A Guide to International Expansion

Office Space

Auxadi

Office space considerations for your international expansion

You’ve completed incorporation, appointed some local directors, arranged to second some head office staff to train your local hires – you’re doing well. But, if you haven’t already covered it by this point, you should definitely be thinking about where your people are going to work. Since 20% of respondents in our International Expansion survey indicated that locating suitable business premises may be a barrier, we thought we’d take a look at workplace options.

There are some decisions to be made before you start looking

  • How will your new location function? Will there be regional team members who will work closely with head office? Or will the new location be autonomous for day-to-day operations?

  • Will clients be visiting the office?

  • Will the new office be a static satellite or expected to grow and bring in its own clients?

  • Will your staffing levels have to increase in the future?

Beyond the legislative specifics of your chosen country (like rules regarding capacity, ergonomic provisions, health and safety, and so on), you’ll also have to consider that you may shortly be operating with de-localised teams, and easy head office communications will be essential.

Hopefully all the operational-type questions have already been answered, as they’ll affect your use of technology, your location, and your fitout.

The first thing you should do, though, is put together a project team to manage the setup of your new location. You’ll need a Project Manager (PM) to coordinate and keep the project on track. Your CFO and CTO should definitely be included, and you’ll need input from the COO and CEO. Your team will also need someone from someone from legal to be able to review contracts, and marketing to manage the branding.

In this section, we’ll look at things you must consider, including both short-term and long-term options for your new office. Of course, your specific requirements will be based on your business operations, but there are many points for consideration that aren’t sector specific.

Hopefully all the operational-type questions have already been answered, as they’ll affect your use of technology, your location, and your fitout

Office technology

Technology plays an indispensable role in today’s office, and should be one of the first decisions you make. Having good technological solutions avoids unpleasant surprises, now and in the future. Not only must you have the same levels of data security as your Head Office (at least!), but you also must consider and comply with local data regulations, and decide how your local systems will be maintained.

Some systems will need to be integrated, some may not. Some locations have strict data privacy laws and don’t allow integration, so you may need to adapt processes and implement workarounds.

You should identify and drill down into the specific roles of your local staff, as their roles and interactions will determine levels of systems access they’ll need. Will local staff be an extension of your head office team? Or perhaps their levels of interaction will be limited? How often will they need to access head office files to perform their roles?

Don’t forget telephony. Do you need an interconnected PBX system? Does the new location support one? Would VoiP and cloud-based access work best for your new team? Does your new location have the digital network reliability to support it?

You’ll also need to consider future growth and what the desired final headcount of your new location will be.

Your CTO should be working closely with your PM and CFO to identify, source and cost the best technology solution for your new location.

Research is required, advice should be sought, and your final decisions made according to both your requirements and budget. Lead times for telephony and hardware can be lengthy, and these should be factored into your project planning. Don’t forget to incorporate possible training for your IT staff; they may need specific training on the system extensions.

Plan ahead and future-proof your new location.

Working culture and health and safety

The cultural aspect is a key consideration for your new office. Each country comes with its own cultural characteristics, different ways of working, and different health and safety regulations.

Managing the cultural component of each country is essential, and you must comply with the specific requirements of the location you’re entering.

Find out normal working practices in the country and how you can best accommodate them in the space you’re looking at.

Check your health and safety regulations, as these vary greatly from country to country. For example, the UK requires ergonomic furniture if the worker will be using computers for more than one hour at a time. In the Philippines you must provide a First Aid/Nurse’s Room.

Review and analyse the health and safety regulations of your new location and plan your fitout accordingly. Consider, too, that providing more than the minimum will go a very long way with your staff and might even enhance your brand – easing your future recruiting and building community support for your enterprise!

The outsourced solution

One of the easiest ways to move into a new location with speed is to rent plug-and-play office space. The serviced office solution might be right for you.

Serviced offices are flexible, furnished and usually include telephony, though you’ll probably have to provide computers. There are a range of features and deals, and your cost will depend on your usage. Usually billed and contracted by the month, serviced offices are very useful as both short- and long-term options.

There are serviced offices all over the world, ready and waiting to provide a turnkey solution for your new business. And, with our post-COVID hybrid ways of working, a smaller and more flexible space may suit your operations perfectly.

Finding your own space

The other option, often more suitable for the long-term, is to rent property.

There are infinite possibilities and opportunities involved in property rental, and renting provides the chance to make the space your own; an option not really possible with a serviced office.

View many properties and come up with a shortlist, then consider:

  • Is your chosen building best placed for your operations?

  • Does it give good access to clients?

  • Does it have good transport links for your staff AND clients?

  • Does it provide a safe and secure environment for your business?

  • Does it offer the security systems you need? (i.e. access cards, security guard, video, etc.)

  • Does the lease have any restrictions that could limit your fitout or business operations? (i.e. what’s the building access like? Is there restore clause in the lease, meaning fitout must be removed on vacating?)

  • What are the building’s ‘green’ credentials? (Becoming more important every day and can save you money in the long run.)

Moving into new offices is incredibly exciting, for both staff and clients, though may challenge your CTO and PM.

Other considerations

Finding somewhere to work from involves as many complexities as you imagine – though the chance to ‘make your mark’ is incredibly worthwhile. Your office immediately shows your clients what your firm is about and what your firm stands for.

Get advice, do your research, hire reputable contractors, and enjoy making your office environment a reflection of your business.

Some of the questions to think on (in brief):

Consider the floorplan

  • Have you found out how your workers actually work? i.e. should you have open plan, partitions, or offices?
  • Will you need offices for senior staff?
  • How many meeting rooms will you need?
  • Do you need to provide lockers for your staff?
  • Does it meet health and safety requirements?
  • What sort of filing system and storage space will be needed?
  • Don’t forget to factor HVAC and fire systems into your new floorplan!

Fitout

  • How will the office be cabled? Overhead? Underfloor?
  • Are you cabling for the future or for what you need right now?
  • What will your workers need at their desks? Under-desk storage? Lamps?
  • Have you considered the finishing touches? (i.e. equipment for hot drinks, microwaves, fire extinguishers, even stationery, will all need a location.)
  • Don’t forget the importance of branding!

Future-proofing

  • Is your solution short-term, or is it adaptable for future growth too?
  • What will you need next year? In five years?
  • Do you have space to add more staff as required?

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