If you’re in the market for new space, how much do you really need? Tough call – it depends on many factors, and varies from practice to practice. Here are a few things to consider, though, and some space calculators to help you get in the ballpark.
It’s About People
In CAM practice, business revolves around people – those providing the care, and those receiving it. This is where we started planning our latest space. How many staff and practitioners do you have? How many people need does your reception area need to accommodate? Do you have treatments that involve multiple clients being treated at once, or are they all one-on-one? We broke our space down into “people chunks”: practitioner offices, patient treatment areas (other than offices), waiting areas and staff space (lunch, meeting, etc).
Don’t Forget Hallways and Bathrooms
I know it sounds crazy, but it happens. Halls,entries and corridors alone can add up to 20% to your space. Don’t forget to factor them into your layout.
Does Size Matter?
Within reason, larger office space is generally associated with higher quality or “high end” service. For this reason, the size of your office should match your target market. Are you a more expensive boutique-style service, or are you competing on price? It’s hard to pull off a premium service in a crowded space, but it’s also hard to be profitable if you’re competing on price while trying to pay rent on a huge, ritzy office.
Useful Links
Real Facilities Space Calculator
How Stuff Works: How Much Space is Enough Space?
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