Category Archives: Office Space

Why Interior Design Matters When Looking For A New Office Space

Brand Identity

One of the primary reasons why interior design matters when looking for new office space is that it signifies your brand identity. In this case, a great helping hands in providing creative solutions for the office space are those companies that offer custom office signs. With these creative signs, you will be able to establish your brand in the space that you are interested in. In doing so, your clients, as well as the market that you are targeting will immediately recognize your brand as soon as they enter your office space.

Reflection of Values

The interiors of your office space also reflect the values that your brand is supporting. For instance, if you are a company that advocates caring for the environment or conserving energy, then your office space should be designed to reflect this value. In this case, you can consider an office space with large windows that allow natural light to enter. You can also view office space with a provision for creating a deck that you can decorate with plants and a calming landscape where your staff can lounge when they take a break.

Cohesive Branding

When it comes to the interior design of your office space, you need to keep your branding in mind. As much as possible, you need to be cohesive when designing it. For example, if your clients already recognize your brand because of the green color, which also represents nature, then make sure that your office space also features hues of green, accentuated by other colors that best complement it. This means that you need to choose an office space that is quite effortless to design for cohesive branding, already bearing the hues that you need.

Impact on Employees

Another reason why interior design matters when looking for new office space is that it can have a significant impact on your employees. Remember that your staff and employees are considered as one of the key factors essential in running a successful business venture. Without them, you may not be able to deliver quality products or services that your clients expect from your brand. Thus, they need to be comfortable and safe in the office space that you provide for them to carry out their tasks.

Boost Productivity

How the interiors of your office space are designed can either boost the productivity of your employees or lower their morale. For sure, as a business owner, you will prefer the former. Statistics show that when employees are comfortable in their office or when their office space supports light and positive environment, they are more likely to be productive and deliver the tasks expected of them. For this reason, check whether the office space you are interested in has provision for proper lighting.

Foster Health

Apart from boosting the productivity of your staff or employees, the office space that you choose can also either foster their health or be a risk. For instance, without proper ventilation, viruses can easily spread in the office, which means that as soon as one of your staff gets under the weather, expect that another one will follow suit. Thus, you need to ensure that the interiors of the office space you are considering has provisions for proper ventilation that you need to implement accordingly.

Increase in Revenue

When looking for new office space, interior design matters because it can increase your revenue significantly. This proves to be beneficial for any business venture because an increase in earnings doesn’t only mean more profit, but stability and growth as well. In this case, consider whether the office space you are interested in can be designed in a manner that will pique the interest of your clients or foster more efficient processes.

Attract Clients

How your office space is designed can either attract new clients or push them away. More often than not, before you can close a deal, you need to present to a prospect why they should go for your products or services. Since these presentations are usually done in the office, you need to invite your target clients accordingly. As soon as they set foot in your office, they should already have a good feeling because of how your office space is designed. They should not feel cramped or restrained in any way. In this manner, you are increasing your chances of closing a deal with every prospective client or whenever you conduct presentations.

Efficient Processes

Aside from being able to attract the attention of potential clients and keeping them engaged, how your office space is designed can also foster more efficient processes. For instance, it can be a waste of time if your employees need to travel to a different floor to conduct a meeting. Conversely, if the desks of your employees are arranged in a manner that will allow them to easily collaborate, then ideas can be transformed into fruitful actions in no time. In this case, you get to enjoy a more efficient process in conducting meetings leading to great ideas that can eventually turn into a profitable outcome.

You should significantly consider the interior design of an office area when you are looking for a new space for your business or company. The reason behind this is that your office space will reflect your values, as well as your brand identity. It also has an immense impact on your staff and employees when it comes to their productivity and health. The design of your office space can also contribute to the revenue of your business. For all these reasons, you should heavily consider interior design when looking for a new office space.

Certified OfficeFinder Specialist We can help you find the office with just the right design for you,whether conventional or flexible space, we can help. Contact us today for a no-obligation discussion on how one of our local tenant representatives can help.

4 Ways To Make Sure Your Business Has Plenty Of Working Space While Coworking

1. Choose The Right Furniture

Some coworking spaces aren’t fully furnished, and you need to buy furniture for your workforce. This is an excellent opportunity for you to choose furniture pieces that are compact yet functional. It’s important that you know the total office area before buying any furniture to maximize the space.

Aside from that, it would be best if you considered the needs of your employees when buying furniture. Do they need a desk with drawers? How much storage space does each employee need? Are you planning to have a common area for meetings? Choosing the right furniture will not only complete the working spaces for you and your employees, but these will also be critical in making the room look more significant, professional, and functional.

2. Go Paperless

Documents and other different papers fill up storage spaces in any office quickly. If you want to clear up significant space to store other items or convert it to an additional workspace, you should consider going paperless.

By going paperless for business, you won’t have any more problems with consuming resources and money on documents. Not only will you be able to cut down on paper costs, but you will also eliminate the clutter in your office. That means no more filing folders and files everywhere! There will also be no need for mailing the papers or hardcopy files. The time you save by going paperless for business can give you more time to do more important things like running your business, improving your marketing strategies through an online system, and cultivating a desirable work culture.

Aside from that, uploading to the cloud is also one of the effective ways to store private information. This is also essential to protect the confidentiality of these materials. Make sure that the passwords are given to people who are allowed to access the documents.

3. Choose The Right Layout

The first factor that you need to consider when thinking about maximizing office space is the layout. You need to think about your office design and make sure that all of the furniture pieces that you will be using will fit into the allotted area.

One of the best tips to use when arranging your office layout to maximize the space is to place furniture on the edges of the walls. It would be best if you aim to have an open space concentrated in one area to make the small office space look less confining. You can add an area rug in the middle area to avoid a cluttered view.

4. Provide Enough Storage Space

Having enough storage space is one of the best ways to keep everything in the office organized and to avoid clutter. When choosing an office storage space, you should consider the needs of your business and your employees. You must provide your employees with lockers so they can place their personal items on these cabinets. It’s also a good idea to give locks so they can keep private things safe.

You should also choose the appropriate storage space for every item that needs to be kept. There are file cabinets for documents, and there are also cabinets or boxes to store some office supplies. To keep everything organized and reduce the clutter, it would be helpful to use labels to keep everything in the right place.

Summary

There are plenty of ways to maximize office space without breaking the bank. By staying organized and providing the right furniture and storage space, you create a lot of working space for your employees even when you have a small office. Aside from that, it would be best if you consider going paperless so you won’t have to stack and store paperwork that uses a large amount of space in the office. Maintaining a small office space and maximizing the area will help you reduce business costs while increasing your employees’ productivity.

And if you are looking for office space, coworking or traditional, we can help. Contact us today to find out about our no cost service.

10 Security Tips to Protect Your Company’s Data

Hackers and online criminals are working day and night to access our data. They look for vulnerabilities in our software, and also in us. People have had their identities stolen and sensitive information accessed. Even the US government is vulnerable as demonstrated with the most recent series of attacks on sensitive servers. When this happens to a company it can be disastrous on a larger scale. Many small companies end up closing due to the financial implications of what has happened.

The term ‘paperless office’ has meant that more and more business information is being moved online. That increases the pickings for cybercriminals. When hackers are getting more and more clever, what can be done to protect company data? Let’s find out right now with these 10 security tips.

Consider Third-Party Hosting

When this option is chosen, the responsibility for data storage, updating software, and maintaining security is moved to the host company. If someone chose to use QuickBooks cloud hosting their data would be stored on a dedicated server. The advantage can be that a business is not sharing the host site with another company. With shared servers, both companies need to maintain their IT security. If one is hacked, the other company will also be hacked.

Other benefits of such hosting are that passwords and usernames are kept private, and there is automatically encrypted data backup.

Draft An IT Security Policy

One of the biggest security vulnerabilities that companies have is their staff. Employees should be advised not to leave their computer screens unlocked when unattended. USB sticks and hard drives should be securely locked away.

Businesses should incorporate their IT policy into staff employment documentation. This should include an outline of the responsibilities, accountability, and consequences of security breaches. Training sessions should be conducted as part of the staff induction process, and also on a rolling basis.

Training should also be given on creating and maintaining effective passwords, identifying phishing emails, and not downloading files for personal use. Staff should also be warned about using public wifi or reading private company information in public places.

Use A Virtual Private Network (VPN)

VPN software puts an encrypted (coded) layer around the person’s online activities. End to end encryption is where a message sent by one person is encoded, and it can only be unencrypted by the valid recipient. Website access and data exchange become secure as a result.

Without a VPN, staff may be vulnerable when working remotely. The wifi hotspots found in coffee houses, airports, or hotels frequently connect to insecure networks. This means it’s easier for hackers to access the data.

Install A Firewall

Companies have these as external hardware devices or internal software. They are built into Apple and Windows. Firewalls act as security guards day and night, observing all incoming and outgoing activities. They instantly report issues and block them.

There are a host of unwelcome visitors that firewalls are designed to stop, ranging from spyware, adware, viruses, and worms.

Use Antivirus Software

This is designed to supplement the effectiveness of the firewall. Defender software is installed within Windows 8 and 10. This can do the job effectively in most cases, but there is always the risk that such things as ransomware may be able to bypass it.

Warnings can also be provided by antivirus software that sites are insecure or have known risks.

Have A Strong Password System

A study found that from January to March 2019, 74% of security breaches related to passwords getting into the hands of the public.

Employees should never keep written passwords on their desks or share them with others; neither should they use the same one for different applications. Obvious passwords should be avoided too, including passwords, 12345 or previously used ones. They should be at least eight characters long and include letters, numbers, and special characters such as $£*&.

Password management software is well worth considering as it creates the passwords for you, stores them all in one place, and even logs in to programs for you.

Securely Dispose Of Data

If a computer, memory stick, external drive or laptop are thrown in the rubbish there is the chance that someone could take it. Even deleted files or reformatted drives are unable to stop criminals from gaining access to the data.

Fortunately, there are external companies that can securely dispose of computer equipment. When one looks at the financial risks involved, this could be well worth the money.

Perform Updates And Allow Patches

It may not be hard to imagine that a small item of software may have security vulnerabilities that need regularly addressing. More alarmingly, there are similar issues with big players such as Windows, Adobe PDF readers, Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, or Firefox.

Cybercriminals are constantly searching for blind spots and loopholes, so when they have discovered it’s necessary for an update or patch to be installed to keep them out.

Set Up Two Factor Authentication

This can be created for use when people log in to such applications as Facebook, Gmail, or Evernote. It can also be utilized when making online payments.

It acts as a ‘prove who you are’ question. Someone may receive a code by text that they need to enter into the computer before they can proceed. Alternatively, they will receive a phone call requiring a secure code.

Create Data Backups

USB sticks and external drives can be stolen or lost. Computers can break and websites can be hacked. When data is stored online there is an extra layer of protection.

Companies frequently create disaster recovery plans. They should include what to do when IT equipment is destroyed or a cyber attack has been effective. It’s no good waiting until it happens before such things are considered.

There are a host of actions and policies that can be put in place to protect a company’s data. When it is all adopted, a secure wall can be created to keep the villains out. Whilst many of these suggestions will cost money, the alternative can be unthinkable.

Buying, Renting, or Leasing Office Space?

deciding to buy, rent, or lease office space? Setting up an office is quite a task. From deciding the location to furnishing the office, it is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort. In addition to this, moving your office to a new area is labor-intensive.

This task is best left to the experts. If you are moving to a new office, consider this office moving checklist pdf to prepare you for the move.

When setting up an office, you have the option to buy, rent, or lease office space. If you are considering these options, it is always best to get a professional on your team to make sure you avoid any costly mistakes. Each of these choices has advantages as well as disadvantages.

Buying Office Space

Buying a property requires capital. Most small to medium sized businesses lack the resources to purchase office space or they choose to use their capital to grow thier businesses. However, for larger companies and corporations, buying an office space is an investment many choose to make.

Pros

Mortgage payments that will not increase.
Mortgage payments add to equity.
Appreciation over the long term.
You can rent it out excess office space and benefit from an additional source of income.

Cons

Buying requires a large amount of capital investment.
Opportunity cost of that capital investment.
Difficult to scale up in case of an expanding business.
You are responsible for repairs and maintenance, taxes and insurance.

Renting Office Space

In renting office space, it is usually a shorter-term period. You have the option to rent the space on a month-to-month basis or for a year or two. As with any contract for space, make sure to review the agreement thoroughly.

Pros

Allows for more flexibility in length of term.
Businesses have the option to relocate according to their needs.
Renting does not require a large investment.
The money is not tied up in the real estate and can be invested in the business in another way.

Cons

Monthly payments will increase over time with renewals.
Landlord may choose not to renew forcing you to move.

Leasing Office Space

Leasing office space is for a longer term period. Usually 2 – 10 years.

According to Statista.com, tech companies prefer leasing instead of buying a commercial property. Despite COVID-19 hampering business growth, tech companies were able to lease about 1.2 million square feet in the United States alone.

Pros

Monthly rental payments will be consistant for a longer period than renting office space.
Less capital is needed to lease office space than if you were to buy it.
The landlord is typically responsible for repair and maintenance of your office.
Leasing a property offers tax deductions.
At the end of the leasing period, you have the option to leave or renew the contract. So it offers some growth flexibility.

Cons

If you renew a lease, the terms of the contract may change, and rent may increase.
You have to comply with the requirements of the landlord.

Conclusion

Deciding on buying, renting, or leasing a property, is a big decision. A company’s business goals and growth prospects should be cinsidereed in making a suitable choice. In addition to this, the location of the office, the terms of a contract, the duration of renting/leasing, requirements of your employee, facilities, and other factors must be considered. Hence, you should take your time in deciding.

it is always best to get a commercial real estate professional on your team when making the buy, rent, or lease office space decsion to make sure you avoid any costly mistakes. This is the type of work they do day in and day out. They know what they are doing and represent you. The biggest mistake you can make is not having a professional on your team! Find one here.

4 Questions to Ask When Looking for Small Business Insurance

Protect Bookkeeping Office

Do you have a small business? If so, you will quickly come to realize that business insurance is essential to safeguard your investments and your enterprise as a whole. Here are a few vital questions to ask when looking for quotes.

What type of cover do I need?

This is the most critical question to ask when searching for the right small business coverage. The reality is that business insurance requirements vary dramatically from enterprise to enterprise and are usually based on the size of your business, where it is located, and the nature of what it does. Most organizations operating within the same industry will have similar needs when it comes to commercial coverage.

It is recommended that all small businesses consider signing up for General Liability insurance which protects against any unexpected accidents or property damage that may occur on the company’s premises.

If you are uncertain in terms of what you need and you are looking for some expert advice, it can help to approach experts such as those at Next Insurance online. They are able to guide you in terms of how to ensure maximum coverage and peace of mind.

Should I get General Liability insurance or Professional Liability insurance?

You should consider getting both, as they are quite different. Professional Liability insurance protects against negligence claims and any mistakes made by you or your employees when on the job. In contrast, General Liability insurance protects against accidents and damage to property.

If you have both working in your favor, you can be sure that your business will be sufficiently protected against most threats. Luckily, several reputable insurance providers will offer business owners package deals that include both General and Professional Liability insurance at a lower cost.

Do I need Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

If you have any employees, the chances are good that you will need Workers’ Compensation. However, the requirements surrounding this type of commercial insurance vary somewhat from state to state. Texas is currently the only state in the United States that does not require a business to take out Workers’ Compensation by law.

Workers’ Compensation insurance provides protection for both a business and its employees relating to situations revolving around accidents in the workplace, employee illness, etc. It covers costs such as loss of income if an employee suffers an injury that renders them unable to work for a specific time, as well as medical expenses brought about as a result of a workplace accident.

How do I Obtain a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?

In the past, it was extremely challenging to get hold of a Certificate of Insurance. Now, a few insurance providers have streamlined the process so that you can get your proof of insurance quickly, affordably, and online for maximum convenience. Remember – you will need a COI when approaching financial institutions for funding, leasing a property, or partnering with another business. Plus, it also plays a significant role in building trust among your employees and clients, so be sure to display it proudly where it can be seen and acknowledged.

You will also most likely need to provide your COI to your landlord. Most leases require a certain amount of liability insurance with the landlord co-insured. Others may even require casualty insurance. A good tenant rep, like the ones we have at OfficeFinder can help you negotiate the insurance clauses in a new lease.

Hope this helps in finding the perfect insurance fit for your business!

6 Surprising Things You Need to Know About Office Jobs

It’s always exciting when your first job interview goes as expected. The first few months can be filled with both realistic and unrealistic goals, ambitions that might seem far-fetched, or anxiety. It’s only afterwards that you’ll start missing your old job or sleeping in every morning. These are universal truths no matter the work environment you might be exposed to and office jobs are no exception. But at some point, especially when the paycheck comes in, you’ll come to agree that it was worth the grinding. But aside from the orientation part and learning new skills, below are six surprising things you need to know about office jobs.

1. It Can Be Stressful

Working 9-5 hours of office work is no easy thing. The long sitting hours can take a toll on your once healthy back. The sedentary nature of office jobs could slowly be destroying your body. Apart from the poor food habits, the everyday rush to meet tight deadlines, and not to mention the demands that come with it all, you could be subjected to repetitive strain injuries, also known as cumulative trauma. These are injuries that will happen as a result of repeated motions.

The thing is, such injuries will only be realized way down the line and when it might be too late to reverse the damages caused. This means that you might be in need of medication, treatment, or therapy. These are costs that could eat into your finances. It’s at this point that you might consider talking to an experienced attorney to help with your cumulative trauma claim. The reason to work with an experienced personal injury attorney is that they’ll help towards proving that your injuries resulted from your work. Let’s take a look at the various causes of repetitive strain injuries and how to prevent them:

Causes

Too much strain on the nerves and blood vessels due to poor posture and long sitting hours
Repetitive movements that cause fatigue to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons
Exposure to poor air quality

Preventive Measures

Consider using ergonomic chairs
Exercise regularly to boost blood circulation
Frequent stretches will help to keep your tendons, muscles, and ligaments healthy
Taking breaks can help break the monotony
Get plenty of sleep
Keep your body hydrated at all times
Invest in comfortable outfits and shoes

2. Time is money!

This is a labor aphorism that has been used since time immemorial. While it might contain some truth in it, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to work non-stop. Today, working smart is the new labor slang. Rather than working nonstop, find time to maximize your efficiency by using efficient equipment, taking short breaks, and improving your work skills. The key takeaway is to use your time wisely, resisting gossip at the office, and prioritizing your deadlines.

3. Get Used To Passive Office Aggression

If you thought that you’ll have an easy pass in the office, then you’re mistaken. But then again, it all depends on how well you handle and deal with co-workers who demonstrate aggressive behaviors. While it can be frustrating, avoid the urge to overreact or lash out as this could exacerbate the situation. You might consider reporting such co-workers to your supervisor or your employer.

It’s during such moments that your emotional intelligence is tested. It might drain you emotionally but keeping your cool can help to manage the situation as well as help you to maintain your sanity. Remember, your productivity is highly dependent on managing your rationality.

4. Professional Allies Will Get You Far

Working in an office requires that you form healthy workplace relationships. You might be familiar with this African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Now, these are the same principles that will apply if you want to succeed in an office job. It will help to boost your efficiency, reinforce your commitment to excel, boost your morale, and to top it off, you need your co-workers to climb the career ladder.

5. Don’t Hate The Office Clown

Don’t get it twisted, there are limits to the amount of fun you can have in the office. Office clowns help to lighten the mood and in a way, they come in handy to humanize the workplace, putting other co-workers at ease, and healing rifts between co-workers.

Nevertheless, Being on the receiving end of an office clown’s bad jokes can at times be hurtful and damaging. This is why setting boundaries will spare you the trouble of having to deal with such characters. But don’t hate them, they are the same class clowns you had to deal with in junior high; only that they’ve grown to be the office clowns!

6. You Have No Option But Stick To The Rules

Unless you are the boss, stick to the rules. You have no place in suggesting or amending the rules you found others abide by. The least that you can do is write a suggestion and dump it in the suggestion box like everyone else. You don’t want to start a revolution at the office as this could damage your good reputation and ruin your chances of getting a second job.

The above are unvarnished truths about office jobs. While it might seem like a daunting task to work in an office, one thing to note is that you are not expected to know it all. Just stick to your lane, be kind and respectful to your co-workers, and you’ll do just fine.

If you would like some help finding the right office space with a great working enviroment for your employees, contact us. It is what we do with our network of over 450 local tenant reps. All at no cost to you.

5 Ways to Manage Multiple Offices

It’s great when your business is thriving and successful when there are a positive cash flow and a steady increase in your profits. These are the times that you begin to think about expanding and possibly opening another location or locations. But are you ready for such an endeavor? Do you have what it takes to be able to manage multiple offices at the same time? The idea is exhilarating, but the work can be overwhelming.

It can be done. With hard work and dedication, you can manage to operate more than one business at a time. By following these 5 guidelines, you can handle multiple offices with relative ease and efficiency.

Simplify your operations

Running a successful business is all about using the right tools for the right job. When managing more than one office at a time, using property management apps like Proptech, could be quite effective. Apps for time-tracking and inventory control can easily save you money and time, allowing you to focus on more immediate problems. Accounting programs and project management software allow you to handle your affairs seamlessly between offices. By training your employees on how to use such tools, you allow yourself to be more available to visit and review your business’ operations.

Organize your SOPs

The first step to a successful management process is to organize your standard operating procedures (SOP). Review your working manuals and handbooks and devise a program to keep all functions running in the same manner. For example, make sure all employees are interviewed and hired in identical formats. Your customer complaints should be handled similarly throughout any office you have. Also ensure that your customers continue to have a fantastic experience in each of your locations, not just one or the other. The purpose is to keep everything on the same successful level so there is no deviations or exceptions.

Good Managers

In your primary office, you developed good and reliable employees who know their job and do it well. When expanding and opening new locations, it’s just as important to maintain the same bar of excellence with new employees. If it’s possible, promote someone from your original business to work as a manager in your new place. Apprentice the new people so they may learn from your older ones. You should feel confident to leave your managers in charge on a daily basis. They need to be able to supervise all operations, so you don’t have to. Only then can you oversee all your offices and bring your business to greater heights.

Communication

Communication is the link that keeps business working, and many businesses working well together. When you have more than one office open at a time, communication is key. Your managers need to know where to locate you and how to contact you in case of an emergency. They also need to know when they can handle a problem on their own. To maintain their confidence, be sure to visit the office on a steady schedule and be available for conversations by phone, email, or one-on-one chatting. Hold meetings for your managers and your employees to confirm what you expect and what kinds of issues may be coming up in the near future. Share how each location is performing and allow your people to have input into their own.

Once your communication system is in order, make sure to use it to the best of your ability. Try to eliminate repeating the same information from one office to another. Set up a group chat or website to share common data to all your employees and managers. Allow everyone to view it and check for company updates and announcements. Take the time to communicate your company’s information in the most efficient way possible. It can save you more than 15 hours a week of repetitive explanations and clarifying comments. That will save you money too.

Team Camaraderie

When expanding your offices, you also want to maintain your brand. This may be harder with a wider variety of employees to deal with. A cohesive brand requires a cohesive business. To keep your company all on the same page, bring them together for company wide meetings (or zoom meetings in the time of pandemic) and get-togethers. Let one office meet up with another to promote the bigger picture. Help them with motivation by employing inter-office competitions or games. Set up off-site excursions to stimulate and inspire your employees. When a group of people can work together for a common purpose, the outcome can be phenomenal.

Conclusion

When your business is doing well, it is quite natural to think of expanding your services to different locations and reach more customers all at the same time. When that time comes, it’s vital that you have the resources to fulfil this venture. Whether it involves managing your SOPs or utilizing property management tools, you can successfully travel the path of expansion by familiarizing yourself with the helpful tips listed in this article.

If you are looking to expand, we can help finding the right office space at the best price. Contact us. It is what we do with our network of over 450 local tenant reps. All at no cost to you.

5 Ways to Stay Connected With Your Clients

Kim hakui and choi soon sil

As a business owner, it’s essential that you still connect to your clients even after they have availed and purchased the goods or services your company offers, as it strengthens the business-to-customer relations. Importantly, when you provide the customers’ demands and earn their trust and loyalty, it entails a significant positive sudden shift to your business. Potential customers would know your firm and products through prior clients’ word of mouth.

Hence, it’s vital that you adapt to the emerging technology and software to put your business at pace. With the power and influence of technology, your business’s parameter would reach further, which enables your clients to keep on track with all the best-deal goods you offer. And to help you reach your customers and all the way to the top, we enumerated five effective communication methods below.

1. Text Messaging

Today, there’s an estimate of 5 billion people who have mobile phones, and most of them typically spend an average of 2 hours and 55 minutes on their device. By considering the massive amount of people who own a mobile phone and the length of the time spent on the device, you can grab this opportunity to utilize text messaging for your business’s sake.

Text messaging is one of the most beneficial communication tools that humanity has received. This communication method provides numerous benefits to both consumers and businesses.

As a business owner, this tool enables you to track the transactions with your customers: reminding their appointments, notifying them of their current bills or best-deal offers, and keeping on track with the transactions, which are necessary for record-keeping. But remember, it’s appropriate that you observe texting etiquette to avoid customers being offended or misinformed.

Meanwhile, as a customer, it would be more convenient for you to set or reschedule a missed appointment. Also, you’ll receive notifications from the business firm with their current offers. And most importantly, it’s another way to release feedback based on the quality of the goods and services.

2. Social Media Platforms: Facebook and Twitter

Nowadays, almost everyone has a social media account—from young to young at heart. They see social media as a tool for communication with important people afar. Although numerous social media sprung throughout the years, three social networking sites rose: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And these sites have already covered billions of people and still amass until now, which is perfect for business ventures.

Facebook

Launched by Mark Zuckerburg in February 2004, Facebook now has approximately 2.7 billion active users of all ages. Before, Facebook was just used primarily for photos, chats, etc. But, in recent years, it’s used for business ventures and transactions. With that, Facebook recently launched a business-service platform, which is a beneficial option and avenue for businesses. Small and big businesses can post and promote their products, and it has an automated response on messenger for convenient purchasing and transaction.

Instagram

With almost 1 billion monthly users and 500 million daily users, Instagram made it the top popular and most-accessed social media site. This free-photo video-sharing site highlights photos and videos on the wall, which users could easily slide through. Further, it has become a platform where businesses show their products by posting pictures and videos with details. Thus, it’s an excellent way to notify your clients about your firm’s whereabouts and updates.

Twitter

Twitter already has 1.3 billion accounts and 145 million daily users. This social media site is popular with teenagers and adults. Considering the enormous amount of active daily users, it’s suitable for promoting products for thriving business ventures.

3. E-mail (Electronic Mail)

The email you use and receive today is still similar to the first email in the 1970s, but with a little bit of modification for improvement. This online-messaging tool is primarily used to notify the client or customer regarding his/her current standing and transaction and a way to promote products and recent best-deals.

Importantly, since it’s done on the internet, you must have a set of quick-response teams to respond to the customers’ inquiries and feedback. With that said, you could avoid unnoticed and mismanaged emails that’ll badly affect your record-keeping. Therefore, an efficient and effective quick-response team must compromise the quality products and services you offer.

4. Email Newsletters

In order for your business to grow and prosper, it’s important that you show to your current and potential clients the updates and new products you offer. One way of keeping them in touch and updated is through sending emailed newsletters. It’s also essential that the client agrees to the terms, which will permit your firm to send the emailed newsletter regularly.

5. Blog

Online readers could now have access to online-review write-ups, also known blogs, in just one click. From thousands to millions of readership daily, it’ll definitely affect the performance of your business. Therefore, while you improve and maintain your service, you must also influence prominent bloggers to gain positive reviews to persuade potential clients.

Takeaway

In a nutshell, no matter how exceptional the services you offer to your customers, it’ll be a waste if you miss or fail to ask how to communicate with them further. Since communication is one of the significant keys to earn trust and loyalty, you must utilize the power of emerging technological innovations today. After all, business-to-customer relations don’t end after purchasing and leaving.

5 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a New Office Space

renting office space Running a business involves lots of things that need your utmost attention. If you are in the market to compete with the giants in your industry, you have to make sure that you choose an office space that reflects what your business is about and the image of your brand. It is very normal for businesses to grow or shrink in a few years, and office moving is a necessary step that is often the difference between drowning in your own success or coping up with your losses. Relocating to a new office space is a great way to optimize your day to day operations, which is why you need to think about it properly. In this article, I am going to highlight everything that you need to do before you move to new office space so that you don’t overlook anything.

Location

The very first thing that you have to pay the utmost attention is to the fact that the location of your office space matters a lot. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you are running or what industry you belong to; you will need to find a good location for your office space. There are two important questions that you need to ask yourself. The first one is whether your clients will be able to get there without any trouble. And secondly, will your employees have any trouble. If you can answer both of these questions with a yes, you have found the perfect location for your business.

Price

Office moving involves a number of factors, and price should be the second most important factor. Depending on your short term and long term goals and what you are trying to achieve from the office space, you should buy a place that translates to your needs. If you spend too little, you will end up buying a place that you will not be too happy about in the future, and if you spend a lot, you will find yourself struggling to pay the rent or downsize in order to fit the budget. Both of these conditions are not favorable, which is why you must choose a place that provides the most value for money.

Size

The next thing in line that should influence your decision for your new office space is the size of the space you are going for. As you know your business the best, the first thing you need to do is to find a place that is enough for the employees that you have. Normally, you should allocate 70 square feet per person. However, depending on the needs of your employees and factors such as desk lengths and storage space, you should make sure that the new office is big enough to optimize productivity.

Technology Infrastructure

Depending on the kind of business you are running, this could be the most important feature that you should look for in your new office space. As most businesses are dependent on technology, you need to make sure that you find a place where you can get a reliable internet connection. Secondly, you should have a look at the other infrastructure of the building, such as telephone connection quality, postal services, and your neighborhood. For example, if you are a tech-related industry, getting office space in Silicon Valley would be like hitting the jackpot.

Safety and Security

Last but certainly not least, make sure that the new office space that you are getting is secure. When your employees walk into the new office, they should feel at home. If you obtain your office in the wrong neighborhood, not only would your employees be scared to come to work, but your clients will also feel threatened. So, you should assess the security of the new building and pay attention to little things such as the availability of security guards 24/7, the good integral structure of the building, no cracks in the ceiling, metal detectors, keycard entrances, smoke alarms, and fire exits. Depending on the kind of business you are in and the clients you have to deal with, these factors could play a huge part in choosing a new office.

Of course, it is always best to have an experienced advocate by your side when looking for office space. Not only will they find the right space, but also make sure you avoid costly mistakes. That is what we do. Our local reps will be your new best friend when it comes to looking for office space… Guaranteed and it won’t cost you anything for their services. What’s not to like? Give us a try.

Creating the Perfect Working Environment

working enviroment design It’s important to feel comfortable and focused when you need to work, and this is why attention needs to be paid to your office décor. Dreary greys and dull, white tones, while usually to be expected, don’t inspire the best work ethic. These colors can feel cold and clinical, especially when paired with fluorescent lighting. Below are some useful decorating tips to help you create the perfect working environment, whether it’s at your office in the city center or your home.

Natural Light

Where possible, flood your office with natural light. It will help to make you feel more positive and productive during your day. Some rooms might not have the luxury of being positioned in the ideal spot for letting in light, and others simply don’t have enough windows for this to happen. However, if you’re setting up a home office consider whether you can make changes to the room to help let in more natural light during the day. Skylights or floor-to-ceiling windows are a good way to achieve this.

Plant Life

Adding some greenery to your office is another great way to let nature in and to boost your mood. Studies have shown that spending more time in nature can help people to cope with feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. This isn’t surprising when you think about the calming effect nature has on us. While you might not be able to set up your office in the middle of a field or national park, adding some plant life to the room will help to make you feel more at ease.

Comfortable Furniture

You must make sure your office furniture is comfortable and good for your posture. Many people who work at desks can suffer from aches and pains because their desks and office chairs are not positioned properly or designed to give them support throughout the day. For the comfort of visitors or when you want to step away from your desk during your break, your office can have a comfortable couch to help make it feel more welcoming.

Color Scheme

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, dull color schemes don’t do much to inspire creativity or productivity. Certain colors are meant to help evoke certain feelings, for example, lavender tones are known for being relaxing. While you want to feel at ease in your office, you also want to feel motivated and focused. The colors that are thought to help inspire those feelings include reds, blues, yellows, and greens. Of course, you can also choose to paint the walls or introduce a splash of your favorite color through artwork or other items to make your office feel more personal.

Storage

Finally, make sure you have enough practical storage space in your office to keep it clean and tidy. It can be very distracting working in a messy office, and some people find it increases their levels of stress when they’re working in that kind of environment. To help keep your mind sharp and head clear, reduce the clutter with clever storage units and filing cabinets.

Make your workday as positive as possible by creating the perfect working environment with these top tips.

If you would like some help finding the right office space with a great working enviroment, contact us. It is what we do with our network of over 450 local tenant reps. All at no cost to you.