Never put the cart before the horse!
It’s a recipe for disaster in the business world.
The history of commerce is littered with business people who did not learn this simple lesson. They were well-meaning people, many were intelligent, and yet they got so far ahead of themselves they managed to sink their businesses very quickly.
Would you like to avoid their mistake?
Well then read on!
The time has come for you to go out and lease commercial real estate for your business. You need a warehouse, you need an office or retail space, whatever, the point is your little home business is no longer little, and you need space in which to grow.
What should you look for? Let’s do a little exercise right now. Write down a list of desirables for the place you will call your business. Go ahead, do it right now.
Okay, what have you got? Good accessibility to main roads? Enough room inside in which to conduct your business? Maybe an office to go with the workspace? Perhaps you need roll-up doors and a loading dock? These are all good items to include, but let me ask you this: how many of you included, on that list the need for great curbside appeal of the building itself?
It is mind-blowing how many retail business owners do not consider this factor: what does your business look like from the street? What does the building say about you? Is the building inspiring and memorable, or is it drab and forgettable?
First impressions matter, so pay attention to them when you go out in search of a commercial storefront.
Now let’s do another exercise. I want you to hop in your car and go out and look at some of the retail space available on the market right now. Go ahead, and we’ll continue with this when you get back.
Okay, you’re back and we can continue. How many of those retail lease sites inspired you from the curb? How many of them had the WOW factor? And how many of them would your employees find inspirational?
This is the mistake you need to avoid, and it is crucial that you do. Let’s face it, most commercial space for rent, and I’m including retail, wholesale, makerspace, or shop space for rent are, on their best days, boring to look at. Commercial buildings are almost all built according to the same formula, and that formula is called “saving money in construction.” They all have the basics i.e. walls, plumbing, windows, doors, and electrical, but after that they have very little else. Commercial real estate is build quickly, slam, bam, and then the developers move on to the next project.
Is that really what you want? Because if it isn’t, there are alternatives out there if you are willing to keep searching until you find the pizzazz your business deserves.
Just for the fun of it, go to the website for Box Office Warehouse Suites, a new business park located in Fort Worth, Texas. Take a look at its unique shipping container construction and its curb appeal.
Admit it: It would be kind of cool to work in a place like that, wouldn’t it?
