AdvantEdge Workspaces Blog

For early-stage companies reliant on outside funding, the massive up-front costs of acquiring your own office space can prove a seemingly unsustainable burden. When trying to exercise as much financial prudence as possible, the last thing you want to do is take on a long-term liability, but with a traditional lease, you’re left with little choice. Your company has to work somewhere, but how can you manage cash flows appropriately while still getting the environment you need? Shared office space can prove the perfect solution for startups, keeping costs low over time, and even lower up front.

While we have seemingly endless apps and websites available to use as a resource for just about anything, with so many resources at our disposal, a task like finding office space can quickly become quite daunting. Because physical office space is such a large expense, educating yourself as much as possible and starting early are vitally important. Not only do you need to determine the needs of your business at present, but you also have to consider its future. AdvantEdge can help assist along the way and ensure you make the best decision for both your company and your employees.

When it comes to determining the office space needs of your business, it’s most important to stay realistic. Try not to over- or underestimate - your business’s future capacity by allowing yourself enough time to evaluate the needs of your employees, your future business plans, and by doing your research thoroughly. Once you’ve nailed down the roadmap of your business plan, a good place to turn to amidst your search are the tried and true resource of real estate brokers. While you can search for space on any site or app, brokers understand the current conditions of the real estate market for your city and can help you make better informed choices about a building or market than you would be able to on your own. This is particularly helpful if you’re trying to set up an office in an area that you may be unfamiliar with. Online reviews and social media, when mixed in with expert opinions from your broker, are also good resources for getting the feel of a space. These tools can provide insight into the quality of the customer service you would receive, building amenities, and current tenant satisfaction.

One of the primary objectives of any small business is to grow and expand in a way that supports both your employees and clients alike. How can you make sure your business has the correct resources to accommodate such growth? Expansion means more employees. More employees means more space, more offices, desks, chairs, the list goes on. Shared executive office spaces grant you and your business the freedom to expand at your own rate without the pressures of committing to a long-term lease. Here at AdvantEdge, our team works closely with you day in and day out to make sure your business’s needs are met to the highest standards.

One of the fundamental concerns in opening a new office will be deciding what physical location is best for your company. How will you find a space that is within your price range yet still meets all of your needs? Will this be a space that your company can grow into over time or will you be forced to relocate within a year or two? Choosing to office your business with a shared workspace can be a valuable step towards jump starting your entrepreneurial endeavor.

Whether you are looking for temporary space for a few months or plan to stay in one spot for a few years, we have professional, modern workspaces for your company here at AdvantEdge Business Centers. Why consider shared workspace? There are many advantages of officing with shared workspaces including access to a productive work environment, networking opportunities with many DC businesses, and the convenience of avoiding long term liability and unnecessary financial burdens.

Nowadays, we have seemingly unlimited options when it comes to finding the perfect office space. Physical office space can be one of your company’s biggest expenses, therefore, it is important to start early and determine the needs of your business at present, while also considering the future. Where to start? Consult different resources at your disposal to ensure that you make the best decision for both your company and your employees.

Location is a vital factor in choosing a new office space. Finding the perfect balance of proximity to home, clients, and industry partners can be tough, but the right location can boost your business growth almost instantly. Our easily accessible D.C. area locations are Class A with high-end amenities, providing everything your small business needs within Washington, DC. Here at AdvantEdge Business Centers we offer three convenient workspaces in high-end neighborhoods to help give your business the tools to grow.

In running and maintaining a successful business, planning ahead is always encouraged. However, this is easier said than done especially when the future is uncertain. In situations like these, it’s ideal to develop plans that are as flexible as possible and to work with people who understand the nature of an ever-growing, ever-changing business. Here at AdvantEdge, our ongoing goal is to evolve with your business and help you succeed any way we can. Our job is to help you juggle the seemingly constant internal changes of your office in order to help your business continue to grow over time.

When moving into a shared office space, it can be difficult to know exactly what kind of perks that space offers that could truly benefit your company. Sure, there are the tangible resources such as furniture, supplies, phones, and other typical office fixtures, but what about those benefits that are less obvious? Here at AdvantEdge, we aren’t just here to answer your phones from a distance, but rather to function as an extension of your staff by offering a highly personalized experience.

Meetings are one of the largest and most debilitating components of organizational clutter. Research shows that managers spend 15% of their time in meetings and many of these meetings actually have no clear purpose. Senior executives spend two full days a week in meetings. In 22% of these meetings, participants send three or more e-mails for every half an hour they spent sitting in a meeting room. This clearly contradicts the goals of a meeting to facilitate and disseminate productivity throughout the company from top down.

Here are some basic tips to consider when conducting a meeting in order to maximize productivity, inspire your staff, and get ahead:

First and foremost, designate the meeting to be held in an appropriate location. The location itself can affect the productivity of the participants. If the location is too bland or completely unengaging, participants may become bored and lethargic. On the other hand, if the location is too busy with too many distractions, the participants may lose focus.

Second, eliminate the use of technology for the duration of the meeting. While having laptops and cell phones may be useful, outside correspondence can usually wait. Also, studies show that we remember information better when we write it down by hand and doodling can lead to greater creative capacity among individuals.

Third, define the purpose of the meeting. By having a specified goal or objective for the meeting, it will be more difficult to be led astray by other factors. Set an agenda and stick to it. This helps to start and end meetings on time, which not only increases participant morale, but also increases the effort put in by participants to actually attend the meetings. Furthermore, by defining a meeting’s purpose you can better organize who should attend and develop engagement strategies to fit a specific audience.

Here at AdvantEdge, our meeting and conference rooms provide the perfect space for executing successful meetings. All our meeting spaces have state of the art technology that can facilitate your meeting without the need of any extra equipment, hassle, or distraction. Moreover, if you need anything throughout your meeting, our on-site staff is here for you. Click the button below to learn more about our workspaces and book an appointment at one of our three business centers in Washington, DC.