By [TrickDigi]
There is a specific milestone every new business owner dreams of. It isn’t the first sale, and it isn’t the first hire.
It is The Office.
There is something about having your company logo on a glass door that feels like “making it.” It validates you. It tells the world, “I am a real business.”
Two years ago, I fell into this “Ego Trap.” I moved my small team out of a coworking space and signed a 3-year commercial lease for a private suite.
I thought it was the next logical step for growth. Looking back, it was the biggest infrastructure mistake I have ever made.
If you are currently debating between a WeWork-style membership and your own private lease, put the pen down. Read this first. Here is the hidden reality of being your own facility manager.
The Myth of “Just Rent”
When I looked at the flyer for the office space, the price seemed reasonable.“$2,000 a month for 1,000 square feet? I can afford that.”
I compared that to the $1,500 I was paying for coworking memberships. For only $500 more, I would get my own private kingdom.
The Reality: In commercial real estate, the “Rent” is just the cover charge. The real costs are hidden in the fine print.
I was introduced to a term I now hate: NNN (Triple Net Lease).
In many commercial leases, you don’t just pay rent. You pay a share of the building’s property taxes, building insurance, and maintenance.
Suddenly, my $2,000 rent became $2,600. And that was before I even turned on the lights.
The “Facility Manager” Distraction
In a coworking space, if the internet goes down, you complain to the front desk and go get a coffee.
In a private office, if the internet goes down, you are the IT guy.
If the toilet clogs? You are the plumber.
If the AC breaks in July? You are the HVAC technician.
I underestimated how much “Brain CPU” it takes to manage physical infrastructure.
Instead of focusing on sales or product strategy, I found myself spending hours:
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Negotiating with cleaning crews (because the first one didn’t show up).
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Buying toilet paper and hand soap in bulk.
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Waiting for the internet provider to install a business line (which costs 3x more than residential internet, by the way).
Every hour I spent managing the office was an hour I wasn’t growing the business.
The Cost Breakdown: The Real Numbers
To show you the true cost difference, I pulled my actual bank statements from my last month at the Coworking Space vs. my first month in the Private Office.
| Expense Category | Coworking Space (Monthly) | Private Lease (Monthly) |
| Base Rent / Membership | $1,500 | $2,000 |
| CAM Fees / Taxes (NNN) | $0 (Included) | $600 |
| Utilities (Electric/Water) | $0 (Included) | $150 |
| Business Internet | $0 (Included) | $180 |
| Cleaning Service | $0 (Included) | $200 |
| Kitchen Supplies (Coffee/Paper) | $0 (Included) | $100 |
| Commercial Liability Insurance | $0 (Included) | $80 |
| Furniture (Amortized) | $0 (Included) | $150 |
| TOTAL MONTHLY COST | $1,500 | $3,460 |
The Verdict: My “cheap” private office actually cost more than double the coworking space.
The Flexibility Trap (The 3-Year Handcuff)
The money was painful, but the lack of agility was the killer.
Six months into the lease, we had a bad quarter. We needed to cut costs.
If we were in a coworking space, I could have simply cancelled two memberships or moved to a smaller office instantly.
But I had signed a 3-year lease.
The landlord didn’t care about our bad quarter. The rent was due on the 1st, no matter what.
Physical infrastructure is heavy. It anchors you. In the modern digital economy, agility is your biggest asset. Signing a long-term lease turns that asset into a liability.
When DOES a Private Office Make Sense?
I am not saying private offices are always bad. They are necessary at a certain scale.
Based on my experience, you should only sign a lease if:
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You have 15+ Employees: At this scale, the “per head” cost of coworking becomes more expensive than a lease.
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Brand Privacy is Critical: If you are a law firm or deal with sensitive client data, you need walls that you control.
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You have a dedicated Office Manager: Do not sign a lease if the CEO is also the person scrubbing the coffee pot.
Conclusion
I eventually negotiated a buyout of my lease early. It cost me a penalty fee, but the relief was instant.
We moved back into a premium coworking space.
Yes, the rent “per square foot” is technically higher.
Yes, I have to share the kitchen with strangers.
But when the printer breaks? Not my problem.
I realized that as a business owner, I am not in the business of Real Estate Management. I am in the business of [Insert Your Industry]. Outsourcing my infrastructure allows me to focus on what actually makes money.
Don’t let your ego sign a check your business logic can’t cash.
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Disclaimer: I am not a real estate attorney or financial advisor. Commercial lease laws vary by location. Always have a lawyer review any contract before you sign.
