Chicago office space

Chicago Office Space Search Using Craigslist

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Chicago office space

There are plenty of avenues to pursue these days when searching for Chicago office space.  Whether you are looking to rent a small, two-room office or a large corporate center, you are sure to find it in Chicago.  But the question which many people ask is how do they go about getting the office space they want in Chicago.  One way to do so is to use Craigslist.  Many business owners and landlords use Craigslist to lease Chicago office space.  Since there may be a risk of scams when it comes to online real estate dealings, it is a good idea to follow the tips listed below so that your Craigslist search for Chicago office space can be as productive and secure as possible.

Use the Search Option

In order to find your Chicago office space options as quickly as possible, go to the Chicago main page of Craigslist and use the search option first and foremost to get the most direct responses to your inquiry.  Simply type in phrases such as “Chicago office space lease” or “office space Chicago” and you will find a good deal of options coming your way.

Read the Ad Carefully

Once you have found the Chicago office lease options, you can then go through and narrow down the choices.  First review the ads which are most on point with your leasing request and see if the advertisement provides you with enough information at first glance.  When reading over the ads, make sure that they offer full insight into the properties and provide specifics regarding what type of Chicago office space is being offered for lease.  As soon as you have pinpointed the best of the bunch, you can then get on to contacting the landlords or leasing agents who posted the ads.

Obtain Concrete Contact Information from the Landlord or Leasing Agent

When you first contact the landlord or leasing agent, make sure that they can provide you with concrete contact information as this will allow you to get a better feel for their legitimacy.  Ask for email addresses, phone numbers and the name of their business.  Once you have this information you can do a little independent research online to ensure that they are legitimate and are truly offering Chicago office space for lease and not gaining contact with you for the purposes of a scam operation.

Ask For Pictures of the Chicago Office Space

Another way to check the validity of a Craigslist Chicago office space listing is to ask for pictures of the location prior to meeting with the individual who posted the Craigslist advertisement.  By getting photos of the office space listing ahead of time you can get more of a feel for the property and also be more confident that the location is truly for lease and not a scam.  When you get the photos and the address of the Chicago office space, use the Internet to do some background research and this too will make you feel more at ease prior to seeing the office space for lease in Chicago.

All of these tips will help to make your Chicago office space search using Craigslist a more favorable and efficient one overall.

Office Relocation Checklist

Office Space Relocation Checklist

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Office Relocation Checklist

There will be a time when you need to relocate your business and move elsewhere.  Sometimes the move is due to the need to acquire a larger office space whereas in other instances it may be due to the fact that you wish to relocate to a different part of town.  Regardless of the reason for the move, it is always helpful to have a game plan ready so that your move will go as smoothly and as uneventful as possible.  The following is a handy office relocation checklist you can keep in your back pocket and this checklist will help to make your office relocation an easy and efficient one.

4 Months Prior To the Move

Many business owners make the decision to move at least three or four months prior to the desired move date, on average.  This allows the business owner time to survey the options, choose a location and get a game plan set so that the move in and of itself is effortless.  Here are some things which should be accomplished four months prior to the move:

  • Obtain a real estate agent
  • Visit potential commercial properties
  • Determine the desired new office attributes
  • Create a basic timeline for the move
  • Let your employees know about the move
  • Set the date of the move
  • Locate and obtain the new property

2 Months Prior to the Move

The primary move requirements should already be obtained, including having the location secured and letting your employees know of the impending move.  As the two month mark prior to the move approaches, the requirements will start to get more specific in nature.  Here are the things which you should take care of two months prior to the move:

  • Hire a moving company
  • Order new signs for the business exterior
  • Order new stationary, letterhead, business cards, etc.
  • Contact clients and let them know of the upcoming move
  • Set up utilities for the new business location
  • Arrange for future cancellation of your current utilities
  • Order new furniture
  • Start organizing documents and office furniture for the move

1 Month Prior to the Move

As the time of the move approaches quickly, you will need to start focusing on things such as acquiring packing material and notifying government offices of your new address.  The following will list some other pertinent issues to address one month prior to the move:

  • Contact insurance provider for new office space insurance
  • Order new office keys
  • Assign office space to current employees
  • Order new checks
  • Update bank information
  • Inventory and tag current electronics and furniture
  • Obtain packing materials
  • Notify USPS of address change
  • Pack non-necessity items (those which won’t be needed prior to the move)

1 Week Prior to the Move

In just a few days, you will be relocating to your new office space.  Here are some of the final things you should address before the big day:

  • Back up office computers
  • Pack remaining office items
  • Label packed office items
  • Pack up desk items/employee personal items
  • Inspect new office
  • Remind clients of the move
  • Remember not to schedule client appointments until post-move
  • Assign staff members moving duties

Day of Your Office Relocation

The day has arrived and it’s time to move into your new office space.  Here are some things to take care of on moving day:

  • Only have essential employees present
  • Post signs in new office space to direct movers
  • Direct movers in both locations
  • Have food/drinks available for movers/staff members
  • Final cleanup of old office

This is a general checklist which should help to make your move an efficient one.  Feel free to make revisions to the list by adding other pertinent details or omitting ones which may not apply to your individual business.

BOMA Standard for Measuring Office Space

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Before you even think about renting office space, chances are that you want to have the measurements so that you can obtain the proper size office space for your company or corporation.  Therefore, it is essential that you not only have approximate office space measurements but exact office space measurements.  The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) has created the proper standard for measuring office space.

Usable Area for Measurement Purposes

In ascertaining measurements, the usable area is the part of the office which can be occupied.  When determining the usable area of office space one should measure starting at the side of office space and corridors (those with a permanent wall) and move to the partitions centers.  You then take all usable area measurements and add them together to get the total amount of usable area.

Floor Rentable Area for Measurement Purposes

The floor rentable area is the area of the rented premises which the tenant can use.  The measurements for this area are taken from the inner finished surfaces of outer walls, without taking into account corridor walls or structures in the area.  Rentable area and usable area can be converted to one another by using the common area feature in measurements.

Common Area for Measurement Purposes

The common area of a building relates to the areas which are not technically included in the office area but can still be used by office space tenants.  In other words, adding the pro rata common area space to the floor rentable area space will provide the gross rentable area.

Common Area Factor for Measurement Purposes

An important calculation is the common area factor which creates a ratio of the rentable area to usable area of office space.  This loss factor or load factor shows what percentage of the office area can be used as the office space.  The R/U -1 ratio will dictate what part of the office space can be used by the tenant.

Reasons for Measuring Office Space

The calculations for measuring office space may seem a bit confusing at first but when you put the measurements into their proper ratio format, you will see that the resulting measurements are quite easy to come by.  There are a few different reasons why office space tenants would want to calculate the measurements of prospective office space.

First, by doing so, the business owner can determine how much the rental will cost and if it will be worth the money based on the amount of office space being rented.  Secondly, by measuring office space the future commercial office space tenant can ensure that there will be plenty of room to accommodate all employees and carry out the business in an efficient manner by doing so in a proper amount of office space.

Before you lease office space, it is important to determine how much space you will be getting in a particular rental.  By using the BOMA standard for measuring office space, you can ensure that your future rental is the perfect one for your needs.

Benefits of Traditional Space vs. Office Suites

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Business professionals have quite a bit of options these days when it comes to commercial office space.  Back in the day, companies and the employers had a few options when it came to basic office space.  Today, the options are much more wide and varied.  Many business owners debate between going the route of traditional space vs. office suites.  The following will highlight some of the benefits of traditional space when compared with office suites.

Traditional Space Gives Business Owners the Run of the Office

When business owners set up shop in a traditional space setting, they are able to have the run of the office.  Those who utilize traditional office space won’t have to wait in line to make copies or share a reception area with other businesses and their clients.  Those who choose to go the traditional route have their own space and won’t have to worry about sharing the office area with other companies, their employees and their clients as well.

Businesses in Traditional Space Can Decide How They Want to Set Up Their Office

In a traditional office space setting, business owners can decide how they would like to set up their office.  When one rents out office suites, the office setting is usually already set up and cannot be altered to suit the needs of the business owner, their company and their employees.  When one carries out business in a traditional space there is a lot of freedom with regard to office setup, which is a desired benefit for many business owners who like to be able to make their own choices when it comes to an office setting layout.

Business Owners in a Traditional Office Setting Can Work With Their Budget Accordingly

Another benefit to traditional space when it comes to an office is that the business owner can tweak their budget and expenses accordingly.  With an office suite setup, the fees and monthly rental costs are often set in stone and there is no leeway when it comes to different expenses which must be paid.  Those who carry on their business in a traditional space may be able to save money by cutting out certain expenses or hiring different individuals at various salaries.  For example, rather than paying a set fee for the use of the copy machine or having the receptionist’s salary rolled into one’s annual or monthly rent, which is the case with office suites, the business owner can bargain shop for the best price on copying or hire their own receptionist at a salary level of their choosing.  In other words, one’s budget can be worked with in a traditional office setting and this is not usually the case when one rents out office suites for their commercial ventures.

These are some of the more common benefits associated with traditional space office settings.  Those who are seeking out these benefits often go for a traditional office space as opposed to an office suite option.  If you are looking to enjoy the run of your office, have the freedom to decide how you want your office to be set up and want to be able to bargain shop for different work-related necessities, a traditional space option may be more to your liking than an office suite rental.

Benefits of Office Suites vs. Traditional Office Space

by Uncategorized

Business owners have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to running their companies on a daily basis.  One of the big factors which they have to consider relates to their office space.  There are quite a few options nowadays, however many tend to narrow down the choices to either office suites or traditional space.  The following will detail some benefits of office suites and why business owners tend to choose office suites over the traditional space alternatives.

Office Suites Cut Costs by Having Many Amenities Included

When you rent an office suite as opposed to traditional space you will find that you can cut costs drastically by doing so.  The purpose of the office suite is to have many of the amenities included within the monthly rental fee so that you don’t have many out of pocket expenses related to office rental other than the monthly rent.  Office suites include copying services, maintenance, receptionist services, office cleaning, coffee service and more.  Although the exact amenities will vary depending on the individual office suite which you select, these are some of the often included services and amenities business owners can take advantage of when they rent office suites vs. traditional space.

Office Suites Come With Staff Members Already In Place

As mentioned briefly above, there are also certain staff members which may be included with your monthly or annual rent with office suites.  Positions such as receptionist, maintenance and cleaning personnel may be provided by the office suite establishment.  Therefore, those who rent office suites will have certain staff members already in place to assist them each day.  Business owners will share the reception, maintenance and cleaning employees while paying a fraction of the cost which they would have to pay had they chosen a traditional space office setting.

Renting an Office Suite Allows You to Network with Other Business Owners

When you rent an office suite you are able to network with other business owners.  Rather than be secluded within a traditional space setting, you will get to see other business owners and their employees throughout the day and may establish working relationships with these individuals as a result of being office suite neighbors.

Many Office Suites Include Office Furniture

One of the biggest issues which business owners face is having the right furniture or enough furniture for their office.  Many office suites these days will provide office furniture to the tenants and make sure that the amount of furniture is enough to accommodate the employees of the business.  This is one less thing for business owners to worry about when they open the doors to their business in an office suite setting.  With traditional space offices, most of the time the business owners will have to provide all of the office furniture to accommodate their employees and business needs.

These benefits associated with office suites make it easy to see why many business owners these days are going in the direction of office suites vs. traditional space offices.  With office suites, business owners can save money, already have some staff members in place, network with other business owners and have a furnished office awaiting their arrival.