Open Office Space

Launch, Listen, Learn - Don't Let Perfection Stand In The Way of Success

Over the years I have heard many variations of Voltaire's observation "The perfect is the enemy of the good." In my opinion, this concept is responsible for many failed online initiatives.

Let me explain.

When an entrepreneur or small business decides they are going to launch a new website/update a current one, the process often occurs in a vacuum. Mockups and demo links are shared with close friends, co-workers and even family members as a way to determine if your web designer is "on the right track."  

Sure as the sun will rise, if you ask for someones opinion, you will get it. The problem with this scenario is that more often than not, these groups do not accurately represent your target audience. As a result, you will spend a lot of time and money tweaking buttons, text, navigation and other elements that will really have very little impact on the success of your website.

It is nearly impossible to guarantee that a new or upgraded website will be 100% perfect when it launches. Only after launch, can you expect to get the feedback and/or criticisms that will help you improve the usability of your site.

Tip #1 - Make sure your website and social media efforts actively encourage feedback. Ex. Adding a suggestion form field on your homepage or posting a direct request for feedback on Twitter. 

When you do start to receive feedback, it is important that you qualify the source and carefully consider these suggestions before implementing any changes. Remember, no matter what changes you make to your site, you are not going to make everyone happy.

Tip #2 - Ask yourself if a change you are considering will actually improve the clarity of your brands message and overall site usability experience. Obsessing over the color of a button or size/style of a font could be a huge waste of time when more important things need to be changed (I am guilty of this)

The first iteration of openofficespace.com was launched after only about 4 weeks. Since our launch, we have received some very good feedback/criticism that we hope will elevate us from a very good idea, to an extremely valuable service for spaceholders, small businesses and entrepreneurs. We hope to launch iteration two in the next few weeks.

We acknowledge there is a delicate balance between launching something that is simply not ready vs. something that is good enough to generate quality feedback without losing the respect of your audience.

Assuming that your site is "good enough" - launching, listening and learning from your target audience can help you build traction on search engines while potentially preserving your first mover advantage.  Waiting to launch until your site is perfect is a great way to guarantee failure...only your audience will know the answer to that.

     

What do Nike, MTV and Effective Real Estate Marketing Have in Common?

Nike, MTV and Effective Real Estate Marketing have one trait in common: All three utilize powerful imagery to generate an emotional response from their intended audience.

Phil Knight of Nike had the foresight to create powerful marketing messages utilizing strong images/video of select sports superstars wearing Nike products (ex. Andre Agassi, Michael Jordan, etc.). He understood that a combination of imagery and his marketing message would create larger than life heroes, and ultimately strengthen the Nike brand.

Similarly, MTV recognized that creating a forum to comine video with music would create a much stronger response to the artist and their music, compared to listening to the music on its own.

As the price of digital photo/video cameras, editing software and virtual tours have dramatically decreased, coupled with increasing number of free sites that host these assets, virtually any space holder is capable of creating rich media assets to showcase their property.

Similar to Phil Knight and MTV, forward thinking real estate marketers understand the emotional attachments strong imagery can create to their property.

One of the mottos at my other company, 3Dwalkthroughs.com, is "we don't create pictures", "we create emotions."

In today's economy, companies and individuals most do whatever they can to stand out from the crowd. Not including imagery on a property listing, especially considering how easy its become, is just bad business.

One of the first negative comments we received when we launched Open Office Space was that "we suck" because we did not offer an ability to add video to our listings. (granted, we should have known better) Needless to say people can now add video to their property listings...and we don't suck. 

The video below tells the story of one of the pioneers of the coworking movement, Citizen Space. Notice how effectively the video demonstrates their culture and makes you want to be a part of their space. Much more effective than simply a written description.

An additional bonus of creating rich imagery such as video and pictures is they can also be posted to sites such as YouTube, Flickr, etc. These sites can garner your property significant more exposure than simply placing them on a static website. 

The data is mounting regarding the competitive advantage that can be gained by adding imagery to your property listing.

So, the question remains. Will you sit with your arms crossed holding your breath, insisting you can't afford, or don't have the techical expertise to create powerful imagery for your space.  Or will you stop with excuses and realize creating rich imagery is easy, affordable, and most importantly, the most effective way of getting your property noticed.

Shared Office Space - It Can Offer A Lot More Value Than Just Saving a Few Pennies

In its simplest form, the concept of shared office space is a great way for a space holder and a small business/entrepreneur to save money. Whether it means the small business/entrepreneur offsets a portion of the total rent, contributes to the cost of the utilities, or a combination of the two, a shared space can serve as a financial win-win for both parties. 

 

In the spirit of the old Ginsu knife commercial "But Wait There's More..."

 

Shared Office space can offer both parties an opportunity to share new ideas, technologies, contacts and even forge valuable joint venture relationships.

 

It is not uncommon for a shared office space to be comprised of several companies operating very similar businesses. In this scenario, shared space holders can collaborate on projects, refer projects back and forth or even promote that their respective companies can offer a wider array of services.

 

If the companies sharing a space are completely unrelated, there are probably still many networking opportunities that can arise from the relationship. It seems like "everybody" knows "somebody" that does "something" related to somebody else's business.

 

Even if the benefits are not felt immediately, you never know when a shared space holder can offer a relationship or contact that can make a huge impact on a company. 

 

A quick story to illustrate that "you never know". 

 

My company (a website design and 3D animation company) shared space with an independent movie company. For months we had limited conversation other than a few pleasantries. One day, they asked me to sit and listen to a pitch for a movie idea they had. Not sure why they asked me but I found it to be a very interesting idea.

 

In my previous life (for 17 years) I was a personal trainer in a very wealthy area in New York. One of my clients was a hedge fund manager that just happened to recently invest in a company that funded independent movies.

 

Long story short, a pitch meeting was arranged, and in just a few short days almost $1,000,000 was committed to the making of the movie. The movie went on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, was on the cover of the NY Times and was also released in several theaters across the nation. (I now have an associate producer credit on IMDB)

 

If it was not for the relationship that was forged by sharing a space, the chances that the movie would have received financing as quickly, or at all were very slim.

 

In today's economy companies must be willing to work together to survive. While on the surface the decision to share an office space might seem to be purely financial. Companies that give this relationship a try might soon realize that the financial benefit is only the tip of the iceberg.

 

To post or find a shared office space you can visit openofficespace.com or the various other websites geared to facilitating these relationships.  

 

 

WHY Magazine - A Great Resource For Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

                        

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Dina Santorelli, Editor and Publisher of Why Magazine. Why Magazine was launched in May 2007 by Dina and her business partner Lucille De Tingo on behalf of their company eLuna Media LLC.

Why, (an abbreviation of Work. Home. You.) is dedicated to those who know that working at home isn't all about snooze buttons, bathrobes and bunny slippers; it is written for work-at-homers of all types--entrepreneurs, telecommuters and part-time home workers, both online and offline--and gives them the tools and information they need to keenly manage their business, their home and their life.

Source: DinaSantorelli.com 

In today's economy, many small businesses and entrepreneurs are going to have no choice but to streamline their overhead by finding more affordable office space (Shamless Plug - openofficespace.com) or relocating their business into a home office...perhaps a combination of both.

Anyone that has tried running a business from a home office learns pretty quickly it comes with a distinct set of challenges.

-Staying Creative
-Avoiding Distractions
-Maintaining The Delicate Balance Between Work and Family
-Making Time For Exercise
-Eating Properly
-Knowing When To Turn Off Computer
-and the list goes on

Why Magzine is a bi-montly magazine that deliver the solutions to these challenges via an extremely user friendly and aesthetically pleasing interface. Interestingly, while Why Magazine is geared towards the work-at-homer, many of the solutions, tips and tricks offer on the site, can also help small businesses and entrepreneurs achieve a balance in a remote office setting. 

ABOUT WHY MAGAZINE

                                                                                                                    Work                                                                                                                  

Read profiles of people, just like you, who had a dream, took a chance and created thriving work-at-home businesses. Learn about those who have made working from a satellite home office a winning proposition for both company and worker, and those who bring work home and actually manage to do it.                                                                                                                                            

Home

Let's face it: You're working from home, and as frenzied as it is, there are a lot of perks that go with it - like getting the laundry done or running to the bank during traditional business hours. Here, you'll learn ways to make your home more amenable to working, while keeping it as it should be- a comfortable haven for you and your family. In this section, you'll also learn things like the best recipes for work-at-homers or how to organize your bookshelves for both form and function.                     

You

Ah, and what about you? You know what they say about all work and no play...Just because you're working from home, doesn't mean your life should be filled with FedEx and futons. This is the place for wellness, fashion, automobiles, movies and music, fitness and more to keep your life balanced, as it should be.

Source: Why Magazine

We can only speculate when the economy will rebound and return to a stable footing. One thing does remain true, only companies and entrepreneurs that heed the advice and wisdom of resources such as Why Magazine will be around to enjoy the day it does.

                                                                                    

Using 3D Floor Plans on Your OpenOfficeSpace.com Property Listings

                       

3Dwalkthroughs.com, a friend of Open Office Space, has been reporting an increased demand by commercial real estate agents for 3D Floor plans. 

3D Floor Plans, especially ones with furniture included, are a much more effective way for a perspective tenant to visualize the potential of a space than just a flat 2D plan. Furthermore, if a buildout is required, a 3D Floor Plan allows the spaceholder/tenant to review any change requests before the shovel hits the dirt. This can save both parties a lot of time and money down the road.

3D Floor Plans are also being used to help market flex space opportunities. A flex space is a building that provides its occupants the flexibility of utilizing the space in multiple ways. They usually provide a configuration allowing a flexible amount of office or showroom space in addition to manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse distribution, etc.

Similar to the benefit a 3D Walkthrough offers a new property developer, 3D Floor Plans can be an invaluable tool for showcasing a property, or in this case a commercial office layout, before the construction has begun.

You can easily add a 3D Floor Plan to your Open Office Space property listing with a click of the mouse. 

For more information on creating a 3D Floor Plan for your property please visit 3dwalkthroughs.com

h.u.m.a.n. (Healthy Vending) - Promoting Healthy Food Choices in Your Office Space

                                   

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to chat with Sean Kelly, CEO of HealthyVending.com. Many years ago, I had explored the concept of healthy vending with a good friend of mine that was in the industry. On the surface the concept seemed quite simple. All we had to do was replace the poor choices found in most vending machines with some healthier options, and we would cure worldwide obesity within a few years.

After spending about a week researching this "simple concept" we quickly realized a successful execution of a healthy vending machine business was anything but simple...we never spoke about it again.

So at this point I should step back and thank Twitter. About a month ago, I asked (via tweet) if anyone knew of any healthy vending machine companies. A visit to a local high school for my Sunday morning b-ball game prompted me to ask this question as there was not one healthy option to choose from in the vending machine.

While I received several responses to my post, no one was able to provide me with any answers. Just when I thought the issue was dead, I was contacted by Sean introducing me to his company, healthyvending.com. 

The mission of Sean's company is to help unite man and nutrition (h.u.m.a.n.) by placing premium healthy vending machines across the globe and giving 10% of proceeds back to charitable causes that fight obesity and malnutrition.

For the last 15 months h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending has focused on building a one of a kind healthy vending machine, specifically designed to overcome the obstacles that have prevented healthy vending from achieving a mainstream adoption in the past.

h.u.m.a.n. machines were created to accomplish three primary goals:

1. Increase revenues & profits for vending operators & sales commissions for locations.
2. Make operating, maintaining, & stocking the machines easier while making consumer interaction more enjoyable.
3. Create happy, healthy & loyal customers.

The machine features a touch-screen LCD, streaming video content, a cashless payment system, an eco-friendly power device and attractive graphics.

Aside from their unique machine, h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending utilizes on-location surveys, demographical analysis, & past precedence, to determine the specific product mix that best suits each location.

What most impressed me about my conversation with Sean is his companies commitment to the fight against obesity/malnutrition coupled with his clarity regarding the importance of making his machines profitable.

In today's economy, most schools, corporations, health clubs, airports, hospitals, etc. would be hesitant about giving up the revenue they derive from their current vending machines just to promote healthier food choices.

It is no secret that a healthier employee is a more productive one. As companies downsize their workforce, it is going to be more important than ever for remaining employees to be productive.

h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending is the rare breed of company that truly does offer the best of both worlds.

Healthy Food Choices + A Significant Revenue Opportunity + A More Productive Workplace = h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending

The Official Soft Launch of Openofficespace.com

We are proud to announce the soft launch of Openofficespace.com. We are defining the launch as soft as we are still doing some minor fine tuning to the site.

The mission of Open Office Space is to facilitate the interaction between those who need office space and those who have unused office space. To that end, we have built an extremely clean and user friendly interface that is unlike the typical confusing real estate site.

About Open Office Space                                                                                                              In today's economy many companies are downsizing their workforce, yet they are still locked into a long term lease. Conversely, many entrepreneurs and small businesses are looking for available office space at the most affordable rates possible. Open Office Space brings both parties together in a true win-win relationship...and the best part, it's FREE!

Those that have space to rent can simply enter their property details, photos, maps, floor plans and contact information. Those that are looking for space can easily search by location, property type or desired rent terms.

Open Open Space is the easiest and most effective place to Post/Find Unused:
Office Space
Industrial Space
Creative/Gallery Space
Retail Restaurant Space
Medical Space
Showroom Space
Warehouse Space
Shared Space                                                                                                                          Flexible Space

The evolution of the Open Office Space concept. 

Over the past few months we have attended several meetings with potential consulting clients. It is fair to say, of the last eight meetings, four of them ended with an offer to sublease a portion of their office space…and cheap.

Apparently many of these companies downsized their workforce but were still locked into their long term lease. This left them with a substantial amount of unused (non-monetized) space.  

On the flip side, as serial entrepreneurs, we are constantly on the lookout for available office space at the most affordable rates possible (especially during these times). On my walk back to my office from one of these meetings I realized an opportunity existed to create a place where these parties could find each other and interact. 

In addition to space holders and entrepreneurs we also realized our concept will could help landlords as well. Giving their tenants an ability to sublease their space might prevent a given tenant from having to give it up altogether.

Boom! Open Office Space was conceived.

Over the next few weeks we will be rolling out many new features and would appreciate any feedback/suggestions as to how we can improve our service. Oh and please feel free to start spreading the word to your friends and business associates.