Office Space. (No, not the movie.) 08/12/08
We need a new office.
Our current sub-lease ends at the end of October and our team continues to expand (we hired Katie today and she can surf better than you or me). As the guy with the name on the website, for the past two months — finding the new home for DAG has been weighing heavy on my thoughts.
And I’ve been working on it. We started at Craigslist hoping for an easy score. I marched around DC with my Nikon snapping pics of signs: “Now Leasing! Call 555-555-5555.” I called those numbers and met some shadey, unprofessional characters that wasted my time that could have been spent on my biz.
So we decided to get serious about the effort and have been working with a team of two commercial real estate brokers.
They’ve been using my time efficiently. We’ve spent the past two Tuesday afternoons — a total of 7 hours — looking at new office space for DAG. We’ve looked high and low — from Chinatown, to the “CBD” (Central Business District), to Adams Morgan, to Dupont, to Georgetown.
Today, after 15-20 different options located all over DC (remember, all of this in 7 hours total over two afternoons), I think we found the right spot.
It’s not a done deal — not even close — but it feels right. It’s unique. It’s modern. It’s not too “officey.” It has a cool history. It has spaces that encourage collobaration, teamwork, and Friday happy hours on the DAG patio. Importantly, there’s room for a Pacman and Donkey Kong arcade game.
And I can already see the future DAGmascot, Pollock the pup (coming soon), running and sliding around on the hardwood floors trying to fetch a ball.
Sure, it may be a little difficult to get to if you don’t have a car (ahem, me), but I think the trade-off will be worth it. I like to walk and I’m thinking hard on moving to a new place in the near future anyway.
Some of the earlier spaces had some decent attributes but were never the complete package. But they were missing… well, something.
So I’m glad we looked until we found it (if we get it).
My team and I spend a heckuva lotta time in the office punching keyboard keys and crafting creative solutions for our clients. That team needs a new home that’s fitting of their dedication and commitment to our clients and the future of DAG.
Lesson learned: As a small business owner, your time is extremely valuable. Professionals who are willing to find out what matters to you can apply that to the real estate market and produce results efficiently.
If you’re looking for space, let me know if you need a rec. I know a great team.
