by Michele Gillis, Staff Writer
Are you opening a new office or downsizing a larger one, but don’t want the extra expense of overhead for your office? Then a business center might be the best option for you.
Realtors like Elizabeth Dziedzic of Edge Realty Network and Krista Fracke of Krista Fracke Jacksonville Real Estate Co. use business centers in Jacksonville’s Southpoint area and talked about the pros and cons of using one.
“I started using a business center to house my business because it was affordable and allowed me to have access to receptionists and conference rooms,” said Fracke, who uses Office Suites Plus. “It's not a long term commitment so if the market ever got any worse than 2008 and 2009, I knew I could always leave.”
Business centers house a variety of businesses in one location and help eliminate some of the overhead of traditional offices.
According to said Rance Kincade, center manager for Regus Aetna Center, advancements in mobile technology have business professionals working on the move more than they used to, which is driving up demand for flexible work options across the U.S.
“Businesses realize that they need to be more flexible in today's business landscape so that they can capitalize on opportunities quickly,” said Kincade. “They are looking for partners who can help them achieve this.”
What are the advantages to using a business center?
“Using a business center is cost effective,” said Christine Issendorf, center sales manager for Crexent Business Centers. “So, you get the best bang for your buck. Whether you are either a satellite business, a start-up business or a business that has been working out of your home for a while and for a number of reasons, it’s just not effective for you anymore.”
Dziedzic, who works alone as an agent, agreed that cost was a big factor in her decision to use Crexent Business Center to house her business.
“Cost played a big part in my decision,” said Dziedzic. “Convenience of having everything that business needs for the fraction of the cost. Also, I liked the short-term lease compared to the regular lease I would have if I rented a space in any commercial building.”
Fracke gave some pros and cons.
“Cons can be that the building access can be limited, the air conditioning may not be on over weekends and the spaces are small, so it wouldn't really be affordable for a larger company,” said Fracke. “There are many office condos out there that are priced great and offer more space. I will consider that if I decide to have more agents, but what I have now is working well for my company. There is no walk-in traffic, but times have changed and most buyers find their agents by referral or Internet.
“Fees can add up when services are a la carte such as conference room use, call patching, kitchen fees, use of the office centers copier/fax, additional phone lines and extra keys.
“Some pros are the professional office staff, cleaning is done nightly, electricity is included and I don't require any agents to do floor duty. However, weekends and after hours, listing agents would need to make their own showing appointments unless the agent utilizes our Showing Desk system, which is very useful for the after hour showing appointment requests.”
Quick start-up time is possible when housing your business in a business center.
“It allows the business owner to immediately start working once they have their office,” said Vicky Thompson of Office Suites Plus. “No need to worry about furniture, office staff or office plans. Just move right in and work.”
Flexible workspaces enable businesses to work more efficiently and cost-effectively.
“Flexible working allows individuals to work when and where they want, which decreases the stress of balancing work and family life,” said Kincade. “A business or individual can choose the location, office space configuration and length of stay that best suits their needs.”
Flexibility is what drew Fracke to her center. She has six buyer’s agents and two additional agents who do their own business, so flexibility was key.
“We mainly work with buyers so we mainly work outside the office,” said Fracke. “All agents have their own fax/scanners and computers at home so office use is limited.”
In this market, many have chosen to work from their home, but sometimes the distractions can be overwhelming. Also, there is the challenge of meeting clients. Business centers offer a space for you to meet clients, have your phone answered in a professional manner, conference rooms and more.
“We offer a wide variety of services including personalized telephone answering, conference rooms, video conference at select locations, lobby, break rooms, high speed internet, furnished offices, free parking, daily USPS, UPS and FedEx pick up and drops offs and much more,” said Thompson.
Fracke said she likes many things about using Office Suites Plus.
“The staff is very professional,” said Fracke. “I like having a beautiful building. The kitchen, offices, building and bathrooms are cleaned nightly. My building offers 24/7 access but it is very secure and our building is locked on the weekends and our personal offices remain locked all the time. There is a lot of parking and I like the location.”
Dziedzic said she enjoys the large building, location and friendly staff.
“Our company provides home-based businesses, small businesses or even large corporations with people working remotely, an opportunity to work in an environment that is flexible without the financial burdens of a traditional office,” said Thompson.
Business center offices also come fully furnished with an executive chair, desk and guest chairs. They also offer full reception services, so the receptionist will answer the phone with the greeting you select. Many also offer a flexible lease term, so you are not locked into a long term lease on your office.
“You can modify your greeting on a daily basis so if you are out of town or need the phone transferred to your cell phone, we can do that,” said Issendorf.
Many business centers offer copiers, scanners and fax machine for a nominal charge as well as conference rooms, kitchen areas, common room for lunches or events and more.
“Our business centers have private offices, meeting rooms, video communications studios and on-demand business services such as administrative support to ease the workload of customers and keep them focused on running their business,” said Kincade. “Virtual offices are surging in popularity right now as the workforce continues to go mobile. With a virtual office businesses can have a prestigious business address, dedicated phone line and professional receptionist to manage incoming calls. Businesses have the appearance of having an office without physically being in one.”
Another aspect is how the Internet has changed things. Someone might Google your company and if your home address is listed, it then becomes a safety issue and an image issue.
“It gives a questionable concern to your clients as to the validity of your business,” said Issendorf. “Having a business address validates you as a business.”
According to Kincaid, businesses that use a flexible work model immediately save money by eliminating long-term property agreements.
“They also add credibility to their business by having a prestigious business address where they can hold meetings,” said Kincaid.
Cost is another advantage to using a business center to house your business.
Office Suites Plus offers many flexible solutions ranging from virtual offices starting at $99 to private offices up to $2,000.
Crexent also offers many flexible solutions ranging from $99 virtual offices with an average office space cost of $500 or higher.
Regus has solutions that provide access to an office starting at $89 a month for a virtual office with an average office space cost of $500 per month. Business centers also cater to all types of businesses, whether you are a Realtor or builder looking for space or a broker with a several agents.
“We cater to all types of businesses,” said Thompson. “Whether you just need a business address and someone to answer your phone or somewhere to host your next meeting, we have a solution for you.”
The downturn of the commercial real estate market has led many to choose business centers as an option to be able to continue their business or even open a new one without the start-up costs involved.
“Corporations have downsized into our facilities because the terms are flexible and you do not have to worry about leasing equipment or paying a receptionist,” said Thompson. “We have both Realtors and builders at our Town Center location. We have a residential Realtor and a clerical service we offer her to schedule all of her showings.”
Company names are not generally displayed on the outside of the door.
Since the Department of Business and Professional Regulation changed its requirement so that a real estate company’s name doesn’t have to be on the door, it has opened up a whole new opportunity for Realtors to make use of business centers.
“It helped our business tremendously and helped them as well,” said Issendorf.