Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial

5 Productivity Boosters for Your Office Space in Overland Park, KS

In any office environment productivity is a major issue. Most motivated individuals are constantly striving to find ways to be more productive during the workday and to feel at the end of the day that they really got something done. To boost your productivity on the job, here are a few tips, as suggested in the article “5 Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Productivity Levels”:

#1 Plan Ahead

A more productive day can begin the night before. Spend just 10 to 15 minutes before you go to bed organizing your to do list for the next day, marking tasks that are more important than others.

#2 Avoid the Traffic

Particularly if you live in a big or crowded city, consider getting into work a little bit early to beat the traffic and give yourself time to start and I’m your most essential jobs for the day. Sitting in traffic and feel like a frustrating waste of hours, and can be a real mood killer at the beginning and end of your day.

#3 Focus on Being Focused

This may seem obvious or redundant, but in this age of technology is so easy to get distracted. Be mindful of your level of focus and remind yourself throughout the day to avoid those easy distractions, both online and in your actual office.

#4 Give Yourself a Break

Leaving the office for lunch is a great way to relieve stress and come back to the office feeling refreshed. Consider even taking a short walk to clear your head and prepare yourself to refocus for the remainder of the workday.

#5 Think of the Big Picture

Sometimes it is easy in the daily ho-hum of work life to lose sight of your overarching goals. Keep a list of these big goals on your phone, a post-it note, or something that you can have with you at all times. When you can see your goals frequently it can help motivate you to get things done.

Building better productivity can take time. Always try to be a little more productive than the day before and and consider even keeping track of your progress so that you can actually see the transformation.

If your business is thinking about moving to a new commercial space for rent in Overland Park, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100 to learn about our available spaces.

Environmental Concerns to Consider When Looking for a Kansas City Office Space

Before you sign a lease on a space, you will want to make sure that you are not violating any environmental regulations and potentially even get an environmental inspection of the space. Here are some things to consider about environmental laws, the consequences for violating them, and what types of businesses should be concerned, as outlined in the article “Environmental Issues in Commercial Spaces”:

Environmental Laws

There are laws at the federal, state, and local level that combat contamination by hazardous waste and other byproducts created by companies. Here are a few pieces of legislation your business should be familiar with if you handle anything that could qualify as hazardous:

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
Clean Air Act
Toxic Substances Control Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act
Federal Water Pollution Control Act

These laws deal with chemical contamination of various kinds, including from underground tanks and other storage containers, as well as air pollution and the safety of employees when handling dangerous substances. You might want to look into local laws that are instituted only in your area as well.

Consequences of Violating Environmental Laws

Here are a few potential consequences to consider:

Safety and Lawsuits – The most obvious reason to be concerned about environmental contamination is because it directly affects your health, your employees’ health, the health of your customers, and the health of your community. An environmental disaster could be both personally and legally devastating to deal with, particularly if employees, customers or community members decide to sue your business.
Clean-up Costs – You might have to pay the bill for the clean up of any sort of contamination, even if you were only partially responsible for it. For instance, if you had a leak from storage tanks that other tenants had been using for years, the responsibility will be fully on you. Government agencies are capable of demanding payment solely from you, bypassing your landlord or other tenants who might have been the original source of the problem.
“Compliance with all laws” clause – Most leases include this clause, which holds you responsible for any contamination issues that may arise during your lease term, regardless of whether or not you were aware of the problem, or if the leak began before you moved into the space.

Types of Businesses With Potential Contamination Problems

A lot of businesses will never have to worry about these issues, but businesses in the following situations need to be extra aware:

Businesses that work with potentially toxic substances – remember that even if you only make a small contribution to a larger problem, you could still be held financially responsible.
Spaces near gas stations or former gas stations, where underground tanks could potentially leak into surrounding soil.
Businesses considering large remodeling projects that involve digging – i.e. paving a parking lot or building an addition to a building.
Spaces where prior neightbors or tenants worked with toxic materials – i.e. mechanics or dry cleaners.
Properties on or near a marsh or wetland – these areas are usually carefully watched by the EPA
Buildings with already existing problems that could continue to deteriorate, such as asbestos or bad paint.

Even if your business does not work directly with toxic substances, it is still good to be vigilant about other scenarios that could lead to environmental problems, such as former tenants, any storage in the ground around you, or just a poorly maintained property. Environmental issues tend to generate heated responses from the public and government officials, so do your best to prevent anything from happening on your watch.

If your business is interested in office rental space in Kansas City, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100!

5 Tips for Creating a Collaborative Environment in Your Kansas City Office Space

Google, Facebook, Pixar – what do these companies have in common, besides huge success? Collaborative and creative workspaces. With big name companies like these leading the way, many businesses are shifting to office space models that offer a more relaxed environment in which employees are encouraged to use each other as problem solving resources. As suggested in the article, “How to Build a Collaborative Office Space Like Pixar and Google,” there is a strategy to creating this type of environment, and here are some tips for bringing that into your own office:

Space and Bustle – The overarching principle behind creating a collaborative environment is making sure that an office has plenty of space and other design features that encourage employees to bump into one another throughout the day, fostering casual interactions.
Common Areas – the key is to have more than are necessarily needed – workspaces, cafeterias, anything to get people out of cubicles and surrounded by coworkers when doing their jobs.
Food Stops – Google’s rule is that employees should never be more than 150 feet from food – whether it is a cafeteria, a restaurant or a small kitchen in a break room. As employees casually snack throughout the day, they have more opportunity to interact with others.
“Thinking” Spaces – Along with having a lot of common spaces, it is important to have “no-purpose spaces” so people have plenty of options for where to do work outside of their office or cubicle space.
Two or More – These companies also try to emphasize having two or more people in a space when designating office spaces.

The key to collaboration is creating as much space as possible for the kind of casual interactions that can lead to tossing ideas around and problem solving as a team!

If you would like to learn more about office space for rent in Kansas City, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100!

Standard Lease Terms for Commercial Realty in Kansas City

In addition to basic lease terms that address your rent, the duration of your tenancy, and the amount of space that you are renting, here are a few more terms you can expect to see in a commercial lease as suggested in the article, “The Commercial Lease: What You Should Know“:

Gross Lease vs. Net Lease – in a gross lease, your rent will cover maintenance expenses, insurance, and property taxes. In a net lease you will have to pay for each of these items separately.
Sign Specifications – your lease will probably include something about signage—where you can put signs and any other specifications that dictate what kind of signs your business can post.
Repairs – if the air conditioner breaks down, who is responsible for it—you or the landlord? Your lease should address who maintains and repairs the premises.
Subleasing – you might find yourself in a position in which you do not need all of your space, in which case you might consider subleasing. Your lease will most likely include a section on assigning or subleasing a space to someone else, so have this possibility in mind when you first take a look at your lease.

Educate yourself on what your commercial lease will most likely include!

If you would like to learn more about Kansas City office space for lease, give Kathy Woodward at DDI Commercial a call at 913-685-4100.