commercial realtors in Kansas City

Halloween Happenings Near Southcreek Office Park

Don’t miss out on all of the spookiness Kansas City has to offer this Fall:

Haunted Houses. If you are looking for a good scare this October, Kansas City has some great haunted houses! The Beast and The Edge of Hell both have multiple floors of terror, with a thrilling slide to the bottom for those who make it all the way to the top. Go with a whole group and be sure to watch your back!

Boo at the Zoo. A perfect trick-or-treating experience for little ones who love animals! Dress up and head to the zoo, where stations will be set up for some family-friendly trick-or-treating. You can also enjoy activities, entertainment, and games all weekend!

Dinner with Count Dracula. Use your Southcreek Office Park discount for a spooky night at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival! See the classic “Dracula, A Madman’s Tale” with a contemporary steam punk spin and enjoy a six course meal.

Halloween Haunt at Worlds of Fun. Every weekend night of October, Worlds of Fun turns into the playground of zombies, twisted clowns, and other scary creatures. Check out mazes, shows, and all of your favorite rides in a wonderfully spooky atmosphere (a little too spooky for children under 13)!

Check out this month’s issue of What’s Up at the Creek for more Halloween activities this October!

Looking for executive suites in Kansas City? Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100 and we can help you find what your business is looking for!

Commercial Real Estate in Kansas City Terms to Know II

Brushing up on your real estate terminology knowledge can give you an edge in negotiating commercial real estate leases. Here are some terms to help you fully understand what is going on in your lease negotiations:

Common Area: Any space in a building that is for the common use of all tenants, with the exception of vertical penetrations such as stairwells, elevator shafts, vertical ducting, or flues. These might include lobbies, restrooms, corridors, building break rooms, a building conference room, janitorial closets, storage rooms, and health facilities.
Cost/SF: A common way to price space for a lease. In most lease offerings, rental properties and their corresponding operating expenses are priced using a yearly cost per square footage basis. In order to determine actual annual and monthly rent costs, multiply the “Rentable SF” of the property by the cost/SF that is being quoted, which will come out to be the annual rent. Divide this by 12 to determine monthly rent.
Demising Wall: A common wall separating two tenants, which often requires fire rating standards determined by states and/or local municipalities.
Escalation Clause: The clause in a lease that provides for the increases in rent that a tenant might pay to account for increased landlord expenses such as operating costs, real estate tax, etc.
Estoppel Certificate: A document that the tenant signs articulating the current condition of the lease and any other agreements between the tenant and landlord.

Keep in mind these terms as you enter into negotiations with landlords, and be prepared to do some research on any more terms with which you are unfamiliar.

Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100 if you are interested in learning more about rental space at Southcreek Office Park!

Analyzing Your Needs When Renting Office Space in Kansas

An important early step in finding office rental space is analyzing the needs of your company. This can both help you narrow down your potential space options and prevent issues from arising later in your lease. There are a few factors that you might consider as you prepare yourself for your search for a commercial rental space:

Your business’s corporate objectives.
The importance of building attributes such as image, location, service, and amenities to your company.
What you would like to see in your lease terms and what price range you are willing to consider.
Any legal parameters.
The size of offices, open areas, and any warehousing areas.
The size of common use areas, including copy, break, conference, and storage rooms.
What kind technological amenities your business might need.

At this stage of the rental process, pre-determining the square footage your business is looking for based on your needs can also be helpful in narrowing down potential rental spaces. You might consider planning out in detail how your business will use a space. This involves looking at each component of the space and asking yourself detailed questions about how you want it to look. For instance, when you consider a reception area, you might think about whether you want a built-in desk, how many guest chairs you need, whether you want elevator exposure, etc. Determining all of your needs in detail can make later steps in the rental process go a little more smoothly.

Give one of Southcreek’s commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100 to ask about how we can work with you to determine if our office rental space in Kansas City meets your business’s needs!

4 Reasons to Consider Getting a Virtual Receptionist for Your Small Office Lease in Kansas City

Does your small business lack the luxury of a live receptionist to answer your calls and receive your customers? You might be in need of a virtual receptionist. A virtual receptionist is not a machine, but rather a real person who acts as a professional representative for your company from a virtual office or virtual receptionist firm. Here are a few reasons why this might help your business:

1.   You need your employees. Sometimes with a small business, you constantly need all hands on deck doing everything from inventory, to marketing, to accounting. Your employees might simply be too busy to answer the phone. A virtual receptionist can screen calls, forward them, and take messages, freeing up your employees to focus on more important aspects of your business without worrying about missing sales or customer calls.
2.   They can be trained in the specifics of your business. If you need a receptionist to schedule appointments and take orders, they can learn do that for your specific business. If you need more than one receptionist to deal with a large amount of phone orders or customer service calls, that can be arranged as well.
3.   Growth for your business. A virtual receptionist can help your business grow by answering more calls and taking more orders, as well as giving your employees more time to do other things…which all adds up to more money for your business!
4.   Better than none at all! The practical bottom line is that lacking a receptionist could be detrimental to a small business. Answering calls takes employees away from more important work, and an automated machine can be difficult for customers to deal with, so an ideal solution might just a live person from outside of your business.

Are you a small business owner looking to set up shop in your first office rental space? Southcreek has plenty of affordable office space in Kansas City for smaller businesses! Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100 to tell us about what your small business needs to succeed.

Riley County Fair Near Southcreek Office Park

‘Tis the season…for county fairs! There are plenty of fairs going on in the Midwest this time of year, so don’t miss the chance to visit at least one of them! The Riley County Fair has it all—rides, fair food, a rodeo, and more! The fair will take place on the Riley County fairgrounds from July 26-30. Here are a few events you won’t want to miss:

4-H Bake Sale – Cookies, cakes, pies, oh my! The sale will take place on Wednesday, July 25, from 4-7 pm and Thursday, July 26, from 8 am until the baked goods are gone.
Ottaway Amusements Carnival – Every night of the fair from 6:00 – 11:00 pm. Buy a wristband for $22 to ride all of the rides.
Pedal Tractor Pull – Youth ages 4-12 are invited to race tractors attached to a weighted skid using their own pedal power. Contest takes place Thursday the 26th at 7:30 pm.
Riley County Fair Parade – Local businesses, organizations, and politicians are all welcome to participate—no pre-entry required. Just check in at 5:30 on Thursday to reserve a spot, and the parade begins at 6:00.
Fair Factor – Takes place on Saturday the 28th. Teams can enter to participate in eight different contests to determine the Fair Factor winner!
Entertainment Stage – Enjoy live, local entertainment from July 27-29, and even enter the 6th Annual Riley County Idol Contest!
Blue Valley Pork Producers BBQ – On Friday, July 27 from 5:00-7:00 pm, dig into a pork burger, baked beans, chips, ice cream, and a drink for $6.00.

Don’t miss out on these and more events!

Love the Midwest and looking for affordable office space in Kansas? Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100!

Bingham-Waggoner Antique and Craft Fair Near Southcreek Office Park

Looking to do some redecorating? Check out the Bingham-Waggoner Antique and Craft Fair on the beautiful grounds of the Bingham-Waggoner mansion. Here is some more information about the event:

Date: July 14, 2012
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Location: Bingham-Waggoner Estate, 313 W Pacific Ave., Independence, MO 64050
Admission: FREE
Crafts & Antiques: Over 100 vendors will be set up on the mansion grounds selling all sorts unique collectables and original crafts.
Concessions: Concession stands will provide all sorts of delicious treats, including Polish sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers, “Walking Tacos,” kettle corn, fresh lemonade, and homemade cookies from the Bingham-Waggoner volunteer cookie booth.
Entertainment: Live music performances throughout the day, featuring Dave Painco, the Soaring Sax Man and the Spirit of Independence Community Band in the afternoon.
Mansion Tours: available from 10 am – 4 pm at the regular price.
There will also be plenty of food and live music throughout the day, as well as door prizes given out every hour.

Grab a cookie and sit in the shade of a tree, or browse through the extensive selection of antiques while enjoying live music. Either way, don’t miss out on the chance to see a beautiful estate and potentially find some unique pieces for your home!

Maybe you are looking for some interesting items to put in your office, or maybe you are looking for a new office! If you want to find out about Kansas City commercial real estate, give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100.

Ellis County Fair Near Southcreek Office Park

The Midwest is the place to be for county fairs, and the Ellis County Fair, a week of country fun for the family, is right around the corner starting July 14 – 21. Here are a few of the major events taking place on each day of the fair:

Saturday, July 14
• 8:00 am Rodeo Queen Contest
• 7:00 pm Car Races

Sunday, July 15
•   8:00 am Open Class Horse & Mule Show
•   3:30 pm 4-H & Open Dog Show, concessions available
•   7:00 pm Car Races

Monday, July 16
• 8:00 am 4-H Horse Show
• Visual Arts/Clothing Construction, Photography, and Rabbit & Poultry Contests

Tuesday, July 17
•   10:00 am 4-H Food Sale
•   6:00 pm Trade Show
•   6:00 pm Lewellen Amusements
•   7:00 pm Justin Moore | Logan Mize Concert
•   8:30 pm Matt’s Family Jam

Wednesday, July 18
•   4-H & Open Youth Swine Show, 4-H Small Pets Show, 4-H & Open Youth Dairy Goat / Meat Goat Show
•   7:00 pm Eagle Radio Pedal Pull
•   9:00 Karaoke Contest

Thursday, July 19
•   6:30 pm Mutton Busting
•   7:00 pm KPRA Rodeo
•   8:30 pm Paramont Band

Friday, July 20
•   4:30 pm 4-H BBQ
•   7:00 pm Combine Demo Derby & Hot Rod Garden Tractor Pull
•   8:30 pm Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations Concert
Saturday, July 21
•   7:00 pm Ellis County Demolition Derby
•   8:30 Sly Ridge Concert

And more! Pick a day and bring the whole family!

Looking for commercial rental property in Kansas City? Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100!

Sedgwick County Fair Near Southcreek Office Park

Find some good, clean summer fun at the Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney, Kansas! Admission is free and there are plenty of entertaining attractions for all ages. Here is some more information on this classic summer event:

Fair Hours:
Wednesday, July 11 – 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday, July 12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 pm
Friday, July 13 – 8:30 am – 11:300 pm
Saturday, July 14 – 6:00 am – 12:00 am

Attractions, Vendors, and Events:

Bands – Wolfgang on Friday, Turnback Creek on Saturday
Fireworks
Hot dog eating contest
Bull Blowout
Demolition Derby
Fair Idol
Car Show
Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners
Children’s petting zoo
4-H Bake Sale
Pride of Texas Carnival
Softball tournament
Ventriloquist/ Magician/Comedian Mark Niehause
Washer tournament
Livestock sale
Street Dance Open Air Arena
Amateur BBQ contest
Plenty of food vendors selling fair favorites such as fried Oreos, hamburgers and brats, pizza, snow cones, corn dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, Indian tacos, catfish, chicken wings, kettle corn, and more!

While admission to the fair itself is free, some of the events require a fair button, which you can purchase for $3-$4 at any of the locations listed on the fair’s website. The fairgrounds are shady and there is something fun for every age, so get some family and friends together and head to Cheney!

Are you or anyone you know looking for affordable office space in Kansas City? Give one of our commercial realtors in Kansas City a call at 913-658-4100 if you would like to find out more about Southcreek’s many available office spaces!