For any business today, having the right premises for work is one of the core aspects of keeping a business running well, and for some companies, mainly smaller ones, it can be a serious undertaking to find the right campus or office space for the business and its workers and equipment. The good news is that smaller companies have some cost-friendly, effective ways to get their needed place for work, and finding office space leasing is one such option. Working remotely is another good option for employees of any business, big or small, and it can ease the strain of finding a place big enough for everyone and their furniture and equipment. As a bonus, research has found that working remotely, such as virtual office solutions, working remotely, or even working while traveling can be cost-effective alternatives to a fully furnished office packed with people. If a business knows how to go about this, finding office space leasing or setting up remote workers to have a virtual office can be a great way to keep business going without breaking the bank. How can this be done, and what are some trends about office workers and their work space?
Where Americans Work
Any smaller business looking for office space leasing or setting up virtual office packages could first consider how and where Americans work, and what the results are. Simply working remotely, or telecommuting, has already demonstrated itself as a powerful option to pursue. ConnectSolutions carried out a survey and found that about 30% of all teleworkers considered telecommuting a more time-efficient way to work, and what is more, another study showed that 82% of telecommuters have lower levels of stress, possibly because they are not exposed to distractions at the workplace and they do not have to go through rush hour or a crowded subway to reach an office. And around the world, just over 50% of part-time telecommuters reported wanting to increase their remote hours.
Telecommuting and working from home or while traveling is good not just for the worker, but the business, too. For one thing, Sun Microsystems determined that those who work at home can spend 60% of the time they would have spent commuting can be dedicated to the work itself, and the American Management Association found that organizations who use a telework program have a 63% decrease in unscheduled absences among their workers. Finally, companies in general reported lower operating costs when some of their workers operate remotely, and American Express, for one, showed that it saved anywhere from $10 to $15 million thanks to remote work options being used.
Office Space Leasing
Another way that a company can save money, in addition to or instead of telecommuting, is to find office space available for lease instead of purchasing a whole building or work campus, and this can be an attractive option for smaller businesses with limited budgets. According to Fit Small Business, there are several steps that a company can take when looking for office space leasing. One is to broadly state the company’s needs as a guideline, such as the need for parking, floor space for the employees and their furniture, as well as a kitchen, break room, or meeting rooms. Proximity to clients may be another factor.
Also, the square footage of the office space for lease, as well as maintenance costs and utilities costs, should be compared to the company’s budget, and too-expensive places can be struck off the list. Working with a tenant-broker can be another strong option if a business needs further help finding the right premises. Also, once a candidate place for office space leasing is found, the clients can take a personal tour to check for ease of access, the type of neighborhood the building has, as well as the age of the building’s utilities like plumbing and air conditioning, not to mention security features like a gate or cameras.
Once the best office space has been chosen, the client company can negotiate a lease, such as with a tenant broker, and there are three types to consider: full (landlord pays all expenses), net (expenses are shared), or modified gross lease (no hidden costs involved for the tenant company).