So you’re finally ready to get your first office space or you’re going to expand, congratulations! Moving into your first office is a huge milestone for any startup business and can come with its own unique set of challenges. You could decide to take the easier route and go for a space within an established serviced office but this can often come with an expensive price tag and you may find yourself burning through your profits, fast. An alternative option would be to rent an un-serviced space and to set it up yourself, this may not seem as glamorous but will cost you considerably less and will allow you to devote this excess resource to other areas of your business. 

So you’ve found the space, great – here are the 4 things you should do in preparation for the big move. 

1. Start with a deep clean
   To get things off to the best start, begin with a deep clean of the empty office space. If your space is carpeted then don’t just vacuum the carpets but use a Steamaster to get right into them and remove any trodden-in dirt. A deep clean of the space not only gives you a blank canvas to work with but will also help to make the place feel like home with any previous grime removed. A clean office space is a happy office space and a nice working environment is more attractive to prospective employees.
   
   
2. Create a floor plan
   Create a detailed floor plan of your entire office including the position of all plug sockets, lights and any immovable features such as doors or supports. Ensure that the plan includes accurate measurements as this will help you to plan the best way to layout your desks and any furniture you may have. One great way to do this is to create desks using cardboard in the same ratio as your plan and then move them about on your detailed floor plan to get an idea of the various layout options available to you.
   
   
3. Create a fire escape plan
   Now that you are the proud owner of a new office you must also take responsibility for the safety of anyone working within it, which includes providing a fire escape plan. You may have been given a copy of the fire escape plan by the offices previous owner which is great, just be sure to update it if any of your furniture changes the use of any escape routes. If not, then you will need to work out a fire escape plan for yourself and ensure this is circulated with your employees.
   
   
4. Move in all of your furniture before moving in any people
   This may seem a little obvious but be sure to have all of your necessary furniture delivered and any utilities in place prior to having any employees move over to your new space. This will ensure that your employees can hit the ground running rather than work in an unsuitable working environment. Of course, if you’re just waiting on some decorative elements then this won’t stop people from getting their jobs done.