Making use of office agents
When it comes to the crunch it isn't always possible to find office space yourself. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day. The world is full of middle men and the office sector is no exception. These guys can really help. Typically they will take a fee only upon securing you an office. The fee is usually in the region of 10% of the first years rent. So if you are paying £100k in rent, you will pay your agent £10k in fees. This can be great value when you consider that a good agent will negotiate on your behalf and will often get you a much improved deal which may include lower rent or a period of free months. Agents tend to prefer to work on a sole agency basis. if you are confident in their ability then this is a good option. It will ensure that they feel motivated to work hard on your behalf. If you are unsure, you could try to enlist a couple of agents but they may be less flexibke on their own fees if you are not working with them exlusively. An example in the UK includes: http://www.office-planet.net/