Have you heard that the most enduring relationships are convenient for both parties? Go as you please – as long as there is a win-win feeling on both sides, no one involved will be interested in bothering themselves with change. Technically speaking, the same “relationship principle” also exists between office space landlords and their customers, the tenants. Whatever the reason, moving home can be a major headache – packing stuff, carrying things up and down the stairs, unpacking, locking up the equipment, arranging… Once it comes to moving a business, it can be even more painful because – after all, the time spent on changing office space is unearned money! In other words, it is clear to everyone that changing their place of residence, whether personal or for a business, is no joy. Therefore it’s important from day 1 to in such a “relationship” that both parties are satisfied. Keeping our fingers on the pulse, we have identified five things that are important for tenants to choose a new home for their office in the hope of a stable long-term relationship.
A practical Latvian is also a practical entrepreneur – when looking for an existing rental space offer, the first factor is and remains the price per square meter. However, this does not mean that the right recipe is simply low price. The gold deal is if the price is slightly lower than the total value received by the tenant. And there are many values, and not all of them are the same for all tenants. Host’s responsiveness and communication, simplicity in striking a deal, personalized approach and support in setting up an office, technical service, cleanliness, quality of repair and the materials, location, car parking, access to public transport, well-maintained environment, advanced infrastructure are some of the factors that add value . It should be noted that mediocre or poor communication behavior from the lessee’s side can significantly reduce many of the resource-intensive objective “values”.
This unit should be called “parking lot and public transport,” but experience and surveys show that business leaders still prefer the convenience of top-level employees. Most oftenly, the most valuable workers or those who bring most money to the company use personal cars, and it is these people who the management stands and falls for. If the office does not have a parking space, then you will have to look at the tenant’s “value canvas” and make up for this shortage in other areas, otherwise the resident will start researching and looking at competitors offers sooner or later. It should be borne in mind, however, that setting up and maintaining a car park will require a considerable amount of money for the landlord, and the tenant will therefore have to pay a fixed monthly or daily parking lot fee. This is unlikely to be an obstacle for the convenience of being able to focus on the company rather than worrying about a vacant parking space near the office.
Small businesses with one or two person management and five to ten employees will definitely look downtown, in a “business area” where you can walk to a business partner’s office, have a business meeting in a cafe, enjoy the benefits of the infrastructure and eventually wait for a trolley nearby. Larger companies will, however, try to find a good location a bit further away from the big bustle, preferably at the intersection of the main roads, but not too far from the city center. Here they will most likely be welcomed with more space, more opportunities to create a comfortable environment, and the ever so painful issue of parking space will be also solved. Be careful, if it turns out that the location of your office is not the determining factor for the tenant – such a tenant can terminate the contract at the slightest misunderstanding!
Every business, whether it is a graphical design company, a bookkeeping service or a dance studio, does not want to worry about plumbing in their office or lighting that’s not functioning and interferes with their daily life. Make sure the heating is turned on in time for the cold season, the water in the office kitchen is functioning, and the snow is cleared from the roofs in winter without the risk of falling on someones head. If the management is at a high level, then the office tenant will not notice it at all, because everything will be taken care of, giving the feeling of everything being in order. At the same time, the owners of more prestigious areas also need to think about the manner in which workers interact, which does not end with a polite greeting. Well-maintained communication will not add value if the employees working under the landlord are not clean and tidy, do not arrive on time, leave midway, leave without explaining the reasons, or leave behind a mess.
While our jobs are not taken over by robots, the human needs and desires will continue to be relevant and will influence the choice of an office location and well-being in our daily lives. What is the neighborhood like, is there a flower shop, grocery store, fitness club or pharmacy nearby what are the dining place options. Is there a nearby place to invite a client to a meeting? These are and will be the desires and needs of the office tenants, which will have a significant impact on their well-being and satisfaction in their daily lives, allowing the landlord of the premises to earn benefits directly.
