Business Management | BizSieve.com

Finding Suitable Office Space: The 5 Most Helpful Tips

If you run a small to medium sized business and need to move to bigger premises because you have outgrown your current office space, there are a few things to consider in making the move a successful one. A good place to start is to make a list of what you love about your current office set up, you can then complete this list by noting everything your staff have always requested or needed. This will be a great starting place to getting an idea of some of the features that your new office space must have. In addition to following this practice, the tips below will help you find that perfect new setting for your business.

1. Think about Convenience

This applies to your staff as well as your customers or clients. Does your new office space need to be in the same area as your existing one or can you provide your services from elsewhere? Your new location will need to answer these questions by accommodating your worker’s commute as well as the people that rely on your services. If your business is location specific and you need to stay in the same area, then finding a bigger space may be easy although being able to look in different areas has the advantage of providing more variety.

2. Building Security and Access

If you are staying local you will already have a good idea of the best places to locate your new offices, but this may be more difficult to ascertain in a new town or city however. The security of your new office building hinges on a number of factors such as location, or whether there are security solutions in place. No one likes to work in an insecure environment so some research on your new location as well as a consideration of your organisation’s level of risk will help in your decision-making.

Your staff requirements will also need to be considered in terms of access to the building. For instance, will you be able to get into the building late at night if your worker’s need 24 hr. access? If you are looking at the options of Office space Belgravia has to offer for example, canvassing similar local business as well as realty experts in that area will provide a wealth of information with which you can use to make an informed decision.

3. Energy Efficiency and Costs

We all need to do our bit to save the environment and most companies now place great emphasis on green initiatives. With buildings and vehicles being the main focus of carbon footprint reduction, a good idea is to choose energy efficient buildings because not only are they better for the environment, they also lower your energy costs!

4. Plan for the Future

You are probably looking for new office space because your business or organisation has outgrown its current location. Therefore, when you choose your new office space, it has to accommodate your business as it stands currently as well as any short term forecasted growth. This approach will save costs and disruptions to your business in the long run as it eliminates the constant need to move.

5. Check the Terms of the Lease Agreement

Finally, when you find a property you are interested in, you will need to understand the specific details of the proposed rental or lease agreement. Check and confirm the length of the lease, compliance with local building and council regulations, as well as the agreed rental amount. Other things to look out for include building maintenance responsibilities, parking space allocation, and all the charges you will be expected to cover. Once you are satisfied, all that will be left to do is to sign the document and get started on your company’s new beginning!

Creating A Strategy To Address Business Fire Risks

Do you have a fire strategy in place at your business premises? If not you should have! Since the Fire Service stopped issuing Fire Certificates every business owner is legally responsible for having their building assessed for risk and putting a strategy in place.

We know this seems like just another niggling piece of red tape but not only could it save lives but it could save you a great deal of money. The cost of fires can be astronomical and of course if you don’t have an adequate plan in place and be seen to be active in this area you could incur fines.

A blow by blow plan

Here are our tips to ensure you stay compliant within the new fire safety laws:

Nominate a member of staff to be ‘fire risk officer’; if they have fire risk assessment training so much the better
Get a fire risk assessment for your building either by your officer or by an outside agency. This will look at all the areas of risk and give you a report which you can use to address any issues
From the report draw up a check-off list to ensure that these issues are dealt with in order of listed priority
Make sure you have a plan in place in case of fire and that your staff are well versed in; this should include how they make their way to the escape route, who is responsible for closing doors and checking everyone is out of the building and other details
Have regular fire drills so that in the case of an emergency, your team will know exactly what to do and panic won’t take over
Have a clear escape route and make sure it is kept clear at all times
Ensure you have sufficient fire figh
ting equipment and that it is in good working order. This includes fire or smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers and fire blankets
Get your fire fighting equipment checked regularly to keep it in good working order
Make sure that your fire risk officer knows which equipment or risks should be checked regularly. This ensures that your fire risk assessment is an on-going process rather than something which is looked at once a year
Record what is checked and when it is checked for your records
Put training for fire safety in place for any staff that need it
Make sure that your Fire Risk Officer liaises with your First Aid Officer

The list may seem excessive especially if you don’t have many employees but it is far better to be safe rather than sorry after the event. It is good for compliance with the legal requirements too.

Time to get started

First things first, get your fire risk assessments completed so that you have a starting point. It’s never too soon and then you can start ensuring that you are legal in this department and get your staff up to speed.

About the Author: Harry Price is a free-lance writer and personal trainer. He enjoys guest blogging and travelling the country.

The Perils of Being an Out of State Landlord

Purchasing property for investment purposes can be challenging for a landlord with the tasks of collecting rent and upkeep. However, buying a dwelling out of state can significantly increase your worries and concerns. The following are a list of perils that come with your distant investments.

Potential Legalities

Handling evictions and arbitration can be time consuming and costly when you’re an out of state landlord. If you need to make additional trips to deal with the ousting of the current tenants and seeking legal help along the way, you may have to incur expensive fees. This can eat up a majority of your profits if you have to make court appearances and post legal documentation. It can run you 10% or more to enlist the help of a property management team, and it is highly doubtful they will keep as watchful an eye on your home as you would.

Vacancies

Homes without residents tend fall into disrepair, and are often the site of break ins and vandalism – adding to the stigma of absentee ownership within a neighborhood. The longer the vacancy, the more maintenance is generally necessary, and with nobody there to report potential problems (such as leaks, pests, and squatters, the bigger your problems can become. There are companies who specialize in renovation and cash buys, which might be a welcome solution for your situation.

Maintenance & Upkeep

Property investors who own a dwelling close to them can do much of the work on their own. Chores can include lawn and snow upkeep, plumbing fixes, painting and general maintenance. This can allow you to save quite a bit of money in the long run and keep your costs and maintenance fees to a minimum. Hiring a management company to oversee the handling of your dwelling can prove much for expensive, and sometimes their attempt to save you money means low quality performance.

Neighborhood Changes

It can be hard to keep up with neighborhood changes when the property that you own is so far away. Whether the homes are becoming run down and dilapidated or the neighborhood properties are reducing in price, you may find it difficult to keep up with any changes when you’re long distant. A realtor or property management company can alert you to any abnormalities, but it can come at a price. Having something nearby is much easier to manage, and you’ll know when to sell before the changes become too apparent.

Tenant Accountability

Finding good tenants can be difficult for any landlord. Since the dwelling is not their own, some renters feel that it’s just not their obligation – and a tenant with a landlord out of state may be even less accountable. This can be especially difficult when you’re trying to get your tenants to follow rules, guidelines and regulations that pertain to their living arrangements. It can be even more trying when it comes to collecting rent in a timely manner. You may have to enlist the help of a management company just when it comes to collecting fees and follow through.

Owning investment property can be a cost-effective way to make additional income. According to http://pdxrenovations.com/, however, being an out of state landlord can place you at the forefront of many obstacles and perils, especially when it comes to collecting rents and maintaining the value of the investment. It might be time to consider selling your out of town rentals, so you can purchase something nearby that you can more easily manage yourself.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dottiemae/5575141678/

How To Make Your Meetings More Active

For most office workers, sitting is a way of life. You sit at your desk, in the breakroom, in the conference room and definitely throughout lunch. Then you sit in your car as you drive home, sit at the dinner table and sit on the couch while you watch TV. That’s alot of inactive time, and even exercising for as much as an hour a day won’t undo the damage. From standing desks to in-office yoga, there are countless ways to sneak a little bit more movement into your day. But perhaps one of the best techniques is one that’s commonly overlooked: walking meetings. Here are a few reasons why they’re a great idea and how you can incorporate them into your office life.

What’s So Great About Walking Meetings?

1. They get the blood pumping

Whether you’ve got a team of power walkers or you prefer a quiet stroll through the park, walking will pump oxygenated blood throughout your body. This decreases the health risks associated with sitting like Deep Vein Thrombosis and insulin resistance, and also delivers fresh nutrients to your brain so you can really pump out the good ideas.

2. New environments spark creativity

There’s nothing less conducive to innovation than staying huddled in a blank-walled cubicle. Walking through different environments will help your team think in new ways. Plus, it can be fun and motivating to toggle between different routes, helping team members feel like they’re exploring while they’re meeting.

3. Set routes keep meetings on
track

As most office workers know too well, scheduled meetings often run over their time slots, cutting into your “getting things done” time. Having a set route will help ensure that when a destination is reached, the meeting is done–no spillovers.

4. Cuts through hierarchical distinctions

When you’re really trying to brainstorm creative solutions, the last thing you want is for team members to hold back because the boss is in the room. The casual nature of walking meetings helps reduce anxiety, ensuring that all ideas are heard.

5. Encourages private and distraction-free interactions

One-on-one meetings in the office are often interrupted by phone calls or colleagues with urgent requests that aren’t actually all that urgent. Walking meetings help keep meetings private and productive, allowing for greater one-on-one interaction.

How to Have a Great Walking Meeting

1. Have an agenda

An agenda is even more important during a walking meeting, as the casual nature of the setting can lead topics off track. For that reason, it’s also important that you have 100% buy-in from your team members, so they’ll be sure to dress comfortably, take the meeting seriously and be focused and engaged. For the best results, designate a meeting leader to keep things on pace.

2. Work in smaller groups

Walking meetings do best when they’re limited to just 2 or 3 people who can walk abreast on a sidewalk or path. If your team is larger than that, plan on splitting up into groups.

3. Know your route ahead of time

Getting lost shouldn’t be on the agenda. Choose your route carefully, avoiding any that will be potentially too noisy or dis
tracting. For longer routes, pick a destination where you can pick up a reward, like a coffee shop with great biscotti. This can also be a great place for a break, where the notetaker can type up any notes using a tablet and a Goldtouch mobile keyboard. Alternatively, ask your team members’ permission to record the meeting so nothing is missed.

4. Ban smartphones

Except for mapping and recording, it’s best to enforce a strict no smartphones policy. Not only will this keep everyone focused on task, but it will also prevent anyone from falling off a curb while they text (how’s that for liability?).

5. Choose the best time of day

Some teams will prefer walking in the morning to really start the day off right. Others will prefer walking during the afternoon to overcome that 3PM slump.

6. End with an action plan

< p>When your walking meeting ends, don’t just drift off to various parts of the building. Stop at the door of your office to lay out concrete action steps for every team member and set a date for your next walking meeting.

The Takeaway

Today’s modern office life revolves around the chair, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Walking meetings are a great way to sneak in a little exercise while getting to know your teammates and brainstorming impressive ideas. So slip those walking shoes on beneath that suit and get going!

About the Author: Leah Kaminsky is a writer and blogs for Goldtouch, an ergonomic keyboard company located in Cedar Park, Texas. When not working on her fiction writing, you can find her jogging with a dorky pastel visor on (hey, a girl has to protect her face). You can follow her at @JustStartApps.

Building Better Business Meeting Etiquette

A business meeting can be held anywhere – in offices, hotels, coffee shops, conference centers, online, etc. There are different types of business meetings and each type of meeting has its unique rules. The unwritten commandments of any meeting are:

a.    Politeness
b.    Respect
c. Empathy
d.   Common sense
e.   Good behavior

If any of these commandments are violated, the meeting can fail. So, to ensure that your meeting is a success, here a basic primer on meeting etiquette:

Virtual Meetings

The meeting organizer must control the meeting. He must ensure that the meeting is brief and yet productive. He also must realize that many participants can slack off during virtual meetings, and therefore he must ensure that every item on the agenda holds the attention.

The organizer should communicate the meeting’s goals to all participants in a prior email. He should set expectations and communicate them to all participants. The attendees also should confirm if they are available on the meeting date and time.

The meeting should start as per schedule and its proceedings should be recorded by an assistant. Attention must be paid to action items and their allocation.

The organizer should send the minutes of the meeting to all the invitees, irrespective of the fact they couldn’t attend. He also should send the minutes to any person who is impacted by any decision made at the meeting.

Company Meetings

Such meetings are formal affairs that require advance preparation. All participants must double-check their data and presentations in advance and make suitable revisions/updates in the days leading up to the meeting.

Participants must arrive on time, follow the seating arrangement and the dress code. They must not carry their mobile devices. Carrying a notebook or diary and pen to such formal business gatherings is a must.

Protocol must be followed and senior colleagues should be allowed to have their say, participants must be brief and to the point while making their presentations. They must address the chair while making a point.

To Sum Up

There are certain unwritten common sense rules of every meeting. Participants should arrive before the meeting begins and be prepared with their items. They should interact with all the participants instead of forming silos and indulging
in small-group conversations.

They must listen attentively and speak only when they are given the floor. However, questions can be posed during the question time allotted after every topic – only relevant questions should be asked. Also, asking the right questions requires making relevant notes using paper and pen.

Participants should not bring any unannounced guests and control their urge to tap the pen on the table or their feet on the floor. Papers must not be rustled every now and then and participants must avoid doodling or unintentionally disturbing the speaker or their neighbors in any which way.

These are all commonsense tips that most office workers and business owners may know. What you have read is not the Bible of business meeting behavior – it is a plain and simple guide that will help you understand a business meeting’s basic expectations and plan accordingly.

About the Author: Evelyn A. Brown is an event planner who lives in Spartanburg, SC. She organizes meetings, conferences, product launch, weddings, and many more. She usually collaborates with EmpowerMint to find the proper venues for the events she handles.