An executive suite NYC can be very much like living in an apartment. Before taking the plunge, test out an office before renting.
When you think about an executive suite NYC, you think of a nice facility.
Will you get…
1. …a commercial office building with a fancy lobby? Good chance.
2. …nicely appointed reception and conference rooms? More than likely.
3. …accommodating staff? You bet.
4. …a fancy coffee maker with color LED lights and foaming milk? Absolutely.
5. …a collaborative work environment that adds real value to your practice (like referral or co-counsel opportunities)? Huh? Not a chance.
Renting a shared office space comes with a variety of benefits. One of these benefits is the opportunity to collaborate with your suitemates. Working with many other professionals (especially those in the same field of work) makes it much easier to collaborate on projects and exchange referrals.
An office rental should be a way to generate business.
In comparison to an attorney profit ranking, your office space should be like a junior associate for productivity. In your first year of renting an office space, you should expect to earn enough to cover the value of your office. This is made possible by referrals and other opportunities within the office and elsewhere. You should should never expect more than just being able to cover your rent.
Management is responsible for the collaborative atmosphere.
For this concept to occur naturally, there must be a set tone of harmony. This means the office culture has to be collegial.
Setting the atmosphere starts with management. In an executive office NYC like Law Firm Suites, interaction among suitemates is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. Once it is exemplified by the staff, tenants will likely follow.
Yet, what you commonly find in business centers is a culture that is identically similar to living in a high rise doorman apartment building. You can live in a building for years and never meet any of your neighbors. In fact, most apartment dwellers actively ignore their neighbors and it’s totally acceptable behavior.
An executive office center, especially one in New York, can mimic the apartment dwelling environment. Tenants might converse with the receptionist from time-to-time; however, when it comes to other tenants, conversation might be ignored and you’ll find many people just walking directly to their office and closing the door in solitude.
Little interaction means very little opportunity for collaboration or referral exchange. It’s that simple.
Executive office space staff generally do a great job of getting to know each client. They just do a lousy job of getting clients to know each other.
Being in a primary lonely space is never good for the attorney because it is indicative of lost money in opportunity every year.
Test drive the office before renting it!
It is common for many executive office centers to offer “day office” programs. This means that an office can be rented by the day should they have the space. A prospective client will often be give the office by day or even half a day (Law Firm Suites does this for law firms).
When first using a day office program, ask if the center will allow you to use at least one day for free to get a feel for the space. Also, find out from the site manager when the most activity takes place during the week.
Show on that day with your laptop. Do a little work, but mostly schmooze. Ask the manager to introduce you to some of the lawyers in the office. If it can be arranged, see if there are any lawyers who could be potential referral partners and see if they would want to meet for lunch with you.
Interact with as many tenants as possible, but be sure to target professionals who may have the same type of clientele you have or desire to have one day.
Test driving your office rental may be the best way to make sure it’s the perfect fit.
Check out our eBook “In Insider’s Guide: How To Rent The Perfect Law Office.”
