Which US Tech Company do the Happiest Employees Work for?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Work Space Search

Information about a recent survey, based on reviews from the website CareerBliss, has been published on BusinessNewsDaily, a comprehensive resource for people planning to start a business. You might be quite surprised to find out which tech company in the US the happiest employees work for.

Tech businesses worldwide and especially in the United States famously offer employees considerable extra benefits, however there are a few US Tech companies that really stand out from the crowd when it comes to maintaining their workers happiness.

CareerBliss’s survey rated the happiness of employees at some of the United States biggest tech companies, and created a Top Ten.

At number one, and thus noted as the happiest workers in US Tech we’re the employees at
Intuit. Intuit Inc are possibly best known for their accounting QuickBooks products and have been placed 22nd in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2013.

In second place are Texas Instruments, the US global semiconductor design & manufacturing company and Avaya, a global leader in business communications we’re placed at number 3.

GoogleGoogle’s Tech Workers in the US, who receive benefits such as free haircuts, free drinks & food, office based doctors and gyms have the 4th happiest employees at a US tech business. 5th is EMC Corp, then in 6th place on the Top Ten are Intel, who are world renowned for their processors. The remaining four companies making up the top 10 include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Yahoo!, Unisys and HCL Technologies.

One of the Co-founders at CareerBliss and current CEO, Heidi Golledge, commented that the survey findings highlighted the importance of company culture in keeping workers happy.

“When it comes to happy tech companies, factors such as one’s relationship with their peers and their company’s culture have the greatest influence on overall happiness,” Heidi said. ”Employees at Intuit rated company culture and the work they do as key factors in their overall happiness.”

One stand out finding from the survey is that employees at US tech companies did not place their salary as one of the main factors influencing their workplace happiness.

Golledge also noted, “For example, Yahoo, which ranked eighth on our list, has one of the highest average salary listings at around $87,000 a year, whereas Intuit’s average salary is $77,000 a year, proving money does not necessarily buy happiness at work. When it comes to tech, folks feel happy creating the latest technology and being part of a cool culture with friends at work.”

If you are interested in more information about Technology businesses in the US check out the Forbes Lists

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Why Rent Serviced Offices ?

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Work Space Search

Why rent serviced offices ?

It is a common question when you are looking to compare serviced offices and leasehold office space, if researching and planning to potentially move offices. Work Space Search offer some of the benefits you should consider when the question arises.

Serviced office spaces provide businesses with a way to almost instantly occupy new offices, also sometimes referred to as a turn key office solution, choosing serviced offices means you have no capital expenditure at the outset, which takes the pressure of your cash flow, and outsourced facilities and office services allow you to focus on running your core business and not wasting valuable time with tasks connected to running your office space.

Serviced Office Contract Flexibility

The length of commitment is a decision you have to make. Whether you require an office just for a month, or for many months or years, it is up to you to decide, however, there are usually cost benefits for longer commitments.

Speed of access to serviced offices. The negotiation for a serviced office can literally take just an hour or so to complete from initial enquiry to taking occupation. Serviced office spaces are available instantly allowing you to focus your business, located where it needs to be.

Serviced Office Space Flexibility

Serviced office spaces are designed to allow you to grow your business in one building. You can start with a one person serviced office and as you grow you can expand to a 4 person offices, and so on. In the long term this ability to just use the amount of space you need, when you need it, will provide substantial cost savings.

Serviced offices reduced risk and lower costs for businesses entering new markets. When deciding whether a new market is worth exploiting for your organization, the cost of occupying office space and the length of commitment is generally an important factor. Serviced office spaces let companies of all sizes test new markets with minimal capital outlay and risk.

Serviced Office Fixed Cost Base

For many businesses it is important of have a high percentage of their spending as fixed costs, that can be budgeted for annually, allowing clear focus on targets and financial milestones. Serviced office rents are a monthly fixed cost which includes virtually all occupancy costs, additional these costs are minimal and very easy to forecast.

Deposits for Serviced Offices

Trading histories, Director’s guarantees, Covenants and Bank guarantees are often required when leasing ‘Conventional Office Space’. Renting serviced office space, on the other hand, means you will just pay a refundable deposit and then an on going monthly licence fee. No credit reference checks, guarantees or covenants will be needed.

Work Space Search have written many articles for the Work Space industry, in the UK, the United States and worldwide, with the aim of helping small businesses, medium sized companies, as well as large corporate companies wishing to rent all kinds of work space, with industry information, work space comparisons and general work space advice.

Work Space Search has helped businesses find, compare and rent every type of work space, all over the world, from prestigious luxury serviced office space in many of the main global business centres, to practical and affordable industrial units in out of town or rural locations.

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Compare Serviced Offices and Leasehold Office Space Costs

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Work Space Search

Compare Serviced Offices & the Costs of Leasehold Offices

In order to compare serviced offices, and the overall cost of occupying serviced offices against the cost of leasing offices, which might be considered a more traditional way of renting office space, you first need to establish the sum of both options, also known as the “total occupational cost” or the “total cost of occupancy”.

To establish the total occupational cost of leasehold office space you firstly need to establish the size or area of space you require. You then need to multiply the total size required by the price per square foot or square metre, this will then provide you with the annual rental cost. For example, if you are considering housing 75 staff in serviced offices in Central London, then the leasehold office space you would require might be in the region of 10,000 square feet. If the office building is priced at £18 per square foot, then it will cost you £180,000 per year.

Other occupational costs that need to be calculated also need to be multiplied using the size of  the area (EG 5,000 Sq Ft) by the service charge rate and the business rates and these need to be added to the annual rental cost.

In addition to service charge rates, business rates and the annual rental cost, there are numerous other items that need to be factored in, they are;

Compare Serviced Offices and Leasehold Office Space Costs1 – Capital expenditure on furniture.
2 – Installation of telephone switchboards.
3 – Cabling installation for internet connectivity, network and phone systems, including servers & patch panels etc.
4 – Building works and decoration that will be required to turn the space into the right configuration for your business.
5 – Labour costs for administrative employees, such as office mangers, switchboard operators and receptionists.
6 – Professional fees, such as solicitors’ fees and agents fees.
7 – General costs such as heating, cleaning, electricity and water rates.
8 – Insurance to cover the fabric of the office building structurally (this is sometimes included in the service charge).
9 – You will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the office and for dilapidations at the end of the term.

Once you have calculated all of the above costs and amortized the relevant costs over the approved period of time you will be able to calculate the total cost of occupying your new leasehold office space, and easily compare serviced offices with leasehold office space.

The calculation of serviced office space occupational cost is somewhat similar.  You will be provided with a monthly licence fee cost for the office space which will include all of the costs mentioned above. Once you have this cost you will be able to compare the cost of occupying the serviced office option to that of occupying the leasehold offices.

You cannot directly compare the per square foot prices between serviced offices and leasehold offices, as the space you take in serviced offices is always less than that you would take in leasehold offices, the reception areas, meeting rooms, corridors, bathrooms and kitchen areas are all included for your use if occupying a serviced office, even though the core office space (the area that you work in) will remain identical. Therefore to compare the costs you must compare the total occupational cost of each option alone.

More and more businesses, both large and small are increasingly finding that the overall cost of and flexible nature of the occupancy of serviced offices, with much lower initial capital expenditure are the best and most cost effective option for them.

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Commercial Property Transactions – A Legal Overview

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Work Space Search

Commercial property sales and rentals are major transactions for the parties involved. Getting things right from a legal perspective is essential.  We provide a summary of the key elements of the process along with some tips and guidance.

Identifying Premises or Target Market

A number of factors determine what types of business commercial premises are suitable for. Those considering renting or buying premises must ensure they are compatible with their planned business operations. It is also in the interests of landlords and sellers of commercial premises to be aware of the kinds of businesses suited to buying or renting their property.

Commercial properties fall into planning classes determining the use of the building (eg. A1 for a shop, A4 for a pub). Businesses are subject to regulations regarding facilities like fire escapes and disabled toilets that they have on their premises and so the property must be consistent with this. The premises may also be subject to restrictive covenants affecting their use.

Renting

Commercial premises can be rented through a license or a lease. A license allows the landlord to come and go to the property as they please and can normally be terminated at very short notice by either party. A lease gives the business exclusive possession of the premises, meaning the landlord can only enter for specified purposes such as making repairs. A lease normally lasts for a period of several years with the parties having to pay compensation if they terminate early.

Lease agreements must be very carefully drafted and checked by both parties. Lease relationships typically last for several years and so there is a high potential for disputes. Some of the key issues to be aware of are the division of responsibility for repairs and maintenance; method for determining rent increases; and the process for terminating the lease early.

Buying and Selling

Once a buyer has indentified suitable premises, they will make an offer. This is subject to satisfactory due diligence checks and to their obtaining financing for the purchase. The parties may make a “lockout” agreement. The seller promises not to negotiate with other parties while the buyer is making due diligence checks, and the buyer commits to paying a financial penalty if they do not go through with the purchase once due diligence has been satisfactorily completed.

The due diligence process consists of the buyer (through their solicitor and advisors) checking that the premises are what they appear to be and that there are no nasty surprises. So, for example, they would review the seller’s title documents; surveyors and environmental reports; and restrictive covenants and planning rules affecting the property.

Once due diligence is complete the parties can exchange signed contracts and the buyer pays the deposit. The purchase then becomes legally binding. A completion date is arranged on which the buyer pays the outstanding purchase price and stamp duty, and registers their ownership at the land registry.

Commercial property transactions are complex and have lasting consequences for both parties. It is strongly advisable to use the services of a solicitor at all stages of the process.

You can learn more about the laws surrounding commercial property by clicking the logo below to visit Contact Law:

Commercial Property Transactions

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Renting Executive Suites can save you Money

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Work Space Search

How Renting Executive Suites can save your company Money

Executive suites have been around for years, but the changing shape of businesses brought about in part by the current financial situation means there are more entrepreneurs and small businesses than before who are more likely to save money by renting executive suites. The owners or managers of these offices own or rent a large office space but then sublet out individual offices or workspaces from this space to businesses that don’t need an entire office. The type of businesses who usually use executive suites are small companies or companies just beginning to grow. Because of the short leases usually associated with executive suites, they are great for growing businesses that aren’t yet sure of how much space they will need in the future and so don’t want to commit to a larger office.

There are a number of advantages of an executive suite over a regular office rental, but the main benefit is the money saved. Because the offices are in a shared office space with other companies, the overheads are much lower due to savings on services such as electricity and heating as this cost will be met by all and usually included in the price. There will also be less start up costs as most executive suites are fully furnished, a cost which can be hard to afford for some small and new businesses. As well as energy, other facilities are also included in the price such as meeting rooms, conference rooms, photocopiers, posting facilities and a kitchen. And because these services are already included in the price, businesses will know how much it will cost them upfront each month, rather than having to hold money back for bills. Because owning or renting a building can cost a lot of money, a lot of a company’s assets can be tied up in their premises. But if this money is freed up from the ownership or long term lease of a property it can be reinvested into the business. Also, the time spent looking after a building is also avoided and this time can be spent helping the business grow, or will indeed save money as there will be no need to hire someone with that specific responsibility. Executive suites also give a business the opportunity to have office space in a prime location for a lot less than it would cost them if they were renting an entire office in the same place, which not only saves money but is also good for business in terms of accessibility and being noticed and trusted by customers.

As well as saving money, there are a number of other advantages to using an executive suite. For example, the fact that there are usually a number of different types of businesses sharing the office space, it is easy to make new connections in different fields which can also benefit a business. All these features of an executive office combined mean that they are more often than not a better option for a business than a regular office rental, and can save a company a lot of money – particularly small companies.


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Serviced Offices – A Smart Choice for Growing Businesses

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Work Space Search

Why Serviced Offices are a Smart Choice for Growing Businesses


Serviced offices are a relatively new thing here in the UK , but they have been used in the US for a number of years, and the increasing growth of the industry here shows that they are becoming an increasingly popular option amongst businesses. They are fully fitted and furnished offices and often come with computer wiring, internet access and phone connections.

So, you might ask, Why rent serviced offices? Put simply, serviced offices are ready for immediate occupation – which can make them an attractive option for new or growing businesses. And there are a number of other reasons why more and more growing businesses are choosing serviced offices. The offices are looked after by a serviced operator who has responsibility for the office itself as well as a number of additional services usually offered.  Common services included in the price are a reception and secretarial support, conference rooms and also utilities such as rates, heating, electric and cleaning.  Although the offices are often set up for internet and phone access, these are usually provided at an additional, often discounted, cost.  When compared like for like the cost of renting a serviced office usually works out significantly cheaper than renting a regular office and paying for all these facilities on top of that.

Serviced Offices

The fact that serviced offices also come with furniture such as desks, chairs and filing systems also saves businesses a lot of money, particularly new businesses, as they can create a high start up cost.  The money saved on all these facilities provided frees up money spent by businesses on property, furniture etc which can then be re-invested back in to the business.  This can be particularly beneficial for growing businesses as they can use the money saved to help accelerate their growth and maintain their new level of success.

Perhaps the main difference between a serviced office and regular office space to rent is the length of the lease.  Regular offices usually require a long term commitment from a business, often for a number of years.  With serviced offices leases usually run on a 3 month basis which provides increased flexibility for businesses to increase or decrease their office space as desired.  This is especially attractive to growing businesses as it can often be hard to predict staffing needs and growth level for the first few years and so it makes more sense to take out a lease of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months and adjust office size as and when it’s needed.  When the growth of the business has stabilized they may then choose to move to a regular office, but they can take as long or as short as they need to make this decision in a serviced office due to its flexibility.

Although serviced offices are becoming increasingly popular amongst all types of businesses, they are particularly appealing to new and growing businesses as they are extremely suited to their needs.  The immediate availability of the office space, access to facilities, and flexible leases as well as the savings made mean a serviced office can help give a growing business that added boost during an important stage in their development.


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Coworking and Hotdesking Explained

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Work Space Search

Technology has led to a lot of changes in how businesses are run, most noticeably in the way technology is now used by most industries and has become a part of peoples daily work life.

People are now also able to work from anywhere with the use of laptops and the internet, and a lot more people are able to work for themselves particularly in the technology industry, as they can get work from clients all over the world online. This increase in worker mobility and people working for themselves has also led to a change in how businesses are run and how office space is used. Increasing amounts of people are choosing to work from home or outside of the office which means resources can often be wasted on office space which isn’t always being used to capacity. These changes have led to a rise in two concepts – Coworking and Hotdesking.

Coworking is when a group of individual workers, often self-employed people, use a shared workspace known as a coworking space. These spaces are an office or shared workspace used by individuals as their main place of work providing amenities and facilities, and also providing the sense of community that can often be lost when working alone. Although a relatively recent concept, at the start of 2012 there were over 1200 workspaces in operation worldwide, with America and Europe the two places they were most popular. Coworking spaces are based on a mutual trust and sharing of values and objectives, and can help create the community feeling often lost when not working in an office, as well as giving users access to electric, internet, copiers etc which may cost more to use at home or in coffee shops etc. But unlike working in an office, users have a choice over who they cooperate with and how much as they are all independent from each other, and so the environment is more self-directed, collaborative and flexible than a traditional office. There are also financial and business related reasons to use a coworking space, as there are people there who may share similar problems and can offer solutions, as well as the possibility of making business contacts through other users. As well as the financial and business reasons to use a coworking space, it is also good to have contact with other workers instead of being lonely working at home where you may also be distracted by housework or children etc. Coworking spaces are usually hired out for a monthly fee and are often hired out for 3, 6 or 12 month periods, but they can also by rented daily. However daily use may not result in the same feeling of community and the benefits that go with it.

Coworking Office Space

Hotdesking is similar in ways to coworking but is often used in offices where people work together and for the same company. It is used where mobile and home working is in place to provide spaces where employees can come in and do work in the office when needed, without having a permanent desk. With hotdesking, a workspace is provided which guarantees access to the facilities needed by the employees to do their jobs – this might be a desk, a workplace, office or training facility – but no one ‘owns’ any particular desk, and people can sit at any desk whenever they need to be in the office. This can help reduce costs for the company as it usually leads to a reduction in the amount of office space used, and can often create a more business-focused awareness amongst employees. However there are a few important factors that must be in place to ensure hotdesking works, including offering employees flexible working options, not letting people put personal artefacts or files on desks, and greater time flexibility. It is also a good idea to supply laptops rather than desktop computers so workers will have access to any software they may need for their job and so can’t lay claim to any certain desk, and also insure they can access their own phone line from any desk if necessary.

Coworking and Hotdesking

There have been many changes throughout the years to how and where people work and Coworking and Hotdesking are just another example of how things can change. Whether or not they will last remains to be seen, but for now they are growing in popularity around the world. For this reason they are viable options that should be considered and may help a business greatly.


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London Serviced Apartments Vs London Hotels

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Work Space Search

How to choose a London Serviced Apartments or a London Hotel?

London serviced apartments are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to hotel rooms. In fact, not just in London, but Worldwide, people are choosing serviced apartments over hotels. They are furnished apartments with various amenities often not available with hotels, rented for both short-term and long-term stays. Serviced apartments are used by all types of travelers  from families on holiday to people traveling on business. But why are they becoming so popular?

London Serviced Apartments

The picture above shows the view of the London Eye, from a Serviced Apartment in Central London.

One of the attractions of a serviced apartment is the amount of space and the level of luxury available at a price far lower than a comparable hotel room. The main facility available in a serviced apartment and not a hotel room is your own kitchen, which adds a lot of convenience and obviously can save a lot of money, in terms of evening meals and breakfasts, compared to hotel prices or restaurant rates. It also gives an increased level of freedom in terms of what type of food you can have and when, with no need to get up early to be on time for the hotel breakfast. This is especially good for people travelling with a family as it can be hard to keep everyone happy in terms of food, and also very expensive to eat out three times a day.

As well as having a kitchen, a typical London serviced apartment has more room in general which can be a good thing for people travelling on business who may want to keep their work space separate from their living space. It also means there is room to do business either with clients or colleagues, and therefore save on the cost of hiring meeting rooms, and also more room to socialise. As well as having the extra room to socialise and the freedom to bring guests back, there is also the ability to bring your own drinks with you and a fridge to keep them in, again saving money on either the mini bar or having to drink in the hotel bar itself. This is all along with increased privacy compared to a hotel. Serviced apartments also usually have better internet available than most hotels, however this is sometimes at an additional cost.

The booking process of London serviced apartments, or serviced apartments anywhere for that matter, is also different to a hotel and may be a bit more time consuming and could require more involvement rather than just simply booking online. There are less websites around showing accommodation available, and also the owner may want to meet or speak with you directly to get payment and also to arrange a security or damage deposit. However, this can be made easier by using a serviced apartment booking agent who will be able to go through the process for you, help you find the right accommodation, and may even be able to negotiate a reduced rate for you. All of the above are reasons why more and more people are choosing to use serviced apartments, and once people have used a booking agent or booked one themselves and experienced the process, it usually becomes their first choice when travelling away from home.

If you would like to find Serviced Apartments, in say Mayfair, Covent Garden or anywhere world wide you can search for free at WorkSpaceSearch.com or Call +44 (0) 844 3303 673 or email us at info@workspacesearch.com

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Coworkers and Why Romance is a Bad Idea

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Work Space Search

We’ve probably all been there, especially in our teens and early 20s – Office Space Romance, an illicit meeting at the photocopier or shared signals during a meeting.

Office or coworkers romance can be exciting, but they can also be bad for your career. And not just your career, but the person’s your dating too.

In a survey, the US magazine Psychology Today  produced figures that showed 41% of employees in the 25-40 age bracket have been involved in an office romance. And that figure doesn’t appear to be reducing – quite the opposite in fact.

One of the main reasons why it’s not a good idea to date within the office is that offices and work environments come with hierarchies. Date your boss or someone ‘lower’ in rank than you and the gossip starts, the office environment changes and charges of favouritism and favours abound.

Office Romance is a Bad Idea

Other reasons why a romance with a co-worker is bad for business

Your professionalism could be challenged. Bosses may begin to believe that your mind isn’t totally on your work and as a result you’re not performing as well as you could.

Other co-workers may feel awkward. There’s a special relationship there that they aren’t part of. It may make your relationship with them more difficult too, especially if you’re dating a boss – they’re obviously going to be less willing to share office gossip and other personal matters with you fearing it may get back to your significant other.

You could get moved. Some companies frown on office romances and actively discourage it. If it’s discovered you’re dating someone within the same section one of you may be relocated elsewhere within the organisation.

What happens if you split up? Things could get awkward, especially if you work closely together and the break hasn’t been amicable. Then there’s the question of co-workers taking sides which can start getting nasty for everyone involved.

It can create jealously amongst co-workers. We’ve already touched on allegations of favouritism but even if that’s not in evidence there is still a perception that you’ll be treated differently

It’s not surprising that romances with co-workers occur. After all, the office or at work is where we spend the majority of our days. And if you’ve a tough, demanding job then you’re not necessary going to have the time or inclination to socialise outwith the office, especially during week nights.

Working for the same company or in a similar line of business you both have a shared environment there already so it’s easy to fall into a romantic scenario with workmates to discuss.

One of the main reasons companies these days frown on office romances is because of the legal aspect. Allegations of sexual harassment can be very costly to an organisation with industrial tribunals commonplace. Your romance may start out very rosy but it can easily become nasty when it all goes wrong and the last place you want to play that scenario out is in the office.

If you’re in the midst of an office romance or just wondering whether you should embark on one, we’d recommend you take a look at the website safeworkers.co.uk before you make any big decisions.

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Using a Laptop Correctly for Office Work

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Work Space Search

Most people today use computers – whether for work, home use or both – and for the last few years laptops have now become more popular than desktop computers.  Initially, laptops were used by workers who needed access to the computer while out of the office or on the go, but they are now also used by people at home as their main computer.  And it is no surprise that this increase in laptop sales has coincided with an increase in the amount of people suffering from repetitive strain injury (RSI) due to the computers design.

Bad posture when working incorrectly seated or positioned can lead to other, more general, back, head and neck aches and pains. A leading London ENT Consultant Surgeon, Mr. Mike Dilkes of the London Laser Clinic commented “We talk to people about their posture when working at a computer quite often, as we frequently see patients with unexplained head and neck pain. From time to time it turns out to be a non ENT related problem such as their posture and the way they sit at their desk”.

Neck Pain in the Office

When using a laptop, because it is impossible to adjust the screen height and keyboard of a laptop separately from each other, it is hard to find a comfortable position to sit in.  With a normal desktop computer it is advisable to sit at a desk with the monitor an arms length away and the keyboard a few inches away form you, but this is not possible with a laptop.  Instead, people tend to sit with the laptop too far in away from them in order to keep the screen back a bit, but in turn stretching their arms to use the keyboard which will hurt the arms after a while.  People also tend to rest their wrists on the keyboards hard surface which can place pressure on the wrists and also hurt the arms and shoulders. The positioning of the screen and keyboard can also lead to users sitting with their head too far forward which will strain the neck and shoulders.  For prolonged periods of use it is therefore a good idea to use either a monitor or keyboard with your laptop to avoid these problems.

Using a Laptop on your knee

There are easy measures that can be taken in order to avoid RSI or other problems when using a laptop.  It is a good idea to place the laptop on a stable base such as a table to provide support for your arms rather than on your lap.  However, make sure the desk or table isn’t too high such as a kitchen table as this will result in you having to raise your arms up higher than normal which will itself cause pain.  Laptop desks are also a good idea and are often provided in places where business people are expected to be using their laptops, such as serviced offices or hotels.  These can also be folded and stored in laptop cases and are good for providing the space to connect an external mouse.  Where you sit will also have a big impact as slouching over the laptop while sitting in the sofa can cause back pains and even a bad back if left untreated over long periods.  It is therefore a good idea to sit in a chair with proper back support to avoid this problem.  When in the office, docking stations are a great way to avoid discomfort and enable you to connect the laptop up to an external keyboard and mouse or a monitor.

Although most people, as the name suggests, sit with a laptop on their knees and cause themselves pain, no one ever really thinks of doing anything about it especially as the pain usually leaves us when we are finished on the computer.  However, if left untreated it can cause RSI and other problems particularly with the neck, back and shoulders.  But by following the advice above as well as taking regular breaks to avoid tension in the upper body, it is easy to avoid these problems.

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