Why do companies choose to locate in certain office space vs. others?  Rofo.com explores the factors that go into selecting office space with their blog:  “10 Important Factors to Consider When Leasing Your Space”.  Here is the text from that blog.

Below we will reflect on how most companies make the decision about where to locate the office.

1. Location, Location, Location: Not only a real estate adage, but a fact of life. The location of the office is usually described as the either the biggest benefit or biggest negative.
2. Commute Patterns: Take a preliminary survey of your companies thoughts on their current commutes and use Rofo’s tool to determine how the new office location might effect their commute pattern.
3. Amenities: What restaurants and coffee shops are available nearby? Being in an isolated office park can be a very bad situation for the comfort of employees. At times in cannot be helped, but being in close proximity to the amenities employees use during their lunch break can be a huge recruiting advantage. Please see our Rofo Amenities tool to look for nearby amenities as you search for space.
4. Safety: What is the neighborhood like late in the evening? Have there been office or car break ins in the neighborhood recently? Would a female employee feel comfortable walking to their car or public transportation after working late on a project? All of these issues should be considered when considering your next location.
5. Layout of the Space: Is the layout of the space desirable. Is there good separation between the lobby and the work space? Is there separation between the kitchen and the work space so food smells don’t permeate the office. Is there good natural light?
6. Image of the Building: The question depends on how you are trying to present yourself to your clients and potential employees. If you are a law firm that helps with class action suits, it might not make sense to have the top floor of the nicest building in town. If you are the high powered corporate firm, it might be absolutely necessary to display that image. The location, layout, and feel of your building and space will leave an impression on your visitors and should be considered in your decision making process.
7. Parking/Public Transportation: The proximity to public transportation and affordable and convenient parking are extremely important. Many of your key employees might need quick access to transportation as they visit clients while others need convenient and affordable ways to get to the office. The more transportation options the better.
8. Recruiting: Will your location and building aid or hamper you in your recruiting efforts for top talent. How will the location effect current employees?
9. Expansion: Will your location allow for easy expansion? Is there space available nearby that can work if there is not space within your building?
10. Building Ownership & Maintenance: Is the ownership local? Is the HVAC system consistently broken? Your landlords involvement and attitude and responsiveness towards tenant repairs should be a critical element of your building decision.

Today’s blog post comes from a good friend of MOSatlanta.com, Bill Coons.  Bill is the President of Office Interiors, Inc. located here in Atlanta, GA, and I’ve asked Bill to explain what an office tenant needs to know about used office furniture.

I often get asked from both real estate brokers and clients about the possibilities of used furniture as a low cost solution to furnishing office space. They are surprised when I say it could be!   The truth is, it can be a very good solution if you have the correct expectations and you are willing to work the way the used or pre-owned furniture business works. Most corporate clients are accustomed to doing it in the timeframe that they choose and want it the way they want it. In the pre-owned business the rules are a bit different. If it is available and you want it you need to step up and make a commitment then or be prepared to look for another inventory.  If you work with a reputable pre-owned vendor they will direct you on timing and expectations. Below are a few bullets that give some insight on what to expect in the pre-owned furniture world.

Expectations: What you should look for

• - Good pricing can be as much as half of a heavily discounted new product. Example: And 8 X 8 workstation equally equipped: New $2,500.00 vs Used $1,000.00 to $1,200.00.
• - You will get close to what you want but not exactly. You will need to be more flexible than ordering new. It will be close to the color you may want and have more or less components that you need rather then ordering just what you need.
• - Be prepared to buy when you find what you see as a close solution or be prepared to lose it. Pre-owned is sold to the person with the money in hand and is not held off the market to meet your timeframe.
• - Pre-owed furniture is mostly in the systems side of the furniture world and not that available in the seating and private office areas. You can find it but it is not as easily accessible.
• - Be prepared to pay an additional $200-$300 (per workstation) in some cases. This would be for charges that you don’t see when purchasing new.  Some examples would be freight, storage, and teardown at the current location.

Buyer Beware: Things to watch out for:

• - Only work with a proven entity. There are a lot of moving parts in a pre-owned project and any one of them can very easily cause delay and unexpected expense. 
• - Plan a purchase strategy to insure that you get the outcome you expect. If you approach it with a plan and give yourself time to get educated you can end up with a very good value but it is not a last minute process.
• - Don‘t be so closed minded to buying new furniture. Sometimes good used furniture and new furniture do not have the cost delta that you would think.
• - Most clients are not looking for used or pre-owned furniture; they are looking for a low cost solution. By educating yourself to all the options you can get a low cost solution but also insure that you get a great value that includes furniture, services and a consultant that responds to your business needs and not just sell you furniture.

Bill Coons is the President of Office Interiors Inc. in Atlanta, GA and has a thirty year history in contract furniture and owns an architectural interior company as well that provides turnkey solutions for corporate clients across the U.S. He works closely with commercial real estate brokers to provide solutions in relocation, budgeting and design.