small office lease in Kansas City

Critical Terms For Your Small Office Lease in Kansas City: Part II

If you are a small business owner looking to negotiate an office rental space for the first time, there are some key terms that are typically included in a lease that you should be familiar with as you begin the process. Here are a few more critical terms you can expect to come across:

Security Deposit – and the conditions for the return of this payment.
Improvements – know whether there will be fixtures added to the space, or any modifications or improvements (these are called build outs when a landlord is finishing a new space to a tenant’s specifications). Clarify who will pay for these, and who owns them after the lease term is over (typically, the landlord will own them).
Maintenance and Repair – whether it is your responsibility or your landlord’s to maintain and repair the space, including heating and air conditioning systems.
Subleasing – whether you can sublease or assign your space to another tenant.
Renewal and Expansion – whether there is an option to renew your lease for another term or expand into surrounding spaces.
Termination – determines if and how the lease may be ended; this clause includes any agreements on penalties for termination, notice requirements, and any alternatives to taking a dispute to court.

Doing some homework before you start looking for a space can help you become a savvier lease negotiator!

If you are interested in office suites for rent in Kansas City, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our affordable office space in Kansas City.

Critical Terms For Your Small Office Lease in Kansas City

Though each commercial lease is different, there are many terms that are typically addressed in commercial real estate leases. You will want to pay attention to these items; here is a list of several common ones:

Lease Length – (also referred to as the lease term), when the lease begins and if you have an option to renew.
Rent – know about allowable increases (also known as escalations) and how your landlord will compute them. Also know whether your rent covers insurance, maintenance, and property taxes (a gross lease); or if you will be charged separately for each of these items (a net lease).
Space Measurements – Exactly what space are you renting? Does it include common areas such as rest rooms, elevators, and hallways? How is the landlord measuring the space? It is important to be aware that sometimes measurements include the thickness of walls.
Signage – Find out specifications for what kind of signs you may have and where you may put them.

If you do not know anything about commercial leases, being familiar with basic terms like these can help prepare you for what to expect as you begin to look for a new office rental space.

If you are interested in commercial space for lease in Overland Park, an area with easy access to many amenities and services that could help your business, give a commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call today at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available spaces!

9 Tips for Keeping your Kansas City Office Space Organized: Part II

Sometimes too much clutter and disorganization can get in the way of office productivity. Here are a few tips for getting back on track in your office:

4. Set up a filing system: Piling papers on the floors is a recipe for lots items and disorganization. There are a lot of effective options for organizing your files: alphabetically, by project, by client, etc. But having that filing cabinet is the key. Determine what system works best for your thought process and work style so it will be easiest to maintain.

5. Archive older files: Files from years ago are not essential to your day-to-day work. Store these files you do not need in a different location so they do not add to workspace clutter. If you have a lot of these old files, consider looking into a scanning and storage company to remove the files to an off-site space.

6. End of the day habits: It is miserable to start each morning coming into work with a pile of papers on your desk. When you are wrapping up work each day, leave yourself 15 minutes to put things away and update any to-do lists. This will enhance your sense of accomplishment for your day and help you begin the next morning with a clean slate.

Staying on top of files and keeping the paper piles to a minimum can help you feel spatially and mentally more organized!

If you are interested in finding a small office lease in Kansas City, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available Kansas City office space for lease!

Understanding Tenant Improvements for Your Small Office Lease in Kansas City

Have you found the perfect space for your business, but just need to make a few improvements? You might need to do anything from changing the flooring to upgrading the electrical wiring, all of these things are known as Tenant Improvements.

About Tenant Improvements
All different kinds of spaces might need tenant improvements. You could be renting a completely unfinished space, called a shell space, or a space that is mostly unfinished but includes lighting and HVAC systems, which is called a warm shell space. Standard space is finished, but could still potentially require improvements. The last kind of potential space improvements are custom finishes, which could include things like unique designs or luxury or specialty materials.

Why You Should Negotiate for Tenant Improvements

From the perspective of a landlord, long-term tenants investing in improvements that will be useable for future tenants is a smart business decision because it will increase the value of the space and allow them to charge higher rent. Therefore, if you are a tenant with good credit requesting general improvements, your landlord might be inclined to give you a Tenant Improvement Allowance or Tenant Improvement Credit, which is a fixed dollar amount given by the landlord to the tenant for improvements.

Don’t let a few improvement issues with a space prevent you from leasing it, talk to your landlord about your improvement options!

If you would like to learn more about office space for rent in Kansas City, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available office space in Kansas City

10 Things You Must Know Before Signing a Small Office Lease in Kansas City: Part V

Here are a few final things to keep in mind before you sign an office space lease:

9. Location. “Location, location, location” may be an old saying, but it is still a make-or-break factor for many retail businesses. Choose the best location for your business, factoring in as many variables as you can: who are the surrounding tenants? Are there any big name ones that would draw customers, and if so, will they stay? What is the traffic to the space and the demographics of that traffic? Is there enough parking? Will you be competing with any nearby businesses? Consider as many factors as possible and choose a space that will provide the best “return on location.”
10. Get everything in writing. As you prepare to sign the lease, make sure that any verbal agreements or promises are documented in writing. If something is not included in the written agreement, it can most likely be ignored on the basis of clauses in leases that say something to the effect of “this is the entire agreement.” Making sure everything you negotiated for is in writing could prevent unnecessary issues from arising down the line.

Protect your business from problems and ensure you will be setting up in a place that will foster growth by preparing yourself for the lease negotiation process!

If you have decided it is time for your start-up business to find a small office lease in Kansas City, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to discuss an affordable office space in Kansas City that could be perfect for your business!

10 Things You Must Know Before Signing a Small Office Lease in Kansas City: Part IV

Signing a lease is a big decision for your business, and preparation for this process cannot be taken lightly. Here are a few things you must be aware of as you begin looking for a space for your business:

7. Have a working knowledge of rental rates. Rental rates can be tricky. Some landlords set rates artificially high with a few months of free rent to offset the actual cost in order to maintain their property value. Others stipulate that rates increase periodically in set amounts throughout the term of the lease. When paying per square foot, you might find upon closer examination that the landlord’s measurements include square footage that is not really there. Be aware also that leases will often include extra costs on top of base rent, such as operating and marketing costs.
8. Be ready to walk. Even if you become emotionally tied to a potential deal, you need to be ready to walk away from the table. The ability to walk away from a possible deal is empowering and gives you control over the ultimate outcome, ensuring that you get the best deal possible for your business.

Make sure you take the time to educate yourself on the leasing process before entering negotiations!

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

10 Things You Must Know Before Signing a Small Office Lease in Kansas City: Part III

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind before signing a lease for an office rental space:

5. Seek expert advice. Consult someone throughout the negotiation process like a lawyer, accountant, or lease consultant who can work for the best interests of your business. They can advise you on what to negotiate for, include clauses for your business’s protection, and save you from signing anything that will cause money loss and problems in the long term. You will most likely have a lot of questions throughout the lease negotiations, and an expert can help answer those questions with the best interests of your business in mind.
6. Understand the space. Sometimes the calculations for the square footage of a space are not exactly straightforward, so you will need to know how your landlord is measuring the unit space. Is the listed size based on the space’s actual square footage? Or does it include square footage that does not really exist? Is it perfectly accurate? You might also start by looking at smaller spaces in a building. If you start with a smaller space and then ask about bigger ones, the landlord might try to entice you to the bigger space with good incentives.

Approaching a lease negotiation with a little bit of knowledge and a willingness to ask for help could prevent your business from making costly negotiation mistakes.

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10 Things You Must Know Before Signing a Small Office Lease in Kansas City: Part II

Rushing into a lease could mean a huge financial setback for your business in the long run. Here are a few things to consider before you sign a lease:

3. Negotiate. Remember that while landlords and lease brokers will expect negotiations, they would love for you to take the first deal they offer, since they built in room to drop the price. If you do anything less than negotiate, you will probably end up paying more and excluding from the lease important clauses to protect your business. When negotiating, be prepared and do not appear too eager. Leave pride aside in pursuit of the best possible deal. Start low, go for extra perks such as free rent, and ask for more than you expect.
4. If this is your first lease negotiation, practice. Talk to plenty of landlords, ask as many questions as you need to, find out about different incentives—try to get an overall feel for the negotiation process. Doing so will help you better understand what is on the market and prepare you for the actual negotiations once have an idea of what is available, what your business needs, and what you can ask for in a negotiation.

Preparing for negotiations and honing your negotiation skills can help your business find the best possible office rental situation.

Is it time for your business to move into a new office rental space in Kansas City? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 to find out about our available Kansas City office space for rent!

10 Things You Must Know Before Signing a Small Office Lease in Kansas City

Before you sign an office space lease for your business, there are a few facts you should know. Here are some things to keep in mind before you sign the dotted line:

Take the time to do your homework. If you rush through the process, you will not be able to properly evaluate the marketplace to make sure it will fit your business’s needs during your tenancy. If you are approaching a lease renewal, give yourself plenty of time to negotiate so you have plenty of time to transition to a new space if you cannot settle on agreeable terms.
Business leases are not like residential leases. Know in advance that a business lease will be completely different than a personal dwelling lease, which typically only includes a set monthly price and utilities. In residential leases, the government protects the interests of the tenant and the landlord is responsible for repairs. In business leases, there are expenses that you will be responsible for above and beyond basic costs, and the government does not offer the same kinds of legal protection. Everything will be in your lease, so make sure you understand what expenses you are responsible for as well as the legal rights of both you and your landlord.

Don’t get stuck in an unfavorable lease by rushing through the process!

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

8 Small Office Lease in Kansas City Tips Every Businessperson Should Know: Part IV

Study up on leasing language and procedures before you begin searching for office rental space in Kansas City. Here are some tips on office leasing that every businessperson should know:

7. Tenant improvement allowance is usually applied to square feet. This allowance can either be applied to rentable square feet or the usable square feet of the premises. Unless you are in a single tenant building, the rentable square feet is always larger—about 10-15% larger—so the dollar amount for rentable square footage would be higher. Be sure that you know which measurement the landlord is using for the allowance.
8. Seek professional advice. Remember that you only have to go through the rental process a few times in your corporate career, whereas landlords deal in office rental all the time. Try to even the playing field by finding a good tenant representative for any relocations, subleases, or renewals. These individuals will represent you, and usually the landlord will pay for their services. Taking advantage of this opportunity means saving money and frustration in the long run.

Consult with professionals, do your research, and make sure you begin the office rental process fully prepared!

If you are interested in finding executive office rental in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to set up a tour of one of our available spaces!