Business Premises? Office? Shop? Industrial Unit? Serviced Offices? Warehouse Unit? Factory? Restaurant? Workshop? Or Start from Home?
Whether you choose to work from home or are looking to rent or buy a business premises, you may like to read our commercial property articles which cover the various options for small business or new business start ups. (We also have a section dedicated to working from home.)
A list of useful contacts in St Albans who are keen to help you can be found below.
Only need a small office?
Want short-term space?
STANTA Business Centre is the answer….
Office space to rent in the STANTA Business Centre is charged as an all-inclusive monthly fee (that also covers gas, electricity and business rates) with only one month’s fee charged as a deposit.
And renting offices from STANTA has a number of additional benefits:
- easy in, easy out office space with no long term lease commitment
- easy access to the M1, M25 and A1
- free membership of St Albans Chamber of Commerce for the first year
- a large Board Room with Wi-Fi to use (as well as a smaller meeting room) and free onsite business advice
- toilets with showers on each level & disabled access (via lift) and unallocated free parking for bikes and cars
- no maintenance charges & CCTV security and alarms
- high-speed broadband access
- suites available from 50 sq ft to 900sq ft (suitable for 1 to 14 people)
But perhaps the most unique feature of taking office space at STANTA is the business community within STANTA Business Centre: a mixture of long-standing licencees and newcomers, every STANTA business looks out for the other tenants, taking in parcels, borrowing or lending the proverbial cup of sugar (or milk), passing on local news of interest and of course doing business with each other!
If you would like to be part of this thriving community, please click here to see the current availability or call us on 01727 837760.
01727 837760
We are happy to promote anyone who is prepared to offer friendly support to local start-ups.
Our local partners have been kind enough to help us and are keen to help you too.
Download the 2024 edition of our Free guide
An interactive step-by-step guide which also includes all of the most important subjects covered with links to useful articles and relevant contacts.
The idea of starting your own business can be incredibly exciting and who can blame you for being tempted?
However, the sad truth is that far too many new enterprises fail in the early stages. Our aim is to make sure that you don't become one of them.
This guide explains the key start-up subjects in simple English and points to where you can find help and support.
More Information and instant download
Deciding where to run your business could be determined by the nature of your work, running a restaurant from home is probably not a good idea and a window cleaning business is unlikely to need swanky offices!
Working from home is definitely the cheapest option, but not always the best. You will need to ensure that you can separate home and work life. Will you be able to motivate yourself and concentrate, or possibly even moretempting—avoid the temptation to work all the time Advantages: Cost, convenience, easy to set up, the kettle is close by! Disadvantages: Domestic distractions, possibly lone working, holiday cover, the kettle is close by!
Top tip! Check to make sure that your lease/house deeds do not prevent you from operating from home. If required, obtain permission from your landlord or building society.
Starting in an office or workshop will involve higher set up costs than working from home but may be more appropriate particularly if you are planning to employ staff or if your customers come to you. There are important health &safety issues that you will need to be aware of if you are planning to work from any premises. The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) offer free explanatory leaflets at http://www.hse.gov.uk
A lease is a contractual agreement to rent a property. But do you rent or buy Your financial situation could decide this for you, but if you chose to lease/rent, think extremely carefully about the implications. Lord Forte is famously quoted as saying three most important considerations are LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! However, the better the location the higher the rent!
Take legal advice. You want security, but do you want the legal obligation and for how long Business success or failure may mean that you need smaller/larger premises in the future. Ask about a ‘break clause’ which could present an ‘escape route’ at a defined point.
Purchasing your property could prove to be an attractive long-term proposition. You will be giving yourself security of tenure, possibly an asset that will rise in value, and any repayments will be reducing your loan rather than simply paying rent to somebody else. You will need to use a solicitor to conduct the purchase, and definitely pay for a full structural survey.
With a license, the property owner is effectively saying “OK, you can occupy my property for a while, but I can interrupt at any time and ask you to leave.” The advantage to the owner is obvious, but it can also be a flexible and inexpensive way for a new start to move into premises. Licences are usually relatively short term.
Working from your garage or garden shed can appear amateur to prospective clients and lack the kudos of an official business address. But there is an alternative that will keep you sane without bankrupting your business before it’s even off the ground. Renting a desk in a shared office offers the best of both worlds. You’re still your own boss, but you’ll have the business support services, such as internet connection, a receptionist, meeting rooms and technical support, all available on site. You’ll have total autonomy, but feel like you are part of a community.
We are delighted to promote suitable businesses and organisations completely FREE of charge. Your coverage can contain: logo, company name, brief description, special offers, telephone number and link to your website.
There is plenty of help for startups in St Albans but where can it be found?
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