7 Office Space Tips

Location, Location, Location

The perfect office space can lose its charm almost immediately if it’s in the wrong location. A myriad of factors must be considered before putting ink on a lease. Are you and your employees close to the space? Will clients be visiting your office and will it be accessible to them? These simple questions often make a large impact when finding the right office space to fit your business needs. A dream office loses a lot of its charm if the commute is over taxing.

 

Know What You’re Getting

Before signing a lease, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting! With so many factors to consider before choosing your space something can be easily overlooked. Commodities to solidify during negotiations include the parking spots received, the condition of the space upon move in, and what will you be able do to customize your space? Taking the word of your landlord is much less reliable than seeing it clearly laid out in the lease.  All parties need to be in understanding and agreement.

 

Office Size

The square footage is crucial when leasing your office. Take an honest look at the needs of your company as it is, and then try to predict the foreseeable future. Will you be holding meetings? A conference room will be needed. Looking to expand down the road? Account for this growth by increasing initial square footage so desks and cubicles can be added with ease. Consider your work environment: will you require larger collaborative workspaces or does something more reserved where employees can work privately better fit your needs?

Before signing your lease imagine breaking it. An infinite number of factors could lead a tenant to break a lease.  You may find yourself in this position. What fees or penalties will be assessed on breaking your lease? All things to consider before even signing.

 

Keeping Up With Appearances

If you anticipate clients in your office, try to imagine your office from their point of view. Their image of your company begins the moment they enter the building, how would you like them to perceive your company?

If image isn’t important and only employees will work in the space, certain amenities may not be as necessary. If clients will visit frequently, your image and the way your client perceives your company become more important. An elegant lobby area makes a strong impression. In your office, optional commodities such as signage and a reception area may cost more initially but the image portrayed to your customer can pay out in the long run.

 

Conveniences

Assuming you’ll be spending a fair amount of time at or around the office, consider the surrounding area where you’ll be spending all of this time. Simple things like a package pickup service or restaurant in the building can make time at the office more enjoyable, while hopefully allowing day to day operations to run smoother. When visiting a space initially, visit the convenience store, cafe, restaurant. Can you picture yourself getting lunch here regularly? Amenities like this, a workout facility or even a laundry service can really add to making an enjoyable workplace for you and your company.

Also consider the surrounding area, will you be in a more commercial district with lots of restaurants and amenities? Being close to public transportation, restaurants, and entertainment are all added benefits of the surrounding area, these can prove most important when choosing between two locations.

 

The Lease of Tomorrow, Today

The length of the lease may be the single most important factor when considering choosing your office space. Realistic expectations for your company are crucial when choosing the length of a lease. If you’re unsure of where the size of your company is headed, a more moderate short term lease may be more appropriate. If stable, steady growth is in the horizon then a long term, larger lease would prove more beneficial, as many concessions are proportional to term length. How many employees do you need to account for today versus how many will you need to account for tomorrow? Extraneous square footage could be a costly wasted space, but the opportunity to add more desks and employees may outweigh these costs. Not hiring an employee due to lack of room is an issue no business owner should face if they had considered their future before committing to a lease.

 

Reputations

The right broker can be the ultimate tool when working with a landlord over the course of your lease. A trusted broker is the best resource for helping you, the tenant, in finding the office space right for you. A reputable broker will be your go to advisor.  They are the best resource when it comes to landlords and any issues that could arise. With as much time and work as you’ll likely be putting in at your office, you want a broker that has your best interests in mind. With trusted brokers connected to landlords across the Chicagoland area, Tenant Advisors has become the most trusted resource by tenants in helping them find their perfect office space fit.

Office Space And Your Parking Space Needs


Are you planning on setting up a commercial office space in the Chicagoland suburb? If yes, you need to consider a lot of things before you venture into it. One of the main things you need to put into great consideration is the amount of parking space. It is a known fact that Chicago and the surrounding suburbs lack abundant public transportation routes, therefore making it imperative for many employees to drive to the office. If that is the case, you need to provide enough parking spaces for your employees and customers.

YOU NEED TO HAVE AN ESTIMATE

In order to save yourself from the havoc of insufficient parking spaces for your Chicagoland office space for your business and your personal, you need to have a good estimate of the number of clients that visit you per day, and the total number of your employees. This will determine the amount of the parking spaces you need. With this information, your tenant representation broker can help you to get a suitable commercial office space for you.

HOW GREAT IS THE PARKING FACILITY?

After your broker has found you the commercial office building that fits into your requirement then it becomes pertinent for you to check it out. You might need to take a tour around the building for you to confirm the parking capacity, whether it has extra parking advantages among others. It should be noted that some buildings have overflowing parking spaces and short term parking spaces, however, these are enforced separately. Information might not be given to you if you fail to ask, thus, you need to ask questions based on the strict adherence to your parking requirement.

RESERVED OR OPEN PARKING SPOTS?

Some landlords in the Chicagoland area provide reserved parking spots system i.e. leaving some parking spaces specifically for a set of people. To save yourself from the presumption that all the parking spots are open to everyone, you need to ask questions! Ask questions as to whether the parking spaces are reserved or not. If the former is the case, and a price is attached to it, then you should be ready to negotiate your price and terms.

SPELL OUT ALL THE TERMS RELATED TO THE OFFICE SPACE CLEARLY

Most of the time, office space tenants often fail to explicitly state the terms of the lease of both the building and the parking spaces in their lease document. You should ensure that all the necessary terms of the office lease are explicitly stated in the lease document for future and legal use.

TENANT ADVISORS WILL SAVE YOU THE STRESS AND MONEY

Instead of wasting your money and productive time to tour, negotiate, and to ensure the due process for your smooth office space lease, you can just hire Tenant Advisors, Inc.. Tenant Advisors, Inc. is a commercial real estate firm in the Chicagoland area that provides aggressive and unbiased representation to office space tenants throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs FREE for the tenants. You will pay us no money to represent you; our bill will be paid by your landlord. Also, it should be of a greater interest for you to know that we neither own any real estate nor represent any real estate owners, just tenants only! That means you can count on us for unbiased interest.

Our highly skilled and ever reliable staff will walk you through the process, help you to understand the lease or purchase agreements. They will also ensure that all the necessary terms including the terms and the consideration of the parking spaces are included.

Contact us today by filling out our form and we will get back to you within 24 hours. With our FREE service, you can be on your way to obtaining the office space of your choice.

Bensenville Office Space

Overview

Located on the outskirts of Chicago and close to O’Hare International Airport, Bensenville offers residents, employees and business owners access to the city in an easy manner while not needing to live within the city boundaries.  Business owners enjoy the close proximity to the city without the hassle of customer parking issues and downtown city traffic.

Business Atmosphere

Bensenville is nestled nicely between some of the large interstates surrounding Chicago such as I-90, I-290 and I-294.  This makes it easy for clients of the business as well as employees to reach the leased office building with ease.  Public transportation including the Metra rail service, city bus lines and taxi service enable those who take public transportation means to easily reach Bensenville office buildings.

Other Businesses in Bensenville

Tax specialists, aerospace companies, financial institutions, restaurants, retail stores, florists, doctors, lawyers, accountants and more have businesses within Bensenville.  The business offices and buildings vary in size and structure.  Some business owners choose to buy their office space while others find that leasing commercial office space is a better move to make.  The diversity of the businesses within Bensenville will allow your business to fit perfectly within the village.

About the Residents

The village of Bensenville has a population of 20,138 according to a 2000 census and has a wide diversity of residents living there.  The median family income was noted at around $59,008 and home values were stated to be $160,200.  Many Bensenville residents work in the village while others make the short journey into Chicago and surrounding areas for work.

Things to Do

Bensenville residents have plenty to do within the village.  The Redmond Recreational Complex offers ice skating, a 1.2 mile walking path, free summer concerts and more.  The Bensenville Theatre is the ideal spot for catching a movie with friends and loved ones.  Hockey lovers who live and/or work in Bensenville are sure to enjoy one or more Chicago Steel hockey games in town.  It really doesn’t matter whether you like indoor activities or ones of the outdoor variety, Bensenville has a little something to offer to everyone.

Dining and Shopping Options in Bensenville

Bensenville has a variety of choices regarding dining and shopping.  Some of the popular restaurants in Bensenville include Cancun Mexican Restaurant, Tomato’s Pizza, Market Place Café and others which make dining in Bensenville a good choice.  Shopping options vary from small boutique stores to popular name corporate retailers.  In Bensenville, you are sure to find the exact type of cuisine and retail store you are seeking without having to leave the village.

Tenant Advisors, Inc.:  Office Space Leasing Made Easy!

When you lease commercial office space in Bensenville, you should not go it alone.  Having a tenant representation firm by your side allows you to have peace of mind in commercial business leasing and ensures that you will do it the right way the very first time.  Tenant Advisors, Inc. is a tenant representation firm which can meet your office leasing needs with ease.

Our FREE service is offered by professional and reputable staff members who are extremely knowledgeable in the area of commercial office leasing.  In addition, our company knows what business owners want in an office lease and will find the perfect spot for you to lay down your business roots.

Tenant Advisors, Inc. provides representation for tenants alone which allows you to feel at ease knowing that landlords are not our clients, only tenants.  This loyalty to you, the tenant, is essential to making your transaction go as smoothly as it possibly can.

Contact Tenant Advisors, Inc. today and let us help you find the perfect commercial business spot for you.  Fill in a few pieces of information on the contact form and we will be in touch shortly!  It is easy to do and will be beneficial to you in the end.

Office Space Distractions – How To Minimize These

Each day, work distractions are a serious consideration for employees. Not only does it affect work product but it is also a frustration for the employee who experiences such an event. There are many reasons for office space distractions, but on the bright side, there are also ways to fix these. The following will identify some office space distractions and solutions to combat those issues as well.

Open Office Space Can Be a Major Cause of Distractions

Open office space is a business trend these days, but not all companies should opt for this type of setting. When employees work in an office which has open office space seating, they may not be able to concentrate as well as they would if they were in a more sectioned-off office space setting. In order to minimize distractions, simply set up your office with well-constructed dividers and partitions or ensure that each employee has their own office space.

Limit Unnecessary Personal Technology Use in the Office

Another way in which employees get distracted is by constantly checking their smartphones for texts, Facebook messages and more while on the clock. Put a rule into effect that personal Internet use should be eliminated or at least kept to a minimum during the workday. This will help your employees to focus on their work and save their Internet surfing for their lunch break or after work hours.

Situate Office Space Outside of the General Path of Foot Traffic

It’s easy to get distracted when sitting at your desk and you continually see people walking back and forth around you. For this reason, employers should set up their office space so that employees are not seated within the main walkways, such as next to the reception area or break room. When you arrange the offices or cubicles in a secluded fashion, you are helping to eliminate distractions which are inevitable when the flow of traffic is close to the employee desks.

Ask Your Employees for Input

Perhaps the best way to determine what is most distracting to your employees is to simply ask them. Brainstorming with your employees as to ways to eliminate or minimize distractions will help you to have an inside look into what is really causing your employees to be distracted and which might adversely affect their work product. You don’t have to put all of your employees’ suggestions into play, but it’s a wonderful way to learn more about what may be causing a disturbance throughout the workday.

When you act to minimize office space distractions, you will not only ensure happier, more productive employees but you will benefit your company by taking the steps to make sure that the work product being turned out will be the best it possibly can be. Minimizing office space distractions doesn’t have to be a costly improvement, either. When you make simple changes, whether it be in the office space layout or by requiring employees to refrain from personal Internet use, you have a cost-effective way to improve productivity in the office.

Benefits Of Relocation vs. Renovating Your Office Space

tenant-representation-servicesThere are times in the business world when business owners who lease office space need to either move to a new office location or renovate their current one. This can be caused by having additional employees come in or simply wanting to rearrange the current setup of the office space. When this situation arises, the question then becomes, “Should we move or renovate?” Although the decision is based on the individual circumstances of the business owner and their company, it is often a better idea to relocate rather than renovate. Here’s why:

Renovations Can Be Distracting

When an office space is undergoing renovations, while the business is continuing daily operations, the end result is a distracting situation for the business owner and employees. When you move to a new location, your company can keep operating at the first location until the move-in date arrives and then relocate when the new office space is ready. It’s hard to complete one’s work on a daily basis with construction noise going on in close quarters.

It’s Often More Cost-Efficient to Relocate

You’ll also find that relocating can be more cost-efficient than renovating. Although it may seem as if the costs aren’t too different in the beginning, as the work progresses, you’ll often be hit with new and higher-than-expected bills along the way as construction costs need to be added on from time to time. When you relocate, the cost will be straightforward and you’ll know exactly what you are getting in the way of office space.

Relocation Can Be Accomplished More Quickly

It’s also important to note that renovation can be a timely venture. When an office space is renovated, this is not a one or two-day occurrence. Renovations, depending on the extent of such, can take weeks or months to accomplish. With a relocation, you can often do this in a few days and get back to business in no time at all.

Renovation Restrictions By Building Owner Often Apply

Since you are leasing the office space and not a commercial building owner, you will have to get permission to renovate the current office space. There will also likely be restrictions in place as to what you can do with regard to renovations and you will have to abide by these restrictions according to the building owner’s wishes. With a relocation, you will be moving into the office space usually as-is, and if you do plan on changing anything within the new office space, you’ll know what you’re able to do in the very beginning, based on the language of the lease.

The decision between relocation and renovation should be a carefully-considered one, as you want to be sure to have the best possible office space and not have to deal with extra costs or timely, distracting renovations. You want your daily business operations to continue as usual, so weigh all of the factors before deciding whether it is in your best interest, and the best interest of the company, to stay at the current location and renovate or move to a new spot with a new lease.