Business Rates and the Future?

[Esk247]

Having recently investigated office space locally for myself and some other small businesses i was told that they could offer me some facilities for around £50 per week..fair enough...but then i was told that was for a short 3 month period guaranteed..after that they may be forced to offer me the units at business rates, from the council, which would incur a higher price although they couldn't give me any idea as to how much of a hike it would be.

Is it really going to affect my business that much? i mean...if i go for a new office now, will i end up having to pay £150 per week in 3 months time to maintain the office rental...or are we talking a small 4% increase over the course of the year?

[magicfairywings]

That would be a dilemma for me because its so important for a business to keep costs under control yet they could actually triple for you after the guaranteed time. Can you just do the 1st 3 months and see how it goes without being tied in to pay higher fees? Can you get hold of council business rates charges per square foot to get an idea? Office space (well in my case shop space) has been beneficial as I have got far more achieved than when I worked from home.

In my area we have several schemes where you can rent more cheaply than market rate on an on going basis. Is there anything with a more permanent under market rate arrangement near you?