Simple Steps for Finding a New Kansas City Office Space: Part II

When you are planning to relocate to a new space, it is important to break the process down into logical steps.  Here are some suggestions for steps to consider, as listed in the article Planning for a New Office Space in the New Year:

Budget

This seems like an obvious thing to review and consider when planning a move, but there are often things that businesses forget to consider when moving.  For instance, if you are leasing a space it is important to research current market lease rates and expected trends in drops or increases.  Do not let yourself be surprised by unexpected expenses.  Here is a list of top budget considerations to go over

  • Security deposit and first month’s rent
  • Gathering your balance sheets, profit/loss statements, etc. for a landlord to look at
  • Phone and data cable cost estimates
  • Internet costs
  • Insurance – both property and general liability.
  • Cost for movers, equipment, and furniture
  • Any updates to websites, social media, or business cards
  • Cost of build out or any finishes to a space.

Free Services

Think about asking a commercial office tenant representative to help you with market research, area information, trends, and any other questions that might require expert insight.  Doing this will help you save time and money in the long run.  Sometimes business are hesitant to seek help finding a space because of fees, but often they do not realize that a commission will be paid whether they seek help or not because leasing commissions are often negotiated in advance between listing agents and building owners.

Make sure you do some preparing before even beginning your actual search for office space!

If you need help finding a business space for rent in Overland Park, give a DDI Commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

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Simple Steps for Finding a New Kansas City Office Space

Whether you need to move up or downsize, there are several different factors to consider before beginning the search for a new office space and making any final decisions.  Here are a few steps that can help you make this process go more smoothly, as seen in the article Planning for a New Office Space in the New Year:

Create a Needs List

The first step to take is creating a list of your business’s needs—not wants or wishes, but the things you truly cannot compromise on.  This will help you figure out if the type of space you need is even available in the area where you are looking.

One way of managing this process is creating a move team so it is easy to delegate information gathering tasks.  Assign a project leader and set important dates and deadlines with the team.

Space Considerations

Here are a few key questions to help you determine your space needs:

  1. Do you need a lot of general office space—room for people, desks or equipment?
  2. Do you need a space with plenty of conference rooms for client meetings, presentations, or private conferences?
  3. Is parking a major concern?
  4. Are you downsizing and need to redesign your office layout?
  5. Do you need both an office space and warehouse in the same location?

Consider these steps and questions to help determine what your business needs before you start searching and negotiating!

If you are looking for commercial realty in Overland Park, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100!

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How to Figure Square Footage for an Office Rental Space: Step 1

Determining how much square footage your business will need is an important part of the process of finding an office rental space and requires careful attention to detail.  Do not let yourself be blindsided by unforeseen expenses or unusable space in your new office space.  Here is the first of 5 steps for accurately measuring square footage in a commercial space:

Step 1: Know the Jargon

It is important to understand the terminology that will be thrown at you during lease negotiations.  Here are a few terms you should be prepared for:

  • Usable Square Footage – The space that a tenant actually occupies.  This is the figure that real estate agents will often quote to prospective tenants, but it does not tell the whole story of a space.
  • Rentable Square Footage – This number is the combination of your usable square footage and a percentage of the common space of the building that you will share with other tenants, such as hallways, elevators, lobbies, and stairwells.
  • Gross Square Footage – all of the rentable square footage in a building.
  • Load Factor – Calculation of total monthly rent based on the rentable square footage times the unit price per square foot.  Often the price per square foot will be different for common-area square footage versus usable square footage.

Prepare yourself to navigate the process of calculating square footage!

If you are interested in office rental space in Kansas City, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available space!

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Tips for Being Courteous in Your Kansas City Office Space

Sometimes it is easy to become unaware of your surroundings when you are settled into a workplace and working hard, but it is important to stay conscious of how your daily habits are impacting your coworkers.  Here are some things to think about to make sure you are being courteous in the workplace:

  • Be respectful of others’ space.  Even if you are just in cubicles, be sure to knock before walking into a person’s space, or find some other non-disruptive way to make your presence known.  Wait to sit down until you are invited to do so.
  • Keep your space neat.  Your workspace is a reflection of you, so be sure to keep it clean and organized, with a few personal touches.
  • Do not interrupt phone calls.  If someone is on the phone, leave them alone—it could be an important call.  Do not interrupt their conversation or even try to communicate with them using sign language.  Wait until they are finished or come back later.
  • Follow accepted cell phone practices.  Know when it is appropriate to use your cell phone, and try to limit your personal calls.
  • Be courteous with food.  Try to eat as little as possible in your office space.  The noise of preparing food or the smell could be a distraction to surrounding coworkers.

Be aware of the culture of your office and try to be a courteous and pleasant coworker!

If your business is interested in an office space for rent in Kansas City, give a commercial real estate broker in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available spaces!

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Tips for Being Professional at Meetings in Your Office Space in Kansas

If you are new to a job, navigating meetings can be an intimidating part of the workday.  It is important to maintain a professional image in all meeting settings, whether you are with colleagues, clients, or supervisors.  Here are some tips for practicing etiquette at meetings:

  • Never be late.  Never arrive late if possible.  If it is unavoidable, try to let someone know so that other people are not waiting for you to arrive.
  • But do not be too early.  It is a good rule of thumb to arrive 5 minutes early to a meeting, and 10 minutes early to an interview.  If you are meeting in someone’s office, never show up more than five minutes early, because they might be working or in another meeting, and your early arrival could make them uncomfortable.
  • Offer explanations.  If a meeting is running late and you have somewhere else to go, be ready to explain where you are going to others present at the meaning.  Think carefully about where you are most needed before deciding to leave.
  • Do not interrupt.  Avoid this bad habit.
  • Avoid confrontation.  Confrontation might be a healthy, normal part of a work environment, but a meeting is rarely the place to do it.  Confrontation in that kind of group setting could anger or embarrass people and reflect poorly on you, so allow people a little space and resolve those issues outside of meetings.

Be a good coworker by being respectful at meetings!

If you would like to learn more about office lease rates in Kansas City, give a DDI Commercial real estate broker in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100!

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Practicing Good People Skills in Your Office Space in Kansas City

Employers value the ability to work well with others.  It is important to be conscious of how you interact with your coworkers, both when you are working on a specific project and around the office in general.  Here are some tips for putting into practice good people skills in the workplace:

  • Respect At All Levels.  Do not treat people differently based on their different positions in the office.  All members of the company deserve your respect, from the maintenance members, to the administrative staff, to your boss’s boss.
  • Names.  Learn the names of the people you work with as a sign that you know and value them.  One way to do this is to use their name three times in your first conversation with them, and then write their names down later or keep business cards.
  • Be Careful What You Share.  It is up to you how much of your personal life you want to share with your coworkers, but be careful not to make others uncomfortable, and do not ask them to share their personal lives with you.
  • Be Self-Aware.  Think about your relationships with peers, supervisors, and subordinates…are there differences in those relationships that reflect poorly on you?  If so, begin to adjust accordingly.
  • Personal Space.  Other people’s personal boundaries may be different than yours, so be aware of that as you go about your day.

Fostering good relationships with others in the office will make you a more valuable employee and create a more pleasant office environment!

If your business is interested in executive office rental in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available office rental space in Overland Park !

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Tips for Considerate Communication in Your Office Space in Overland Park, KS

In this age of technology and quick communication, it is important to master the art of communicating efficiently and courteously.  Here are a few tips for practicing communication etiquette:

  • Voice Mail – Make sure your voicemail message is personalized.  People may be confused and not leave messages if you have a standard voicemail greeting that gives only your phone number.
  • Quick Responses – Make sure you return all phone calls and emails within 24 hours, even if your response is simply a note saying you will get back to the person soon.
  • Speakerphone – Always ask someone before you put them on speakerphone.
  • Proofread Emails – All work emails should be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Include the Subject – Make sure you always fill in the subject box of an email with a relevant and concise title to ensure easy access to the conversation if you need to find it later.
  • Be Kind – Emails present the temptation to say things we would not normally say out loud, but make sure you never write anything you would not say to a person’s face.
  • Be Aware of Formatting – Doing things like underlining, bolding, italicizing, or making a font bigger can make an email seem more aggressive than you perhaps intended.

Practice good communication skills in your workplace, especially via technology, until they become a habit!

If you are interested in learning more about office suites for rent in Overland Park, give a commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

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Tips for Making Good Impressions in Your Overland Park Office Space

The need to make a good impression does not end with your job interview.  Maintaining good etiquette in the workplace throughout your career can earn you the respect of your colleagues and superiors.  Here are some tips for making positive and professional impressions throughout your workday

  • Body Language.  Practice good posture, eye contact, and turning towards people when they are talking.  Genuinely smile at the people around you.
  • Stay Organized.  Carry a neat briefcase or bag.  The things you carry with you and the way you treat your possessions say something about your character.  Even if you feel like you’re on top of things, messiness can present an unfavorable image.
  • Dress Appropriately.  Follow the office dress code, and going a step above can never hurt either.
  • Handshake.  When you first meet someone, make sure you shake their hand with a firm (but not too firm) palm to palm grip.
  • Stay Awake.  Always be alert; sleepiness looks like laziness.
  • Be Punctual.  Always arrive a bit early.
  • Be Kind!  Common courtesy and kindness always go a long way in making a positive impression!

Be aware of the culture of your office, and be sensitive to both official and unofficial rules of etiquette!

If you are looking to move your business into an office building in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our affordable office space in Overland Park!

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Do You Know Your Commercial Real Estate in Kansas City Vocabulary?

How well do you know your leasing vocabulary?  Here are a few commercial leasing terms to be familiar with before you enter into negotiations for an office space lease:

  1. Base Rent – This is also known as contract rent, and is the minimum rent payment due to your landlord.  It is typically a fixed amount of rent paid periodically.  Any increases in rent are calculated based on your annual base rent.
  2. CAM cap – This is the maximum amount which you as a tenant are required to pay for your share of common area maintenance costs.  Anything above that amount is the responsibility of the landlord.
  3. Cost of Occupancy – The sum of all of the costs that go into renting and maintaining a space.  This includes rent (or mortgage payments), as well as recurring costs such as taxes, repairs, operating expenses, and any other costs related to your use of a property.
  4. Due Diligence – The process of examining a property, related documents, and leasing or purchasing procedures to reduce potential risk and make sure that the actual property matches the information presented.

Be aware of these terms so you are not blindsided by confusing jargon when negotiating a lease!

If your business is interested in commercial space for lease in Overland Park, give a commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available space!

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3 Ways to Create a Creative Kansas City Office Space

Companies like Google are setting a trend with creative work environments.  Do yourself and your employees a favor by considering ways you can make your space more conducive to creativity, and ultimately productivity:

  1. Make Some Green Space.  Studies have shown that natural lighting and plants can boost the mood in a space, which in turn boosts creativity.  Add plants and any other natural materials, as well as natural light when you can, and enjoy the relaxing effects.
  2. Create Background Noise.  It is similar idea to being in a coffee shop or restaurant.  Many people like a constant buzz and sense of energy, because it gives them the freedom and privacy to carry on their own interactions.
  3. Think in Zones.  Again, it is a similar concept to a restaurant, or even to a city.  Create areas where people can talk, such as a kitchen area, or have privacy, like a corner with a few comfy couches.  Creating these areas will allow people to choose where they need to get certain types of work done, and will make for better collaboration opportunities.

Even if you are not ready to start replacing your staircases with slides, you can still design your office following simple principles for fostering a creative environment.  Encouraging creativity and collaboration, as well as making your employees more comfortable, could ultimately boost the overall mood and productivity in your office.

If your business is interested in commercial real estate in Kansas City, give us a DDI Commercial real estate broker in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100!

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