Are you getting ahead of yourself?
So you want to buy a building for your startup business? Do you really want to do that? Should you really do that? I am sure you have pondered over these questions in your mind a million times by now if you are actually on the phone asking a REALTOR to show you some places in the location of your dreams! After all, the REALTOR is the first step right? Finding a great affordable location?
WRONG. Your REALTOR is actually the person that you should be talking to LAST. Now I know this seems counter-intuitive, but there are some pretty important steps that must be taken first before looking for a location. Any REALTOR out there that either sends you active listings or takes you out looking for space without the following steps being completed first is either just hunting for a paycheck, or isn’t worth their salt in the industry and is about to make some pretty big mistakes on your behalf.
Before you look for your space…
Here is a quick protocol someone should do before they even start to look for space:
- A well-built business plan. This should be at least 5-10 pages long. You can actually get great examples and templates at SBA.gov or your local Small Business Administration where you live. Have that business plan ironed out. That is going to then provide you with a monthly rent or loan payment allowance and based upon the information in the business plan that figure may also be altered.
- A personal financial sheet is going to be needed. This will tell the landlord or the lender, if you and your business will be bankable.
- Money. Bottom line, it takes money to make money. It doesn’t have to be your money, but it does have to be accessible to you at all times. There will be things that your lender or landlord won’t cover and that will be on you. Consider this the term you probably by now have heard “skin in the game.” Oh yeah, and whatever figure you think you will need to have in your head, double it.
The takeaway
I have had the painful privilege of dealing with hundreds of small business startup’s in my day, and I have also witnessed REALTORS unknowingly destroy a business success before the doors even open. Most of which could have been avoided if the startup would have had these three things figured out before they called the REALTOR.
OfficeList1
September 17, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Yes, Scott, you are absolutely right. Sometimes we receive calls from people who are just starting a company and they want a space for 20 people. You ask them, “why not start with 1 space and grow as you need it?” but people don’t even have a business plan or don’t have real expectations. Some people feel offended when we suggest a virtual office (similar to a mailing address), they think we’re implying they’re not a legit company or don’t have the funds. Whether you chose a broker, your own search or leasing from a friend, always do the homework.