Thursday, November 1, 2007

A Brief History of Office Space

Office Space Realtor - JHARTNEY "I have been studying the history of office space, and believe it to be quite interesting. To see where the concept of office space started, and how it developed through the Industrial Revolution is fascinating. I will take you through a short tour of this history, and bring you back to the present: corner offices, home offices, high-rise offices, open offices; these concepts and more have evolved throughout the years of industrialization, and into the age of information.

For eons people have needed the services of clerical, administrative and commercial personnel. Even back to the early days of Egypt , there are records of clerks tracking the collection of grain; all crammed into a tiny space, sharing the same benches, tables and working hard. Since then, the office has evolved into an immaculate, multi-functional space that is seen in homes and high-rises alike.

One of the first sole office spaces was built in Florence between 1561 and 1571, it was the Uffizi created by the great Cosimo Medici. The pristine office building served in all of Medici's endeavors. Notably, he was a wealthy banker and entrepreneur who inherited most of his riches from his father. Later it became an esteemed art and history gallery, as many works were collected within the space.

Smaller scale examples are the inns where barristers trained within London . These were functional inns, but training grounds for students of the law. It wasn't until much later that any sort of true office came about.

There was no place for an office-system within pre-industrial economies; the workplace was the field, or the smith-shop. Only a select few held office places, and most of those were government officials, or law-officials. Accounting was done at home, or in small spaces above a shop which usually doubled as a living space. It was not until after the Industrial Revolution, that modern office space started to emerge. But more on the Industrial Revolution next time.

Here are some interesting links relating to Cosimo Medici, and the glamorous Uffizi House:

Pictures from the Uffizi gallery

The Uffizi gallery including tour times, and prices.

A virtual tour of the Uffizi gallery"

JHARTNEY is a Professional Space Consultant and can be found at http://prospaceconsultant.blog.com.

Office Space Realtor

Thursday, October 25, 2007

3 Dos & Don'ts In Office Space Rentals (Office Space Realtor)

Office Space Realtor – Office space rentals can make or break a small business. With the right office space rentals, your business is equipped to reach its full potential. But on the other hand, it can leave you bootstrapped for years.

Here are the office space realtor's, office space rentals "Dos"

1.Before you start looking for an office space, you must be clear on the goals of your business and criterias that your business requires.

a. How much office space do you actually require?
b. Will be easily accessible for your customers?
c. Will the office space rentals temporary or do you forsee that your business will be moving again in a few years?

The answers to these questions can help you decide whether or not a location is capable of helping you achieve your goals.

2.Understand that the decision to rent an office space is a business decision not an emotional one. Thus business decisions should be made on setting a predetermined budget on how much you are willing to spend, geographic range, and minimum square footage.

3.Just do not settle for the first office space you see. Do shop around. Why? Because in today's market, there are many choices that are available for savvy entrepreneurs. In some situations, you may even be able to rent a more affordable office space and conduct most of your business through the phone or internet.

4.If you are unsure how much office space you need in 5 years, a rental renewal options is worth considering. Because it is a great way to secure some of the benefits of a long-term rental agreement and at the same time retain the flexibility of a short-term contract. Even though the original office space rentals for a short period of time, tenants have the choice to renew the rental every few years.

Now, here are the office space realtor's office space rentals "Don'ts"

1.The biggest mistakes most business owners make is to agree on long rental terms and large amounts of office space in an attempt to keep the cost per square foot low. However this decision on making little savings now normally ends up in disastrous consequences in the future.

2.Although you are the business owner and the boss, do not do it yourself. Hear out the opinions of others in your company to help in decision making process. This is worth doing because the real estate market is not as straightforward as it seems. It is easy to get blindsided by something that seems like a no-brainer.

3.Violate your rental agreemeent. It is vital that you follow the rules and regulations of your agreement. Even minor violations may jeopardize your the future rentals, especially if you are planning to renew your rental once your current office space rentals expire.

office space realtor

Friday, October 19, 2007

Office Furniture Tips For Your New Office (office space realtor)

When you have moved into a new bigger office space, you probably want additional office furnitures. If you want to save some money, then the office space realtor suggests you buy used office furnitures instead of brand new ones.

However there are several things that the office space realtor suggest you to keep in mind concerning office furnitures.

If you'll be having a reception desk, you should be especially careful about choosing it. Because it is the place where your potential clients or existing cliets visits first. So a clean, professional look reception desk is a must.

When buying the office furnitures especially the office desks, do keep your employees in mind. After all they will be spending most of their time with them. So, other than the cost, you probably would want to give importance to their taste and choice. Because if they are not happy with the office desks, they may be demotivated to work.

They may fail to give their hundred per cent effort. This, in return, may bring productivity down. On the other hand, choose the desks that are just comfortable enough for your employees to work with but not too cozy that will make them fall asleep.

Another thing to consider concerning employees productivity is office chairs. You may want to consider buying ergonomic chairs because ordinary chairs may cause a lot of physical complicacies.These chairs are scientifically made and designed for long hours sitting.

If you want to maximize the office space usage, the office space realtor suggests that you used office cubicles instead of personal office desks, even for the management team. As cubicles come with various heights. This is suitable for different type of employee who will use the cubicle.

For example, low wall cubes would be great for a telemarketing room. This way the supervisor can glance across the room and see what is going on. For the management team, larger and taller office cubicles are also available.

With these taller cubicles, noise are cut down and offers more privacy. Cubicles also creates a sense of private office. Cubicles have capabilities of overhead storage and under desk storage. This is useful for the employee to store files, pens, paper, personal belongings etc.

Typically cubicle's workspace surface is much larger than that of office desks. So this reduce clutter and mess, makes the office look that much more professional. No wonder that most enterprises and corporations today utilize them over personal offices.

These are just few suggestions from the office space realtor and for a more extensive guideline please refer to an interior office design specialists.

office space realtor

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Questions You Must Answer When Planning To Lease An Office Space (office space realtor)

Leasing an office space is one of the important decisions in any business because it involves a long term commitment that affects the company's profit and loss. The following are some office space realtor 's tips regarding office space leasing:

On Location and Price Range

Location is this first factor you need to consider. But what is a good location? It is definitely depends on your nature of business.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Is it necessary to locate your office at Central Business District or Downtown?

Having your office located at prime location definitely boosts the corporate image but at the same time, it cost you more.

Does your customer need to visit you often?

If your core customers need to visit your office often, it is preferably to be located near them.

Is it convenient for your employee?

Do not forget about the benefit of your employee. An inconvenient location with poor transportation facility will not only give them a low morale but it may also affect your company in employing good talents as well as retaining one.

As the rate of office space rental is based mainly on location, you need to strike a good balance of prime location and the rental you are going to pay monthly. The saving in your rental can also go to your company's marketing or prospecting budget that can bring in more income for your company.

On Getting The Right Size And Leasing Length Duration

This may sound common sense but it is one of the most common mistakes that most tenants make. Ask yourself the following questions:

What is the size of the conference room?

How many people it should able to accommodate?

How many manager or director must have an individual room?

Individual rooms take up quite more space as compare to open space. Generally, open concept offices optimize the office space.

Does your company expect to grow within the next few year?

You will need to cater for extra space for employing more staffs. Review your company expansion plan so as to determine the length of the lease.

Hiring a professional office space planner to fully optimize the office space will save you money in the long run.


On Researching The Office And Surrounding Facilities

Spend some time and effort on checking the office building and surrounding facilities before you write in your signature on the dotted line.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Is there a professional on site building management?

Are there banking facilities nearby?

Does the parking facility suits you?

Talk to some of the tenants in the building to check out if there is any negative factors that they need to compromise?

What is the central air condition operating time?

On Getting Professional Office Space Realtor

By having a professional office space realtor in assisting you finding the right office space not only save you time but also saves you money. However, make sure you get a realtor that is specializing in office space commercial market and not in residential market.

A specialize realtor like an office space realtor that focuses on office spaces in the location you identified, can provide you with the different price range of different buildings.

The office space realtor you selected must also be a good negotiator so as to get a good package for you. Remember your main focus is in your own business and not real estate, so leave it to a trusted professional for your real estate needs

office space realtor

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Office Space 101 (Office Space Realtor)

"What Should I Look For When Looking At Office Space?"

That was the question that Simon P. asked when he wanted to move into a new office space since his home business outgrows his home office.

So referring to an office space realtor, here are some pointers to take home.

“First and foremost, you should decide whether you would want to lease or buy an available office space. Off course there are pros and cons with either option. So the best thing is to fully analyze your business and base on your analysis, make a decision that will give the highest chance for your business sustainability and growth.”

“You must realized that when your business has an actual office address with an actual office space has found and taken, you may have to maintain this level commitment and growth. Why? Because most people understand what is a home office and a home based business, however when you move into into an actual office space, your customers and acquantainces will expect it from you,” says the office space realtor.

“Leasing or renting an office space is a great solution for many small to medium enterprises. The many reasons are, leasing office space allows business owner to operate in a prime location. Usually leasing offices are located in the high 'traffic' or busy parts of town. What this means to you the business owner, this frees up capital for you to use in other areas of the business,” continues the office space realtor.

“However the cons are, leasing office space leaves you open to rent increaments when your lease contract expires. Leasing does not allow you to increase your equity as you would if you were buying.”

Talking about buying office space, the office space realtor points out the advantages as follow:

“Now, if you decided to buy an available office space, the pros are; your monthly costs are fixed since you the business owner is not subjected to yearly rent increaments. Also there is a plus where youcan get extra income from renting out your extra office space. When you own an office space, you are free to sell it, any time and could possibly put that money in a your retirement fund.”

When there are pros, there are also cons in owning an office space, the office space realtor has this to say about it,

“When you buy an office space, you actually have lost some flexibility. What I mean by this is when your business grows and you need more space, it may be difficult to purchase more. Because purchasing office space requires initial capital outlay that may be hard to get.”

In closing, the office space realtor continues, “Before you decide on either leasing or buying an office space, do your due diligence and research your options extensively. This is necessary because the real estate industry is an industry where huge gaps in prices and opportunities can exist. You must find out as much as possible about the area you are interested in, the future plans for the buildings of that area and the expected growth of that part of town.”

This is what was told by Simon P., Tx.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Looking for an office space near Princeton University, Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia? (office space realtor)

Have a look at IBIS PLAZA OFFICE SUITES, 3525 & 3535 Quakerbridge Road, Hamilton, Mercer County, New Jersey 08619



Office space realtor looking for tenants that wants an office space this coming fall. Can move in on 1st November 2007.

The office realtor spaces available are office suites 900 (26,250 sq.ft), 901 (11,250 sq.ft.) and 902 (9,500 sq.ft.)

Operating expense estimates: $4.25 / sq.ft.

Base rent: $14.50 /sq.ft.

For immediate occupancy (as of this posting), office space realtor also has these suites available. Their sizes are 742 sq.ft., 1,854 sq.ft., 2,510 sq.ft., 3,750 sq.ft. and 5,000 sq.ft.

For further information, please contact the office space realtor:
Michael Pratico Jr. or John Masso at Richardson Commercial Realtors
(609) 586-1000 x123
ibisplaza.com

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

What do these terms mean? (office space realtor)

I got a message asking me the following question:

Dear office space realtor,

As I accompanying my friend who is looking for an office space for lease, I hear few words that get thrown around. Could you help me out
office space realtor and explain in simple ways what these terms mean?

1. Usable square footage
2. Rentable square footage
3. Load factor

Jan.R.

Here's a reply I got from a friend of office space realtor:

"Well Jan. R. , usable square footage or sometime it is called usable square feet or USF is simply the floor area within your space
where you actually can lay out the floor carpet to place your furnitures."

Office space realtor continues, "Okay about rentable square footage or feet or RSF, it's the total office space that's used to calculate your rent payment. RSF is normally larger than USF because of additional building space areas like corridors, lobbies ets. proportionate to your office space of that building."

"Because of this difference between RSF and USF known as Load Factor or sometimes called "Add on Factor" or loss factor. When looking for office space for lease, this factor is important for you to know so that you can actually know the actual useful occupiable office space that you are paying. And if yougot a loss factor say 10%, that means for rent you pay fo let say 200 square feet, you actually only have a space of 180 square feet," pointed out the office space realtor.

Hope this helps....office space realtor

Friday, October 5, 2007

Dave's Conversation with Office Space Realtor - Looking for office space in NJ

Earlier this year, I planned to move out of my current office space to a new location. So I got a hold of an office space realtor from a friend and told him what I'm looking for.

I told the office space realtor, “I run a small business and I am looking to rent an office space in N.NJ and wanted to get some advise on what to look for, size, costs, terms, utilities, etc.”

“What goes on in your current office? I mean how much office space do you actively use and how many staff are you planning to add or currently have?”, asked the office space realtor.

In reply to the office space realtor question, I said “My business is sales in nature and 90% of the time I will only be using the phone and the internet with the occasional visitor- maybe twice a week. I might want to expand to include 1-2 other people.”

The office space realtor asked further, “This new office space that you are looking for, how big do you want it and in which area do you want it again?”

“I think 400 sq. ft should be enough to start and I would like to be in the Parsippany, NJ area. I would even consider a sublet or 2 cubes in an existing, shared office space environment.”, was my reply.

“To be upfront with you, the commission on a 400 sq.ft. lease is going to be pretty small, so you may not get great service,” says the office space realtor and he continues, “if you definitely need the space, you should determine what your main priorities are i.e. the quality of the space, if customer facing, proximity to parking/public transportation, cost, ease of move in (is the space already cabled, set up for phone, etc.).”

The office space realtor also suggests an hotel office space service type rental, “Since you only need the space 10% of the time, you may want to consider a less costly option. Hoteling type conference space is becoming more popular, which means that you use a conference space by reserving at and pay by the hour (similar to a hotel conference center but cheaper).”

About pricing and to get for a second opinion, the friend of the office space realtor suggested that

I thanked the office space realtor for insights on space renting and went our seperate ways. My friend also suggested me to go to www.officebroker.com, for a second opinion. He said that their consultation is Free. I might just do that.

This conversation with the office space realtor was told to me by Dave who runs a small internet based business.

office space realtor