If your plans are still on the drawing board, consider asking five questions to find out whether the decision is a wise one. People and companies move for all sorts of reasons, and some moves make more sense than others. For example, if you are an entrepreneur who decides to take advantage of a downtown location in the hopes of attracting more walk-in customers, be sure to crunch all the marketing numbers before signing a lease. It's possible that higher downtown rents could offset gains in sales.

There are actually plenty of scenarios, and you won't know how your move stacks up until you ask the hard questions. Domestic lifts provider Stiltz makes for an instructive case study in which all the right factors were considered and the final decision made with full knowledge of what advantages the move held. Now, the company is in a building that will allow them to grow steadily while accommodating sales, manufacturing, and staff functions in the same spot. Here are the factors to consider before renting or buying new work space.

Who?

Who, exactly, will be making a move to your new office space? Will it be only upper management, two or three departments, or everyone on the company payroll? The who includes another crucial piece of information: How many? Don't just estimate how many will need seats, parking spaces, and cafeteria services. Make a detailed list of everyone who will be changing over, if any remote staff need space, and don't forget to add in the maximum number of new hires for at least the next two years.

What?

This question pertains to what people will be doing. Ten assemblers in a light production facility require much more square-footage than the same number of office staff members. When you make the who list, categorize everyone based on job function. Then, estimate the cubic or square areas that each of the occupational categories needs to operate comfortably.

When?

Set a firm date that gives everyone in your company enough time to pack up, exit, set up in the new location, and get used to their surroundings. People need to rearrange their personal lives, especially if their commute time changes significantly. Make sure all staff members have a chance to visit the location as soon as you know the exact address.

Where?

Choose your next address based on factors like rent/purchase expense, the part of town in which your organization fits socially and culturally, nearness to workers' homes, availability of parking, restaurants, service stations, and bus stops. Finally, make sure all staff members have a chance to visit the location as soon as you know the exact address.

Why?

Be clear about why you are transitioning to another spot. Do you need more physical space, a better social atmosphere in a nicer part of town, specialized industrial facilities, more lenient zoning regulations, less restrictive tax laws based on your industry type, or something else? The more you know about the why, the better. Clarifying your basic motives always helps you figure out answers to the other four questions.