We often get asked for our advice on how nutrition and wellness professionals should think about choosing an office space to open up shop. While a physical office doesn’t make sense for all practitioners, we understand that it can be a necessity to hold meetings, organize and manage paperwork, and more.

However, just like buying a home or renting an apartment, finding the perfect space can be really challenging. Increasing rent prices, long-term lease conditions, and a lack of suitable options are all reasons that make renting an office challenging.

So, we’re here to provide a framework to help you when choosing office space for your practice (once you’ve decided that it’s the right course of action). Once again, for many of you, choosing office space may not be necessary right away. Telehealth and remote consultations make formal office space this less of a need. If you’re setting up a home office, check out our tips.

Here are some guiding principals to consider when choosing office space for your practice:

Location, Location, Location

Where do you want your office? What will be most convenient for you and your clients?

If you’re in an urban area, how important is it to be close to public transportation? If you want to be in a suburban location, how willing are your clients to drive out to your office? Does the area around your building have plenty of parking spots? Are you looking at high-traffic areas?

How Much Space Do You Actually Need?

We’ve seen that the sizes of office spaces can very considerably, and will depend on a variety of factors. Make sure you think of the following as you’re choosing office space:

• How many people work with you in your practice?
• Do you want a separate waiting room?
• Are you interested in having a space that can accommodate group nutrition counseling?
• How much space will physical copies of client files take up (if any)?

Try a Co-Working Space (At Least to Start)

Having a full-time space can be pricey! Especially as you get started, it may make sense to consider sharing, co-leasing, or subletting an office. Alternatively, moving to a lower-rent neighborhood may make sense, if it fits the needs of your ideal clientele.

If a traditional office space isn’t your speed, you can always open a home office or make the switch to a completely virtual practice.