Wondering what to do with your ratty office carpet? Are you outgrowing your small office space? If you are like so many businesses who would like to repair their office space or move into a new one but can’t financially do so, or get the office leasingnecessary to make these changes due to the economic climate, there are other options for you. Here are give ways to improve your office space right now.
Initiate a Work Clean Up Party
So you cannot hire a cleaning service, painters or carpenters to help remodel your office but that doesn’t mean you can’t spruce things up with the resources you have at hand. Have a mandatory cleaning party at work. Pay your employees, provide lunch and drinks and crank up the music. Draw names for cleaning duties or separate yourself into cleaning teams. With some positive energy and dome good elbow grease, you can have a shiny new office space in no time!
Shop Discounted Stores, Online Deals or Thrift Stores For Great Steals on Furniture, Cubicles and DĂ©cor -including Paint
If you have ever scanned online discount stores, auction houses or craigslist’s in the “free section” you would be amazed at what you can find! Entire office furniture sets for less than half their retail price or free! Paint, doors, carpet and even art is all available online for complete deals. Thrift stores, garage sales and warehouse stores are all great places to look for great furniture at rates you can afford. Even though you can’t afford to get a new office space and furniture now, you can get pretty close to it and at least get what you need.
Stacking up? Throw it Out
One of the easiest ways to appreciate your office and make a big change for the better is to throw out what you don’t need. Broken doors, broken cubicles, torn furniture and clutter can immediately make a manageable office intolerable. Borrow or rent a truck and get rid of all your useless stuff! It’s just taking up space that could be used for so many other things. Don’t forget, many of those things you want to throw away could be recycled or donated.
Too Tight? Allow People to Work at Home
If your staff is growing and your office is shrinking- the desire to relocate may be strong, but since credit lending isn’t exactly happening right now, you may have to think of creative ways to use your space. Doubling up two people to an office may sound like a good idea, but offering the chance for people to work from home is not just a great idea for desk sharing, your employees will appreciate the offer as well.
Trade Services
Does your business have a service or product you could trade in return for painting, carpentry or new desks? Perhaps your marketing services, hotel or travel services or free cases of your energy drink that you produce could be in exchange for another company’s painting, carpet or landscaping services.
In today’s economic climate, it’s not the easiest time to get a line of credit to move into a new office space or use towards remodeling. Using your head, you can come up with several different ways of making things work at least in the meantime until things improve in the markets financially. Who knows, the new office furniture you bought online to go with the free carpet you got in exchange for business cards that you printed for the carpet company could be the best thing you ever did. Perhaps you won’t want to move after all.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is an online freelance writer. For more information regarding, office space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial
How To Change Around Your Office to Allow More Space
April 4th, 2010How To Optimize Your Office Space
March 28th, 2010Buying or leasing office space is a much different situation than buying or leasing a home. Over the past couple years, office leasing was doing really well as businesses were booming and filling up their space quickly. However, with the economy now businesses are consolidating and getting rid of space, so things have changed significantly.
For people managing corporate real estate or handling office leasing they are going to be in for much tougher negotiations. Rental rates are at a much lower rate than they were a few years ago and companies may be less inclined to sign a long-term contract. Companies are doing everything they can to explore cost-cutting measures. Even the simple office supplies that weren’t a big deal to purchase in the past may now need management approval.
This type of leasing climate is especially good for those companies who know they are going to weather this economic downturn just fine. Yes, there are a few out there still making money. These companies can take advantage of the lower rates and the many incentives that are being provided. If they can take advantage of a longer term lease they may end up saving a lot of money. Tenants are looking for the best deal when they look for office space and landlords are really going to the extra mile to lock them in.
Lease negotiations are in the tenant’s court right now. With discounted rent or even free rent for a period of time, this is a good time to be searching for office space. Landlords that are struggling to find tenants may offer a variety of great deals such as paying for the space to be renovated or providing the options for additional build-outs on the property. Further, landlords are offering much more flexibility with the term of the lease. In good markets, landlords might be especially stringent when it comes to lease terms and getting out of a lease early. However, now they are much more willing to talk about ending leases early, which may be a cost savings to tenants paying for unnecessary space. Tenants are also setting leases with shorter renewal options to allow for better positioning when the market does improve. While they may be cutting costs now, most companies are looking forward to a day when they can get back to normal, hire more employees and re-fill up that space they just vacated.
Even though the economy has many wishing for jobs, grumbling about unemployment or afraid for the days to come, it also holds a lot of cost savings measures of which business should take advantage. With the better lease rates, more flexibility in negotiation and the incredible incentives on the table, it is a no brainer for companies to take advantage and save some money. We won’t always be in a recession; companies won’t always be struggling to fill their office space. However, right now, for both landlords and tenants it is a very different market. And, while tomorrow may change things for the better. Today, companies should stop and look at the many ways they can make choices today to improve their financial picture tomorrow, especially when it comes to their office space.
About the Author: Jason Ausmus is an online freelance writer. If you would like more information about office space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial.
The Meaning of Office Space
March 20th, 2010Whether you are moving into a new office space or rearranging the space you already have, make sure that you do it right.. During the tough economy we can’t seem to talk about enough, it is important to save money where and when you can while also being prepared for whatever the future may bring. The office leasing choices you make can make a huge difference in budget and the future of your company.
Take a minute to walk around your office environment making a mental note of things you see that could be consolidated. Do you have a filing system that is out of control? Maybe you haven’t purged the files in years or perhaps it is a matter of putting in place a better system or getting some better organizational tools like fixed shelving or larger cabinets. There are also companies that can help you get all your paperwork online as well. Storing all the paperwork electronically can be a great way to save space.
Do you have a central space in your office that is overcrowded with extra office supplies – one of those storage rooms that just seem to hold everything? Make sure it is organized and make sure you are not ordering supplies that are not needed. Creating a central place for all supplies can make it much easier to track everything on hand. And, if you have one central person to take charge of the ordering it can really help.
Cubicles can be utilized as opposed to offices in order to fit more people into one area. Take a look at the different types of cubicles available. There are cubicles with varying wall levels and in various shapes and sizes that can be perfect to accommodate all your space needs. Make sure that your employees are comfortable but use your space wisely when it comes to offices or cubicles. It can be especially useful to use furniture that can grow with your organization. Use furniture that might be easy to move or restructure if you are going to be adding or subtracting employees or simply rearranging the office.
If you are thinking about ways you can possibly downsize the office, perhaps having your employees work from a remote location is an option. Many times there are simple ways that employees can get access to all the information they need to do their job from home. This can not only be a space saver in the office but it also keeps some folks off the road as well, providing an environmentally friendly solution.
Take the time to plan out your office space so that you can make the most out of it. Walk around so you can find areas in which space is not being used wisely. Also, take a look at the furniture that you can add to make better use of organization and space. Whether you decide on offices or cubicles, there are ways to accommodate everyone in an organized way. In this economy we are all looking toward ways to make a difference in our budgets. Companies especially need to find ways they can organize and cut costs to make the most out of their office space. Make your office space perfect!
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a freelance content specialist. For more information regarding office space or office leasing, please visit Royal Commercial.
How to Identify the Amount of Space You Need After Rapid Expansion
February 24th, 2010Your business has been running for awhile, and you’ve just been able to acquire a very large business account. You need more workers, and in turn, more space so you can meet the demands of the new account. retail space isn’t easy to come by because of how many businesses succeed and fail each year. The one’s that tend to exceed have an office leasing and the ability to advertise their product in a way that makes them separate from their competition.
From planning and budgeting to facilities maintenance and ongoing operations, once you have entered an agreement with your commercial real estate agent, you want to make sure that each detail, whether big or small from site selection, rent rates, landlord concessions, parking and your ongoing operating expenses are discussed. A quality commercial real estate agent will help you with all this including connections with paint and carpeting improvements as well as office relocation assistance.
Landlords are concerned with the decline in tenant sales- everyone is affected and owners are doing their best to keep their retailers and businesses there. New tenants will no doubt have the upper hand in negotiations with landlords and with commercial real estate agents, which can result in rent reductions and other perks for new businesses. With more attractive options becoming available all the time, forecasters believe that overtime, the market will reverse itself and with so many people taking advantage of attractive lease terms, potential tenants will correct the supply and demand discrepancy.
The internet is vast but there are millions of other businesses trying to get their product out there and selling just like you. You can advertise in your local area, but that’s a very small portion considering the amount of people living in the United States. What you’re going to be relying is a marketing campaign savvy to those consumers you wish to target and service that carries over word of mouth. People can get a certain product anywhere, but they come to your store for the service and the atmosphere. Don’t forget this crucial fact when shopping for retail space.
As business begins to grow you will find yourself needing more space to hold the amount of customers foaming for your product. It is at this time where you don’t need to worry so much about how much space you have and how much it will cost because of how much money you’ve made. Expanding your business practice elsewhere may be a more beneficial venture than expanding your space. You can make a little more profit with small chains around the nation than a few large retail store.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a freelance content specialist. For more information regarding retail spaceor office leasing, please visit Royal Commercial.
The Unwritten Rules of Office Space
January 28th, 2010You’ve just conceived an idea for your new business. You know why product you want to sell, you have employees lined up. All that’s left is finding an adequate building to be able to advertise and sell your entire product line. retail space isn’t easy to come by because of how many businesses succeed and fail each year. The one’s that tend to exceed have an office leasing and the ability to advertise their product in a way that makes them separate from their competition.
You need to look for space that able to provide you enough shelf space to advertise the product as well as enough space for your customers to conveniently and comfortably walk through the aisles to view them. Not a lot of people like to be crowded together trying to find the product they were searching for. They become claustrophobic and feel a need to get out of the store before buying anything. The importance in the amount of space you allow in unparallel to the amount inventory you have displayed. It won’t matter how much product you have out if everyone’s fleeing the store because of how uncomfortable they are.
The amount of space you decide to buy is of course proportionate to the amount of money you want to spend. If you spend all of your money on the largest space available with nothing to fall back on in case business is slow at first, you will find yourself closing the store down before it even began and your dream lost. No business started out a success. If you believe the product you’re selling will sell immediately than ask yourself, “How will people know about the product”?
The internet is vast but there are millions of other businesses trying to get their product out there and selling just like you. You can advertise in your local area, but that’s a very small portion considering the amount of people living in the United States. What you’re going to be relying is a marketing campaign savvy to those consumers you wish to target and service that carries over word of mouth. People can get a certain product anywhere, but they come to your store for the service and the atmosphere. Don’t forget this crucial fact when shopping for retail space.
As business begins to grow you will find yourself needing more space to hold the amount of customers foaming for your product. It is at this time where you don’t need to worry so much about how much space you have and how much it will cost because of how much money you’ve made. Expanding your business practice elsewhere may be a more beneficial venture than expanding your space. You can make a little more profit with small chains around the nation than a few large retail store.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding retail space or office leasing, contact Royal Commercial
How Has the Search for Office Space Changed?
January 20th, 2010While the current economic climate might not make many run to the real estate market for their top career choice, for some, it can be a lucrative business. If you’ve decided to enter the real estate business consider the varying specialties that might help you to succeed. You may want to start as a commercial real estate agent, someone who specializes in selling commercial real estate. You may also consider becoming an appraiser, the person who determines the value of the home being bought or sold; a broker, who assists buyers with the actual transaction; developer, a person who improves land by adding or replacing or fixing up buildings; property management, someone who manages the property for an owner. With all these choices when becoming a real estate agent you are bound to find something that will be the perfect fit.
When deciding whether or not you’d like to do commercial or residential real estate consider these major differences. Obviously, commercial real estate agent will focus around office space or other types of commercial properties that are mostly income producing. Most homes will simply be by their owners. Commercial real estate can encompass leasing office space, owning an apartment complex or selling real property to name a few of the areas that you might be working in.
It’s also important to note that the paperwork involved is very different between the two areas of real estate. Residential deals are given much more consumer protection than commercial deals. Disclosures common to residential are not necessarily required. Commercial real estate buyers are going to need to ask about zoning laws, whether or not the area is suitable for their business, among other business decisions. As a real estate agent you’re going to need to have the skills necessary to meet different needs for the consumer.
No matter the type of real estate you decide to specialize in, each requires a different level of skill and a different level of knowledge. The type of person you are going to be dealing with in residential real estate is going to be quite different than the person you might deal with in a commercial transaction. Consider the types of customers you would most like to work with when comparing the two. Consider the types of goals you have and the types of needs you like to meet for others. It can be exciting helping the first time homebuyer discover and purchase the home of their dreams. Does this get you more passionate than helping the savvy business owner find the perfect space for leasing, a space that can help them meet their business needs. While there are two different goals, helping people meet those goals can be very rewarding.
Committing to becoming a residential real estate agent or a commercial real estate agent can be a big step. Determining that you want to go into real estate can be a difficult decision, especially when the current real estate climate is shaky. However, in the end, it can be a very rewarding career choice and a very lucrative one, depending on the type of real estate agent you become and the area in which you live. If you don’t think commercial or residential real estate is the right move then consider the other types of specialties that might be just the right fit. You have to spend a lot of time in your career so make sure that you are making a choice that is going to be in your best interest for the long term.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding commercial real estate agent or commercial real estate go to Royal Commercial
How To Find Creative Ways to Fill Space You Aren’t Yet Using
January 14th, 2010It’s not an uncommon site. Driving past strip malls or walking through the mall and seeing the empty retail space. Office leasing and corporate real estate is obviously changing. The tactics that commercial real estate agents are using to fill their space is definitely changing. During the economic and real estate boom a couple years ago, the deals that are being forged today would never have been considered.
One way that retail space is being filled is with nonprofit organizations and a variety of other such businesses – like schools, day care centers, gyms and/or theatre groups. The main factor that spaces will consider is the amount of traffic that can be brought to the area with the group involved. With a theatre group or maybe even a daycare there is going to be a variety of people brought to the location that may not have been in the area otherwise.
Traffic control is key. One of the great things about retail space is that it is always centrally located or at least conveniently located. This is the great way to get businesses in because they will be able to build themselves in a good location and attract the customers they are hoping to attract. It will not only be a great option for the business but it is also a win for the shopping center as they are going to be changing their image and drawing people in with a new tactic.
It’s an unfortunate reality that many larger retail outlets have gone out of business lately and have left some giant buildings behind. Without using these buildings they are just left to sit as an eyesore as consumers drive by day after day. Plus, some retailers that were thinking about expanding their business or perhaps renovating have put a hold on those projects in order to save some money. Space that they may have originally hoped to expand into has been left empty as a result.
Some shopping centers are also trying out different marketing concepts to test the water for future businesses. For example, smaller businesses, or spinoffs are starting up to see if they can survive and bring in new business. One example could be a Holiday specific spin on a party store. This might occupy a space for a short time and then be replaced a few months later with another type of business. This has been a successful way for retailers to bridge the gap and bring in some additional money.
Perhaps the economy has been a great way to get us unsettled and to make us consider our current lot in life. We all need a little stirring every once in awhile in order to come up with new and greater ideas. We can’t grow if we are standing still all the time. While it may feel like a difficult time and seem like the world is falling apart, we know that we can get through this thing one step at a time. By getting creative, utilizing exciting new marketing strategies and by trying something out of the box, retail space can thrive. Focus on bringing in customers not on your normal radar in order to continue to survive during this difficult time.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding retail space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial
How to Improve Your Office Space
January 7th, 2010Here are 10 things you can do to improve your home office space without going WAY over budget.
Think Green and Get Some Plants!
Bring life to your office by adding life! A bit of greenery can lift a room and make it a much more pleasant retail space. Not only will plants add more color to your office, they will increase the oxygen in your office and provide an enticing ambiance.
Hide the Wires
Unfortunately, wires are an unsightly necessity of the office world. While you might be able to get a wireless mouse, keyboard and even internet, you simply can’t escape power cords. To tidy up your wires- look to these options:
• Bind Cords Together
Use a string or rubber band and bind the cords together at intervals so they are all in one place, sot scattered all over.
• Secure long running wires to walls
Instead of letting cords lay in the middle of the walkway, use clamps to stick wires to the walls.
Shop Discounted Stores, Online Deals or Thrift Stores For Great Steals on Furniture, Cubicles and DĂ©cor -including Paint
If you have ever scanned online discount stores, auction houses or craigslist’s in the “free section” you would be amazed at what you can find! Entire office furniture sets for less than half their retail price or free! Paint, doors, carpet and even art is all available online for complete deals. Thrift stores, garage sales and warehouse stores are all great places to look for great furniture at rates you can afford. Even though you can’t afford to get a new office space and furniture now, you can get pretty close to it and at least get what you need.
Initiate a Work Clean Up Party
So you cannot hire a cleaning service, painters or carpenters to help remodel your office but that doesn’t mean you can’t spruce things up with the resources you have at hand. Have a mandatory cleaning party at work. Pay your employees, provide lunch and drinks and crank up the music. Draw names for cleaning duties or separate yourself into cleaning teams. With some positive energy and dome good elbow grease, you can have a shiny new office space in no time!
Add an Employee Communication Area
Build morale and add some new décor. Placing a communication board in a common area of your office will improve morale, keep people informed and encourage involvement. When all of your employees are in the know with all of your company’s plans, people feel appreciated and important. Add an employee of the month club and post pictures of the staff!
There are in fact lots of things you can do to make your office space a better place to work. Visiting thrift stores and office supply stores to find ideas are great ways to get ideas. It’s possible that moving to a new office space isn’t foreseeable any time soon, or hiring an interior designer and since you are trying just to keep the lights on in the one you are currently occupying. There are plenty of things you can do to make due with your office space today while you while wait for things to change financially tomorrow.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding office space or retail space go to Royal Commercial.
Crowded Cities Are a Small Problem if You Know Where to Look for New Space
December 15th, 2009As the economy turns up and down, the amount of space that you need to show off your merchandise is diminishing because of the fast paced consumer. As the amount of retail space lowers the cost of space lowers as well. Office leasing becomes an easier task because the amount of space has receded. It’s important to keep a simple mind when looking for an office.
Fast paced consumers in Kirkland, Wa want their product right when they walk in the door. They want low prices and the ability to get out of the building as quickly as possible so they can get on with their day. You want to enough space to be able to display what you’re selling, as well as enough aisle space to allow customers to browse comfortably.
Consumers are fast paced, but they need to be able to walk comfortably through the aisles of your store. You have no idea the amount of claustrophobia that one can feel while in a crowded area . It reaches to a point where they need to leave the building without buying anything at all. It’s beneficial to focus on a few products so that people can get in and out as quickly as possible.
The amount of space that you will need rises and falls with the state of the economy. As the economy rises, you want more space to sell more products and get more customers into the store. As the economy drops, the amount of space that you need will not be as much if you cannot afford to purchase the same amount you were able to sell previously.
When you’re first starting your business you should get enough space to expand upon when you become successful. Then when the economy declines, you can recede to the point that’s comfortable and stimulates with the economy. It’s important to be able to expand and recede because of the money you will save moving in and out of larger and smaller locations. Don’t buy too small and don’t buy too large or you’re just wasting money.
If business is doing exceptionally well, and the amount of space in your store is too little, you start to consider expanding to more space. While it’s a good idea, consider the amount of money it’s going to cost you, and the cost of the new lease. Can the success of your business withhold the rise and fall of the economy?
When you’re looking for new space make sure that you have a little more than needed so you can grow and decrease the amount of space so it fluctuates with the economy. As business begins to boom and the amount of space you need increases, office leasing for more space is intimate. A high possibility of growth in the economy is immanent, but you need to make up for when things turn bad.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding space for retailor oleasing for offices, visit Royal Commercial.
How We Can Determine the Appropriate Amount of Office Space
December 9th, 2009For businesses looking for a great deal on office space, there is no better time to look. Due to the economic downturn, many businesses have gone belly-up or moved out of expensive leases. Sadly, empty office space is never a good thing but the silver lining is that there are affordable options available to new start-ups or businesses that are doing well in this economy and looking to expand their business.
corporate real estate owners are offering great rates, deals and special incentives in order to get businesses to sign new leases. Besides filling empty office spaces, commercial real estate owners are trying to appease to their current tenants who are reluctant to sign another lease. But that can work for a business owner’s advantage; the option to renew a lease rather than take on the expense of moving is more attractive to several business owners who may have had plans to expand or move.
Vacant stores, retail spaces and office spaces don’t help neighboring retailers and other offices and often become a target for vandalism and usually fall into some form of disrepair. If landlords can offer more incentives for struggling businesses to stay, it may be worth giving a month’s lease for free in order to keep a business or attract new ones.
The hardest hit areas for commercial real estate vacancies are Michigan, Arizona, Las Vegas and California. The metropolitan cities of Oregon and Washington State are among the least affected, but still affected none-the less.
The hardest thing to measure is the trickle down affects of all the commercial real estate vacancies and office space. When the people leave the area, people stop going to the restaurants and other businesses in the area and so on. When people stop going to the grocery stores and stopping into after work happy hour or coffee shops, it’s much more than the business workers who are affected. It’s everyone who works in those smaller businesses who are affected.
It may be great for new businesses looking for once hard to get space, but in the end, vacant signs on businesses affects more than just those businesses.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding corporate real estate or office space go to Royal Commercial www.royalcommercialcorp.com.