AdvantEdge Workspaces Blog

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.

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.

Looking for a professional space for your next seminar, gala, fundraiser or party? Look no further than AdvantEdge Business Centers! With three prime DC locations featuring venues from professional state of the art training rooms and conference centers to casual open spaces including a rooftop terrace and party ready lounges we can help ensure that your next event is a success! Call us for pricing and availability information or click the button at the end of the article to schedule a tour at one of our centers!

The Scenario: 

You walk into your shared office space on a Monday morning and you notice the peeling paint on the walls and stained carpets as you make your way through the labyrinth of offices. You head to the kitchen to make the first of many cups of coffee and while searching to find a clean mug to use, you accidentally stain your newly-pressed white shirt with drops of coffee that were left unattended by one of your colleagues. Among the many other problems that you already have to deal with, this isn’t a great start to the week. Disheartened by these series of unfortunate events, you drag your feet back to your office and sigh loudly when you finally reach your destination. Yet as you sit down to review the massive influx of emails regarding your company's financial statements, you hear a rather loud crack coming from your unsightly office chair.

Meetings are a crucial part of business success. A productive meeting can be the difference between earning a new client, or losing a valuable opportunity. Meetings are also a great way to bring staff together and keep your employees working towards the same goals. To make your meeting go as smoothly as possible follow these tips and host your meeting in a professional conference space that compliments your business objectives.

This blog post is part 4 of a series dedicated to helping you find the right office for your business. Follow the links here to read part 1, part 2, and part 3.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 17, 2015– AdvantEdge Business Centers completed a one-year renovation project at the largest of their three Washington, DC business centers, located in the Chevy Chase Pavilion Building.

We take our work seriously. Between deadlines, proposals, conference calls, client meetings, and jam packed schedules our days can pass by in a blur leaving us exhausted and unable to focus. Here at AdvantEdge we strive to provide amenities and workspaces to help you balance your busy schedule and also listen to your body. Continue reading for a few tips you can start today to help put that pep back in your step!

Bad winter weather can hit at almost any time and if you know DC like I do, the true results of a forecasted storm can be fairly unpredictable. This can result in spontaneous office closures, cancelled meetings, and rescheduled appointments that leave you playing “catch up” in the days to follow. However, by taking advantage of the resources available to you in a shared office space, some of this stress can be alleviated so that you can focus on moving forward instead of feeling buried under all that snow!

In today’s ever changing society, the Internet is a prevalent, if not dominant part of our everyday lives; and with this, so are emails. It is estimated that over 100 trillion emails are sent per year- that’s a lot of online communication! How many of these are first impressions, introductions, or business proposals? What is it you are communicating, or not communicating, through a simple and impersonal sign off? I believe it’s time that the ever present “Thanks” meet its end!