Readiness and requirements review
We determine whether your business is ready for space, how much square footage you actually need, and what landlords in your category will ask for before you start touring.
Qualifications
First Commercial Space
Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Most business owners sign their first commercial lease without knowing what to ask. It is frequently the largest fixed obligation the business will carry, written by the landlord's attorney, and the mistakes are expensive and multi-year. We represent salon and restaurant owners, medical providers, retailers, event operators, franchisees, and professional services firms from the first site tour through possession.
Who we represent: Salon and med-spa owners, restaurateurs, medical and dental providers, retailers, event space operators, franchisees, and professional services firms.
Our Qualifications
What we personally handle on your behalf.
Document and entity preparation
Entity documents, financial statements, tax returns, bank statements, business plan, and personal financial information prepared in advance, so you present as a credible covenant.
Use, permitting, and occupancy
Permitted use, deed restrictions, parking ratios, grease and plumbing capacity, power, ADA, and the Certificate of Occupancy path confirmed before you commit to a space that cannot be permitted for your use.
Lease negotiation on your side of the table
The listing agent works for the landlord. We negotiate rent, NNN, TI allowance, free rent, delivery condition, guaranty, assignment, and commencement date for you, and it is typically paid from the landlord's commission budget.
Inside the guide
What your business owner / first commercial space guide covers.
Written for the Houston and Dallas metro markets, in plain language, with the questions most clients only learn to ask after the transaction is over.
- When your business is ready for commercial space
- Documents landlords typically request
- Business entity and financial preparation
- Understanding commercial rent
- How much cash reserves may be needed
- Choosing the right location
- Determining how much space you actually need
- Understanding NNN expenses
- Buildout costs
- Tenant-improvement allowances
- Permits and Certificate of Occupancy considerations
- Personal guarantees
- Lease negotiations
- Avoiding common first-time commercial-tenant mistakes
Financial Strategy
Your money is examined as carefully as your contract.
01
Total occupancy cost
Base rent plus NNN and CAM, utilities, insurance, and escalations calculated as a real monthly number, not a quoted rate per square foot.
02
Cash required to open
Deposit, first month, buildout beyond the allowance, permits, equipment, and operating reserve mapped before you sign, so you are not undercapitalized at opening.
03
Buildout and TI allowance
Allowance negotiated against real contractor pricing, with disbursement terms and delay remedies written into the lease rather than promised verbally.
04
Personal guaranty exposure
Where a guaranty is required, we push for capped or burn-off terms so your personal exposure ends once the business has performed.
The Process
Nothing is left for you to guess.
- 01
Requirements
Use, size, budget, timing, customer base, and growth plan.
- 02
Site selection
Demographics, traffic, visibility, access, parking, and co-tenancy compared across viable options.
- 03
LOI
Competing letters of intent to establish real leverage on economics.
- 04
Lease and buildout
Full lease negotiation with your attorney, contractor and architect coordination, and permitting timeline.
- 05
Open
Delivery confirmation, commencement verification, and possession.
Questions Answered
The answers most people never get.
How much does it cost to have you represent me?
In most commercial leases the landlord's listing agreement already includes a commission for a tenant representative, so representation typically costs the tenant nothing additional. We confirm this in writing at the outset.
What is the most common first-time tenant mistake?
Signing before confirming permitted use and occupancy requirements, then discovering the buildout, grease interceptor, parking count, or power service required for the business is not feasible in that space.
How much space do I actually need?
It depends on your operation, equipment, seating or treatment rooms, storage, and staff. We size it with you first, because leasing too much space is the fastest way to strain a young business.
Get the business owner / first commercial space guide, free.
Tell us your timeframe and we will send the material written for your exact transaction, plus the financial questions worth asking first.
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