As we start a business, looking for an office that has the amount of space we need to be productive is crucial. We must be cautious, looking for only the amount of space we need to function properly. There is no reason to pay more for what you aren’t going to use.
• Finding an Office: If you are a starting business, note how much office space you’ll need now and eventually. You will need space to put any files that will acquire for your business. You will need file cabinets where your files will be store. Plenty of desks for current and new employees that are soon to come. Will you have a waiting room where clients can sit? What type of furniture will you have?
• Visualization: It’s important that your business has plenty of exposure to people driving by your office. What kind of marketing will you use to catch their eye? How will you design your office so people who visit will think that you are professional and someone they want to do business with?
• Corporate Offices: When your company reaches a point where it can have a corporate office, corporate real estate will become a key factor in finding corporate headquarters. Do you want these offices to be near your current office? When looking in corporate real estate, be sure that we take the first two steps into account. They apply to any office you plan to open; corporate or commercial.
• Leave Room to Expand: Moving your offices is costly. Make sure that the first office you have leaves plenty of room to expand. As you become more successful, more people will want your services. Make sure you have enough office spacefor new employees to help with your newly acquired work load. The same goes for your corporate real estate. The employees you already retain know your business in and out. They will be the ones training your new employees.
• Relax: Moving into a new office or upgrading to a bigger office is stressful. Not only are you trying to manage the time and money into movie, you are also trying to keep the business running. Stress in this situation is inevitable, but there are ways to prevent. There are plenty of companies out there whose focus is helping you with these kinds of decision. Unnecessary stress is just that.
Remember all of these elements when moving your new business. Knowing how much office space you’ll need for your furniture and employees is important. Your offices and corporate real estate need to look and feel professional. Leave room to expand your business. Having to move your business because you do not have enough space for the two employees you just hired isn’t worth it. The business you could lose during the movie on top of what it already costs to move is just silly.
About the author: Jason Ausmus is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information regarding office space or corporate real estate, look to Royal Commercial
Posts Tagged ‘office space’
5 Key Ideas You Need to Consider Looking for New office space
Monday, June 8th, 2009Maximizing Empty Office Space and Retail Space
Monday, June 1st, 2009These days it is difficult to find a business park that is filled. Even most offices have some empty office space. Retailers are closing their doors and leaving a lot of empty retail space. Those large buildings you see left behind when a company closes – what happens to them? When corporate real estate companies build up the business park only to leave it empty, what can be done to utilize the space? Can these spaces be used in any way?
You can bet that office landlords and developers are working on ways that they can still make money even when their office spaces are not being leased out, especially in high-traffic areas. Well, the answer is clear – those big empty windows can be filled with ads. What better way to take advantage of those high traffic areas then by using advertising to reach out.
Most areas of advertising are suffering as a result of the economy; however store front windows seem to be staying consistent. Billboards are not as costly and they are reaching a high volume of people. By offering these windows for sale as an advertising billboard the landlord will be able to continue to pay its bills while offering a unique offering to people.
While it won’t cover the same costs as a retailer would or a company leasing the building, advertising can help pay the bills and they are a great way for companies to get creative too. In the past, most companies thought of advertising as just a cheap way to reach people. Cheap as in looked down upon. However, now when they think about advertising they are looking for ways to save money. Cheap as in frugal. The mindset of advertisers has really changed with the changing economic climate.
As we all struggle to make our way in a difficult economy it becomes apparent that we all need to get creative; companies are no exception. By finding ways that they can use what they have they are going to be able to successfully weather the storm. Retailers and corporate real estate owners are going to find that if they hope to succeed at all they are going to need to consider alternatives. While they can lower the rates and offer more incentives to companies, at some point, even that won’t be enough.
Enticing people to buy or lease office space is going to be difficult when most companies are still fighting fear and are doing everything they can to cut costs. However, by offering them a lower cost alternative to advertising they might be doing, a solution can be reached for everyone.
Ah, we all love pinching pennies and watching closely what we are spending and where we are spending it. However, there are some things that are necessary and for companies the necessity of getting the word out is always going to be there. However, the choices they have are going to change. By being given the option of window space advertising, the way companies look at advertising may really change. As more and more companies go online and begin to utilize more cost-effective ways of advertising, this type of advertising can really reach people. Drivers beware – soon you may be driving by those empty retail and office spaces and see much more than an empty window.
About the Author: Rebecca Beckett is a freelance writer for Innuity. If you would like more information about office space or retail space go to Royal Commercial
10 Ways to Improve Your Office Space
Monday, May 18th, 2009Here 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 place to be. 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: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity For more information regarding, office space go to Royal Commercial.
Considering the Location for your Office Space
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009So, the question is: where is the best location for your office space. When you are considering office leasing you will need to make a lot of choices. Before the economy took a turn for the worst, companies could consider location above all else. However, now, while location is still essential, cost seems to be taking over as the major deciding factor.
There are two major choices when considering location. Will you choose the downtown, in the hub of the activity, or in the outskirts? Which is right for your office? It may be that your company is not that type of company that would thrive in a downtown environment – do you need the luxury and the ease of being in the mix? There are some companies that may decide the higher cost is worth it because they need to be right in the middle of the action or near their competitors.
For example, many law firms may locate in a downtown area because they want to be close to the courthouses. Many also feel that they can conduct business more casually if they run into people when they are out for lunch or stepping out of the office for a brief period of time. Image might also be a considering factor for companies as those with downtown addresses may have a higher image.
Consider also the effect it could have on your employees. Will this location attract the type of employees you are looking to hire? Is the parking sufficient? Will everyone have to pay for parking or will you have a lot available? If employees are going to end up paying a bunch of their paycheck for parking you are going to need to take into consideration an incentive package that makes it more affordable or cost effective.
For some the benefits of moving away from a city hub might be a great way to save money. The business parks outside of the city can offer companies plenty of advantages, including a great way to entice local employees. By being more affordable, companies might be able to offer their employees higher pay or better parking options, including discounts to area restaurants or health clubs, as the case may be.
Traffic can be a concern for companies in a downtown area as well. Employees may be more likely to be on time if they don’t have to sit in traffic each day and hope for the best. This will also help employees save gas and make a positive impact on the environment as well. Employees that live close to work will really appreciate the extra time they have in the morning and after work that they wouldn’t have if they were stuck in the daily grime of traffic.
While there are many options that must be considered when searching for the best office space, consider the location as well. Carefully look into working both in a downtown area and outside in order to make the best, most affordable choice for your company. Not all companies need what a downtown location has to offer while others do – What does your company need? Answer this question and it will help you determine where to lease.
About the Author: Rebecca Beckett is a freelance writer for Innuity. If you would like more information about office space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial
The Bittersweet Availability of Commercial Real Estate
Monday, May 4th, 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: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information regarding Corporate real estate or office space go to Royal Commercial.
Politically Correct Easter and Passover Celebrations in Your Office
Monday, April 13th, 2009When it comes to celebrating in your office space, school or even in your retail space if you are a business owner, where do you draw the line on celebrating or offending during religious holidays?
Over the years America has seen a radical switch in how holidays are celebrated in every public place. The term, politically correct in some people’s eyes has gone way too far but for others, the politically correct movement has helped Americans realize there are other people out there who have different beliefs and every right to celebrate how they choose. The double edge sword of being too politically correct or overly sensitive to everyone’s needs means that instead of accepting every culture and religion, public society has decided to not celebrate any of them openly. This can make things far more confusing than how it may have been long before the term politically correct made it so.
Here are Some Ways Your Office or Retail Space Can Still Celebrate The Time of Year Without Offending Anyone
- Think spring! No one can be offended by the seasons
- Pastels and polka dots are very spring and non-offensive
- Decorate with weather, no one can deny that April showers happen, and no one can be offended with umbrella and raindrop decorations
- Baby farm animals are born in the spring. Choosing to decorate your retail space with baby chicks and bunnies is perfectly acceptable
- Go green! Decorate with the colors of spring. This means light greens, cherry blossoms, pink and yellows and lilac. Bring in flower pots of silk tulips or blossoms or even small pots of grass to place as displays in your retail space window or in the waiting room of your office space
- Outdoor exercise- once the weather gets nicer, that means people are going to the park, riding bikes and even going to the beach. Think of outdoor activities as a means to decorate your office, like setting up an old fashioned bike with a basket filled with spring tulips in the window or colorful kites strung up in your office space.
You can play it safe by celebrating the weather, nature, pastel colors and outdoor activities or you could divide up the week and celebrate every day by recognizing a different religious celebration or during the holy week, create a mosaic of religious icons, spring flowers and Easter bunnies all together, displaying that your office or retail space celebrates everyone and everything about this time of year.
About the author: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information regarding office space or retail space go to Royal Commercial.
Creating the Perfect Office Space
Monday, March 30th, 2009Whether 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: Rebecca Beckett is a freelance writer for Innuity. If you would like more information about office space or office leasing go to Royal Commercial
Commercial Movers Still Busy in This Down Turn
Monday, March 16th, 2009They say there are a few things that are recession proof, and one of them that does not usually come to mind are moving companies. In good times and bad, people are either moving in or out of houses, offices and storage units. Today, companies are not extending leases; they are downsizing or moving out into a storage unit while they re-organize and they use commercial movers to help.
Vacant commercial real estate is way up. As companies downsize or go under, movers are being called on to clear out unused space, tear down cubicles and move office desks into storage. When companies want to show the most support they can during this hard time, many offices ask their white collar employees to be the paid movers instead of hiring a moving company. Businesses that are about to go under can save money by using the employees they currently have instead of hiring a moving company. But that is usually the exception. Just last year, sources say that the nationwide, office space vacancy rose to 14.5 percent, with the prediction for it to rise to approximately 17 percent. That is a lot of offices that will need moving assistance.
Commercial Movers Moving More Than Cubicles From Office Spaces
Movers are often contracted by corporations to help move employees back sometimes across the country or state, if they were hired or transferred to work for another part of the company located in another state. This type of moving is called “repatriation moves,” and this one area of the commercial moving industry that is rapidly increasing. This kind of moving, sometimes to other countries, is very expensive and can be very lucrative for moving companies.
Even though the recession has commercial movers busy, there is a slight decline in other niche moving companies. These specialty movers for example are experiencing a decrease in business:
- Fine art moving
- Furniture sales moving
- Single family home moving
Companies in the future will be more careful about the wording in their contracts for new hires and likely limit the amount of funds for relocation, temporary housing and the length of time movers are expected to get a job completed. Commercial movers looking to get an edge over the competition will want to advertise their efficiency to get the job done fast, meaning cheaper, in order to get contracts.
It’s often the case people who still need movers, (not the commercial type) will look to more economical ways to move. Due to the economy, people are renting trucks and doing the hard labor themselves. If you are a company needing cheap labor, it’s likely that people are advertising for small jobs like moving or hauling and on the upside, if you need a job you might want to look into the commercial moving industry.
About the author: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information regarding commercial real estate or office space Go to Royal Commercial!.
Small Ways to Change Your Office Since You Can’t Afford to Move or Pay for Upgrades
Monday, March 2nd, 2009Wondering 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 line of credit necessary 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: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity For more information regarding, office space go to Royal Commercial.
Great Deals in the Market on Office Leasing in Today’s Economy
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009The economy is indeed bleak, but that doesn’t mean it’s bleak for everyone. Business is booming for auto mechanics, cobblers and other people in repair businesses but for millions of people, it means closing up shop and applying for unemployment or perhaps down-sizing. Either way, there is movement in office leasing and openings in both retail space and office space and that means great deals for people who are looking for space. Great deals on office leasing rates too: According to Grubb & Ellis, the average retail rental rate was up 1.7% in 2007, but is showing a big decline in rental rates- some instances as low as 10%, with a forecast for even lower rates. This is good news for new businesses looking for great deals on retail space or office space.
Landlords are Adjusting to the Times
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.
New Tenants Take Advantage of Other Move-In Deals
Commercial realtors can sweeten the deals on many office spaces by enticing tenants with move-in specials like:
- Fresh coats of pain
- New carpet
- Deals on cubicles
- First month free rent
- Deals on cleaning services
It’s a tough time for so many people who are losing their business or jobs but the silver lining for a lot of other people is the golden opportunity to start a business and take advantage of great rates, or downsize into a less expensive office space as well as take advantage of first rate deals on move-in specials. As with everything in life, what goes up must come down, so too will the economy and commercial real estate options.
About the author: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity for more information regarding office space or  office leasing Go to Royal Commercial.