Partner Article

How businesses can save money on office space in December

Christmas can be a quiet time for businesses, as staff begin to wind down in anticipation of the holiday season and eggnog to come. This generally means that important questions and decisions are left until the next year when activity picks up again. This mostly makes sense – there’s no point putting in place significant changes or policies that won’t come into effect for several months.

However, in one key area it pays to take advantage of the festive lull – finding new office space. According to FreeOfficeFinder, for those businesses willing to buck the trend and brave the Winter weather to search for new office space, there is the potential to make significant savings.

Many landlords are willing to offer a rent-free month in December as an a deal to sweeten the pot and encourage a move. Bearing in mind the considerable part of the budget that office costs take up, shaving a twelfth of the price off the top is a significant saving.

Not only are landlords likely to offer a rent-free month; because of the quietness of the season, it’s often the case that you will be able to negotiate a more favorable contract at the end of the year. Landlords are keen to make deals in December, and savvy businesses can use this to their advantage, securing more friendly terms than those they would be able to achieve if they waited.

Beating the rush isn’t just about saving money. By starting early businesses can ensure that the widest range of offices is on offer, increasing the likelihood of finding the perfect space before another company wades into the fray.

It makes intuitive sense to move at a time when staff are winding down and the company as a whole isn’t undergoing other large transformations or changes. Moving premises isn’t always a painless process - roadblocks will be hit, problems will be encountered - but by moving in December, disruption to the business, to employees and to clients is kept to a minimum.

Of course every company has its own considerations and concerns to work out before making decisions on office space, but, for many businesses December offers untapped opportunities to make the most of the quirks of the office space market and save big money in the process.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Henry Wisbey-Broom .