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 Décor -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

Buying 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.

Whether 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.

The office space that you work in every day is one of the largest expenses for your company. One way to control this cost is to shop around and utilize some simple negotiating skills to get the best office leasing option. If you can take some time to get yourself into a good lease you could save your company enough money to make a very big difference.

No office lease is standard so you need to negotiate with each one. The term of the lease is one of the first concessions when you are negotiating. Your needs may change over time so keep this in mind when thinking about how long you want to stay in the same location. Also think about how much space your office has available. Make sure that you have enough room to grow if necessary. You may also want to consider getting the option to renew your rent at a fixed predetermined price. Think about the time you will need in the space but also about the time you may want when your lease is up.

Look into what the landlord charges for the extras. Some of these items may be maintenance, HVAC, general operating costs, repairs, improvements or replacements. Some leases may require that you return the office to the condition it was in when you first moved in. It could be to your benefit to get a cap on the amount you are charged for all the extras because they can add up rather quickly. Improvements in the space may also require their buyoff so make sure that you understand what the lease says regarding their approval to change the space.

Unfortunately, you can’t generally negotiate a lease with a fixed rate over a long period of time. Usually there are annual increases based on a specific percentage. Perhaps you can negotiate how many years it is before this kicks in or think about asking if you can get a cap on the amount of the increase or maybe a set amount each year rather than a percentage.

Think also about the flexibility you may need in your space if you think you may need to undergo a merger, reorganization or subletting. There are so many things that could change in the years to come and it is important to consider all the options when signing your company up for a new lease. This can really make a difference in the future.

Negotiation will be the key to success when getting locked into a lease for your company. Take the time to study up on some of the areas that you can ask questions. Study the fine print so that you know all the options you have in the building and with your office space. If you are locked into a lease for 5-years you never know what might happen in that time. Plan ahead – project where you think you might be in that amount of time. Look into how you might grow and change so that you can predict the best lease possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want – you might just get it.
About the Author: About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding office space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial