Avoid Costly Lease Mistakes: A Roadmap for Owners - Session 1

Fee: No Cost, Green River College is a subrecipient partner of the Washington SBDC. Sign-up link goes to Green River College's registration platform campusce.net.

This first session is part of the Avoid Costly Lease Mistakes: A Roadmap for Owners workshop at Green River College Continuing Education. Register with Green River College. This workshop is free.

Choosing a business facility involves far more than finding the right rent. Success requires a disciplined process that accounts for both financial and subjective variables. This workshop empowers you to become an Informed Owner, replacing guesswork with a comprehensive roadmap.

A commercial lease is more than a monthly rent check; it is a strategic decision that dictates your operational efficiency, your ability to attract talent, and your brand's reputation. Most business owners focus on the "sticker price" of rent, only to later discover unseen financial and subjective problems—from inefficient floor plates that waste square footage to locations that increase employee churn.

This two-session workshop provides a disciplined roadmap to help you navigate these complexities. We move beyond basic search tactics to help you become an Informed Owner who evaluates every alternative through a rigorous, multi-dimensional lens.

In Session 1 (March 25), we focus on The Strategic Audit. You will learn to use "Test Fits" to verify layout efficiency and "Weighted Ranking" to score subjective criticals like logistical proximity to your workforce and brand alignment. We’ll introduce Net Present Value (NPV) tools that account for the cost of capital, ensuring you understand the true financial weight of every deal on the table.

In Session 2 (April 1), we dive intoMitigating Lease & Construction Risk. We address the "hidden" side of the deal: the reputation of the landlord, the risk of escalating operating expenses, and the technical due diligence required to identify infrastructure gaps before they become your problem.

Join us to gain a professional toolkit of templates and checklists designed to eliminate blind spots and align your facility with your long-term business goals.

The instructor is Kevin Grossman, Small Business Development Center, Certified Business Advisor. Kevin has decades of experience in real estate, investments and small business entrepreneurship. See more about Kevin on his Washington SBDC advisor page.