cost to rent a basic 'workshop' or small business address?

Keiko

There seem to be a few techy type folk on here. Anyone have any experience with renting business premises? Lets say I wanted to start a small business as a sole trader doing electronic repairs - eg amps. I wouldn't need a large space, maybe just the size of a large bedroom to start with, small storage area with a small desk space, but I don't want to work from home. How much would I need to be making each week just to cover the costs of the premises? I imagine it's going to be pretty expensive.

Just throwing around some ideas in my head at this point, I haven't started the ball rolling on anything yet.

Roland

A lot of people start working from home, and only incur the cost and medium term commitment of renting once they have established a business. The two amp techs who I’ve used work from their garages. It avoids costs which, certainly initially, the business can’t afford. It also increases the chances that someone is available to receive or hand back items.

hywelg

Small business with no customers (yet) would be foolish to make commitments in terms of outgoings (rent , rates) until established. Work from home. No matter how difficult it seems at the outset. Honestly if its so difficult to arrange a space for your business and to see customers, move to somewhere where you could. The lower pressure on you at the very start of your business will allow you to focus on what matters, generating custom.

PolarityMan

the amp tech i alst used was working from a largeish shed in his garden.

shrinkwrap

Also depends where you are in the country!

goldtop

+1 Controlling overheads are the #1 issue for starting out.

Cost of renting premises depends on where you are in the country, as said. Very cheap in rural areas (farm outbuildings, etc). My unit (100sqm would be about £150-200/wk - village outside Cambridge). A shed in garden is likely to be unbearably hot in summer (even an english summer, if the windows are small), and cold in winter - unless you custom-build and engineer it for year-round working (air source heatpump, etc).

I'd suggest taking a local recce and trying to find a local workshop which has some space to sub-let to you. Maybe find all of the local industrial estates and write/drop a leaflet outlining your needs. Got to tread some pavement and earn their trust, obviously. J@S (guitar tweaker and tFBer) had a room or two of his own in quite a large workshop space.

Ideally, you want somewhere where you can turn the amps up to 10, and that makes you a bad neighbour. And if your neighbours make noise (motor mechanics, light industrial), it complicates your sound-related trouble-shooting, etc.

Good luck!

hywelg

The rehearsal room we rent is in an old Victorian mill building run by a company called Bizspace. I believe the monthly rent for approx 80m2 is ca £800. Might be worth Googling them to see if they have anything similar in your neck of the woods,  if nothing else to just estimate costs and confirm it's not a good idea.

Jez6345789

Obviously the cost argument wins out for most people but getting a basic workspace isa possibility and as much as homeworking is nice for some for others it’s a distraction.

i often go out simply to avoid the oh if your at home today could you just type requests lol.

A lot of local authorities have small startup units in easy in easy out type deals so worth looking around and contacting local authority 

Danny1969

Have you got any council owner premises where you are? In Portsmouth we have 3 facilities owned and run by the council which allow small business to rent a unit space with electrics, toilets, heating etc on a month per month basis .... avoiding the need to get into leases. Often called things like Enterprise Centres 
Be wary of business rates ... for many years smaller premises have had the luxury of small business rate relief but there's no guarantee that will continue ..... the rates on my last unit were £260 a month, the previous unit £1000 a month 

Basically your monthly cost are 

Rent
Rates 
Water ( 2 lots normally ) 
Electric 
Alarm monitoring 
Refuse collection 
Upkeep of building ...  self maintaining  

After 20 years of having premises I now repair from a workshop attached to my home, it's much more profitable 

ESBlonde

There is a YouTube vid by gosforth handyman recently discussing workshop costs and hourly rates. Different trade buffs useful.

pintspiller

Phone your council and see if there are any vacancies in their units. They usually charge less or free for the first year. You'll likely have to join their start up club or what not.