Etiquette for International Business

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There are some customs that seem natural to us in the United States. However, when doing business with partners from all over the world, it can be possible to overlook the cultural differences. Consider a few of these helpful international business etiquette tips for your next international client.

  • Time – Being punctual to corporate meetings can have a different impact in certain areas of the world. For example, in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, it is critical to arrive on time or early for all appointments. Arriving late can give the impression of superiority or disrespect in these cultures.
  • Joking – Kidding, joking or adding humor into business transactions can be taken as disrespectful in some cultures. For example, in Germany and France, it can be misconstrued as arrogance when joking or adding humor into a serious business transaction.
  • Gifting – A custom in some countries, such as Japan, China and India, is gifting to your new clients or business associate. It can be rude to not present the other business with a wrapped gift to express a token of appreciation for their time. Not presenting a gift could instantly ruin your chances for further business deals.

When deciding to participate in international business ventures consider these customs when traveling or working abroad. Looking for office space planning near the Chicago area? Check out TenantAdvisors.com for local listings, today!

Office Space: Expect The Unexpected When Negotiating Your Lease

There are many terms which office space tenants think of during the office space lease negotiation phase. From the rental price to parking inclusions to who pays for the common area maintenance, there is certainly a lot of terms to consider. One aspect which tenants do not always consider during negotiations is what the relationship of the parties will be should a natural disaster occur, such as a hurricane or tornado, and cause damage to the premises. Although these instances don’t arise all that frequently, should they occur, you want to be sure that you, the tenant, are adequately protected.

Why You Should Consider Natural Disaster Safeguards

As a general rule, the tenant in commercial office space leasing agreements will still be responsible for paying rent should the premises become unusable in whole or in part as a result of a natural disaster. This is often the general terms included within a commercial lease agreement. Therefore, it’s important to safeguard yourself against these types of occurrences so that you won’t have to pay rent, or perhaps only pay a certain amount of rent, should this type of disaster occur.

Although natural disaster scenarios are not too common, these can and do happen, which makes protecting your interests as a tenant a necessary step to take. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in a position where your office space is unable to be occupied by you and your employees for an extended, or any, period of time. This lack of occupancy will lead to lost income and could, in turn, damage your business earning status.

How You Can Protect Your Tenancy Interests

The best way to protect your tenancy interests should a serious storm cause damage or produce restricted operations of the office space, is to include a term within the lease which states that the tenant will be free from paying rent or only have to pay a certain amount during the time in which the office space is unable to be used. This is a negotiation phase issue, which must be put into the lease in order for it to be effective. You will often find that the landlord believes such a term to be reasonable but it will only apply if it is included in the lease at the time in which it is signed.

This may not be an issue which is often on a tenant’s mind at the time the lease is signed. However, it is one which the tenant must consider ahead of time and have a safeguard in place via a lease term just in case the unexpected natural disaster would occur.

A commercial lease is a lengthy one and has plenty of terms to peruse, consider and agree to prior to signing it. Don’t let the unexpected event turn your office tenancy into a troublesome one. Make sure that you include the pertinent terms, one such term being the rights of the tenant should a natural disaster occur to make using the office space difficult or impossible.

Office Space: Make The Tenant Improvement Allowance Work For You

Many office space leases will be a good fit for companies yet there may be some improvements which have to be done in order to make the premises a perfect fit for the tenant. For this reason, tenant improvement allowances are often included within the commercial office space lease. These allowances come in different forms. Two of the most common forms include a turn-key build-out and a fixed rate allowance.

Difference Between a Turn-Key Build-Out and Fixed Rate Allowance

With a turn-key build-out tenant improvement allowance, the landlord will pay all costs to get your leased premises situated the way that you want them to be. On the other hand, a fixed rate allowance is when the landlord will give you a set amount of funds and anything over that amount will need to be paid by you, out-of-pocket. Both provide tenant improvements for the company owner leasing the space, however, both are quite different in nature.

With the turn-key build-out, you will be ensured that the money is paid for your improvements, however, you may not have the last word regarding what is done, how it is completed and when it is completed by. The landlord will have more control over the work. With the fixed rate allowance, you will have more control over what improvements are made and when but you may find yourself facing some out-of-pocket costs in the end if the project costs more than what was allotted to you under the lease.

How to Benefit from the Tenant Allowance

In order to benefit most from the tenant allowance, consider what improvements you plan on making to the leased premises. If you only plan on completing simple repairs and construction, a turn-key build-out might work fine for you because you won’t need too much control over simple tenant improvements and you will be ensured that the landlord pays for everything which has to be done. If your tenant improvements are more voluminous in nature and you can figure out exactly how much money you need to get the job done and want to ensure that it’s done according to your specifications and schedule, a fixed rate allowance might be best.

Keep in mind that you may always negotiate when it comes to tenant improvement allowances. You can choose a hybrid form of the two options listed above to have the type of tenant improvement allowance which will work in your favor. You may ask the landlord to provide for a turn-key build-out allowance but request that you be able to choose a project manager to oversee the entire project and have this individual report to you. Should you prefer the fixed rate allowance, ask if the landlord would be willing to pay for any extra money needed during the process, which couldn’t be accounted for until the project was underway. Just be sure to have these terms listed in the lease, otherwise, they won’t be valid terms.

Your tenant representative will guide you in the tenant improvement allowance process and go through all of the details with you to ensure that you are making the right choice with regard to this lease term.

Leasing Commercial Office Space In Deerfield, Illinois

Deerfield Office SpaceThe Chicago area is perfect for business owners in all industries. Leasing commercial office space in Deerfield is a wonderful option as it offers commercial leasing options for many to acquire. Located in Cook and Lake counties, Deerfield is home to many popular companies and corporations as the residential population is an ideal customer base for these commercial entities to serve.

About Deerfield

Deerfield has a population of over 18,000 individuals and is home to corporate giants such as Walgreens, Baxter Healthcare, Fortune Brands and more. The village is located 27 miles outside of the Chicago loop, which offers a suburban area with easy access to Chicago, which is favorable for business owners and residents in Deerfield alike.

Transportation Options

Getting around Deerfield by car is ideal and easy to do, as I-94 runs through a portion of the village, but there are public transportation options as well. Deerfield has a Metra station and Pace bus route for those wishing to use public transportation.

Shopping and Dining in Deerfield

Business owners who select Deerfield as their leasing destination will appreciate the shopping and dining options which Deerfield offers. It’s always good to choose a commercial office space lease location which has plentiful amenities surrounding it. When you have sought-after stores and restaurants close by, you will find customer traffic for your business will be more abundant than if you were to choose an area to lease office space where there were little amenities surrounding it.

Deerfield Square is a popular shopping area in the village. In addition to stores and restaurants such as Barnes & Noble, Biaggi’s Ristorante, Il Forno Pizzeria, Ann Taylor Loft and other dining and shopping destinations, Deerfield Square is also home to professional offices as well. If you can lease an office in Deerfield Square, you are really in the middle of the customer traffic, which will be beneficial for your business.

Recreation Options in Deerfield

For those who live in Deerfield, there are many recreation options in the village itself as well as throughout surrounding towns. The Deerfield Golf and Learning Center is a popular choice for golfers, both advanced and beginner skill levels, and the Patty Turner Senior Center offers a wide array of activities for seniors in the Deerfield area. For those who like the outdoors, there are quite a few botanical gardens and nature preserves in the surrounding area, which provides excellent outdoor activity options for those who love to get out and about in nature.

Leasing Office Space in Deerfield Is a Good Business Move

Deerfield office space leasing works exceptionally well for many business owners. There are leasing options available for large and small companies and the small village aspect gives the business owner the opportunity to be the go-to professional is his/her area of expertise in Deerfield. In addition to drawing in clientele from within the village limits, businesses will also find clients making their way to the company from outside of Deerfield as well.

Start searching in Deerfield for the perfect office space lease to acquire.

Waukegan Office Space Leasing

Office space leasing in the Chicago suburbs is a popular choice nowadays for Illinois business owners. Waukegan is a highly sought after locale for business owners who have companies in a wide array of industries. This city is the county seat of Lake County and was estimated to have a population of 88,826 in 2013. Waukegan is located 40 miles north of Chicago and offers big city living in a suburban destination.

What Waukegan Offers Business Owners

Leases are readily available throughout the large city of Waukegan. If you’re wondering why to select Waukegan for your commercial office space, there are plenty of answers to this question. First, Waukegan is outside of the Chicago area but still has a big city atmosphere. This is a benefit to business owners who don’t wish to work in the downtown Chicago area but do want to have access to all of the wonderful aspects of a larger city.

Also, when you choose an office space lease in Waukegan, you will have a commercial lease in a spot that has plenty of convenient features associated with it. You will have ease of access due to various interstates and local roadways going in and out of Waukegan. There are also many public transportation options for those without cars or those who simply prefer public transportation to get around town. In addition, parking is much easier in a city like Waukegan as opposed to parking in the downtown Chicago area.

Business owners who lease an office in Waukegan will be in an area that has plenty of amenities right at one’s doorstep. Dining, shopping, recreation and entertainment options are in full effect in Waukegan. Downtown Waukegan is filled with shops and restaurants. For those craving entertainment, there are many things to do in Waukegan. The Waukegan BMX Track, Bowen Park Theatre and Opera Company, Genesee Theatre, Jack Benny Center for the Arts and more offer an eclectic array of activities for all of Waukegan to enjoy.

Another aspect which business owners are sure to appreciate about Waukegan is that businesses of all types are welcome in this city. There are zoning regulations regarding what type of business can operate where but all are welcomed with open arms. Commercial leases of all types are offered as well. Whether you need a single office for a professional company or a large corporate building to accommodate your corporation, you will find a lease to suit your individual commercial needs in Waukegan.

Find a Waukegan Office Space Lease with Ease

Before you settle on a particular office space lease, speak with a tenant representative. This real estate professional will help you to find the right office building and will continue helping you even after the lease is signed. When searching for office space to lease, make sure to consider all commercial needs first prior to settling on a particular spot. Consider size of the space, cost, parking availability, commercial opportunities, lease terms and more.

Waukegan has many lease offerings which are suitable for all types of businesses, including your own business.