A commercial property should have the essential facilities that allow you and your tenants to function properly. These basic amenities not only help you operate without restrictions but increase the overall value of the property as well.
Businesses need to have specific spaces, rooms, and pieces of equipment to support their operations and to keep the premises safe. Hence, choosing the right facilities for your business requires careful planning and reflection.
Here’s a rundown of the essential steps you should take to choose the right commercial property facilities:
1. Create A List of Must-Haves
When looking at a commercial property, there are too many things to consider: the size, location, structural integrity, parking space, access to essential services and transportation, and so on.
List down all of these and prioritize the most important facilities that you and your occupants need. When looking for a commercial property, always refer to the checklist you’ve made to guide you in the selection process.
2. Think About Accessibility
Location is the most crucial element of your business. Ideally, your commercial property should be accessible to everyone, especially your staff and clients. It’s also crucial that it’s conspicuously located at the heart of the city. In addition to the local transportation system, also consider its proximity to airports, ports, and land terminals, especially if you’re involved in buying and selling perishable items in bulk or need to travel often.
Apart from these considerations, you need to think about the essential services in and around the business property you’re considering. How far is the property from a mall? How long does it take to reach the nearest hospital? Are there other commercial establishments such as a bar, coffee shop, or restaurant close by? These are important factors not only to you but to your clients as well.
3. Check The Infrastructure
The structural integrity of any commercial space is paramount to the safety of all occupants and visitors. The building should be inspected by an engineer for any potential issues and to assess the structural soundness of the entire complex. Apart from the building’s interior, the examiner should look at the exterior for potential hazards.
Even the seemingly insignificant act of checking the building materials and fixtures can make an impact. For instance, knowing the better choice between concrete stairs vs steel stairs in terms of the safety of the staff and guests is highly important. Remember that your business is deemed responsible for workplace accidents or any injuries that occur on your business premises.
4. Prioritize Safety And Security
That being said, the entire property and its surrounding communities should be deemed safe if you want to know how the area fares in terms of safety and security, you can go to the police station to ask for data such as crime index, security assessment, and other resources.
Internally, safety facilities in the building should include commercial security cameras, a working fire alarm system, access cards, biometric gadgets, and a security guard. Accessible and clearly marked fire exit routes, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems should also be installed in the building.
5. Ensure High-Quality Internet Connection
Another equally important factor is to include the existing or yet-to-be-installed information technology infrastructure for your business needs. Because both commercial and residential consumers can’t seem to live without an internet connection nowadays, it should be included as an essential facility for commercial property. Thus, internet speed should be measured and tested while you’re in the area, knowing that a slow internet connection will negatively impact your business.
Some properties have existing connection services that are included in the rental fee costs. Otherwise, choose the best internet commercial package according to your business needs.
6. Hire An Engineer To Create Essential Spaces In A Commercial Property
Hire an engineer to conduct efficient planning and layout of the commercial space you’re planning to lease or buy. In some cases, an engineer can even help increase the energy efficiency of your commercial property.
Every business has different needs but here are a few of the most common areas every business needs to have:
Meeting And Conference Rooms
Any business organization, whether small or large, should have a conference area or a meeting room. The size and number of these common areas will depend on the number of staff and the frequency of regular meetings your company is expected to have.
These rooms should ideally have the basics such as tables and chairs, an intercom system, a strong internet connection, and videoconferencing tools such as a monitor, speaker, and headphones, among other necessities. The room can house a small cubicle for employees to take private phone calls without worrying about eavesdroppers.
Guest Reception Area
When guests visit your office, they should stay in the reception area before being allowed to proceed to the concerned office. Otherwise, you may ask the employees’ visitors to wait in the lobby while your staff is on the way.
Your reception area should have a welcoming ambiance. Place comfortable seats, bright lighting, and an intercom system in this area.
Pantry/Kitchen
Even with the presence of nearby restaurants or fast-food stores, a commercial property should have a kitchen space where occupants can cook, heat, and prepare a meal. Equip these spaces with basic cooking and food storage facilities such as an oven, induction cooker, water dispenser, refrigerator, and coffee maker. Stuff the kitchen with powdered coffee, milk, tea, and sugar at the very least.
Infirmary
Every commercial property should have a private space where employees who don’t feel well can attend to their needs. You don’t need to have a doctor to operate an infirmary, a nurse or any healthcare professional will do. Stuff your clinic with basic health equipment such as a BP apparatus, stethoscope, or oxygen and blood pressure monitor. Stock up on basic medicines for common conditions such as fever, stomach upset, and body aches.
Information Technology Hub
Commercial properties with in-house servers need to have an IT hub where your equipment can be secured and protected from too much heat. This small room can store pieces of on-demand devices such as portable printers, state-of-the-art laptops, satellite phones, and other gadgets.
Relaxation Area
Whether used as an office or residential space, every commercial area should have a space where occupants can relax or simply engage in casual conversation. In some properties, this may come in the form of a pool or outdoor area. It can be a place just outside of the building without distractions.
The Wrap Up
Choosing the right facilities for your commercial property will depend on the nature of the business you’re engaged in. However, there are basic business facilities that you can’t operate without; for instance, internet connection, telecommunications, as well as safety and security devices.
