It can be pretty exciting to have a home office for your business, but once your startup gets big enough, you’ll most likely need a physical space where your team can gather to build this business easily. In fact, it’s not that easy to find a space either. Even with the load of options out there, like those startup hubs, sometimes, it’s just not enough. For startups, finding the perfect workspace is a critical decision that can impact the success and well-being of the business. You’re going to want to be in this space long term, so it needs to tick every box. 

While factors like location, size, and amenities are important, one aspect that should not be overlooked is safety. When you’re a new business owner, especially one who’s been working at home, coworker spaces, or cafes, safety doesn’t immediately come to mind—but as a business owner, it’s going to have to start coming to mind as a priority. 

You want to minimize liability and ensure compliance with regulations- if you don’t, you can kiss your business goodbye, and you can believe that you’ll be in financial ruin, too. That's not a scenario that anyone wants to deal with. So, with that all said, here are some essential safety features that every startup should look for when choosing a workspace to buy.

Fire Safety Measures

If you’re in a building without fire safety measures, you need to get out immediately, no matter how nice the rest of the space is. You’d be surprised to learn how common it is for spaces to break code when it comes to fire safety. But with that said, you’re going to have to check and see if smoke alarms are present and if there are any cabinets where you can have a water hose and/ or fire extinguisher. 

One smoke alarm isn’t going to be enough, either, because they need to be placed strategically. The same goes for sprinklers, too; they can’t just be in one room.

But what about emergency education? Is a fire going to break out? Well, you usually find these next to doors; legally speaking, these need to be on entry and exit doors. So, if there aren’t any evacuation routes, then this could be seen as a problem (and these are legally required, too). It doesn't matter if you plan to rent or own this space; you need this.

What Structural Features Are There?

You might already be familiar with some structural safety features, such as commercial railings for stairs and walkway platforms. But this isn’t exactly the only structural feature that ensures safety. Ideally; you keep some of these in mind when you’re inspecting a workspace to rent or own. 

• Wheelchair ramps

• Elevators with a call button or a help button

• Seismic retrofitting (if you live in an area prone to earthquakes, then focus on this; if not, don’t worry)

• Occupancy limits

• Strength of the glass for windows

While this might seem excessive, it’s not, and these are things that you really need to consider when looking for a safe location to expand your startup. 

Security Measures

Will you have to provide your own measures, such as a security guard and cameras, or will these already be included? Can you lock the doors? What about special access to certain buildings, such as fobs? In general, these are a few things to think about, too. It can be expensive, but these are things you could add on later if you wanted.