How to find the perfect office space
In some of our previous blogs like “Your Office Space Toronto Location is Key to Your Success” we talked about the importance of where you locate your office and the much-touted “location, location, location.” But there is much more to finding the perfect office space for your business – you have to find somewhere that is ideal for you and your employees too. You have to consider that your office space not only affects your day-to-day operations and your staff morale, but also your brand image. So besides location, what are the other things that you need to consider? Price is a very important factor to most businesses when choosing a new office, especially their first office. If they spend too little, they either end up with an office they are not happy with, or they may find themselves moving out after a few months. A business that spends too […]
How to do business in Canada: Choosing a business structure
In the post expanding your service based business into Canada, we discussed some considerations you should examine before you begin to move a service-based business into Canada. In this post, I will explain the different types of legal entities that can be used to do business “with Canada” and “in Canada.” The legal structures open to your business are many, so taking the time to choose the best one for your needs is an important part of the process for a successful expansion. One of the best references for information about doing business in or with Canada is found on the Canada Trade Commission site. You’ll find information on everything from Visa and immigration to investing in Canada. A U.S. or other foreign-based company has many options to choose from when selecting a business structure in which to carry on business in Canada. The entities available to do business include: […]
Our building is now Silver-Certified as Green Friendly
We have blogged about our office space and the building that houses it being green friendly – but now we have actual proof from an independent outside organization. The Toronto Star Building at 1 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto has been awarded Silver Certification from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada. BOMA BEST is the Canadian industry standard for commercial building sustainability certification, and the only assessment and certification program of its kind for commercial buildings in Canada. The BOMA BEST Program provides a consistent framework for owners and managers to critically assess six key areas of environmental performance and management. These include: Energy Water Waste Reduction and Site Emissions and Effluents Indoor Environment Environmental Management System Over the past number of years, the management of 1 Yonge Street has performed a lot of retrofits to the building to ensure they were heading in the right direction […]
Is the cubicle dead or just dying?
As Millennials are becoming the largest group in the North American workforce, companies are changing their office strategy to attract and retain them. This is because, unlike previous generations, they are less loyal and more demanding. Millennials are not interested in being stuffed in cubicles and being told to just get the work done; they work differently than those who preceded them. Businesses are not just giving into the wishes and wants of Millennials, they are putting money into research to see how to best accommodate a group of people that are predicted to make up to 30% of North American retail spending by 2020. Happy and productive employees also make for good customers. Companies responding to their growing relevance are increasingly turning to human-centered designs to attract them. Researchers are observing human behaviour and envisioning a way to do things more efficiently, enjoyably, productively and intuitively. In doing this, […]
Office Space Trends for 2016
In today’s post, I’m going to discuss office-space trends for 2016 with a bit of a twist. Usually we would just discuss the office design changes and what’s driving them. In our last post “Canadian businesses are having a 30% off sale” we discussed what should happen when the Canadian dollar falls to the levels it currently sits at. Where are the U.S. businesses we expected? Canadian economists and business people have been waiting for this phenomenon to kick in and everyone is a little perplexed that it’s either slow in coming or that things have changed considerably since the “great recession.” IMO, an opinion which is not widely held, I believe there are new factors at play that will see old trends in the way U.S. business people and consumers react to “Putting Canada on Sale.” We at Telsec Business Centres are mixed in our opinions as to whether U.S. business people […]
Coworking Office Space Versus Business Centre Office Space
When searching for a place to do business, the buzz term of coworking is sometimes confused with shared office space and office business centres, but they are not the same thing. The flexible workspace sector is home to all manners of different types of workspace. It is important that you find the best option for your small business. It is important to know and understand the subtle differences between a coworking space and a shared office, or a serviced office. Let’s first start with explaining what coworking is. Coworking spaces market themselves as proving grounds for the future of work. They are often where software developers and start-up founders can network over coffee and fresh-baked cookies. Essentially, they are destinations for freelancers and entrepreneurs who want an office that doesn’t double as a kitchen table or their kid’s playroom. There are those who say the coworking movement grew out of […]
Cost Comparison of Different Office Solutions
Which office-space option is best for you and your small business? When setting up a new office space, one has several options to choose from – ranging from moving into a rented office, taking space in a Business Centre, sharing space with another company, or taking up a virtual office space option. Yes, the are quite a few office space options for any given business, and each one comes with several choices, their own unique costs, advantages and disadvantages. So how does one decide what is best suited for the needs of his or her small business? It is important to factor in the total cost as well as look at the total lifetime cost of the office space option that you are selecting. But it is more important to select an office-space option without hidden costs. Far too often, a businesses will sign up for an office that carries […]
Protected: Increase Google Search Traffic Using the Google Search Console
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Tips for finding office space that works for your business
If you are reading this blog and think “oh, another self-promotion blog” you would be wrong! Yes, Telsec rents office space to entrepreneurs and small business, but our office solutions are not perfect for every business. Every small business has its own unique needs and requirements. They are not the same for one business as they are for another. The first step in finding office space that works for your business is to establish what your needs are, especially in terms of how you need to work to get your jobs done efficiently. Yes, you are reading this and perhaps saying “oh, that’s easy – I just need a place to put a desk and my computer on top of it.” Maybe you are thinking that any place will do. Well, you would be wrong! There are many factors you need to take into consideration. When looking for office space, […]
Use Holiday Slow Time to get Some end-of-the-Year Work Done
During the holidays, many businesses experience a slow time between Christmas and the first few days of January. Some companies close during that time and others let some of their staff take vacation time. This helps to reduce payroll expenses during a slow period when not much work gets done. But there is work that should be done in preparation for the new year. Here are some things to consider getting done before the new year. Consider cleaning up your computer files before the new year. This will not only alleviate clutter on your computer, but it can also improve the performance of it as well. Look at the files that are on your computer and archive older files that are not in use. Portable USB hard drives can not only hold a great deal of files, but they can also keep files easy to access if you need them. […]
The Holiday Spirit is Alive and Well at 1 Yonge Street
Just last week in the reception area and reception boardroom, Telsec treated its office-space tenants to some holiday cheer and some amazing catered hors’douvres by Daniel et Daniel. It was great for tenants to have a chance to gather and be around other office tenants. Some took the time to talk to familiar faces they had seen or talked to in the hall, while some of the newer tenants got a chance to meet some of the other office tenants who have been around for a while and do some networking. On December 16th at the Toronto Star Building, all of the building tenants and Toronto Star staff were treated to a holiday breakfast in the main-floor lobby of the building. It was not a simple breakfast. They had a various selection of food, breakfast deserts and different beverages. Some of the food included western omelet, scrambled eggs, sausages, biscuits […]
Why Your SMB Should Consider an Alternative Office Space Before Getting Locked Into a Lease
It is no big secret that money is a major concern for many start-ups and small businesses. Office space can be a drain on resources for any business, large or small. Office space can put a lot of strain on the principals, since most landlords of commercial real estate will demand 3-year to 5-year lease terms and personal guarantees when trying to rent or lease an office to a small business or company with a short history and a short track record. This is not a decision new companies who are looking to grow can afford to make without looking at all the office-space solutions available. Generally speaking, any business that has office space will find that its office space is one of the highest fixed costs that they have each month. As a small business trying to get started, they need to be thinking creatively about what their office […]
Team Space: Who can Benefit From it and Why!
Alternative office-space solutions are the fastest growing trends in the office space industry today. This growth is fueled by changes in: 1. Employees’ expectations of their workspace and workplace 2. The millennial effect within the workforce 3. Technology, which has made remote officing, flexible hours and telecommuting much easier to maintain workflows and information exchange Depending on the industry, there is often an expectation of the workplace and workspace. In the past, an office or workspace was a symbol of status, achievement and position within the organization. The new generation of workers have different expectations of their workspace, partially because they are more accustomed to using technology – and to a lesser degree their education has changed their attitudes towards status and achievement. The next generation of office workers changed what they valued, so they now use different symbols for status and achievement. An physical office is less of a […]
The Hidden Costs of Owning Your Office Space
Many small business owners have often considered buying a commercial space instead of handing over rent to a landlord. The problem is that the idea may sound wonderful, but what about the hidden costs of owning your office space? Yes, there are some positives to owning your office space, such as giving your small business stability and adding a sense of certainty. As the owner, you know that you will not encounter an unpredictable rent hike or be forced out at the end of a lease. With the proper planning, you will know in advance how much your monthly costs will be, long in advance. As the owner of your office space, you alone decide what type of office culture and set-up your business will have. For example, you get to choose an open concept, cubicles or even where the walls for individual offices should be. This sounds like a […]
Finding Office Space With no App Required
You are always hearing people say "oh, there is an app for that" about almost everything. But do you really need an app for that?
Why a BIA Could be Good for Your Small Business
Throughout the world Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) are helping to re-shape the traditional assumptions of public management.
Having an Emergency Action Plan in Your Office Space
Planning how you are going to recover from a disaster is very important, but knowing how you and your staff are going to react to a disaster when it is actually happening is far more important.
Small Business Marketing Problems and how to Overcome Them
When your small business is one that is B2B (Business to Business), there are a number of problems that are faced, primarily marketing your small business. To help identify some of these problems, we talked to the small business owners who rent physical office space or have virtual offices and services with us. The primary problem that our office clients told us was identifying their target market, because their first instinct is that everyone is their target market. This creates a problem – because without targeting their audience, they are missing key opportunities from potential customers who want to hear from them specifically. In many cases, broad-based marketing does not work because it gets lost in the sea of companies trying to market to everyone. Once a small business defines its true target market and knows the actual size of that market, it has gotten to a place where it […]
Working From Home: It Sounds Great in Theory, but Will it Work for Your Small Business?
Many entrepreneurs and would-be small business owners dream about being able to work from home. They imagine themselves in their perfect little home office zipping through tasks while sipping a cup of Tim Hortons or Starbucks, being super efficient and getting the job done. But sometimes that is not the reality. While there are many types of businesses that can be run from home, success depends on many factors and the business model to make it work. Any small business that relies on in-person contact with clients and customers is probably not the best kind of business to run from home. Also, do you really want to bring people into your home who you really do not know? Yes, compared to the traditional office, a home office seems like an oasis, and you would think that you would get more work done if you didn’t have to work surrounded by […]
Bicycles are Becoming More Popular as a way to get to the Office
Many places around the world have seen large numbers of people commuting to work via their bicycles. But now this is becoming more and more popular in North American cities. Pleasure pathways are fast becoming the next commuter congestion areas. The city of Toronto has over 286 “bikeway trails” and there is a call for more trails and more dedicated bicycle lanes. Even websites like Business Insider have published articles back in 2012 called “13 Reasons You Should Bike To Work“. One of the reasons (besides health and fitness gains) they site is the fact that the cost of owning, maintaining and insuring a vehicle keeps rising. While they also mention missing the morning traffic congestion, they did not take into account the new problem of bicycle congestion on the roads and cycling paths. The City of Toronto is developing a new 10-year plan for growing, connecting and renewing Toronto’s cycling network. The […]