Starting a new business is a process that should be never taken lightly, and it’s undoubtedly a life-changing decision. Once you’ve taken this plunge it becomes incredibly exciting, as a new chapter in your life begins. This new chapter isn’t purely joyous, however, and a large deal of incredibly hard work is needed. If you’ve never started a business before, then this can be incredibly daunting, as each decision can have a major impact on its success. One of the largest of these decisions is the place where your business will be located.

Here are some options, as well as the positives and negatives associated with them:

1. A High Street/ City Centre Office
   Many businesses want to locate themselves in the middle of city centre life. It’s incredibly easy to see why, too, as this is where footfall is highest and where numerous other businesses are located.However, these positives come at a relatively hefty price, and your expenditure will be large because of this. Recently, to attempt to counteract some of these high fees, we’ve seen a number of companies endeavor to counteract these high fees by relocating elsewhere, whereas other slightly more high end companies have gone the other way, opting for serviced offices from somewhere like LEO, which only reinforce the luxury and cost, reinforcing their high end brand.
2. A Suburban Location
   If the city centre is just too costly (which it may well be), then a more suburban location with good transport routes could well be ideal.Due to the fact that footfall here is generally lower than in the city centre, rents tend to be as well. Despite the common thought, not all businesses have to be located in the city centre, and many startups are located elsewhere.However, having said that, it is important to keep in mind that because you’ll have a lower footfall you’ll probably do a lot more business online, so access to a good transport network is vital.
3. A Business Park
   Finally, if you’re a business that mainly deals with the trade or with other businesses, then it could potentially make sense to simply locate in a business park. Because there’s no shop element to the business, there is no need to attract customers and, generally speaking, business park rental rates are relatively low, allowing you to grab property space at a bargain price.Of course, there are hundreds of alternatives to these options, so be sure to check out the market in full before you set your heart on a particular location.

Contact us today to learn more!

If you are presently supplying construction or contracting work on a commercial property, the business owners may be wary of the intrusions of a construction crew and the interference of the work being carried out.

Rather than having to answer irritated questions from business owners, use these techniques to ensure a smooth relationship.

Provide Back Up Options

If you will be required at any point to turn off the power or internet access of a building, this may disrupt the work flow of the businesses within. Whilst it is simple common courtesy to warn the businesses well in advance of this, it is possible to go above and beyond.

A high power mobile generator can be kept on site for prolonged periods where the building’s power needs to be cut off. This can reduce the impact of the construction work on the building.

Some businesses stock a wide range of mobile power generators in a selection of sizes suited to a range of different jobs. The implementation of this courtesy can help you retain a healthy relationship with the site managers and allow your workforce to complete the necessary tasks without disruption.

Complete Noisy Work During ‘Off-Hours’

If the employees in the building you are carrying our construction work on adhere to 9-5 hours, it may be preferable to complete the noisiest aspects of the work from 5-7.

If noisy work is unavoidable during the business’ hours of work, it is good practice to at least warn the bosses of disruptions so they can notify the workforce.

Provide Safety Equipment

Protect their workforce against even the smallest possibility of an accidents and yourself against any injury claims by providing safety equipment to the business and employees. Some companies choose to stock personal protective equipment from hard hats to goggles, keeping all parties safe from potential dangers.

Keep Everyone Informed

Before starting the construction and contracting work, it is preferential to provide information about the work to be carried out. Where possible find the email addresses of the upper management of the affected business and send them a day-to-day breakdown of the work to be carried out. This will help the businesses appreciate what work is coming up in the approaching days and give them a finite date for the completion of the work. Any disruptions to the work or changes to the schedule should also be provided by email to retain complete transparency and ensure a healthy relationship.

There are email calendar app’s that are simple to use, and understand template tool which can be used to keep all parties informed of a building work schedule.

This can also operate as an additional promotional opportunity for your firm, emailing with your company insignia may improve brand visibility and could lead to new opportunities in the short and long term.

Contact us today for more tips!

Highlights

• Provided a full façade update with new landscaping and signage
• Completed all construction work including applying the stucco accents and repainting the entire building without inconveniencing the building’s tenants
• Relied on innovative value engineering techniques and close cooperation among the building’s owners, construction team members, and Town of Los Gatos planners to complete the project on budget and on schedule
• Have seen the occupancy rise from less than 50% to close to 100%

Built in 2000, the two-story, 18,000 sq. ft. building in Los Gatos formerly known as Greenfield Plaza was showing its age. Located at 634 N. Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos’ prime North Downtown area, the building had provided quality space for retailers and business and professional firms for more than three decades. But it had fallen into disrepair as of late and the tired two-story, Spanish-style structure needed a complete makeover to regain its premier status.

Challenge

Although the building was in desperate need of renovation, the space had remained at close to 50% occupied. This meant that the construction would need to be done without disturbing the existing tenants. The new owners decided that the Spanish-style motif wouldn’t change, but virtually every exterior architectural element would require updating. In addition, the owners were naturally anxious to finish the work on the newly renamed Northpoint Plaza as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible — to attract and retain tenants.

Solution

SiliconX Construction was selected to handle a full façade update of Northpoint Plaza. The work included a complete re-facing of the stucco and repainting of the building including the addition of artisan ceramic tile accents from Mexico, new balcony railings, energy-efficient exterior lighting, new walkways and benches, new signage, and extensive landscaping with accent walls to match the main structure.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project for SiliconX was repainting the exterior and applying the stucco accents without inconveniencing the building’s tenants. SiliconX and its team worked closely with Epoch to ensure that the tenants could continue to operate their businesses normally throughout the entire renovation.

Through meticulous planning, excellent responsiveness from the Town of Los Gatos, and a number of innovative value engineering techniques, SiliconX was able to complete the project to the highest standards of quality while staying on budget and on schedule.

Results

Today, Northpoint Plaza presents a dramatic profile at the entrance to Los Gatos’ North Downtown area. The two-story building offers Class A ground-floor retail suites in addition to a variety of second-floor offices with high ceilings, full-height doors and narrow bay-depths for fantastic window lines. A secured underground parking structure provides ample on-site parking for tenants and visitors alike.

The offices are within easy walking distance of shopping, banking, restaurants, and other services in the downtown Los Gatos area. The outdoor benches provide a pleasant sitting area near the main entrance. The building also offers excellent access to Highways 85, 17 and 9 for timely, trouble-free commutes.

With the renovation complete, local property manager, Borelli Investment Company, quickly increased the occupancy to close to 100%, where it has remained.

For the full story about how SiliconX met the project’s needs on time and on budget, or to obtain a quote on your next project, contact Tony at tony@siliconxconstruction.com, or call (408) 418-0099 (w) or (408) 318-1869 (c).