Whether you’re buying or renting an office, you need to be financially repaired to deal with all the costs. Here are some of the hidden costs and how to reduce them.
Energy usage
The first major cost businesses fail to budget for is energy costs. If you’ve been working from home or using a co-working space until now, you may have not had to deal with bills. When running an office, utilities can sometimes rack up a larger cost than your home energy usage.
Running multiple computers will use up a lot of electricity, whilst laws regarding office temperature mean you can’t be frugal with heating like you may at home. You can reduce costs by insulating the office and buying energy-saving electrical appliances, even possibly adopting renewable sources such as solar power.
Cleaning and maintenance
All offices need to be kept clean and healthy. Most businesses will hire cleaners, generally on a weekly basis. You may be able to encourage staff to do some of their own cleaning and then hire professional office cleaning services to come in annually and give the place a deep clean. Just ensure that areas such as the toilet and sink are always attended to.
Various maintenance costs can spring up during your time at the office. Whilst you can’t always prepare for these, having a reliable handyman on call may be helpful as well as a professional technician.
Anti-theft measures
Your office needs to be safeguarded against burglars. There are all kinds of security measures that you can take, the most common being to install a burglar alarm. Some offices may already have these installed, although they may be rented through a security company, in which case you may need to get in contact with the company.
Extra measures can be taking such as buying a safe for important documents, as well as installing exterior motion-sensitive lighting that could deter any burglars in the night. CCTV is a more extreme measure, but depending on your area and the nature of your work you may feel more comfortable investing in it.
Property insurance
Whilst safeguarding your office against theft, you’ll also need to insure it. Most property insurance providers will also cover your office against fire and storm damage. You may be able to save money by investing in a business insurance package, which may also include liability insurance and public indemnity insurance. You should note that whilst this insurance scheme isn’t mandatory, skimping out on it could be a big risk.
Health & safety features
If you have employees in your office, you may need to shell out on a number of health and safety features including a fire extinguisher, fire escape signs and special equipment. It may be worth hiring a risk assessor that can notify you of all amendments you need to make to the property. If any employees are disabled, you may have to take extra measures to make sure that your office is set up for their access.