At Pall Mall Estates, are focus is on ensuring our customers find the perfect space for their business. Finding the right workshop space is a key part of ensuring your company's success and we offer a range of suitable properties, available to buy or let on flexible terms that suit you.

We try to focus on locations that are either central - in order to benefit from pedestrian footfall - or with excellent transport links designed to lend themselves to businesses that rely on logistics. We want you to find a workshop space that helps your business excel.

Of course, workshop spaces are a unique form of property

'Workshops' can operate as business premises for everything from a carpenter to independent artists or publishers. All businesses, though, should focus on a number of specifics when picking out their perfect space.

Here are some of the most important:

Make a concrete, clear specification

Not enough businesses take the time to do this, but in our view it's a key part of the process. You should set out clearly exactly what you require from your new space, taking in a number of different factors:

• What size and layout you think will be necessary for your work?
• Do you require any specific internal structure? Does certain equipment need to be set together and require the necessary space to do so?
• Do you have any structural requirements: lots of light, or high ceilings, for example?
• Do you need facilities for your employees, such as break rooms, or a canteen?
• Do you need a place where you can host visitors?
• So you have any specific utility requirements, such as a large amount of water or electricity?
• Will you need to make any modifications in the case of expansion?
• Do you require parking and general access for deliveries, or for visitors?

Drawing up a specification isn't a total guarantee that you'll get everything you want. However, it is far better to know in advance what your requirements are, so you can tick through the boxes when you find one that might be suitable.

(The one thing you don't want is to sign a lease and then realise you've missed a particular requirement).

Your workshop space location is vital

As with any form of property, the location of your workshop will have everything to do with how it succeeds or fails, especially if your business directly relies on customers or clients. Here are some of the key things to consider when picking the ideal workshop:

• Are you going to rely on passing trade? This won't be the case with every workshop: it's possible you work on orders which are made online, for example. However, if you do require a workshop that also doubles up as a showroom for your work, it'll need to be based more centrally. This way, you'll benefit from passing customers.
• Are you close to any of your competitors? Unless you work in a specific type of industry - estate agents are a good example - then you probably want to avoid being near direct competitors, especially those that are already well established in the area.
• Are you able to build relationships in the area? This is the flip side of being close to competitors: being close to other people in the industry can actually be very beneficial if you're able to gain referrals from them. If you can create a mutually beneficial relationship with companies that're already established nearby, it could really help.
• Are you able to receive and send the necessary supplies and products? If you're a trade business, it's likely you'll need to do both. In order to build a reputation, you'll need to offer an efficient delivery service, and it's obviously important to be able to receive your supplies. Ensure these facilities are in place, because your workshop will suffer without them.
• Are your business rates affordable? This is another point that's worth considering. Like domestic council tax, business rates will change depending on where your workshop is based. You can't avoid business rates, so always make them a key part of your financial planning: you might regret not doing so.
• Are there local amenities in place? This is more relevant for workshops that have long-term employees, but it's also applicable to companies that have frequent visitors and - of course - to you as a business owner. Will employees have somewhere they can relax and take their breaks? Will customers be able to do the same?