3. Do your best to minimize cost/capital expenditures
Leasing office space is similar to renting an apartment in that it is a sunk cost for your company. You don't own it and you can't earn appreciation from it, so do your best to minimize your overall expenses.

Until your company grows more and can afford to spend the money needed to improve your space, build extra conference rooms & make it nice enough to attract the talent you need.  Try to stay away from doing Tenant Improvements in your suite. Paint & carpet/flooring is okay, but once you begin moving walls, building rooms and working on the electrical, construction costs really add up and (speaking from experience) companies almost always spend more than they originally estimate when planning the project. ​

5. Work with a broker that you like and that you know will hustle on your behalf
As we have noted, SF is a fast-moving city when it comes to office space. Work with someone you know is on top of the market, continuously sending you new opportunities and keeping you updated throughout the lease process.

Know what's going on throughout the process. Having a broker you trust and can call/text for a quick update is crucial. It is unacceptable if your brokerage team is unresponsive or if your broker keeps you out of the loop. Good brokers will keep you posted throughout the process and make sure you know where things stand. There may be situations where you lose out on 1 or 2 or 3 spaces because of high demand and stiff competition, but continuing to stay on top of the market and evaluate new options is crucial to any tech company in San Francisco looking to find creative and flexible opportunities.
​
​We would be happy to answer any questions about these 5 things to consider or about real estate in general. Please don't hesitate to email or give us a call anytime!


Jenny Haeg  | Global Real Estate Services
[email protected]m

Reuben Torenberg | Global Real Estate Services
[email protected]
C +1-201-240-8479

A regular schedule for maintenance will save your company money​

Maintenance of the physical space and systems in the office is vital, but the work that goes into checking appliances or cleaning the ventilation system rarely gets a specific budget line item. As a result, companies often put off regular repairs and maintenance, which can end up costing them more later when an appliance or system requires a major repair. Research from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) found that maintenance is the third largest office expense, after fixed costs and and utilities.

Annual appliance maintenance and quarterly check ups of the systems that provide essentials to your office, including plumbing, heating and ventilation systems, can catch any problems before they become major issues. Our Complete Guide to a Clean Office also includes a maintenance checklist so that you can make sure you’re keeping your space in good working order.

Keeping your office clean and running smoothly can feel overwhelming, but knowing your space and your company’s culture helps understand what your office needs to function at its best. Ask yourself and your colleagues what kind of culture and workspace you want to create together and come up with guidelines that everyone can agree to. At the end of the day, it’s not just about making rules about doing the dishes, but the kind of community and responsibility to each other you want to encourage in your space.  

Not sure where to start? Download the Complete Guide to a Clean Office for the in-depth information and checklists you need to organize your office cleaning and maintenance and create a great workspace with your team.

For companies trying to increase productivity and decrease turnover, the benefits of corporate wellness programs are more important than ever. Wellness programs are gaining popularity in the American workplace: A 2015 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 49% of companies with fewer than 200 employees offered corporate wellness programs, as did 81% of larger companies.
 
For employees, the benefits of a corporate wellness program include weight loss, improved fitness and stamina, and reduced stress. For employers, a corporate wellness program’s benefits mean great things for the company. Read on to learn four of the most impactful benefits.

​1. Increased daily work productivity
 
Healthier employees are more active and eat better, which mean they’re more focused and productive throughout the day. One survey found that employees who eat healthy meals are 25% more likely to perform their work at a high level. Healthier employees are also more capable of handling stress and finding constructive solutions to problems—which can mean more productive employees and a more productive company.
 
2. Improved employee retention and job satisfaction
 
When it comes to recruiting and retaining employees, good perks are essential. When you talk up benefits of corporate wellness programs such as your company’s healthy meals and snacks, on-site catering or kitchens, gym memberships, and other wellness initiatives, that sends a message that the company not only prioritizes productivity, but also employee well-being.
 
When employees feel valued as not only a worker but also a person, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to stay at the company, decreasing turnover, productivity losses, and recruitment costs.
 
3. Lower absenteeism and turnover
 
When employees miss work due to illness and other health problems, the company suffers. While no wellness program can completely eliminate health problems, the benefits of corporate wellness include lowering absenteeism and turnover.
 
In 2012, the American Journal of Health Promotion (AJHP) published a review of 62 studies. The review’s conclusion? Wellness programs contribute to sick leave reductions of up to 25%. Wellness programs may also contribute to lower turnover, as one review found for the wellness program offered by a major pharmaceutical firm.
 
4. Decreased health-related costs
 
The benefits of corporate wellness programs don’t stop there. Increased productivity, lower turnover, decreased absenteeism, and overall healthier employees benefit the company’s bottom line, too.
 
The same review published in AJHP found that companies with wellness programs had overall lower healthcare costs, including workers’ compensation and disability insurance costs. In 2014, the Harvard Business Review published a study of 20 companies with wellness programs. While companies nationwide saw a 7% increase in healthcare costs, those with a wellness program only had an average increase of  1 to 2%.
 
Corporate wellness benefits begin with meals and snacks
 
Healthier employees can get more work done (and done well), miss fewer days of work, and more constructively and productively handle workplace stress. A solid, comprehensive corporate wellness program capitalizes on building wellness into the infrastructure and process of day-to-day company life. For many companies, food is an easy way to establish a culture of health that realizes the benefits of corporate wellness. After all, everyone eats and many employees eat lunch, snacks, and sometimes breakfast or dinner at work. That makes food at the workplace an ideal place to set the stage for wellness.
 
By encouraging healthier eating, your company contributes to its bottom line. Each dollar your company invests in corporate wellness benefits can save up to $13. After all, the benefits of a corporate wellness program aren’t just an investment in the well-being of your employees, but in your company too.

If you listen to the debate over healthy work habits, increasingly you’ll come across the argument over standing desks. Here to demystify the movement behind standing desk culture is Autonomous, the world’s leading innovator in Smart Office development.
 
It’s factually supported that neither sitting entirely nor standing entirely are the panacea to a sedentary work environment. In fact, what professionals suggest more often than not is that the key is a healthy balance between sitting and standing, coupled with diet and exercise of course.
 
As we all know, the work world pulsates with long hours which can turn into, prolonged sitting; all of that sitting and stress creates some truly epic tension in our bodies. It’s easy to forget personal needs, they’re often the first things out the window when it comes to succeeding at our jobs. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt the strain but there’s good news: Autonomous is here to get you on track for a healthier, happier workstyle. We’ve helped companies such as NASA, Criteo, Singularity, Harvard, and Orbital Insights to #WorkSmarter by bringing them into the world of ergonomics with our Smart Office furniture. From developing noiseless motors to delivering a personalized AI assistant, our commitment to refining what an efficient office ecosystem looks like is boundless. With that in mind, here’s three easy habits you can incorporate into your work day routine to help you #WorkSmarter!
​

1.  Sit and Stand!
Sitting and standing for extended periods of time have both been linked to health risk factors such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and muscle strain. The truth may shock you, but humans weren't designed to sit at an office for eight hour straights! However, studies consistently show that people who frequently change between sitting and standing increase their productivity and drastically reduce the risk factors associated with a sedentary lifestyle. When you change between sitting and standing you’re establishing a routine of movement that helps promote healthy circulation. 

​2. Take Your Breaks!
It’s so easy to forget self-care during strenuous working hours, but studies find that people who break from their work for short periods of time stay focused long term. “The brain gradually stops registering sight, sound, or feeling if that stimulus is constant over an extended period of time,” professor of Psychology at the University of Alejandro Lleras writes in the journal of Cognition. Breaking from a task allows for the space of new thoughts or ideas to come into being. It’s like taking in a new breath of air, you have to exhale your lungs first in order for them to be filled again.

​3. Don’t Forget Your “Posture”
We published an article in September with Alexander Technique specialist Lauren Hill from the Alexander Technique Teaching Studio discussing the importance of posture when it comes to working efficiently in the office. Now your conventional idea of “posture” probably pictures someone tensely holding their body upright like a robot, but we want you to reimagine posture as an action instead of state of being. You can stand or sit at your desk, but if you’re holding your pencil like a warhammer and craning your neck into your computer monitor, chances are you’re probably going to do more harm than good either way. The easiest way to tune into your posture is by asking two questions: “what are you touching?” and “where are you breathing?” By acknowledging these two questions, your body is already tuning into the places it is tensing and you can begin the process of letting that tension go.
 
We keep these ideas at the forefront of our development. Our latest innovation, the SmartDesk 3 is the world’s first AI integrated standing desk with an office assistant pre-installed to keep your self-care a priority. Not only can the AI help remind you to sit, stand, move and hydrate but it can also assist you in accomplishing daily tasks like ordering lunch, adjusting the office environment, or just finding the mental space to take a moment to relax. In addition, the desk has an open SDK for your development team to build any app on top of the AI platform that serves their specific purpose.  The SmartDesk 3 isn’t just a SmartDesk, it’s a platform for growth in your business!
Check out the trailer below for a teaser of the SmartDesk 3 standing desk in action. 

​We know your job is about putting out fires and keeping the office on track. It’s what you do best. But what about those things that get in the way of you being a superhero? Like, the head of sales who constantly asks for your help filing expenses? Or the VP who needs to confirm the sauce options at the burger place they’ve been eating at every week for the last year. Yeah, you know that person...
 
If you’re an office manager, time is scarce. But solving tough problems isn’t the issue.  It’s the everyday, repetitive stuff that gets in the way of you doing your best work. Because those little questions, that you’ve answered a thousand times before, all add up. They pull you away from the stuff that really requires your MacGyver-like skills.   
 
If this situation sounds familiar, it may be time to consider a little automation in your workplace.
What Is Workplace Automation?Workplace automation uses artificial intelligence to cut through the clutter of the day and takes care of the requests that you’ve already answered so many times.
 
By enabling automatic responses to frequently-asked questions, your team gets the information they need ASAP, without frantic messages and emails piling up in your inbox through the day.  In turn, you are freed up to work on the complex projects where your office needs you the most.

Top 3 Benefits of Implementing Automation in the WorkplaceFor office managers, workplace automation provides three major benefits:

​1. Less Noise – Workplace automation takes care of the routine, repetitive requests. You’ll have fewer distractions, fewer emails to respond to, and more time to focus on your own work.

​According to a study by McKinsey, interaction workers spend 61% of their time answering emails, looking for information, and collaborating. In contrast, only 39% of time is spent on actual role-specific tasks.


2. Lower Costs – When you’re able to focus and be more productive, you’ll get more work done, which could limit the need for additional support staff. This will reduce overall company operational costs and could make a compelling argument for a pay increase.

3. Simplified processes – You’ve tried to create systems for ordering supplies, requesting IT support, and booking meeting rooms, but some people never bother to follow them. Sometimes it’s because they got the wrong information from a co-worker.  A game of telephone gone bad, and your thoughtfully-designed processes are out the window.  Automation limits the spread of misinformation by providing a central touch point for questions.  
 
We know that a team is only as good as its office manager.  With automation, you can elevate your rockstar game. 

​
​Riciel Grace-Crudo is currently doubling as Spoke’s Office Manager and is on the Customer Success team. She previously was an Operations Specialist at a gaming company and was very involved in different communities at UC Davis. You can catch her playing volleyball, dancing her heart out at concerts, and always on an exciting adventure.

Spoke is a simpler, smarter way for teams to manage requests. Spoke makes it easy and convenient for employees to get the help they need to get their work done, and teams to spend less time organizing and responding to requests so that they can get more things done.

​Companies can save money—and make money—by offering a surprising perk: lunch.
 
That’s right. Lunch doesn’t have to be a time suck or an isolating occasion where employees eat solo at their desks. And you don’t have to wonder when your staff, after going off-site, will get back to work. One company found that snack and coffee runs alone accounted for 2.4 billion hours of lost productivity. Catered lunches improves productivity, workplace morale, employee health, and your bottom line.
 
Save (and make) more money
 
A typical American office worker spends an average of $3,000 a year on coffee and lunch during the work week. For an employee eating out, an average lunch costs $11, but that per-meal cost can be lower when an organization provides catered lunch.


You may also be able to save on your tax bill (discuss this with your tax professional first). When a business provides on-site food for its employees; unlike the 50 percent deduction for restaurant meals, that cost may be fully tax deductible. Of course, some eligibility considerations apply for a full deduction, including:
 

• Meals must be provided on the business’s premises.
• The meals must be available for all staff. Providing meals to select employees (such as management) could be only 50% deductible.
• Meals must be considered a perk or fringe benefit that’s part of employee compensation. 

Your budget or circumstances may not currently allow you to cater an on-site meal five days a week, and that’s okay. Figure out a catering schedule such as every Friday or Monday, that works for your business and budget.
 
The gains? Employees stay in the office, which means they will likely engage more with one another. That can turn into not only improved morale and company culture, but higher productivity.

Improve company culture
 
Everyone appreciates a free meal, and your employees are likely no different. Free lunch is a visible perk, and it’s a benefit you can offer at a lower cost compared to other benefits or perks. More importantly, it can increase employee happiness in the workplace (up to 30%, according to a WorkSphere survey) as well as contribute to a greater connection to the company. Typically, the more connected an employee feels to work, the more they are committed and productive.
 
Free catered lunch can also assist your recruiting efforts, especially among Millennials, the generation now comprising the largest part of America’s workforce since Baby Boomers. Quality snacks and lunches are important to Millennials, but it’s smart to expect anyone you interview to ask about your company’s food perks.
 
Work and success are about relationships, and sharing meals builds crucial interpersonal social ties. In a busy office, it can be hard for departments—or even employees in the same department—to communicate effectively and build stronger bonds. A catered lunch helps employees socialize, which leads to improved inter-department communication, say, between sales and marketing or IT and customer service. Not only does that deeper collaboration ease day-to-day headaches, it also incubates innovation, cooperation, and initiatives that build revenue and productivity.
 
Improve health
 
Don’t want to think of it as lunch? Try thinking of catered meals as a core component of your company’s health and wellness program.
 
Absenteeism and working while sick contribute to $227 billion a year in lost productivity, part of an overall $576 billion annual health-related productivity loss. A Harvard study found that for each dollar a company spent on wellness programs, medical costs decreased $3.27. In practical terms, you cut your productivity losses when healthier employees miss less work due to illness, doctor visits, and medical procedures.
 
That doesn’t mean every catered lunch has to be a salad bar. It does mean, however, that you can balance your staff’s food preferences with healthy meals made with quality ingredients.
 
A good lunch at the office even has the potential to get an employee thinking more about their overall health and meal choices, which can lead to a healthier, happier, more productive worker.
 
Improve productivity
 
At the end of the day, though, office perks have to make up costs and bolster your bottom line. A catered lunch at the office can do just that.
 
Want your office to be more productive? Healthy meals can boost productivity 20 percent, says the International Labour Organization (ILO). Overall return on investment (ROI) for catered lunches can reach as high as 150 percent.
 
Conclusion

Instead of employees spending an hour (or more) away from the office, they could be on site, eating good food, engaging with one another, and discussing work issues and projects—all for the cost of lunch. Price out employee compensation over an hour for lunch, contrast that with what you may spend on a catered lunch, and examine the potential tax savings. The difference will likely surprise you—and show you a way to increase productivity, reduce costs, and bring improved innovation, performance, and revenue to your company. It’ll be time and money well spent—all for the price of lunch.

Offices run on great snacks—especially if Millennials are on the job. Snacks boost employee energy, morale, and productivity. Today’s workplace needs a variety of snacks, not only to increase energy and satisfy cravings, but snacks that also accommodate workers who follow paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free diets. Here are some helpful guidelines to stock your office with snacks that suit different tastes and dietary restrictions.
 
Fulfilling—not filler
 
Nearly all (94 percent) Americans snack daily, but Millennials are most likely to snack; though boomers like their snacks almost as much. Millennials, who often snack four or more times per day, do so to increase energy (39 percent say so) and stay focused throughout the day. But research shows Millennials want more healthy snack options.
 
Across generations, employees want access to snacks that deliver an energy boost, provide health benefits, and offer high fiber or probiotics. Natural and organic products are in demand too. Employees don’t just want something to crunch on--they want something fulfilling.

Part of the team
 
Talk up the company’s snack stocks as a benefit; research shows time and time again, snacks help attract top talent. Consider dedicating a snack space in the office fridge, or place snack baskets throughout the workspace. Many Americans consume an average of 2.7 snacks per day—especially in the morning—so a fully-stocked office ensures that whenever someone needs to get their nosh on, a snack is close by.
 
Consider stocking up on snacks and beverages such as:
 

• Energy bars
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Yogurt
• Hummus
• Kombucha
• Fresh fruit
• Cereal
• Coconut water
• Grapes
• Jerky (meat and vegetarian)
• Nuts and nut butters
• Chips, pretzels, and crackers
• Olives
• Fresh-baked bread
• Sparkling water

 
The devil is in the diet
 
Snacking is not one-snack-fits-all. Make sure you and your employees read ingredient labels and discuss concerns. Talk with employees to find out if they have any dietary needs or restrictions, and which snacks they’d like to see more of and which they can go without. Some common diets/lifestyles include paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
 
Paleo
 
Paleo diets typically focus on saturated fats (such as coconut oil and butter—no vegetable oils) and animal protein. Carbohydrates are minimal or absent, so paleo adherents usually refrain from grains, legumes, and potatoes, as well as dairy and added sugar. Snacks that focus on quality meat from organic and/or free-range animals are a good choice, as are vegetables including starchy tubers, such as sweet potatoes and yams. Some fruits and nuts are sometimes included.
 
Suggested snacks:
 

• Beef or mushroom jerky
• Some nuts and nut butters
• Kombucha
• Paleo-labeled bars or other snacks

 
Vegan
 
Vegans eat and drink only plant-based foods and beverages, such as grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, and yeast. Vegans avoid all animal and animal-based products, including meat, dairy, fish and shellfish, eggs, poultry, and honey.
 
Suggested snacks:
 

• Fresh fruit
• Mushroom jerky
• Vegan trail mix, bars, or other vegan-labeled snacks
• Nut or grain milks

 
Gluten-free
 
A gluten-free diet excludes the protein gluten, which can cause health and well-being problems for some people. Gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye, and some other grains, is also present in many processed foods. Gluten-free versions should be labeled.
 
Suggested snacks:
 

• Snacks, mixes, and bars labeled gluten-free
• Fresh fruit
• Nuts
• Gluten-free baked goods
• Legume and vegetable dips and spreads
• Cheese

 
Dairy-free
 
This can be trickier, but it’s still important given that 30 million Americans suffer from varying degrees of lactose intolerance. In the U.S., the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the term non-dairy but not “dairy-free.” Instead of dairy-free, look for snacks labeled lactose-free or non-dairy. However, some foods such as products containing whey or the milk protein casein (also listed as caseinate) can be lactose-free without being dairy-free. Fermented dairy, such as yogurt or cheese, can be okay for some people with certain dairy intolerances, but not for people with dairy allergies.
 
Suggested snacks:
 

• Coconut, almond, soy or hemp “milk” products
• Fruit bars
• Yogurt (including non-dairy versions)

 
Nut-free
 
Tree nut allergies can be life-threatening. (While still potentially dangerous, allergies to peanuts, sunflower, and sesame are considered separate from tree nut allergies.) Typically, someone with an allergy to one tree nut such as, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or cashews is advised to avoid all tree nuts plus peanuts. A product’s label should address not only what it does or doesn’t contain, but also whether or not the item was manufactured or processed in facilities where tree nuts may be present.
 
Suggested snacks:
 

• Nut-free granolas, bars, and trail mixes
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Nut-free muffins and breads
• Cream cheese

​​Anthony St. Clair is an author, globetrotter, craft beer expert, and professional writer based in the US Pacific Northwest. When he’s not writing, Anthony is with his wife and two children, usually either cooking or going on some sort of adventure. Learn more or check out Anthony's Rucksack Universe travel fantasy series at anthonystclair.com.