office space Overland Park

3 Reasons Why Negotiations for an Office Space in Overland Park Fail

Successful negotiations require preparation and a clear idea of what your business needs, but they also demand a certain amount of flexibility. If you are unable to work with the other party to reach something you can both be satisfied with, you might find yourself unsuccessful in your negotiations. Here are a few reasons why negotiations can fail, as described in the article “Develop Negotiating Skills”:

#1 Refusing to Recognize the Other Party’s Perspective

It is important for both parties to understand the viewpoint and limitations of the other side. For instance, a landlord might be limited by finances, and thus cannot provide a certain service or rent below a certain rate. The key is to listen well. Ask your landlord questions to get an idea of their attitude towards certain things and where they can be flexible. Your goal in negotiations should be to get a feel for the parameters of the other party, and then after putting yourself in their situation, to convince them to listen to your side. You can then craft a lease keeping in mind what each side is really able to agree to.

#2 Too Much Confidence

Being overly bold and demanding could potentially ruin a good deal for both sides. For instance, a tenant whose presence is valuable to the landlord (they are an anchor tenant or are good in some capacity for the surrounding tenants) approaches a landlord to ask for a rent reduction because their sales have been low recently. However, an overly confident landlord might decide to part ways with this tenant and rent the space to another business, causing a lot of headache for them and not benefiting the property as a whole. The landlord could have decided to agree to lower rent for a short amount of time with increases scheduled as sales went up.

Likewise, a tenant could demand too much from a landlord, thinking that the landlord has no other options. For instance, a tenant might want to be allowed to break a lease if a certain other tenant leaves, but the landlord might know that this anchor tenant might not be renewing their lease and thus unable to make that agreement. Know what you need to insist on, but if you are really interested in a space, also keep in mind what might drive the landlord to spare themselves the headache of difficult negotiations and work with a tenant who might provide different benefits to the property.

#3 A Win-Lose Mentality

One easy way to sabatoge a negotiation is to treat it like a competition. A negotiation is not a win-lose situation; in the most successful kind of lease, both sides are able to meet their objectives. Instead of trying to get as much as you can out of a landlord, approach the process as a collaboration and determine where you can be flexible in helping a landlord get what they need. It is a give and take—the more you can offer them, the more they are willing to help you. In this approach, it is inevitable that you might have to give up a little, but this might ultimately be the best road to an overall good deal and a strong tenant-landlord relationship.

Good lease deals are born from an ability to understand the other side’s perspective, a willingness to help the other party achieve their goals as much as you can, and an overall attitude of collaboration and teamwork in crafting the perfect lease.

If your business is interested in learning more about office suites for rent in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100. We can help you calculate square footage and work with you to determine other office space needs, such as what amenities you need and the best office layout for your business. Give us a call today to discuss spaces or set up a tour!

Three Ways to Decorate Your Kansas City Office Space

Since you spend so much time during the week in your office or cubicle, why not personalize it? Before you get started, think about the culture of your company. If you work for a more conservative business, you do not want to go overboard on decorations, but if your company is more creative and modern, you might have more freedom to jazz up your space. Here are some tips for making your office or cubicle your own:

Brighten up the walls. If you have plain grey walls, consider covering them with craft paper, colorful fabric, wallpaper, or even Astroturf! You can attach these coverings using Velcro tape.
Add some green. A living plant will improve both your mood and the air quality of your office, since plants give off oxygen and soak up pollutants. Bamboo or some small ivy plant are good low-maintenance plants for an office. You might also consider bringing in fresh flowers every so often. If plants aren’t really your thing, you could even put a goldfish in a bowl (but remember to feed it!).
Make a fake window. Have a photo that inspires you or a piece of art framed with lightweight window molding and hang it in your office for your own personal picture window!

These are just a few ideas to make your personal workspace more enjoyable for you!

If your business is interested in finding office space in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available office suites for rent in Overland Park!

Checklist of Questions When Looking For a New Office Space in Overland Park: Part IV

Looking for a new Kansas City office space can be quite a process. There are a lot of steps and a lot of different options to consider. Here are a few final questions to sit with before you settle on a space:

8. Should my business rent or buy an office space?
Both options have pros and cons. Several factors to consider are up-front costs of buying or leasing the space, expansion possibilities, changes in value, and building management. The benefits of leasing are more inexpensive upfront costs, simpler options for expansion, and fewer responsibilities when it comes to maintenance. However, if the conditions are right, owning a building could be beneficial because the value of the space can appreciate.

9. What is the best kind of lease for my business?
If you do decide leasing is your best option, you need to be aware of the different types of leases. Two types of commercial office space leases are net and gross leases. The difference between the two is who is responsible for various costs and maintenance. Net leases can be more expensive because costs can change and the landlord has the option of passing along certain additional expenses to you the tenant, while in a gross lease all costs are included in your monthly rent rate. Fluctuations in expenses can range from property taxes to unexpected maintenance and repairs to the building.

These are just a few of many questions to carefully consider as you look for a new office space!

If you would like to set up a tour of an office space in Overland Park, KS, give us a call at 913-685-4100!

Checklist of Questions When Looking For a New Office Space in Overland Park: Part III

Determining tentative space and layout needs is a good start when searching for a new office space, but there are several other factors to consider as you look for the space that will best allow your business to flourish:

5. How do I allow for growth in my lease agreement? It can be difficult to accurately determine layout and space requirements for your business’s current needs in addition to factoring in future growth, but this flexibility in a lease is important if you think your business will expand during the term of your lease. Acquiring a space that is big enough for your business to grow into in the coming years can often be financially wasteful because you are paying for space you might not need. Ideally, you want to find a lease that has expansion options, so that you can expand your space only at a time when it becomes necessary.
6. How do I determine who is a good property manager? Good property managers are not only knowledgeable about their jobs and about the typical needs of tenants, but act on behalf of their tenants. Good landlords work to build good relations with their tenant community over time. Some of the fundamental characteristics of good property managers and landlords are that they are attentive, available, knowledgeable, and courteous.

Sometimes it can be hard to judge which space or landlord will be the best fit for your business, but do a little research on what you as a tenant should expect so you know what to look for!

If you are interested in learning more about Kansas City office space for lease, give a commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

Checklist of Questions When Looking For a New Office Space in Overland Park: Part II

If your business is considering moving to a new location, check out some of these questions you might ask yourself as you start the process of searching for a new space:

3. What is the ideal amount of space for your business? The amount of office space your business needs will mostly be determined by the amount of employees you have and how much workspace each requires. You will also want to consider the types of amenities your business needs, and whether those need to be in your space or you can share with other tenants in the building. Identify and figure into your spacing any resources, such as equipment, that you know you need. Your final step in determining the ideal amount of space for your business is factoring in growth considerations so that space around the office does not become too tight.
4. What is the most useful and efficient layout for your business’s operations? Your main priority in estimating your laying is supporting your business’s operations and other requirements with the least amount of extra space that will increase your rent costs. You will want to consider layout factors besides size, such as workstation preferences or interior design. Some businesses are better suited to open work environments, while others operate more efficiently in cubicles and private offices.

Pausing to really collect some data on your business’s space and layout needs will help you more efficiently determine what office spaces could be potential fits for your needs.

If you would like some help as you try to figure square footage, give a DDI Commercial real estate broker in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100!

9 Ways to Save On Energy Expenses in Your Office Rental Space in Kansas City: Screen Savers

Office spaces can be a major source of energy consumption, which hurts both the environment and your company’s budget. Learn how to go green and cut energy expenses by making some simple changes in your office:

Tip #7: Eliminate Screen Savers

Screen savers might be nice to look at, but did you know that they use full power from your computer monitor and the same amount of energy your computer uses when you are working on a spreadsheet? In addition, a study done in 2009 found that almost half of American employees who use computers at the office do not even shut them down before going home at the end of the day. This terrible habit costs American businesses almost $2.8 billion in unnecessary energy expenses annually.
To reduce this inefficiency, turn off your computer monitor or put the computer in “sleep” mode before heading out for a coffee or lunch break. Doing either one of these things can significantly reduce the amount of energy consumed by computers. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends putting your computer to sleep or turning off the monitor for breaks longer than 20 minutes, and shutting down the computer if you are going to be gone for 2 hours or more.

Asking each employee to do small, simple things such as eliminating screen savers and hibernating their computers can be a significant step in reducing your company’s electric bill.

Looking for office rental space in Overland Park? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available office space in Overland Park, KS!