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Today’s office is all about space – and how to best utilize space that’s often shrinking and more expensive. There’s open space and space dedicated to focused individual work, small group space and larger meeting space, shared space and co-location space.
With an emphasis on flexibility, productivity, and cost-effectiveness, it only makes sense for the office common space – also known as the break room – to undergo its own evolution.
Over the past decade, the office footprint has gotten smaller as the result of new styles of working, tech advances, higher costs, and a younger, more mobile workforce.
It’s the idea of mobility, though, that has really pushed the idea of the smaller office. So long as there’s an Internet connection, employees can work from the field or from the local coffeehouse. Less time in the office means less need for individual offices and a greater need for plug-in locations for those day or hours when employees are in-house.
While the open floor plan has had its own issues – too many distractions, for instance – the layout has helped companies realize that informal gatherings of people can often result in some of the greatest and most inspiring ideas and problem-solving opportunities.
The key to increasing productivity in a smaller space is that many office areas now need to perform double duty. For companies and designers, this has led to a shift in how the break room can be better utilized. By reframing it as a common space, it’s now able to offer a reprieve from work while also encouraging a fresh approach to ideas.
Several recent studies have looked into why so many mobile workers choose to work from a coffeehouse. Findings indicate that:
Armed with this knowledge, companies and designers have created spaces that closely resemble coffeehouses or lounges. There’s stylish seating, plenty of tables for group or individual work, Wi-Fi, healthy snacks, coffee, and, perhaps a tabletop game or two.
By bringing the coffeehouse in-house, companies are experiencing a Field of Dreams moment. If you build it, they will come.
In this case, “they” is more than just employees. Clients are also tending to linger in the common space after a meeting or before heading to the airport to take advantage of the atmosphere, to interact with employees, and to even hold meetings with their own clients.
For the companies, smart common spaces are a way to maximize their real estate investment. The common space is an additional work location option for employees and it’s a social place in which company culture and, in some cases, products are highlighted. Clients not only gain better insight into the company with which they’re doing business, but they also have an opportunity to interact with the materials they’re interested in purchasing.
When it comes to today’s office space, companies have had to make adjustments to meet both changing needs and the bottom line. The good news is that with smart design that focuses on double duty, productivity, flexibility, and efficiency, smaller spaces can accomplish big results.
Morris Southeast Group is one of the top commercial real estate brokers in South Florida, and we are available to help you meet the needs of your growing company, no matter if you need more space, new space, or any space. For a free consultation, contact our team today at 954-474-1776. You can also reach Ken Morris directly at 954.240.4400 or via email at kenmorris@morrissegroup.com.
Environmentally friendly practices in homes and businesses are becoming a hot trend, and with good reason. B Energy-efficient equipment and eco-friendly standards of operation can save you money in energy bills and lower the environmental impact made by your business in South Florida. B Use the following tips to have a more environmentally friendly business.
A big environmental issue in offices is the amount of paper used. Luckily, the increasing influence of digital copies can help you reduce the amount of paper you use with a couple of changes. B A fax machine, for example, should be upgraded to a digital version so you can view as an email rather than printing out each copy. If you have to print out on paper, try to use both sides.
Do not waste paper but try to reuse anything that normally you would throw away. You could collect any paper that is reusable in an office b recycleb box, and then write notes or office memos on the back. Always use good quality recycled paper.
Do not use paper cups and plates. Use real plates and cutlery, and wash them. This is a much better eating and drinking experience and is also helping the environment.
Change your light bulbs to ones that are less power consuming, and make it a habitB to switch off your lights and electronics at the end of the day, rather than leave electrical appliances on standby.
If you are looking for environmentally friendly business space in the South Florida area, Morris Southeast can you find the office space to satisfy your requirements. Give them a call today to find out more about commercial real estate in the South Florida area.
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The Thomas B. Hayes Award is given annually to the professional in the CORFAC family that not only shows that they can use technology in innovative and interesting ways but also the professional that shares their knowledge with their colleague. We view these professionals as role models and web re glad that Murbach, who is the COO/CFO of TRI Commercial/CORFAC International located in San Francisco, is part of the CORFAC family.
People like Murbach and all the past recipients of the Hayes Award are a reminder to us all about the value of always learning in the workplace as well as helping your colleagues learn with you. Do you have a good example of how you or someone else has shared technological advances that have made it easier to catch on? If so, share it with us below or on our Facebook page!
Source & Photo Credit: Ken Morris, SIOR (L) Presents Thomas B. Hayes Award to Drew Murbach (R) at CORFAC Internationalb s Fall Summit in Boston, MA.B
If given the choice would you choose to work from home one or two days out of the week, or do you strongly value working in the office? According to a recent article from
A recent survey on the top revealed…
- More than one-third (37%) of Gen Y workers would take a pay cut if it meant more flexibility on the job.
- By 2025, 75 percent of the global workforce will be Gen Y.
- Half of the members of Gen Y surveyed said they would b rather have no job than a job they hate.”
- 81% of Millennials think they should be allowed to make their own hours at work, compared to only 69% of baby boomers.
Where do you stand on the debate when it comes to working from home vs. in the office? Read the entire article over at The Miami HeraldB andB then share your thoughts in the comments section below.
B Miami’s Downtown Development Authority has long been working to make the core of the city the future of innovative technology for technology entrepreneursB and their efforts have continued. In a recent article from Miami Today consulting firm Techniacs stated,
“The downtown core city is the logical choice. With the Network Access Point of the Americas, the University of Miami incubator, the Pino Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University and other high-tech facilities downtown, the synergy is there.”
The goal of creating the tech hub may have even received an advance from Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez in the form of a verbalB commitmentB of $1 million to the creation over a span of four years.B If you are interested in moving your business to Miami to be apart of the future tech hub contact Morris Southeast Group at your earliest convenience by calling 866-930-1426.
Image: About Miami
In the age of smartphones and tablets there are applications available for just about everything in an effort to simplify our lives, and the same applies for commercial real estate industry.
Are there any apps that you use on a daily basis to help increase the productivity of your business? Share their benefits with us in the comments section!
Image from Apple iTunes
When any type of new technology hits the scene for personal use, it’s only a matter of time before it crosses over into the business world. Just as smartphones made their way into the everyday lives of companies as a quick and easy way to communicate and handle business on the go, so are tablets. And although they seem to be replacing laptops are tablets right for your business?
When deciding if you should issue tablets to your company consider:
- Function: Think about the main tasks that the tablet will be used for. Will it be mainly be used for presentations or when your employees are out in the field?B our briefcase or purse.
- Size: The whole point tablets are their portability. Do want it to slide into jacket pockets or be fit for a briefcase or purse?
- Accessories: Just as with any other portable technology you will need the right accessories to ensure that it works efficiently for your company.
- Internal management: Will you be able to use your internal applications with it and will it be easy for your IT department to manage?
Are you considering buying tablets for your business or do you already use them? If so share your thoughts with us.
As information technology continues to develop the business world is seeing theB rise of new office technology trends. Keeping these trends in mind and findingB ways to make them work for you will give you an edge in your business.
Smartphones are rapidly shouldering aside the traditional cellular phone, leadingB to a significant decrease in the prevalence of traditional cell phones in business.B This is due to the dramatically greater functionality of smartphones, including aB number of useful business applications. For instance, cloud-based printing allowsB a user to connect to a printer from a smartphone or tablet computer via theB Internet, enabling the user to manage important printing jobs such as adjustingB brochures, customizing business cards, or completing documents, while on theB road.
A smartphone can make you safer on the road, as well as more productive. InB addition to the GPS apps that many people already use, newer apps such asB iOnRoad expand the smartphone’s versatility in your vehicle, using the cameraB as a collision avoidance tool to keep you safer on the way to view a property.
If you are looking to expand your business Morris Southeast Group can help youB find the commercial real estate you need.
Have you ever been reading one of our posts on commercial real estate or the South Florida market and thought to yourself that the post would be perfect for someone you know? If so did you share it? If you didn’t we want to make you aware of the two easy ways you can share our posts with your friends or family.
The first way is by retweeting on Twitter, or sharing it though Facebook. To do either all you have to do is click on the Facebook or Twitter button at the top of the post just under the title, login and then click Tweet or Send.B The second way is subscribe to our blog and have the emails sent directly to your inbox. From there you can simply forward the posts you would like to share to anyone in contacts. And if you are’t sure how to subscribe take a look at this post that tells you how. Thanks for reading and sharing!!
Have you been hearing updates ever so often regarding the MIA Mover since construction began in January of this year? Well the wait is finally over; the Miami International Airport (MIA) recently unveiled the finished Automated People Mover.
As a part of the Miami Intermodal Center Project the elevated mover will transportB travelers and workers 1.25 miles from the airport terminal to the MIA Rental Center.B It is comprised of eight train cars that will be able to transport up to 3,000 passengers an hour helping to reduce the airport’s fuel emissions by 15 percent.
In addition to easing passenger traffic at terminal curb-fronts and the roads going in and out of MIA, the Mover has createdB 1,000 new jobs. It was also completed on time, under the proposed budget by $5 million and it has even earned the nationb s top safety recognition Voluntary Protection Program Star status from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
What are your thoughts on the MIA Mover? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Image by MDAD via Miami International Airport
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Morris Southeast Group | 13798 NW 4th Street, Suite 310, Sunrise, FL 33325
Phone: (954) 474-1776 | kenmorris@morrissegroup.com
