office space for lease olathe ks

Commercial Real Estate Kansas City: 5 Questions to Ask Before Leasing

Before you sign the dotted line on the lease for a commercial office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, make sure you ask some nit-picky questions so that you don’t run into any unpleasant surprises later on in your lease. Here are a few things to ask about, as suggested in the article “9 Things to Remember When Taking Out a Commercial Lease.”

#1 Does the rent make sense?

You always want to double check the listed rental rate for a potential office space for lease in Kansas City. Make sure you know whether it covers common areas, such as restrooms, corridors, or elevators. Try to bring an objective party in to measure the space, to check to see whether the thickness of the walls was included, for example. Also find out about any annual increases in rents.

#2 Who pays for what costs?

Make sure your lease clearly outlines who covers various property expenses, including repairs, maintenance, heating and cooling. If you share the responsibility for any costs with your landlord, make sure you understand exactly how that is divided up.

#3 Can you alter the office space for rent in Kansas City?

If you want to make changes or improvements to space, make sure that something that you cover in lease negotiations. You want to know who is responsible for paying for the improvements, and whether you have to return space to its original condition before you move out.

#4 How long is the lease?

Landlords typically prefer a long-term leases, so that they don’t have to worry about finding a new tenant every few years, but newer businesses usually try for a short-term lease with options to renew once the lease term is over. The downside of this option is that you might experience more rent increases each time you renew, But a long-term lease can be very risky if your business isn’t stable. It is also worth noting that if you do opt for a longer lease, you might have some more negotiating power with the landlord.

#5 What are your rights as a tenant?

Can you assign the lease? Can you sublease? How much notice do you have to give for terminating the lease, and what are the penalties? Make sure you know exactly will happen if your business needs to leave the space and try to negotiate to protect yourself as much as possible.

Before you enter into a lease, the most important thing is to make sure your business knows exactly what you are getting into. Don’t cut corners with researching and negotiating – it pays in the long run to get the best possible deal!

If you are looking for commercial real estate in Kansas City, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out more information or set up a tour of an office space for lease in Olathe, KS.

Office Space for Lease Olathe, KS: Finding a Space that Works With Your Employees’ Lives

An office has always been like a second home for employees – whether a desirable one or not – but recently businesses have started consciously trying to make a commercial office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, feel more like the kind of home employees look forward to going to each day, shifting away from the sterile cubicles towards a more intentionally designed setup.

When you’re moving to a new office space for lease in Olathe, KS, and looking to attract a wide range of quality employees, think about characteristics of a space that could improve their quality of life. That’s not to say you have to go full Facebook and install a zen garden and an arcade, but here are a few easy ways you can make your office a little more convenient and welcoming, as suggested in the article “Top 5 Office Space Leasing Tips to Maximize Work-Life Integration”:

Collaborative and Flexible Spaces

Two of the main goals of redesigning the traditional office setup are increasing staff’s ability to work as a team and giving employees options for different settings for different tasks. Open spaces are a great way to furor the first goal by encouraging impromptu meetings, but this needs to be balanced out by areas designated for quiet work – meeting the second goal. Providing employees with laptops rather than desktop computers is another way to make sure they can maximize flexibility.

Accessibility

When you’re thinking about the location for your office space for lease in Kansas City, it’s important to think about how convenient a space is for your employees as well as your potential clients or customers. Consider the following:

Walkability. This is not necessarily about whether your employees can walk to work, but how pedestrian friendly the surrounding area is. Employees might not mind driving a little farther to work if they can walk to meet friends somewhere for dinner or drinks at the end of the day.
Public Transport. Not only is this convenient, but the Millennial generation is actually shifting towards preferring public transport, and this might factor into their choice of a company to work for.
Parking. Even if you have good walkability and public transport factors, it’s still important to have enough convenient parking for your staff; it’s frustrating to have to circle streets in the morning looking for a spot blocks away.

Amenities

Some basic things that you could either include in your office space or try to locate yourself near are restaurants, a coffee shop, a park with a walking trail, or even a gym. If you want to go all out, consider integrating in other business services, like kiosks, dry cleaners, spas, day care – or yes, even a zen garden might be nice. If it’s easy for employees to relax, grab a bite to eat or run some errands on their breaks, they will feel much more satisfied at the office and be able to reduce some overall stress.

Employees of all ages appreciate your efforts to consider their comfort and convenience, but this attitude towards work and life balance is becoming even more important to the younger generation in the workforce. If you’re looking to bring Millennials on board at your company, these are definitely factors to think about in a space if you want to be an attractive business to work for.

Interested in a Kansas office space for rent in the heart of Overland Park with all of the amenities and services the area has to offer? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS.

Kansas City Office Space for Rent: 14 Common Lease Terms

Commercial leases can be full of terms and provisions unfamiliar to the average business owner, but it is important to have some knowledge of this jargon to be able to negotiate a good deal for your lease. Here are a few of the most common lease terms to have on hand as you begin your search for commercial office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, as described in the article “Common Lease Provisions”:

Assignment or Subletting – Discusses the tenant’s right to assign the space to another tenant or sublease it temporarily if they cannot afford to stay for the entire lease term or want to rent out some of the space. In an assignment situation, the tenant passes all of the lease responsibilities to the new party, but in a sublease, the original tenant is still on the hook for making sure the lease provisions are honored.
Condemnation or Destruction – Outlines both parties’ rights in the event that the government takes the property through eminent domain. This clause stipulates that the landlord must rebuild if the property is destroyed, and it outlines rent reduction possibilities or the tenant’s right to terminate the lease if the property is destroyed.
Competition – Prevents the landlord from leasing nearby spaces in the property to your competitors.
Escalation – Common in most leases, this clause discusses annual increases in rent, either based on the landlord’s operating costs or an external index.
Enforcement – Discusses the enforcement of lease terms, who is responsible for attorney fees and possibly the course of action in a dispute, i.e. mediation or arbitration.
Grace Period – States specifically how much time the landlord or tenant has to comply with a lease term, for example to correct a defaulted rental payment.
Insurance – Discusses who should be responsible for insurance coverage and liability.
Landlord’s Solvency – Describes the rights of the tenant if the landlord is financially unable to keep ownership of the property.
Option to Purchase – Gives the tenant the opportunity to buy the property when their lease is finished, and should state the timeframe in which this purchase can take place and the price.
Option to Renew – Stipulates whether the tenant can renew their lease at the end of their term, and what the new term and rental rate will be.
Property – This clause describes in detail the rental property: square footage, means of measuring square footage, address, suite number, city, state and zip code. This section should be gone over carefully to check for any mistakes since the lease is binding, regardless of the correctness of this information.
Tenant Improvements – Discusses the tenant’s rights to improve or build out on the property, and who is responsible for the costs of those improvements.
Termination – Describes the termination of the rental contract and what condition the property should be in when the tenant returns it.
Use of Premises – Clearly states what the tenant can or cannot use the space for.

Remember that commercial leases for office spaces for rent Overland Park, KS, are negotiable, so you can push for more favorable terms on things like assignment or subletting, escalation clauses, grace period or the option to renew. Working with an experienced commercial real estate attorney might also be in your business’s best interests, especially if you are new to the commercial real estate market. Commercial real estate can be complicated, and you don’t want your business bound to a lease with mistakes or stuck in unfavorable terms for the next few years.

Is your business interested in office space for lease in Kansas City or office space for lease in Olathe, KS? Give one of our commercial real estate brokers a call at 913-685-4100 for more information or to set up a tour of a Kansas office space for rent.

Office Space for Lease in Kansas City: 4 Considerations for Small Business Owners

There are a lot of angles to consider when renting office space for lease in Olathe, KS, and the first step in the process is knowing your own business and what risks you can afford to to take when finding your first real office space. Here are a few general tips for renting office space, as well as a few risks your business should consider taking for bigger payoff in the long run, as suggested in the article “5 Things Entrepreneurs Should Know About Real Estate”:

#1 Lease Length

Conventional wisdom says that small businesses should look for short term leases – one to two years – with option to renew, but young businesses can save quite a bit of money in the long run by signing a longer lease – for example, six years. If you’re bold enough to pursue this path, you have the benefit of a predictable major overhead cost for the foreseeable future, which can really help stabilize your finances. If you are not sure you can afford to take that risk, talk to your landlord about putting the option to sublease into your lease. Landlord’s might be more willing to allow you to have this option if you agree to sign a longer lease.

#2 Street Side

It is worth taking the time to figure out which side of the street will generate more foot traffic. Main streets in the U.S. typically have one side that has roughly twice as much foot traffic as the other, so stand outside a any properties you are considering and count passersby to figure out whether a place is on the heavier foot traffic side. Finding the right side of the street translates to greater exposure and thus much more potential customers for your business.

#3 Windows

It seems like such a small detail, but study after study shows that natural sunlight makes people happier and more productive. If you are torn between two different spaces, count the windows and go with the one that has more sunlight – your employees will be grateful and the productivity levels might be better in the long run.

#4 Incentive to Grow

Always be thinking about the growth of your business when you are looking for commercial office space for rent in Overland Park, KS. One safe way to give yourself room to grow is to check and see if there are options to expand into other spaces in the property. A riskier move is to challenge yourself to grow your business by renting more space than you need. With extra space to make useful, you will feel the pressure to fill desks and keep your business on a growth trajectory – especially since one of the major hinderances to growth for a lot of small businesses is simply not enough room to expand.

Choosing an office space for lease in Kansas City for the first time has an inherent level of risk for a small business, but it can also be the best way for a small and growing business to get the boost it needs into a more professional, competitive sphere. Consider both the little details that go into a great space, as well as the risks that you can take for greater reward down the road.

If your business is looking for office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out more about our available Kansas City office space for rent!

Commercial Real Estate In Kansas City: 8 Tips For Designing Your Perfect Space

Trends in office space design have undergone massive changes in the past decade, with companies moving away from traditional models and experimenting with how best to promote productivity, creativity and collaboration. It can be hard for small businesses to keep up with these trends, but there are a few basic principles to stick to if you are at a point where you have some say in the design of an office space for lease in Olathe, KS you are moving into. Here are a few factors to consider as you plan your designs – with emphasis on the principles of flexibility and simplicity – as outlined in the article “10 Questions to Ask When Designing Your Office”:

Space per Employee. The first step in designing an office space is determining how much space you are working with. In the past, designers would plan on about 250 square feet per employee, which meant room for an office, desk, computer and personal touches such as photos or other decorations, but now the mindset is shifting to a more mobile idea of what an office is. Because employees have laptops – which contain both work and personal things in one small space – designers are now allotting only about 150 square feet of space per employee. This is also factoring in the principle that giving employees the option to work from home on occasion means that the office might be only partially occupied on any given day.
Flexibility. Along with having a general mentality of flexibility in terms of employee mobility, businesses are also starting to make the spaces themselves more flexible. This is especially important for small businesses who are growing and changing. Some ways to do this include buying furniture on wheels so that desks and chairs can be easily moved, getting dividers for conference rooms to reconfigure the space easily and creating “plug and play” areas where employees can take their laptops and sit and work.
Reception Atmosphere. If your business has a reception area, one of your major design concerns is making that space as welcoming as possible, since that is where customers will form their first impressions of your company. One thing to consider is lighting – try to make sure your reception area allows for as much natural light as possible, and avoid harsh, direct artificial light if possible. Specific colors can also create different impressions – such as blue for loyalty or creams for sophistication. It’s also good to make sure the space is not intimidating; if you are working with a large lobby area, consider creating small clusters of furniture where people can sit.
Privacy. The trends are certainly moving towards more open spaces, with executives rubbing shoulders with their staff and a general sense of transparency and community, but it is important to still balance this with employees’ need for privacy. Try to create spaces for private conversations, individual work or simply a quiet place to get things done. Having a good mix of community places and solitary places with few distractions is a great way to maximize creativity for all employees.
Behavioral Patterns. Another thing to consider is how you want to shape the habits of people in your office, because design can really have an impact on people’s behavioral patterns. For example, consider the placement of recycling stations to encourage recycling, or create community printing or coffee areas to encourage interaction between employees who might not normally speak.
Company Culture. Design of an office space can also communicate both to employees and visitors what your company’s culture and mission are. This is an important thing to consider if you are revamping your business’s brand. Incorporating those changes into the design of your space can really cement the ideas in the minds of your staff and clients.
Comfort. Companies today are trying to make sure that their spaces have enough amenities to ensure that employees are comfortable throughout the day and actually enjoy being at the office. One way to promote both comfort and communication is by creating inviting cafe or pantry spaces for employees to snack and connect. Other businesses are going for bigger strides, such as fitness rooms, in-house dry cleaning, massage centers, and wellness rooms where employees can go if they are not feeling well. The overall aim is to create a place where employees can balance productivity with necessary elements of well-being, such as socializing, relaxing and exercising.
Green Possibilities. In all areas of design and construction, the trend these days is to factor in sustainability. Incorporating environmentally friendly elements into office design can range from using reused or recycled materials in carpeting to buying overhead lights that dim as natural light enters a space. In some cases, these kinds of features can even save your business money on energy costs in the long term.

If you have an opportunity to design or re-design a Kansas office space for rent, try to utilize this new beginning to see how you can positively improve anything from productivity, to image, to employee satisfaction in your commercial real estate in Kansas City.

If you are looking to move into a new small office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, give us a call today at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS!

7 Ways to Make Over Your Small Office Space for Rent in Overland Park, KS

If you and your employees are starting to feel a little down about your small office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, there are so many easy ways to give your office a facelift. Studies have shown that making a space look better can have a positive effect on office morale and show employees that you are concerned about their comfort. Here are a few tips for improving your office space, as suggested in the article “6 Easy Steps to an Extreme Office Makeover”:

Create an Atmosphere of Hospitality. It is important to create a space that is welcoming for employees and demonstrates that you care about their little daily needs. Create a small “hospitality area” in your office by setting up a space with things like a coffee maker, mints, snacks, some first aid supplies and other odds and ends that make life a little more convenient.
Encourage Personalization. Letting people express themselves is a great way to foster creativity. Try allowing employees to decorate their own personal spaces with family photos, posters, knick-knacks, and even letting them play their own music. This creates an atmosphere where people feel more at home and part of the company “family.”
Bring in Some Color. Painting a space with brighter colors can be a cheap and easy way to cheer up a space. There are all sorts of studies demonstrating the positive effects of color on an environment. Consider painting an accent wall with colors that correlate to specific moods. For example, studies have found that blue can encourage calmness and relaxation, whereas red is ideal for tasks that require a more detail oriented focus.
Develop Company Culture. In addition to encouraging employees to create their own personalized spaces, it is important to personalize the whole office to showcase your company’s brand image. One way to do this is by painting your logo around the office, which has the double benefit of increasing brand visibility and brightening up an empty wall.
Add a Little Fun. People appreciate having a place in the office where they can take a moment to unwind and recharge, so think about taking a page out of Silicon Valley’s book and adding something like a foosball table or even just a comfy couch in a break area.
Upgrade Your Chairs. The importance of supportive furniture in the workplace is becoming a bigger and bigger conversation as studies are coming out about the negative effects of too many sedentary hours both in and out of the workplace. You can help combat these negative effects and improve overall office well being and comfort by investing in good office furniture that is supportive for different postures.
Create Zones. In addition to creating a fun break area or a hospitality area for your employees, think about the work they do on a daily basis and how you can design areas to better support that work, for example, rearranging furniture to encourage social interaction in a place for collaboration, or adding some headphones and armchairs in an area for quiet, private work.

Very small changes to your Kansas City office space for rent can go a long way in raising spirits around your office. Even if all you do is change out your chairs or repaint a few walls, your efforts demonstrate your interest in creating a positive work environment for your staff—one that supports their physical, emotional and mental well being. In turn, you might see the benefits of increased creativity, productivity and commitment to your business!

Looking for office space for lease in Olathe, KS? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 to get more information about our commercial real estate in Kansas City or set up a tour of one of our office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS.

Commercial Office Space for Rent in Overland Park, KS: Finding and Keeping Your Ideal Location

An office space lease is a serious commitment for any business. On top of the cost you pay per month, you have to be prepared to pay for other expenses, such as insurance, maintenance and taxes, as well possibly putting up a personal guarantee. Since this is such a big financial decision, it is important to approach leasing as a well-informed negotiator. Remember that there is no standard lease, so don’t be discouraged if the initial terms the landlord offers do not work for you—there is always room to negotiate. Here are a few issues to consider when looking at the locations of office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS, as described in the article “Office lease negotiating: Part 1—location & relocation”:

Location Considerations

When selecting an office space location for any business, there are three crucial things to remember: visibility, accessibility, and desirability. In other words, you need to find a location that your clients can easily find and want to go to. Here you more specific considerations to look into when evaluating the location of an office space for lease in Kansas City:

Visibility Changes – While you might start off with a space that has great visibility, it is important to make sure upfront that your signage and space remain visible. For example, what happens if partway through your lease a tree blocks your sign, or your sign is no longer lit? These problems aren’t uncommon and can definitely be addressed in your lease by stipulating the landlords maintenance obligations—but this requires the foresight to anticipate these issues.
Referring Potential – In addition to finding a place that is easily accessible to your clients, you might also want a place where nearby businesses can provide a reference to your business. If all other things between two office space options are equal, it could certainly tip the scales if one of the places is near a business that could send some clients your way.
Exclusivity Clause – Another issue that should be addressed in lease negotiations regarding location is an exclusivity clause. This prevents the landlord from leasing spaces in the same complex to direct competitors of your business. You might not be thinking about competitors when you first move into a space, but it is important to plan for the possibility of one seeking a nearby office.
Logistics of Access – When assessing how easy is a place is to access, it is important to think out the logistics of how your clients will reach you. Is there nearby highway access? What about public transportation stops? If you live in a bike friendly city, will people be able to easily bike to your office?
Parking – One final thing to consider is the parking situation at your office space. Make sure you know if you will have enough parking for both employees and clients and how close parking is to the building. You should also ask about parking lot security, particularly if you anticipate employees staying at the office after dark.

Remember that a lot of these concerns are not things that a landlord will address right off the bat. It is important to raise these questions yourself and negotiate for any necessary clauses or provisions in your lease to address them.

The Relocation Clause

A lot of leases might include a clause that gives the landlord the right to relocate you at some point during your lease term. In a lot of cases, you might not be able to eliminate this clause entirely, but there are a few things you can negotiate for to limit the power of this possibility:

The amount of notice required before relocation.
The places to where you can be relocated.
The window of time in which a landlord can choose to relocate you.
The costs of relocation and who is responsible for them.
The right to end your lease if you do not want to relocate.

It is important to bear in mind while looking for an office space for lease Olathe, KS, that the offered lease is not a document set in stone. There is a lot of room for negotiating to see if you can satisfy all of your concerns. The best way to make sure that your issues are addressed, particularly when it comes to location and relocation, is to make sure you educate yourself ahead of time on what is important and keep an eye on your priorities throughout negotiations.

If your business is interested in a commercial office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our Kansas office space for rent!

Small Office Space for Rent in Overland Park, KS: 2 Questions to Address Before Signing A Lease

Getting ready to look for a new office space for lease in Olathe, KS, or moving into your first real office space? Before you start to make any commitments, step back and ask yourself these two questions to make sure you are looking at the right kind of space and lease, as suggested in “20 Things You Should Know About Leasing Small Office Space”:

#1 How much space do I need?

One of the first things to take into consideration is how much space your business will require, as too little or too much space can cause financial problems for your business down the line. Calculating square footage should be based on how much space you need now and what your growth expectations are for the upcoming lease term. Here are a few questions about staff and workspace to assess how much space you might need:

How many employees do I currently have? Will I be adding more over the next few years?
Exactly how much workspace do I need per employee? Is desk sharing an option?
When do I plan to add staff, and about how many staff members would I want to bring on in the next few years?
What kinds of staff do I have or plan to hire—administrative, sales, executive?

Having some concrete numbers to go off of when thinking about the amount of staff in your business can best help you determine how much space you need. On average, it is good to factor in about 150-350 SF per employee; however, the type of industry you are in can also be a big factor in this.

Different industries tend to choose different types of layouts for their offices. For example, a customer service call center might want workstations with groups of cubicles in more of an open office plan, whereas something like a law office is better suited to the traditional private office model.

Once you have determined how to arrange employees in your office, consider also what things you might want included in your space, such as a kitchen area, conference rooms, or a waiting room and reception area. As you get closer to choosing a space, you might also consider talking to an interior architect or a space planner for a second opinion.

#2 How Long of a lease should I sign?

Another thing you should determine early on is how long of a lease you are prepared to commit to. This depends largely on your budget, but also on your goals and expectations for your business in the coming years. To evaluate these factors as objectively as possible, sit down and make a 5-10 year plan for your business with detailed descriptions of budget, staff, how much space you will need, etc. The goal is to find a space that you can comfortably grow into but also afford, and you want to do your best to avoid moving if possible, since moving is an expense and a hassle for any business. If you are not sure where you will be in 5 years, talk to the landlord about renewal and expansion possibilities so that you have options at the end of your term. Here are a few pros and cons to consider when thinking about long versus short term leases:

Long Term Lease

Pros: This type of lease is ideal for a company with a clear plan and predictable growth. It also allows a tenant to really invest in customizing a space, especially since landlords typically help with construction costs for long term occupants. It also means avoiding regular renewal negotiations, which can be costly and tiresome if a landlord knows that you do not want to leave the space.
Cons: One major con is annual rent increases. Typically the yearly increases for a long term lease are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which increases at about 3% per year—meaning that after 10 years you will be paying 30% more in rent. Regular market values rarely raise at this steady rate, so by committing to this measurement you are missing out on the opportunity to negotiate for a better rental rate.

Short Term Lease

Pros: The biggest benefit of a short term lease is knowing you will be less likely to find yourself stuck in a place you cannot afford. A 2-3 year lease term with the option to renew or even to expand into adjacent space is the ideal situation for a small business not yet in a position to accurately predict the future.
Cons: The downside of a short term lease is that there are not as many benefits for the tenant as there are in long term leases, for example, free rent periods, breaks on some expenses, or help with build-outs. The longer the term, the more financial concessions a tenant has the power to ask for.

Knowing how long of a lease to sign for a small office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, comes down to how sure you are about the trajectory of your business in the next few years and whether it is worth the risk of taking on a space that will be too big or too small. The more stable and predictable your business is, the longer the lease you should look for in order to reap all of the benefits offered to long term tenants.

Before you get too far into negotiations over any commercial real estate in Kansas City, step back and make 5-10 year plan for your business to decide how much space you should lease and how long of a lease you can commit to!

If your business is interested in Kansas office space for rent, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS!