Office Site

One of the best places to search for commercial office space is online. It is nearly impossible to personally seek out all of the buildings that have available space. This is especially true in large cities such as New York, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. In smaller towns, it is much easier to simply drive down “main” street or to call a realtor.

For commercial office space, turn to sites like http://www.mrofficespace.com/. This site allows people to search for office space for free in 11 major commercial real estate markets along the east coast. Whether you live in Boston or Atlanta, you will most likely be able to find the largest selection of commerical real estate here. But don’t neglect your own “back yard” when searching for commercial office space for rent, lease or purchase. There are even property owners that will “build to suit” the office space you are leasing.

This site features over 1.5 billion square feet of office space for rent. There is no possible way that you would be able to cover that much space by personally scouring a city. There are just too many buildings, and too many areas. You would definitely miss out on some good opportunities. In order to find a property at a site like http://www.mrofficespace.com/, you need to fill out eight different search criteria - and the engine will return the best possible results to fit your specifications.

Another way to get great deals when purchasing commerical office space is to start talking with property managers for skyscraper commerical offices or commercial buildings in the closest metropolitan area. Let them know what you plan to do - and what type of property you are looking for. If they have an excess of commercial lots, they will more than likely give you a call when something opens up. This is one of the easiest ways to get leads on properties that are available or that are coming available soon.

When purchasing commercial office space, the last place you should check is in local real estate magazines. While these may not provide current and sortable options for your business, they may provide more local listings than Internet directories that serve the same purpose.

Basic research needs to be conducted in order to find the office space that will best suit your needs. You would be ill advised if you settle for the first property that comes along. It is entirely possible that something more suitable is out there.

Available office space can be found in one of three ways. Each of their advantages and disadvantages are outlined below. For most people, a combination of the three is the best way to find available office space. Regardless of which one you choose, be sure to thoroughly research whichever office you decide on. Leases vary greatly and you will want to get a lease that fits the long term goals of your business. Consider lease payment, availability, size (leave room for expansion), neighborhood, and any other features and options you can think of. Will you be needing an internet connection? Verify that this is available should you need it now or in the near future.

The first thing that many people do is check with their network to find available office space. Often, the best space can be found by asking around to people in the industry. If you know of a client who has a great office space, you may want to give them a call and see if they have any suggestions. You never know, a great space may have just opened up in their building. You can also have them keep an eye out for you. This method of finding space is the easiest and most reliable.

Also, the most traditional way of finding available office space is through the newspaper classified ads. This will give you a listing of several options in your area. The only problem with using this as your sole source is that an ad does not give you a lot of information. You still need to drive to the property to check it out. This can often be a waste of time. An example of one newspaper classified can be found at http://www.cityfeet.com/searchspace/detailedlisting.asp?ListingID=1091822.

A site like http://www.hq.com/go/officespace offers office space to anybody who is in need. This site is a great place to find available space without ever having to leave your house. They offer offices in 750 business locations across 60 different countries. This is a perfect site for anybody that is going to have to relocate to another city.

Office space can be found in abundance from the three sources listed above. Check them all out before deciding on your next office. This will be one of the biggest decisions you will make concerning your business and you should take the time necessary to fully evaluate all of the available options.

Drive by any office building and you are sure to see at least one sign that reads “Office space for lease.” There are office buildings popping up all over the country, making it very easy to find office space. Also, with so many companies downsizing, many offices are also opening up space that they could never offer before. An office space for lease sign is your invite to look into the property further. If you like what you see from the outside, call the manager of the building and ask if the office space for lease is still available. If it is, then set up an appointment to view the inside and get your questions answered.

If you are not having any luck this way, the Internet offers a great alternative for people searching for office space for lease. Check out a site such as http://www.worktopia.com/. This site allows anybody to search world wide for office space. The way you do this is simple. On the home page you can fill in all of your search criteria, and within seconds you will have results that suit your needs. Sometimes the site will notify you that it may take 4 business hours to complete the search. I have tried the search for a small town and am waiting to see what it turns up.

You will need to fill in five separate boxes with information concerning the office space you are looking to lease. First off, you will need to fill in your city, state, or zip. From there, you need to fill in the country that you are interested in. After that you will need to provide the date that you are hoping to start your lease, as well as how long you want your lease to last. Finally, you are required to provide the number of workspaces that you need.

After that it is all up to you. You can choose from all of the available options, and then set appointments with the offices that interest you. This is one of the best ways to find office space for lease.

Finding an office space for lease is easy if you know where to look. Don’t loose site of the internet as a valuable resource in your search. In small towns you can simply drive down the main business district and observe the signs in the windows. You can also enlist the help of a realtor in finding the space to meet your needs.

Purchasing an office phone system is one of the important decisions of an organization or business. Telephone is essential equipment that helps to easily run a business/office. Best office phone systems keep you in touch with your staff and customers at all times.

Office phone system offers great features like voice mail and call forwarding etc. It enables you to manage all incoming calls to accurate departments. Multi line office phone system enables your customers to call two or more lines simultaneously. It also offers a speed-dialing feature that helps you dial telephone numbers instantly. This feature increases the effectiveness of your office phone system.

Actually telephone systems are important communication tools that connect business with suppliers, investors, customers and others. It easily connects different people associated to different departments. Finding a suitable office phone system is very difficult task. Selection of office phone system normally depends on number of employees at a business.

PBX phone system is the best option for the business with more than forty employees. It offers advanced communication flexibility with several different functions. PBX phone systems also offer small package for smaller companies. These are available at affordable prices. Nowadays these systems can be stored and arranged from a desktop.

Cost of office phone systems depends on the communication packages offered with the system. These systems provide flexible features in comparison to other communication packages. Several phone systems provide auto attendant feature that is recorded voice instructing various callers. It is an important feature for big organizations that have large number of telephone calls.

You can easily find different types of office phone systems on Internet. You should determine your requirements before purchasing the best office phone system. Several suppliers provide their service via Internet. You can discuss your requirements with supplier to get the best product.

Is your office green? Here are 25 ways to help reduce your company’ s environmental impact. By implementing one or more of the following “going green” suggestions, you can make a difference, save your company money and save the environment.

1. Turn off your equipment, computer, printers, scanners, calculator, etc. You can plug them into one power strip and turn it off at the end of the day.

2. Unplug charging devices (such as a cell phone charger when not in use)

3. Do not leave your cell phone charging over night, charge during the day and when the battery is full, take it off the charger.

4. Use natural sun light when possible.

5. Turn off office lights at night.

6. Use washable coffee mugs .

7. Bring your own set of silverware.

8. Avoid printing in color. Print drafts in black and white at the economy level.

9. Re-use boxes for when you have to ship items out.

10. Plan video or online meetings, instead of traveling.

11. Create recycle bins for:

• Cans
• Cardboard
• Glass
• Newspaper
• Paper
• Plastic

12. Recycle old equipment such as computers, cell phones, pagers and PDAs.

13. Print out only what you need. Only print essential emails.

14. Print or use both sides of paper.

15. Buy recycled paper.

16. Re-use supplies as much as possible. Take large envelopes and create interoffice envelopes or take used paper, and cut them into piece for note pads.

17. Buy eco friendly supplies such as refillable pens, papers and refillable tape dispensers.

18. If you are responsible for buying lighting, replace any incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star rated light bulbs or fluorescent bulbs.

19. Recycle toner and ink cartridges.

20. Buy re-manufactured toners and printer cartridges.

21. Turn off your screen saver and use hibernate or sleep instead.

22. Install a water filter instead of using bottle water.

23. Ask to be removed from any snail mail distributions you do not read. If you get catalogues, asked to be removed from the list and look use the website to look at their products.

24. If you have a personal printer, set the quality to draft or economy. If you need high quality, you can set it for each individual instance.

25. If feasible, make arrangements to work from home one day a week.

Modern modular buildings have come along way from the construction site office trailer that many of us are accustomed to.

Some recent projects completed this year include a complex of 12 modular units joined together to form a single 72 foot by 90 foot space. This office complex contains numerous offices, a large conference and training room as well as large open areas. This space was created by connecting the trailers six wide and two back to back.

Another company created their large office space by joining eight trailers side by side.

So why are companies choosing modular buildings and trailer to house their office complexes? There are three basic reasons, cost, speed of construction and quality of the construction.

The cost of modular construction can be half to a third of the cost of traditional site built buildings. Modular buildings can be built at lower cost due in part to the saving in material cost and delivery expense. In on site construction, material must be delivered in small lots to the site. In a modular factory, material can be purchased in bulk and delivered more cost effectively. Also, due to the repetitive nature of the construction, there is less waste.

There is also savings in site preparation and foundation work. Traditional construction requires a concrete foundation and considerable grading to prepare the site. Since modular trailers have their own frames to support the units, foundation work can be minimal and a perfectly level site is not required.

However one of the greatest benefits of modular construction is speed of occupancy. The example above, went from concept to occupancy is just six weeks. Traditional construction techniques could have taken up to a year to build a similar building.

The quality of the building can also be much better in a modular building than in a construction subject to changing weather conditions and questionable craftsmanship.

Modular buildings are constructed in a facility protected from the weather under strict quality control procedures. Quality is not as dependent on the skill and mood of the individual workers. In the modular factory, there are procedure and quality controls inspection process to insure that all steps are completed in a workman like manner.

In normal construction, materials are exposed to the weather as the building is being constructed. In a modular factory, raw materials and the assembly are protected from the elements during construction. This protection results in better fit and finish along with less chance of mold growth and other weather related problems.

Yet another added benefit is purchasing flexibility. Modular buildings can be purchased, leased or rented depending on the application. Modular buildings have the added advantage that they can be disassembled and moved to another location if the need ever arises.

So whatever your office space requirements, from a simple construction site trailer to a full office complex, modular construction can get you in a better place faster and more economically than traditional construction techniques.

Whether you’re moving out of a small office or a large one, there are steps you need to take in order to ensure your furniture removal is as efficient and quick as possible. Local furniture removal and interstate furniture removal or backloading, are some terms that may be floating around during this, often, confusing period.

Nonetheless, if you’re organized and you follow the right steps, moving should be nothing more than a breeze. That is why a good furniture removalist can make the job look so easy. The following checklist will give you a good idea what you’ll need to do in order to accomplish the move.

Approximately 4 to 6 months prior to moving

* Construct a list itemizing tasks - this is important to keep track of what you’re going to do.
* Pick a move coordinator - choosing a good one will make all the difference. Don’t spend any less time on this one than you should.
* Contact a real estate broker - do this if you need to take care of selling or renting your old premises.
* Have a meeting with the building manager
* Choose a lay out at the new site
* Decide on a budget - make sure you know how much you are willing to spend.
* Pick out the moving day
* Instruct hired moving employees on plans you want followed
* See if there are any major tenant improvement needs necessary
* Pick out contractors - again, choosing a good one will make all the difference. Don’t spend any less time on this one than you should.
* Acquire permits
* Have new phone numbers and fax numbers setup for the new site

Approximately 2 to 4 months prior to move day

* Hire a professional moving company - this one goes without saying; choosing a good one will make all the difference. Don’t spend any less time on this one than you should.
* Employ a professional cleaning service
* Buy labels with your new address
* Get Internet access setup for the new site
* Assess and upgrade your telephone arrangement
* Get more phone lines hooked up
* Get a service for long distance or VoIP
* Assess server room necessities - if you have a systems administrator on your team, let him or her handle this one.
* Map out a layout for the office space
* Buy new furniture i.e. desks and chairs

Approximately 1 or 2 moths prior to moving

* Designate which employee gets what space at the new site
* Eradicate unnecessary junk and clutter
* Alert vendors and customers to the change of address
* Update the company’s webpage
* Get insurance appraisal and quotes for the new site
* Make arrangements for the copy machine to be moved or purchase a new one
* Obtain a security and alarm system as well as closed circuit television
* Get keys and access cards ready
* Get equipment so that coffee is available right away at the office
* Acquire vending machines
* Make sure your finances are in order and purchase new checks with the correct address change
* Build out the new site and office space

Approximately 1 month until moving day

* Conduct inventory on computers and furniture
* Lock up possessions that won’t be moved in storage facilities
* Acquire packing supplies for the move
* Pack items found in common areas
* Mark all wall pieces and have them moved to the new site
* Establish your new telephone system and systems furniture at your new site
* Give out the new phone numbers and extension lines
* Obtain necessary utilities
* Alert the post office about your new location’s address
* Buy updated stationary

Approximately 1 week prior to the move

* Map out the new area
* Pack up all necessary items
* Turn off all systems
* Put proper labels on all boxes according to their respective destinations
* Back up all the information on the computers
* Clean out your fridge
* Examine and scrutinize your new surroundings
* Keep loading docks and freight elevators
* Hand out new keys and access cards
* Don’t hold meetings with clients or interviewees - this will prevent scaring the potential customers or employees with regard to how messy your establishment really is when they start doing business with you.
* Alert clients about your unavailability
* Carry out all last-minute chores
* Delegate employees to guide the movers

On Moving Day

* Don’t have too many employees in either of the 2 offices
* Make sure there is food ready for everyone who is contributing to the move
* Hang up coded signs at the new site for the professional moving company
* Guard the routes frequently used by the movers
* Bring the plants to your new location
* Configure a “lost and found” carton
* Clean the old site thoroughly
* Gather any old keys and access cards
* Hang up your office decorations i.e. paintings
* Hold a Welcome Breakfast on the opening day of work at the new site - doing this will instill morale back into your work force.

Of course, some of the things listed above may or may not apply to your business. But do the necessary preparation and homework beforehand. Moving can be one of the most frustrating things and like most successes, you’ll need a good plan.