To buy or to rent? While it's a moot point for most start-ups (hey, all you need is a basement somewhere to start a social networking site), it's a question worth considering for businesses that need more space. Let's face it, given what's been going on, you want to ensure that you keep your costs as low as possible in your business plan, but that you still make the most financially sound long-term decision.

The problem is unless you know a thing or two about real estate (we don't) it can be tricky to figure out what makes the most sense not only in the long-term, but in the short-term. That's why you should check out this slick calculator over at the New York Times that can help you determine whether it's smarter to rent or buy. While it's intended to help potential homeowners, it works equally well for commercial space (hey, we're talking about rough estimates here). Simply fill out what the monthly rent would be on a space you're interested in, as well as what the purchase price, down payment, mortgage rate, and property taxes would be on a potential property to purchase and the calculator compares the costs and tells you whether it's better to buy or rent.

While sure it's just a rough estimate and naturally other considerations figure in when—you know, like whether you can afford it and whether or not you could write off rent—it's still a handy tool that can help further advise your decision.