Create a Quiet Workspace

The best way to ensure employee productivity is to create a quiet workspace. With so many office distractions, it’s vital to create a workplace where your employees can concentrate and focus on their work. In this case, an open office space layout may not always be best. If it’s possible to set up noise-blocking cubicles or even seat employees in their own individual offices, you will find that productivity will be a given and your employees are sure to thank you for that feature.

Maintain a Welcoming Work Environment

In addition to creating a quiet workspace, you also want to ensure that the office environment is a welcoming one. Eye-catching wall art and plants will create a welcoming feel to the office space. It’s also helpful if your break room is stocked with coffee and the occasional breakfast treats, which will help your employees to be comfortable and happy being an employee within your company. It will often be the little things which make a world of a difference.

Arrange the Office Space So All Amenities Are Close By

Employees also appreciate an office space layout where amenities are situated close by. Copiers, fax machines and even restrooms which are in a semi-close environment will be advantageous to employees and make their work environment a more accessible one.

Ensure That Office Furniture Is Comfortable and Useful

It’s also important to select office furniture which will be comfortable for your employees. After all, many office employees are at work 8, 10, even 12 hours a day, so you want to be sure that you create a comfortable office space where the seating is inviting, the desk setup is convenient for your workers to access on a daily basis and more. An employee who has a proper office setup, which includes comfortable furnishings which are convenient and useful, is one who will be a productive worker and an asset to your company or corporation.

Employees not only want to be appreciated in the workplace but they also want to be provided with an office setup which will offer the most comfortable and useful features possible. If your employee has what they need in their individual office space on a daily basis, they will best be able to carry out their duties and produce a work product which you will be proud to offer to your clients. In addition, by making sure your employees are comfortable, you will be showing those individuals that you are dedicated to making the workplace a welcoming and productive one.

In the same discussion, common area costs will come up as well. Commercial tenants not only have to pay for the space that they use alone but also share the cost for maintaining the common areas with other tenants. The calculations may be a bit intimidating at first, however, with the right background information and a good tenant representative by your side, you’ll be able to figure out the details in no time.

What is Useable Square Footage?

When you want to calculate useable square footage, this will be the figure relating to the amount of space which you actively use. For example, your useable square footage is the square footage of your single office within an office building, if you lease an office space of this type.

What is Rentable Square Footage?

Rentable square footage is the amount of space which will include your office but also the restrooms, closets and other areas.

What is the Common Area Factor?

The common area factor is the amount of space which is shared by all office space tenants. This will include bathrooms, cleaning closets, lobbies, copy rooms and other shared sections of the office building. There are two main types of common areas: floor common area and building common area. The floor common area is the amount of tenant common areas which are located on your floor while the building common area is the part which everyone within the building shares. These two figures are added up to equal the total common area factor.

How Do These All Add Up?

Calculating the square footage figures can be difficult for new office space tenants but tenant representatives are well-versed in these types of calculations and will gladly help you to calculate the figures with ease. The basic calculation is rentable square footage = useable square footage x (1 + add-on %). The add-on percentage can be calculated this way: rentable square footage/useable square footage – 1. The add-on percentage is sometimes substituted with a common area factor percentage and you can determine which percentage your prospective landlord uses simply by inquiring with them.

These factors show that there is much more to commercial office space rent than just a flat figure. There are distinct calculations which go into determining commercial office space rent and these figures will dictate how much you pay for an office space you use as well as common areas which you share with other tenants. Understanding these figures is much easier to do when you have a tenant representative along with you for any and all negotiations. Your tenant representative will explain these factors in layperson terms and help you out with any questions which you may have along the way.

Why Is Signage Important?

First and foremost, you want the proper signage outside of the leased commercial office space advertising your business so customers can find you, whether they are current customers or prospective ones. When you have the proper signage, your customer base will improve as will your business’ income. This type of advertisement is the easiest way to draw people in and a cost-efficient method as well.

Why Might Landlords Restrict the Use of Signs?

There are a few different reasons why landlords may restrict the use of signs by their commercial tenants. First, they may not have the room to allow all tenants to put up signs, especially if there are many office space tenants within the building. Also, there may be city restrictions and zoning laws regarding signage, which wouldn’t be the landlord’s fault but simply something which prevents the tenant from advertising at the building. In addition, the landlord may not want a bunch of signs all over the building and simply restrict signage for that purpose alone. These are some of the more common reasons why landlords don’t want signs on their property.

How Does the Tenant Go About Getting Their Sign Up and Presence Known?

The best way to get your sign posted, whether it is a stand-alone sign only promoting your business or your name on a large sign alongside all of the other office tenants within the building, is to negotiate properly with the landlord during the lease negotiations. Some landlords will be flexible with regard to signage and, in this case, getting your sign posted is not a big deal. However, for other landlords who may be more hesitant to allow signs, you’re going to want to negotiate this factor prior to signing the lease.

If the landlord refuses to allow you to put up a stand-alone sign, see if they would agree to an addition to a sign already posted which has other office space tenants listed on it. This shouldn’t make or break the lease deal, however, if it is that important to you as a tenant, which it should be, try to work with the landlord to get some sort of signage posted. After all, if people don’t know where you are located or new customers can’t come across your business with ease, this will hurt you as a business owner. Negotiation is key so try to work with the landlord to secure some type of signage along with your commercial office space lease.

When you enter into a lease, you never know what the future may bring. Most business owners would like to believe that they will be in the leased premises to the end of the lease term but this is not always the case. Instances may arise where exiting the commercial office space ahead of the lease term expiration is a necessity. This is where assignment and sublease clauses will come in handy.

Understanding Assignment and Sublease Clauses

With both of these clauses, the current tenant may have another tenant move into their position under the current lease. With an assignment, the tenant will assign the remainder of their lease term to another tenant. From that point forward, the initial tenant is no longer involved with the lease agreement. As for a sublease situation, the initial tenant will have a new tenant take their place in the lease but the initial tenant will still be responsible for any payments which the landlord does not receive from the subletting party. In general terms, an assignment clause is more favorable to a tenant than a subletting clause as it allows the tenant to be done with the lease once and for all as soon as the new tenant enters the picture.

How the Inclusion of These Clauses Will Safeguard the Tenant

Both of these clauses will safeguard the tenant by providing them with a way out of the lease agreement, in some form, should they need to move out for any reason. No business owner expects that they will have to leave prior to the lease term but there are certain instances which may occur that make it necessary to assign or sublet the remainder of the lease to another party. When the clauses are included within the lease, this provides an option for the tenant, if it is needed.

Landlord May Insert Various Requirements in the Assignment and Sublease Clauses

There may be certain specifications included within these clauses to help protect the landlord’s financial security should an assignment or sublease take place. The landlord may require that the new tenant is financially secure and will be able to pay rent when due. There may also be some added fees that the current tenant must pay to the landlord in order to ascertain the financial stability of the new tenant, such as fees for credit checks, etc. All of these factors can be discussed during lease negotiations to ensure that both parties are safeguarded in the arrangement.

Always review your lease prior to signing it and make sure that an assignment and/or sublease clause is present and will benefit you as the tenant.

Structure and Layout Will Dictate Price

When searching the various office space leases, keep in mind that the structure and layout will dictate how much you spend on the overall lease cost. You want to consider if you are going to embark on any structure changes and how much that will cost you. An office space which is ready to go and needs little revision to the structure or layout will save you money and be the most cost effective lease arrangement.

Location Is a Determining Factor with Lease Cost

Where your prospective office space is located will be a factor in how much you pay. Consider the desired location carefully when you search as this can save money. By moving a short distance away and refocusing your search on a neighboring area, but still one which is beneficial for your business, will oftentimes offer a reduced cost. How much an office space landlord charges for rent will depend on the location and the demands associated with it. If you are considering two different locations, where one will be more cost effective, consider the pros and cons to see if the less expensive location will be just as efficient as the pricier one. This will save money and leave you with an office space location which is reasonable in price and will serve your company just as well.

Lease Terms Can Coincide with a Reasonable Price

Chances are that the landlord will have a set price in mind for the lease. However, this doesn’t mean that terms are non-negotiable. The more beneficial the lease terms are for the tenant, the higher the lease price may be. With that said, the future commercial tenant must always negotiate for the best possible terms and still aim for a reasonable price. No lease terms are concrete and everything is up for negotiation when it comes time to discuss the lease. The tenant should always broach favorable lease terms and seek out an affordable lease cost while obtaining exactly what their company needs in an office lease.

Finding an affordable office lease is not an unattainable goal. It can be achieved by choosing an appropriate structure and layout for your office space, picking the right location which will also be cost effective and making sure that you get all of the lease terms to suit your needs and the needs of your company. Although commercial office space leasing may be competitive in certain areas, there are still plenty of options to choose the best office space lease which will accommodate your company or corporation perfectly without having to pay a fortune.

We are wired to make instantaneous judgments. It has gotten us this far, and Mother Nature is not likely to abandon the system. After all, it is a jungle out there.

Office Value

Your office space should make the right first impression. It also needs to follow through with that impression. This means looking great, but it does not mean making it look like you are putting more money into decoration than your product. You don’t want to undersell your space either. Find a balance. If you are charging a million bucks, your commercial office space should look like it. Likewise, your office space should look like the model for cost-efficient process if your product is.

In addition to portraying the right value, your space should convey the right values. This is considerably easier than identifying a financial image. Trust your company’s core values and ask people if your space agrees with those values. Does this look trustworthy; does this look personable; timely; creative…? These are all great questions to ask on behalf of your office space. Find the answers and you identify success.

Elgin, Illinois, situated 35 miles northwest of Chicago, is a city which offers options for business owners of various sizes. This is especially true for those who wish to lease office space there. Elgin is located in both Kane and Cook counties and has a population of approximately 110,000 individuals, a size which is quite beneficial for business owners who open their doors in Elgin.

New Housing in Elgin Means More Customers for Businesses

In the past few years, Elgin has seen a surge in new homes, townhomes and condos being built. With the large population base and more housing being created for individuals moving to town, this is a big pull for business owners and a reason why many businesses come to Elgin to lease and buy commercial office space.

Plentiful Transportation Options

Due partly to the fact that Elgin is one of the larger cities in Illinois, the transportation options are readily available. There are three Metra stations in Elgin, including National Street, Elgin and Big Timber Road, along with the Pace bus line which runs through the city at various stops. Amtrak may be planning a future stop in Elgin as well in 2015. For those traveling by car, Elgin is surrounded by various interstates, specifically I-90 and I-355, as well as a vast amount of local roads running through town.

Retail Stores, Restaurants and Entertainment Options in Elgin

There are many wonderful shopping options in Elgin. From well-known national retailers such as Payless Shoe Source and Family Dollar to more specialized local shops including Fat Cat Custom Guitars and Shockey Jewelers, Elgin offers much in the way of shopping. Dining establishments are also wide and varied when it comes to national chains and local restaurants. Some of your dining options in Elgin include Chooch’s Pizzeria, Crave Deli, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gasthaus and more.  

For entertainment, Elgin offers the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Public Museum and plenty of city parks and golf courses. Whether you crave indoor culture or outdoor activities, Elgin has quite a bit to offer its residents, business owners and business employees. There is also the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, for those who like to do a little bit of gaming and indulge in casino dining and entertainment.

Why Your Business Should Lease Office Space in Elgin

As a business owner, you have many options when it comes to leasing office space and which city to do so within. Elgin is a strong contender as it has plenty of amenities to draw people in, a large residential base, is located in an easy to reach spot and is continually expanding. Whether you are searching for a small professional office to fit a few people or want a large corporate headquarters, the city of Elgin can accommodate you. Leasing office space gives you the opportunity to ensure that your chosen spot is a good fit for your business and that the end result is a large client base which will provide individuals to buy your products and/or utilize the services offered by your business. Elgin is a good choice, no matter what type of business you run or how large your business may be.

Wheeling, Illinois is a village located in Cook and Lake counties. With a population of 37,648 per the 2010 census, Wheeling has a good residential base, which is a selling point for businesses looking to lease office space there. Located 30 miles northwest of Chicago, this suburban location is ideal for those business owners who wish to be outside of the city yet close enough to head into town when they so desire.

Getting Around Wheeling with Ease

Wheeling transportation options are plentiful. You can travel by train, bus or car, and get where you need to go with ease. The Metra line has a stop in Wheeling and the Pace bus line offers service throughout Wheeling as well. For drivers, there are many local roads which provide easy ingress/egress as well as I-294 which runs close to the village. Having multiple transportation options will help to get your employees and customers to and from your business. Therefore, ensuring that ease of access exists is a must for business owners contemplating a office space lease.

Things to See and Do in Wheeling

Business owners will appreciate that there are plenty of things to see and do in Wheeling. Shops such as Wheeling Flowers, Walgreens, Lynn Plaza Shopping Center and Radio Shack are some store options for individuals, especially business owners and their employees who wish to do a little lunch break shopping. For dining options, Wheeling offers restaurants such as Rise N Dine Pancake Cafe, Joe’s Pizzeria, Cooper’s Hawk and Saranellos, to name a few. These options will provide dining and shopping offerings for the business owner and employees before and after work but also for customers of the business.

For those who like to get outdoors, the Wheeling Park District offers 19 sites to choose from in the way of recreation. There is also the Chevy Chase Golf Course, Family Aquatic Center, Community Recreation Center and an outdoor ice rink in the winter.

Why Your Business Will Fit in Well in Wheeling

Wheeling is a village which will welcome your business, no matter what industry it may fall within. There is always room in Wheeling for business expansion and leasing Wheeling commercial office space there will help you to set up shop and start bringing in customers and clients. There is also a good, solid customer base in Wheeling. Not only will your business gain customers who are Wheeling residents but also those who live outside of town and come into Wheeling to do business.

Get Started Finding Your Wheeling Office Space

There has never been a better time than the present to open your business doors in Wheeling. An easy way to get started is to contact a tenant advisor to help you with the search. Not only will this tenant representative point you in the right direction with regard to a commercial office space lease but they will also help you to get the best lease terms when negotiating with your future landlord.

Wheeling is the ideal spot for your business, large or small.

Deer Park is a wonderful place to lease commercial office space for quite a few reasons. First, there is more opportunity to establish one’s business as the premier service provider in the area. Not only will your business draw in clients from Deer Park but also the surrounding areas, such as Barrington, Inverness, Buffalo Grove, Lake Zurich and Long Grove, to name just a few.

Deer Park draws in residents due to its natural outdoor surroundings and its plentiful dining and shopping options. This is a big draw for business owners as well who want an area where residents like to do business in their neighborhood and take advantage of the services and products local businesses offer.

Even though this is a small village, public transportation options are available nearby. There are Metra stations in neighboring Barrington and Palatine, which is a quick drive over from Deer Park.

Shopping centers and restaurants include Deer Park Town Center, Town Center Promenade, California Pizza Kitchen, Red Robin, Stoney River and more. For individual shops and boutiques, residents, business owners and employees will have access to wonderful stores such as Crate & Barrel, Vera Bradley, Bath & Body Works and other fine retailers.

For recreational purposes, residents as well as the commercial tenants and their employees will find plenty to do in Deer Park. Old Farm Road Park, Ferndale Park, Dover Pond Park and more will keep outdoor lovers busy in Deer Park. There is also a bowling alley and movie theater in Deer Park which are popular attractions as well.

Leasing opportunities are available in different varieties throughout Deer Park. As a business owner you want to find an office space lease which accommodates your business correctly. In Deer Park, you will find small, single offices as well as larger office buildings. Parking is available in Deer Park, which makes this an attractive notion as well for commercial entities. Since the village is on the smaller scale, you will find that no matter where you open up your business and rent an office in Deer Park, you will be close to all of the aforementioned amenities and easily reached by local residents.

The best way to find the perfect type of commercial lease option is to use a tenant advisor. With the help of a tenant advisor you can easily track down office spaces for lease in Deer Park and negotiate a fair lease term with your future landlord. Tenant advisors help to make this process easy as can be and can be used in your future Deer Park leasing transaction.

Deer Park is a great option for businesses of a variety of sizes and industries. Check out the leasing options today and explore the Deer Park area further for office leasing potential.

Oakbrook Terrace: Perfect Place to Live and Work

Oakbrook Terrace has a good combination of commercial and residential areas. Both residents and business owners choose Oakbrook Terrace because it offers something for everyone. Residents appreciate the friendly, safe community with plenty of housing options while business owners find that the leasing options, readily available amenities and location of Oakbrook Terrace suits their business needs well.

Location Allows Ease of Access

As a suburb of Chicago, one who lives and/or works in Oakbrook Terrace will find that they are close enough to Chicago to visit when they like and getting to/from Oakbrook Terrace is a simple task. If you choose to drive to/from Oakbrook Terrace, major roadways such as I-88, I-355 and I-294, as well as plenty of smaller roads, are close by. For flights, O’Hare International Airport is not too far away, which is a nice convenient option, especially for business travelers.

Shopping and Dining Options Are Plentiful

When you live and work in Oakbrook Terrace, it’s good to know that you won’t have to go too far for shopping and dining options. Popular stores such as REI and AT&T, in addition to small, locally-owned boutiques and shops, meet the area residents and employees shopping needs while dining options include Jimmy John’s, Subway, Giordano’s, Caribou Coffee, Devon Seafood & Steak and more ensure that one will have a wide array of food options to choose from for all of their meals. Having these service providers in town is a great aspect for residents and commercial entities.

Recreational Activities Keep Residents and Business Owners/Employees Entertained

There are many recreational activity opportunities for residents and business owners in Oakbrook Terrace. The Drury Lane Theater is a popular spot as well as various parks throughout the city. During the summertime, there are outdoor events which keep the whole family entertained. Fitness centers are also found in town which is a great option for before/after work and on the weekends.

Commercial Leasing Opportunities in Oakbrook Terrace

Businesses can lease an office in Oakbrook Terrace in various locations throughout the city. The convenient locale of Oakbrook Terrace is in a suburban area but still close to Chicago which makes it ideal. Whether your business calls for a single office setting, shared office space or large office building, there is a spot for you to lease in Oakbrook Terrace. Your tenant representative can help you to locate the perfect lease for your business and help you to get well on your way to opening up shop in Oakbrook Terrace with ease and efficiency.