# First real shop and office



## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

So I don;t run out of thank-yous. Thanks to the other posts.


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Need yet.... install the racking now, buy the lift later. Look like a planning Genius.

Now is the time to seek out discounts for bulk orders of your high volume products to widen your margins over the competition. Some suppliers have off seasons for further savings. Just avoiding LTL freight charges can pay off.

Don't forget the warehouse security overt and covert, installed by out of towners, or yourself.:whistling


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## Bonzai (Dec 23, 2009)

In much the same boat as others here ... Had various storage lock ups and my own double garage as well as 16' cargo trailer all used for storage but none individually really worked well. Lockup had minimal power so useless as a workshop. Strata rules limit use of garage at home and well if trailer is full of stuff there's no space to take cabinets to a job or pick up sheet goods from suppliers. For about 4 months we have been leasing a 1200sqft warehouse space which had a small mezzanine ... Added to this to create an office so basically paying lease for 1200 but have closer to 1600sqft. Having an office above the workshop / cabinet shop is huge for me and the business ... Way more efficient than ever before and somewhere I can invite clients to review designs, etc. Also we have gone from only building the occasional cabinet ourselves to that being a major part of what we now do ... It has changed my business hugely and already I am thinking ahead to buying a larger more modern (or brand new) space that will take us another rung up the ladder. It was a nerve racking decision taking this step but 1000% the right decision. Congrats to others who've made the same choice and it's working out.


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## Chadofall (May 27, 2015)

*Office shop space*

I think it depends on your business model and what you expect to get out of it. The overhead is worth it if you are producing something that is salable (cabinets, custom mouldings, product, stone fab), but where I work in CA the work comp and general liability rates are so high already that I am constantly looking for ways to be streamline. With tech and comm the way it is now days, I personally dont see the value in paying rent on a place to store product. My office staff works from home and are happier, my sales team works from home and sell more. All my meetings are on site and with clients in their home anyway, and they dont really seem to care when i tell them that we are a "virtual" company. In fact, I even tell them, why would you want to hire a guy with the overhead of a big office space? Anyway, just a personal preference, but the year I got rid of the office and all the BS that went with it, we increased our margin by 8%. Put that back into marketing in way of sending customer appreciation gifts and some other stuff that gave back to the community and the following year it really helped us gain some sustainable traction.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

And we are moving again. Started renovating the new offices today, pictures to come soon.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Dan_Watson said:


> And we are moving again. Started renovating the new offices today, pictures to come soon.


You ran out of space already? 

Whereabouts in NJ are you, and how far do you travel?


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

MarkJames said:


> You ran out of space already?
> 
> Whereabouts in NJ are you, and how far do you travel?


The Watson's are a moving on up... :clap:


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

MarkJames said:


> You ran out of space already?
> 
> Whereabouts in NJ are you, and how far do you travel?


Ran out of storage space and just weren't able to work in the shop because of it. We ended up storing materials in an unused shared space with our landlord :whistling We were also up steps/out a loading dock. We will now be at grade so we can drive in or wheel thing out without stairs. 

We are also sharing one room as an office, conference room, secretary/book keeper office, kitchen, etc...It was not efficient and was terrible for our sanity. It was also very weird when customers or architects come in since it was a shared room in the middle of our messy warehouse. 

The new space will have an actual conference room, reception/secretary space, partners will have private offices and we will have all of the necessary storage for our office operations. 

We are in Blackwood, NJ. We have traveled as far south as Alexandria, VA and North in NJ to about even with NYC. Parts of eastern PA as well. 

I travel about 35 minutes to the office but it is almost perfectly central for the majority of our projects and it is located near all of the major highways in the area.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

We will be ready to move in to the offices early next week. Ready to move into the storage room and shop but focusing on the offices. Moving sucks, even when its 200 feet away in the same building.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)




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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Did you look at any next gen lighting to replace the Florescent?

Some utility rebates might be available.

missed the leased space factoid....

no worthwhile sharing of the savings if any?


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Fouthgeneration said:


> Did you look at any next gen lighting to replace the Florescent?
> 
> Some utility rebates might be available.


Lease, utilities are included in the rent.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Fouthgeneration said:


> Did you look at any next gen lighting to replace the Florescent?
> 
> Some utility rebates might be available.
> 
> ...


Its a good idea, and if it were our space we would invest in more efficient lighting. This is a +30K SF mixed use building, unless the landlord plans on doing the entire building it will not put a dent in the costs. And with the amount of bulbs they have laying around it wouldn't pay to trash them instead of using them up.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Getting there....


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