office space for rent Kansas City

How to Find and Design an Office Space for Lease in Overland Park, KS, With Your Employees in Mind

Relocating to a new office space for lease in Overland Park, KS, can be a big commitment for employees, so as you are looking for and designing an office space, you want to do as much as you can to get their buy-in. Here are a few tips for keeping your employees in mind during this process, as suggested in the articles “Finding an Office Space Both You and Your Employees Love” and “6 Inexpensive Ways to Help Employees Escape the Cubicle Crush”:

#1 Ask for employees’ help with research on commercial property for lease in Overland Park, KS.

The best way to start the transition to a new office space strong is by showing employees that you value their opinions. You can do this by seeking their help with researching the new space. Put out some questionnaires to find out or about their preferences. Do they prefer to work standing or sitting? Do they like collaborative spaces or individual spaces? What time of day are they most productive? What locations would be ideal for them? Gathering and analyzing this data can help you determine what kind office space you’re looking for.

#2 Involve them in design and decoration of the office space for rent in Kansas City.

Once you have found a space, build excitement by involving them in the process of designing and decorating the space. One idea is to give each employee a $100 gift card to IKEA to buy office furniture. This might not buy a lot of furniture, but it will send the message that you trust your employees and want them to have some control over their new space.

Take this a step further by encouraging your staff to customize their own desk spaces. Many people view their desk as their “home away from home” or the place they are most comfortable in at the office, so make it a priority to help your employees create that sense of home in their new space. Some successful companies, like Google, even give employees a small allowance for desk decoration.

You can also work together to personalize the new office and sneak in some team-building time by picking a blank wall for everyone to collaborate on decorating. Get some paint and other supplies and make a fun day of it.

#3 Designate spaces for collaboration and individual work.

As you are setting up your office space, also think about ways you can improve the long-term comfort and productivity of your employees. People have different styles of working, so many companies are shifting towards diversifying spaces to accommodate those different styles, and you can use the feedback you got from your employees while researching new spaces to help you decide on the best setup.

One area you should have is a deliberate space for sharing and collaborating. This could be a large conference room, or even a cluster of tables in the middle of an open space. It is also nice to have spaces for “accidental” collaboration, where employees can bump into each other and strike up conversations that could lead to creative teamwork. Some examples of this are communal kitchens or break areas with some comfortable seating.

People also need space for individual work, so try to designate some private spaces, even if you can’t give everyone their own office. Think about setting aside a few offices in your new space to be places where a team member can go to work on a specific project for a few hours or few days, or just to escape to a quiet part of the office.

#4 Consider the cubicles.

Again, you might not be able to upgrade to private offices for everybody, but a fresh start in a new space is a good way to reset your cubicle culture. One of the biggest complaints of employees working in cubicles is noise, so you could start implementing a few strategies to make this a little better in your new space:

have employees silence ringers
encourage them to keep phone conversations quiet and minimal
buy a white noise machine for “background noise”
allow the use of noise-canceling headphones

You can also give employees some freedom to escape cubicles by giving them flex time or allowing them to work from other places, such as a nearby coffee shop or library – proximity to these kinds of places could be criteria to include as you are looking for a new office space.

#5 Give them move in time.

When the time comes to move, give your employees a day just to get settled – assemble furniture, unpack, figure out computers, etc. This will help make the transition less stressful and more enjoyable for employees, and they will come in for their first day of real work in the new space feeling fresher and more comfortable.

#6 Open the door for communication.

From asking about employees’ preferences before finding a space to getting their help with decorating, keep the door open for questions and communication throughout the process. One thing you could do is to put up a whiteboard or chalk board and write a question on it each day for employees to answer. Asking good questions will elicit responses that will help you understand your team better and help everyone find common ground and build relationships during a new chapter of your business’s life.

Good people are the cornerstone of a good business, so it’s essential to not lose sight of your employees’ preferences and concerns as you move to a new space.

If your business is interested in commercial real estate in Overland Park with a helpful on-site management team and close proximity to a variety of amenities in Overland Park, give Southcreek Office Park a call at 913-685-4100 to find out more about our available spaces!

Commercial Real Estate Kansas City: Analytical Leasing Dos and Don’ts

Now is a good time to look for commercial real estate in Kansas City for small businesses. Whether you are looking to upgrade, relocate, or simply expand, here are some Dos and Don’ts for how to approach this search for office space for rent in Kansas City from a careful, analytical perspective, as suggested in the article “How to Lease Commercial Real Estate: Part I”:

Don’ts

As you’re looking for a lease and trying to save money for your business, there are some things you should avoid. Don’t…

Stop looking after you have found one good space. You should find at least two or three places that you could see yourself leasing. Having options will give you both negotiating leverage and a safety net in case your dream office falls through.
Sign anything until you fully know and understand every detail of your lease. Play close attention to things like maintenance and repair costs, as well as insurance and taxes. You do not want to find any costly surprises after you sign your lease.
Get attached to any one space before negotiations. It is tempting to stretch your budget to get your ideal space, but this could be an expensive sacrifice in the long run. Wait until after you’ve negotiated terms that your business can live with.

Here are some things your business should keep in mind as you look for a space. Do…

Ask yourself whether your customers and clients will love this space. While you want a place that you and your employees will be comfortable in, ultimately this is about making a smart business decision with your customers/clients in mind.
Get a pro forma copy of the lease from the landlord ASAP. Because commercial leases are each so different, you want to see this sooner rather than later so you can start to get a picture of what you are dealing with.
Make a comparables analysis to compare the different potential spaces – you can do this electronically in a spreadsheet. Make sure you include the square footage, price per unit, expenses (such as CAM fees), lease term, and any other pros and cons that are important to you. This will help you make an objective decision if you reach a point where you are deciding between multiple properties.

Make sure as you are comparing sizes costs that you are comparing apples to apples (i.e. usable square footage vs. rentable square footage). This also might require a visit to the property to clarify.

When you are making this kind of decision for your business, you want to make it as fact-based as possible. Keep detailed notes on different properties and let your business sense rule your decision-making.

If you’re interested in office space for lease in Kansas City give one of our commercial real estate agents a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our commercial property management in Overland Park, 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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Office Space in Kansas City: Part II

If you know nothing about finding an office space for your business, do not panic. It is important to go into negotiations with some preparation, but luckily there is a lot of information out there about how to find and negotiate a commercial lease. Here are a few frequently asked office space rental questions and answers to get you started:

3. Are lease terms negotiable?

While landlords are looking out for their own best interests, they are almost always willing to discuss concessions. Know that your bargaining power will depend on the local market—if it is tight, you will not have a lot of ability to negotiate. Even if the rent is non-negotiable, you might be able to negotiate for limits on rent increases and costs of things like utilities, repairs, taxes, etc. You can also negotiate for the length of your lease, as well as potential improvements to the space with financial assistance from your landlord.

4. How can I find out if my potential location is properly zoned for my business?

Start by checking local zoning ordinances. Next, you need to see if there are any other legal restrictions that might affect your business. For instance, there might be limits in that city on certain types of businesses (i.e. coffee shops or fast food places) in a certain area, parking or advertising stipulations, or certain restrictions on hours. Check to see if the city has a business development office that can help you navigate these questions.

5. Do your research before entering into lease negotiations!

Is your business looking for office space for rent in Kansas City? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 to set up a tour of one of our available office suites for rent in Kansas City!