Before You Sign The Lease

Before You Sign the Lease — Free Pre-Lease Checklist

A free pre-lease checklist for anyone opening a cafe, shop, bar or restaurant. 8 critical areas to assess before you commit to a site — built from 35 years of real experience.

Most lease mistakes aren't made at the negotiating table. They're made before the conversation has properly started — when the excitement of finding a site overrides the discipline of assessing it properly.

This checklist covers the 8 critical areas that determine whether a commercial lease is actually the right decision — or an expensive one.

What's covered:

1. Is the site actually right for the business?
2. What exactly are the commercial terms?
3. What security is required?
4. Can the site physically support the business?
5. What are you actually allowed to do there?
6. What approvals and permits are likely to be required?
7. Has your lawyer fully reviewed the lease?
8. What are the hidden costs and risks?

Each section includes specific things to check and a plain-English explanation of why it matters — so you go into the lease conversation knowing what to look for, not finding out afterwards.

Who it's for: Anyone opening a cafe, shop, bar or restaurant who is about to assess a site, enter lease negotiations, or sign a commercial lease. First-time operators, experienced operators opening a new location, and investors backing a concept.

Built from 35 years of experience designing and opening physical venues — shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. The same issues come up constantly. This checklist exists so they don't come up for you.

Free. Instant download. No credit card required.

Once you've confirmed a site, the Open My Business planning guides — Open My Cafe, Open My Shop, Open My Bar and Open My Restaurant — take you through everything that comes next.