affordable office space Overland Park

Questions to Ask When Analyzing Your Business’s Overland Park Office Space Needs

Before you make a decision on what kind of office space you want—small or large, short-term or long-term lease—it is important to carefully look at your business and decide what you need in a space. Here are a few questions to consider as you plan for a new office space lease, as suggested in the article “Basic Square Footage Needs”:

What kind of growth do you anticipate for your business in the next year? In the next five years? Having some idea of how much you will grow can help you determine both your space needs and the length of a lease.
How do you typically interact with your clients? Do they usually come to your office space, or do you use technology to get in touch with them? This will determine what you need in terms of waiting rooms or reception areas, versus what kind of technology you need a space to be fitted with.
Will you need an increased number of employees in the next few years? If you know that certain projects or growth will require an increase in your staff, be sure to think about where exactly you will put them.

These kinds of questions can help you determine whether you need to think big vs. small, or short term vs. long term when it comes to your office space lease!

If you are interested in renting office space in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out more about our affordable office space in Overland Park!

Factors to Consider When Leasing Equipment for an Overland Park Office Space

While leasing office space equipment has many advantages, there are also a lot of other factors to consider that might not make it the best fit for your business. Here are a few things to think about if you are considering renting your equipment, as suggested in the article “Leasing Business Equipment”:

If you are planning on renting for just a short period of time, this might be a cheaper option, but long term renters should be aware that the lifetime cost of renting a piece of equipment will usually be higher than purchasing it.
You are forfeiting ownership interest by renting, which means that if you have become dependent on the equipment and want to purchase it at the end of the lease, it might be too expensive.
One way to try to establish equity in an asset is to negotiate for some of your rental payments to go towards the purchase price so that you might be able to fully purchase the item at the end of the lease.
To avoid unwanted legal effects, you might want to consider hiring a lawyer to help you with the equipment lease before agreeing to it.

Do some research before leasing equipment and decide if this is the best option for your business.

If you are interested in Overland Park office space for lease, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to set up a tour of an affordable office space in Overland Park!

3 Office Rental Space in Overland Park Lease Provisions You Might Not Know

Prepare yourself for lease negotiations by studying up on provisions you might see in commercial leases. Here are a few provisions that you might not have heard of, as described in the article, “Real Estate – Commercial Leasing”

“Go Dark” Provisions. As a tenant, you will want to see whether your lease allows you to stop operating in a space if necessary while still adhering to lease terms and paying rent. Retail businesses might find themselves in a position of having to “go dark.” Landlords will typically oppose this, as it affects the vitality of the location, and will want to combat it with a recapture clause, which allows them to terminate the lease and control re-leasing of the space.
Tenant Purchase Options. Sometimes leases stipulate that a tenant has first rights to purchase or refuse the leased property if the landlord decides to sell it, which means the landlord must offer the space to the tenant before offering it to a third party.
“Make Good” Provisions. These provisions lay out what a tenant needs to do at the end of a lease term to return the space to the condition it was when it was first rented out to them. On the one hand, landlords might want tenants to remove any additions they made because they will be problematic for the landlord down the line, but on the other hand, landlords might want tenants to leave improvements that the tenant paid for to make the space more appealing for future tenants.

It is important to understand these provisions and how they could potentially affect your business throughout the duration of your lease.

If you are looking into executive office rental in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out more about our affordable office space in Overland Park.

When Can You Terminate a Lease for an Office Space in Kansas?

Whether you are looking to relocate or just negotiating your lease, it is important to know if terminating your lease is possible. Here are a few possible conditions that could lead to the termination of your lease, as listed in the article, Advantages to an Early Commercial Lease Termination:

Agreement between the two parties – The length of a lease can be changed at any time as long as both parties agree to the modification.
Violation of the lease – one party might be able to end the lease before the term is over if the other party has majorly violated a lease agreement.
Break Clause – This clause states that a lease can be broken under certain conditions, such as the payment of a fine, after a fixed date, or if there is a beneficiary involved in the situation. If you are unsure of what your break clause includes, talk to a commercial real estate attorney
Assignment Clause – This clause states that you can transfer your lease to another party before it expires, provided that the new party agrees to all of the terms and ideally with the permission of your current landlord. However, if this clause is in the original lease, a lawyer might be able to help you get around the express permission of the landlord.

Check with a lawyer if you need more guidance on whether it is possible to terminate your lease early.

If you are interested in affordable office space in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to set up a tour of one of our office suites for rent in Overland Park.

Comparing Responses to a Proposal for an Office Space Lease in Overland Park: Part III

When you are first starting to look at offices spaces, it is important to compare several potential spaces on the basis of rent, lease terms, potential improvements, and other core factors that are important to your business. Here are a few final points of comparison to think about, as described in the article “Proposal Responses”:

Effective Rent. The effective rent rate can be found by taking the average of all of the years of rent during your lease term with any free periods factored in. Sometimes different landlords use different rent structure, so by figuring out the annual cost for each response, you can more effectively compare the bottom line rental rate.
Other Needs. Each business has different preferences for what they want in a space. Make a checklist of things that your business absolutely must have, and compare what spaces meet these needs. No matter how tempting a space might be, if it does not meet the essential requirements you laid out, it is wise to be able to walk away.

Take some time to make a checklist of things that are important to your business so that you have a set of objective criteria when looking over responses!

If your business is interested in learning more about office rental space in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available affordable office space in Overland Park!

5 Ways to Improve Your Overland Park Office Space: Part II

If your New Year’s resolutions are waning, here are a few ideas from the article 5 Resolutions to Make Your Work Life Better Next Year to kick start your motivation again:

3.      Get Organized…and stay that way. Everyone’s to do list covers getting and staying organized. Help yourself stay accountable to this resolution this year by designating an “organizing buddy”—someone who will also resolve to get organized and will check in with you. Organizing an office space will both help you work better and clear out some mental clutter for the New Year.
4.      Be a more considerate coworker. Try to make 2014 a great year for everyone in the office by making an extra effort to keep your fellow workers in mind during your workday.
5.      Be “Work Happy.” The most important resolution is to choose to try to be happy with your job. You spend the majority of your time at work, so resolve to make the most of it. The other resolutions are steps in that direction, but ultimately you have to choose to make your time at work worthwhile!

Any time of year is a good time to think about how you can improve your work habits and environment!

If you are interested in office space in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 314-239-6396 to find out about our available affordable office space in Overland Park!

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!

Common Terms in an Office Space Lease in Overland Park: Part V

Even if you feel like you understand the main terms you will be negotiating in a commercial lease, it is important to make sure you are also aware of the minor clauses you will encounter, as they can add up to a more successful and convenient tenancy. Here are a few final lease clauses to be aware of:

9. Improvements and Alterations. If you need to make some changes to a space to fit your business’s needs, you need to address this issue in the lease. You and your landlord will have to discuss who pays for it, when it needs to be finished by, who does the work, and who gets final say on design.

10. Utilities, Maintenance, and Code Compliance. A lease will most likely contain a clause spelling out the landlord’s expectations for how you care for your rented space. Often this goes along with a utilities clause if you are a tenant in a multi-tenant building, which settles how the utilities for the building will be billed and paid for. Finally, there will probably be mention in the lease of the landlord’s expectation that you keep the space “up to code” (the meaning of this is often vague). This clause is sometimes titled “Compliance with Laws” or just “Compliance.”

11. Parking, Signs, Etc. There will probably be several clauses in the lease that address practical concerns such as signage, parking, security, etc. The goal of these negotiations is to find ways to be able to run your business wisely and still comply with your landlords requirements. These clauses might not seem as weighty as ones that address rent and other major concerns, but they are still an essential part of a successful and convenient tenancy.

Do some research and be prepared for your negotiations!

If you are interested in Overland Park office space, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available affordable office space in Overland Park!