Open Office Space

My Visit to AMWorks - A Coworking Space in Dublin, Ireland

     
A little over a week ago, my wife and I hopped on a plane to Dublin, Ireland to check out the sites, sounds... and Guinness.

While in Dublin, we had an opportunity to visit AMWorks, a coworking space right in the heart of the city. 

Alan Richardson, Founder of Amworks, was extremely hospitable throughout our stay and a tremendous help in organizing the filming of this interview. Aside from the slight accent (we couldn't agree which one of us had the accent), I found it very interesting how the residents of AMWorks described the benefits they derive from working out of a coworking space. Definitely highlights some common threads that a coworking space offers...regardless of location.

A few quotes from the interview are below:

"The best feature of AMWorks is definitely the diversity of its members. There in a broad range of businesses which creates opportunities for collaboration." Alan Richardson - Founder of AMWorks

"You also engage and you find people quite helpful as well to help you do certain things. So from that perspective, I have to say its been a very impressive exerience so far." John Kamara - Co-Founder of Achieve More Business Training www.achievemorebusiness.com

"We have worked with several of the other small business in here..." Conor Lynch - Founder Connector www.connector.ie

"It's a great opportunity to network internally and share advice and help spur each other along to work more effectively." Greg Fry - Co-Founder of Achieve More Business Training www.achievemorebusiness.com

"The reason I got a good deal on my logo design is because the people here told me to go to someone. So you use each others connections, each others networks, I find it absolutely perfect." Herbert - Founder of CareerTrotter     www.careertrotter.eu

Other Ways To Follow The Interview Subjects:
Achieve More Business/Career Coach: (Greg Fry & John Kamara)
Blog:
http://wwwcareerscoacheu.blog.com
Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregfry
http://ie.linkedin.com/in/johnkamara
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/achievemorebusiness
www.facebook.com/thecareerscoach
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/careerscoacheu
You Tube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/achievemorebusiness
http://www.youtube.com/careerscoacheu

Connector: (Conor Lynch)
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/connector.ie
LinkedIn:
http://ie.linkedin.com/in/conorlynch
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/connector_ie

Career Trotter: (Herbert Croezen)
Web:
www.careertrotter.eu
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/careertrotter
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/careertrotter

Alan Richardson

Web.

http://www.vpm.ie

http://www.inviewmedia.ie

Linkedin:

http://ie.linkedin.com/in/alanjrichardson

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The Single Best Piece of Business Advice I Ever Received

   
I was recently invited to attend a Working Lunch with Rob Basso. 

At each Working Lunch event, guests view the premiere of the latest Basso On Business episode, and get involved in a live, interactive business discussion with Rob and leading experts.The goal of Rob's lunch program is to motivate and support small businesses with innovative presentations, business growth strategies and informative speakers.

The focus of the event I attended was Matt Silver of Ultimate Class Limousine. Matt runs a very successful company but seems to have a little trouble managing the long list of tasks that he is faced with on a daily basis. In many cases, even handling tasks that are responsibilities of his employees.

After the 30 or so business owners watched Matt's video a spirited conversation ensued regarding what Matt could/should do to better organize his business. My contribution during the event = a BIG ZERO!

Anyway, a few days after the event it dawned on me that I missed an opportunity to share one of the single best pieces of business advice I ever received...especially as it is so relevant to Matt's organization challenges. 

The following is a letter I sent to Rob detailing this advice (It was re-posted as a guest blog on Rob's site)

Hi Rob,

Not sure if this is too little too late, but before you write me off as a chickensh** for not participating during your event, here is my 2 cents.

My focus for the last 10 years has been growing various internet ventures which in most cases has been a relatively one-man show. Unfortunately, during the event I did not participate simply because I did not go back far enough in my pea brain to recall (aka “blocked out”) a 3 year period in which I was in a very similar situation to Matt.

In 1999-2001 I gave up my 15 client per day/7 day per week personal training business to become the managing partner in a 30,000 sq. ft health club in Long Beach that we took over from an existing company. The health club had well over 75 employees, 6 Indoor Pools, Indoor Track, Sauna, Steam Room, Nursery, Physical Therapy, Aqua Therapy, free weights, cardio, and much more.

Much like Tony’s business, the pace was frenetic and I dealt with one problem after another, making it almost impossible to ever get ahead of the oncoming barrage of problems.

Unlike Matt however, I really had NO experience in the health club business, so it was doubly challenging for me as far as getting organized. (ex. Running  a facility, sales, personnel management, bookkeeping, etc. ).

Here is a small sample of a few of the “small” (yeah right) problems I had to deal with:

-   The Hydraulic line which powered the underwater therapy bikes and treadmills ruptured filling an entire pool filled with jet black oil from top to bottom (think BP disaster in Long Beach)

-   The entire wall of one side of the building fell into the parking lot

-   The heavy glass/steel lid on the pool filter exploded nearly decapitating one of our maintenance workers

Anyway just when I thought I was never going to get my arms around this huge disaster of a business, I received the BEST piece of business advice that I ever received.

It was called the 20-80 rule for employees. If a problem occurred in any area of the health club, an employee should spend 20% of the time focused on determining the root of the problem and 80% of the time should be focused on a solution to the problem. AND most importantly, employees were not allowed to come to ME with a problem without 3 possible solutions.

I basically called for a one on one meeting with every single employee and told them that moving forward if they wanted to keep their jobs they would have to abide by this rule.

The results were amazing!!!

1)   It empowered every single employee to OWN their dept, even if their dept. was simply keeping the bathrooms clean. Almost immediately everyone became an expert  in their position.

2)   It  allowed me to make quick decisions to fix problems without having to delve into possible solutions myself.

3)   It made it much easier to see which departments might require staff changes

Most importantly, it allowed me to oversee the business without having to “do it all myself”. Based on what I heard at the event, this seems to be one of Matt’s biggest issues.

Perhaps this piece of advice that was so helpful to me can also be helpful to Matt.

 

Dave

 

If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

 

Topics might include:

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

- Workplace Wellness

- How To...(any topic related to improving the workplace)

- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

- Workplace Interior Design

- Streamlining Office Expenses

- Property Marketing Solutions 

Why Are There No Coworking Spaces In Long Island? Inspired By The Centre For Social Innovation

I just finished reading Emergence - The Story of the Centre for Social Innovation. Emergence is the first of a three part series published by CSI entitled Shared Spaces for Social Innovation. The three part series offers a comprehensive overview of the CSI shared space model...talk about sharing.

Part 1 - Emergence - The Story of The Centre for Social Innovation

Part 2- Rigour - How To Create World-Changing Spaces

Part 3 (coming soon) - Proof - How Shared Spaces Are Changing The World

I dare any entrepreneur to read this book and not feel at least a little ping of interest in opening/ working out of a coworking space. As a matter of fact, I was so personally inspired by this book, I am seriously considering putting out my feelers to see if there is any real interest from others in starting a coworking space here in Long Island, New York. 

Based on my preliminary research there are a grand total of ZERO coworking spaces on Long Island.

I want to know Why?

Is it because Long Island is just too spread out?

Is it because mass transit is somewhat limited and getting to a space would require a car?

Is it because there are not enough entrepreneurs on Long Island? 

Is it possible that there are coworking spaces in Long Island and I just don't know about them?

I did find a couple of random past threads from others looking to start coworking in Long Island but these folks never seemed to get beyond the planning stages. Why?

With the amount of colleges situated in such a relatively condensed area you would think that some young motivated entrepreneur would have led the coworking charge by now. But to my knowledge, this has not been the case. 

So for the last time, as quickly as coworking spaces are popping up throughout the country, WHY hasn't anyone launched one in Long Island? It seems to me that Long Island can certainly benefit from an infusion of entrepreneurial energy.

To quote from the book Emergence "If you're in, I'm in..." If you have any interest in exploring the concept of coworking in Long Island, please reach out to me as I would definitely be willing to coordinate a meeting. I can be reached at david (at) openofficespace.com

Here are a few of great excerpts from the book:

Animation As Practice. Community animation is what turns "a place to work" to a space of social innovation. We've been building the practice of animation and developing its role as a central feature of successful shared spaces.

Openness & Light. "...light is how you achieve openness...I don't think people should be anywhere where they can't have access to natural light."

Equally essential to creating and sustaining this sense of community are common spaces. Everyone coming into or out of their office in CSI has to pass through the common area, and much like the living room in your house, it contains all the essential for a comfortable break: an arrangement of couches, a rug or two, a coffee table piled with newspapers, a few plants and knick-knacks that have been picked up over time.

There is much wisdom in the old adage that bonds are forged and friendships formed over the breaking of bread. It is wisdom that hold to this day, and it was over shared meals and communal lunches that CSI's members first and most strongly developed connections to one another.

The selection process itself was an exercise in breaking traditional workplace models in which factors beyond a potential member's ability to make rent were taken into account.

Animation as opposed to programming, is all about enabling community rather than directly trying to create it: it's a philosophy of supporting and fostering an environment in which collaboration emerges naturally rather than intervening to try to instigate collaboration by sheer force of will.

Now, on to the next book in the series, Rigour.

Content Source: Centre for Social Innovation

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The Current Trend in Office Furniture. Encouraging Collaboration In The Workplace.

   
In Part 2 of a two part interview on Officebytes TV, Jenny-Lynn Georgiades, Director of Architectural and Design Support Services at Waldners Business Environments, offers entrepreneurs & small businesses insight into the current trend of furnishing the workspace with "collaborative" office furniture.

A few quotes from the interview: 

"One of the biggest trends in the office furniture industry today is the decline of the cubicle. The cubicle walls are coming down and their allowing employees to interact and collaborate."

"They're using the open office space that's left over when they shrink those workstations and doing more with the in-between areas."

"Companies are intermixing lounge areas where people are working with their laptops. They're incorporating informal meeting areas at regular height or even cafe height for more of that Starbucks feel." 

"The worker of the future is going to be more mobile than ever, they're going to utilize new technologies. But they're still going to need to collaborate with their fellow employees, and colleagues, and exchange that information in real time. So, the workspace of the future is going to have to be more flexible and open to support those activities."

About Waldners Waldner’s Business Environments Inc. markets office furniture of brands such as OFS, Metro, Kimball, Steelcase, KI, and Hon. The company also offers furniture storage and refurbishing services. Its clientele include SAP, Ernst & Young, PrimeMedia, Readers’ Digest, MTV, HomeLoanBank, PepsiCo. Random House, GE Capital, Canon, and Sony. The company has strategic alliances with Adden, Buro, Falcon, Golden Oak, ISE, Jofcon, Lucia Group, and Vitra. Waldner’s Business Environments was founded in 1939 and is based in New York City.

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If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

 

Topics might include:

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

- Workplace Wellness

- How To...(any topic related to improving the workplace)

- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

- Workplace Interior Design

- Streamlining Office Expenses

- Property Marketing Solutions  

Tips For Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses On How To Furnish The "Optimal" Office Space For Their Company

   
  
In Part 1 of a two part interview on Officebytes TV, Jenny-Lynn Georgiades, Director of Architectural and Design Support Services at Waldners Business Environments, offers entrepreneurs & small businesses some very sound advice on choosing the right office furniture to create the optimal working environment for their company.

 

A few good quotes from the interview:  

"When and entrepreneur or a small business is planning to do a new space, I think its really important to examine closely where your company is now, and where you want to be in the future. It's important to examine your work processes..."

"Something as simple as walking through the space, and looking at some of the work arounds that people do to their environments to make it work for them. Are their pads on the chairs? Maybe they need a new chair. Are their monitors up on a bunch of books because the there not at the right height? Are their storage components empty and filled with just their shoes and their purses. These are the type of things that can help you look at how to design a new space, and to design it in a way that's functional for your employees."

"For instance, the younger generation, Generation-Y, there not going to want to work in the typical cubicle, they want to work in these different office environments, they want to work in the lounge areas in the cafes...so you want design your space accordingly if you want to attract and retain that type of employee."  

"What we're really finding is the most important workplace issue for employees these days is access. Access to people that they work with, access to technology and access to information, and that's what's really driving the trends."  

About Waldners Waldner’s Business Environments Inc. markets office furniture of brands such as OFS, Metro, Kimball, Steelcase, KI, and Hon. The company also offers furniture storage and refurbishing services. Its clientele include SAP, Ernst & Young, PrimeMedia, Readers’ Digest, MTV, HomeLoanBank, PepsiCo. Random House, GE Capital, Canon, and Sony. The company has strategic alliances with Adden, Buro, Falcon, Golden Oak, ISE, Jofcon, Lucia Group, and Vitra. Waldner’s Business Environments was founded in 1939 and is based in New York City.

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If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

 

Topics might include:

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

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- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

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- Property Marketing Solutions  

Officebytes TV - 3 Common Mistakes Made By Many Entrepreneurs Looking for Office Space

On today's episode of Officebytes TV, Patrick Braswell, Founder of MOSAtlanta.com and Assistant Vice President with Colliers Spectrum Cauble discusses 3 of the top 10 mistakes made by many entrepreneurs and small businesses when looking for office space.

A few good quotes from the interview:  

"Companies that come out of executive suites or that are looking for traditional office space for the first time, they tend to fail to look at their current and future priorities. They don't list them out and make sure they have those ducks in a row before they actually go out and look for space."

"Going to an office suite or an office space based solely off of price. This one for entrepreneurs, people coming out of executive suites, looking for office space and traditional office space for the first time, make this mistake all the time."

"Determining the amount of square footage you need up-front. Get an architect involved if you can afford one, if you can't afford one, here's a general rule that you want to keep in your head. For every employee that you have, you need to think that it's going to be about 250 rentable square feet of office space that you need for them."  

About MOSAtlanta.com

MOSatlanta.com, short for My Office Search Atlanta, was designed to be a single point of reference for companies looking for office space in Metro Atlanta.

The goal of MOSatlanta.com is to provide their clients with a web based application that will simplify the office leasing process from start to finish, therefore, saving their clients time and money. Ultimately, their approach will align your business initiatives and financial objectives with the right real estate strategy to meet both.

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If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

 

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Entrepreneurs - How achieving a lofty fitness goal can help your business.

 
Let's face it, as entrepreneurs, our ability to successfully pitch ourselves and/or our businesses depends quite heavily on our ability to project a high level of confidence.

Unfortunately, maintaining a consistently high level of confidence is not always an easy task for an entrepreneur. Whether it's a negative comment on a blog, an "exciting" new product just released by a top competitor, a nasty email from a good client, slower business growth than projected, or even just trouble on the home front, there are many outside forces busily working to chip away at our confidence.

This past weekend was the running of the 2010 RXR LI Marathon. The festival of races, as it's called offers a variety of different events. A full marathon (26.2 miles), a half marathon (13.1 miles), a 10k, a 5k, a one-mile run and a Kids fun run. Despite the unseasonably high heat and humidity, I heard rumors that the number of participants was up 30% from last year. Disclaimer: This number might not be 100% accurate.

For the second year in a row, I participated in the half marathon. While I was pleased with my overall time 1:46:09, putting me within the top 10% of all half-marathon runners, it was not easy. Around mile 7 I was starting to run out of gas but thanks to a "top secret" play-list on my itouch (System of a Down, Tool, Ra, Trapt, Seether, Chevelle and a few other high octane bands) plus the fear of humiliation, I was able to finish.

Joining me in the race was my wife, my friend and one of my clients. While we all ran at completely different speeds I am proud to say that we all finished in under the 3 hour time limit. In the days following the race I noticed a distinct change in every single one of us. I guess you could call it a slight "air of invincibility". 

Only about 6 months ago, I brought up the idea of running in this event to my client. (I think the most she had ever run previously was 3 miles) At the time, the thought of running this distance seemed impossible to her. But after 6 months of training and 2 hours and 47 minutes of running, she finished her first half marathon. 

By accomplishing this goal she did much more than just get in better shape. She has raised the bar in terms of what she thinks she's capable of, and as a result, I am pretty confident she will be making some other positive changes in her life as well.

I firmly believe that achieving lofty fitness goals is a great way for entrepreneurs to build/maintain that much needed inner confidence while serving as a great lesson in the rewards that can be garnered by operating outside of one's comfort zone...a trait often required by entrepreneurs. 

See here's the thing, regardless of whether of not we all travelled to the race together or even held hands as we crossed the finish line, actually running 13.1 miles was something that had to be accomplished ALONE. 

Perhaps the next time you nervously contemplate cold calling a potential customer, approaching a "big wig" at a networking meeting, speaking in public, pitching an investor or do anything else outside your comfort zone, you will be able to reflect back on a recent lofty fitness goal you accomplished and you will.............. DO IT ANYWAY!  

If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you on Officebytes TV. 

Topics might include:

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

- Workplace Wellness

- How To...(any topic related to improving the workplace)

- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

- Workplace Interior Design

- Streamlining Office Expenses

- Property Marketing Solutions

 

Please DM on Twitter if you are interested @openofficespace

 

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Officebytes TV - Advice for Entrepreneurs on Sharing Office Space by Rob Basso

Officebytes TV just launched a new interview with successful entrepreneur Rob Basso. Rob is the owner of Advantage Payroll Services, BassoOnBusiness.com and Working Lunch With Rob.

Rob describes his experience with sharing office space and offers some very good advice/insight to entrepreneurs that are just starting out as well as those that are thinking about expanding into a bigger space.

A few good quotes from the interview:

"Just get creative, don't get stuck thinking I have to be in a $50 per square foot building, or I have to be on this street or I have to be on that street. The reality is if you are in an entrepreneurial business people understand the mode that you're in."

"As long as you do what you do really well,it won't make a difference if you're in the lower level of a hotel or renting space from somebody. So don't let that pressure really make a difference in the type of office space that your going to look for."

"If you can help it, don't get locked into a really long term lease, especially if your going to be a growing organization."

"When you rent space from somebody else, or you work in a shared or collaborative work environment, you can do and have access to some people that you may not have access to if you're out on your own and you buy a building or your rent a space where you have no inter-connectivity with other small business owners."

About Advantage Payroll Services

Advantage Payroll Services, based in Freeport, New York, has been providing comprehensive payroll and tax-filing services for clients since 1996. With professional and responsive local customer service associates and backed by the strength of a centralized processing system and technology, the company has become one of the most recognized names in the industry in the New York metropolitan area. The company is proud to call many of the region's most recognized companies and not-for-profit organizations as its clients.

About Basso On Business 

Basso on Business an in-depth business program hosted by successful entrepreneur Rob Basso. Episodes focus on regional companies, organizations and associations and the visionary owners who lead the charge.

Rob explores each operation firsthand, uncovers challenges and helps with practical advice and solutions to make businesses stronger.

About Working Lunch With Rob

Working Lunch with Rob Basso is a unique forum for those who have the craving to feed their entrepreneurial spirit. Each monthly lunch is designed to motivate and support small businesses with innovative presentations, business growth strategies and informative speakers.

At each Working Lunch event, guests view the premiere of the latest Basso On Business episode, and get involved in a live, interactive business discussion with Rob and leading experts. Topics vary, but the advice and commentary is priceless.

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Can Your Workplace Afford NOT to Install Healthy Vending Machines?

   
  

On the heels of a recent speaking engagement I attended about corporate fitness coupled with the fact that the summer is approaching fast and furious, I decided to re-purpose a blog post that was written a little over a year ago.(also, I think I was the ONLY person reading my blog over a year ago) 

The speaker at the corporate fitness event was very passionate about how critical it is to make smart food choices in the office, as this is where most of us spend the majority of our time. As a personal trainer of over 17 years I couldn't agree more. My clients can work out everyday until they are blue in the face (many do), but only when they make a concerted effort to improve their eating habits at their workplace, do they experience real and long lasting results.

Here is the post:

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 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 to give up the revenue they derive from their current vending machines just to promote healthier food choices...thanks to healthyvending.com, now there is a profitable alternative.

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. 

For entrepreneurs and small businesses with a few employees it is especially critical to be self-responsible as far as making smart food choices. This demographic most likely does not have the luxury of a corporate dining room or a sponsored corporate fitness program.

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

Image Source: HealthyVending.com

If you have any tips or tricks that you use to help you make smart food choices in your office, openofficespace.com would love to hear about them.

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Your Office Space Is An Extension Of Your Brand

 
Lets face it, from the first second a potential client, partner, investor or employee steps foot into your office space, your company is being judged. Whether consciously or sub-consciously, a visitor to your space will make some initial assumptions about your company based on the aesthetics, cleanliness, culture, design, vibe, lighting, noise levels, floor plan, temperature, furnishings, etc. of your office.

Does this mean that every office needs to look like Google's headquarters?

NOT AT ALL.

It simply means that if the elements above are not consistent with the rest of your brand/corporate message, you could be creating an unnecessary strike one against your company.

Here are a few examples of an office sending an inconsistent brand message:

- You're an interior design firm but your reception area is cluttered with torn furniture that looks like it was purchased at a garage sale.

- Your start-up company is playing host to a group of penny-wise investors and your space is decked out with the most expensive italian leather furniture that money can buy.

- You're a corporate attorney dealing with very sensitive information and your client's files are openly displayed on your desk.

- Your an office furniture company and your space is completely furnished with another companies furniture. 

- You're a graphic design/branding firm with an outdated corporate logo emblazoned throughout your office.

Stepping back and really looking at your office space from an outside perspective can be difficult if not impossible. By clearly defining your brand, identifying the types of visitors you will be hosting and being crystal clear about what you want your space to portray about your company, you put yourself in a much better position to get valuable 3rd party input.

Perhaps you can create a short survey and invite a few friends and family members to visit your space and offer feedback. This exercise might give you a much better idea of what vibe your office is giving off.

Of course if you're an entrepreneur or small business looking to share space within an existing office, your ability to control every element will be somewhat limited. With that said, you can still do your best to search for available options that best represent your brand. 

Much like your companies website, your office space can go a long way to help ensure that your brand message is consistent.

Save the strike one's for next months opening day.

Related Posts

Shared Office Space Part 1 | An Entrepreneurs Perspective 

Shared Office Space Part 2 | A Space Holders Perspective