having an office with a 24-hour security patrol and |
| You must enquire if there are tenants who can supply | | | | air-conditioning facilities will make the working |
| you with the resources for the daily operations of your | | | | experience more acceptable! |
| consultancy. This may include printer cartridge, paper | | | | Bank: |
| and general office stationery. Then your staff will not | | | | Ensure that there is a bank in the office building or in |
| waste valuable company time in making phone calls or | | | | the near vicinity for you to do your daily banking |
| traveling when your resources need to be replenished. | | | | activities. Having easy access to cash flow and TT |
| This is also a golden opportunity to "cross advertise". | | | | facilities will also improve book-keeping procedures and |
| You can leave your name-card and flyers with these | | | | encourage your customers to settle their debts more |
| suppliers and vice versa. | | | | expeditiously. |
| Networking: | | | | Pro-active management committee: |
| You may discover that a similar consultancy is a | | | | It will also be helpful as a new tenant to be in the |
| tenant in the same office building. Seize this opportunity | | | | building management committee. This will open the |
| to create economies of scale by having your office at | | | | door to more contacts and improve networking. You |
| the same floor with them. Not only will you benefit | | | | can also ask permission to promote your company in |
| from increased traffic, you may have to collaborate | | | | the building's newsletter or put out a banner outside the |
| with them on big projects. | | | | building's premises. |
| Office Renovation: | | | | |