Making A Rental Space Your Own

Thursday, April 27th, 2017

Lorio and Associates is proud to serve the greater Lakeland area of Polk County with both property sales and property management services.  Our property management (usually) entails keeping an eye on our rental properties, and making sure they are properly maintained according to the desires of the landowner.  For commercial properties like those we oversee, the typical tenants are small business owners who are seeking a home for their company to start out in.  They have all kinds of dreams and ideas for making their business shine, but when they show up and realize that there are some stipulations that come along with a rental property and personalization of the space, it can be frustrating.

We decided to put together some of the most common decorating roadblocks, and some simple ways that you can make any rental property your own, and guarantee that your personality of your brand shines through, no matter the space.

• You can’t alter the structure.  This means adding walls, taking away walls, etc.  If you were hoping to add a welcome area to your office space, or need some separation for your receptionist and other employees, this can be exasperating.  Our solution?  Try some tall shelves/bookcases to serve as faux “walls”.  Not only do these add some visual interest, but they will create a barrier between spaces, and offer extra storage as a bonus!
• You can’t paint.  Most of the time, landowners won’t want you to paint, or if they do allow you to paint, there will be limitations like color choice, or being required to repaint to a neutral before you relinquish the space at the end of your lease.  Instead of going to the trouble, try wall art!  Framed stock portraits, gallery walls, or even unique pieces from local artists can add a ton of interest to the walls, create great conversation pieces with your clients, and help cover up any unsightly paint jobs you might not be fond of.  Another great way to add color and visual interest to your office walls are using drapes.  Frame the windows in complimentary fabrics wth the other office furniture for a cohesive, professional feel.
• You can’t change the flooring.  Perhaps you don’t love the multicolored tile flooring, or maybe carpet isn’t what you were dreaming of for your business.  While you usually can’t change the flooring in a rental space, you can cover it up.  There is a huge variety in flooring today, from large scale rugs that will cover most of the floor in a single room, to click-and-lock flooring tiles (carpet, vinyl, and more) that lay directly on top of the flooring underneath and give it a whole new look.  Each of these options can be easily removed and taken right along with you when it’s time to change spaces!

We hope these tips help you feel more confident in finding the perfect location for your business home.  We have plenty of choices available for rent right now in the Polk County area, so give us a call to schedule a tour and get started on your leasing journey!

Why Lakeland Is THE Place to Start Your Business

Tuesday, March 14th, 2017

When it comes to launching a business, many entrepreneurs are looking for maximum profit and an extensive consumer market, so they automatically gravitate toward large, well-known cities.  While that’s not always a bad thing, it does mean that business owners are missing out on potentially great opportunities in smaller cities and suburban areas that might end up reaping a better profit than the large city would, and in far less time. Lakeland is a beautiful mix of big-city opportunity and amenities with a small-town feel.  While we are by no means tiny or rural, we also don’t compete with our neighboring giants, Tampa or Orlando.  Why?  Well, we continually encourage hopeful business owners to take a good look at our city here in Lakeland when deciding to spread their wings and launch their dream because:

• The market here in Lakeland is less saturated.  Large cities are where small-business startups tend to gather, so the market gets overwhelmed with options and these businesses either stay stagnant and fail to thrive, or they die altogether.  Lakeland, on the other hand, has plenty of diversity in types of businesses, but fewer options of each, so you are more likely to have a successful launch and steady growth rate.
• Better connections mean higher chance of success.  In large, overwhelming cities you are likely to start out with few, if any, major business connections.  Small businesses rarely have the option of joining the well-known chambers of commerce or community organizations since they typically cost money, and can also be limited to businesses of a certain size.  Unfortunately you are less likely to grow quickly.  With smaller cities, you can make helpful networking connections quickly, and those connections can help spring your business growth upward.
• Lower operation costs mean you gain profit.  Large cities cost more, and that means you are more likely to be waiting for a while until you see your first paycheck result from your company’s operation.  Rent prices and real estate, cost of materials, average wage for employees, etc. are all driven up in large cities, and it could mean your overhead outweighs the profit.  In a city like Lakeland, you will have the same options as large cities, especially with our neighbors like Tampa and Orlando having such extensive resources to pull from, but your cost will likely be less.

If you are ready to make your dream come true, Lorio and Associates is here to help you plant your roots here in Lakeland.  We can hunt down the perfect piece of property here in the heart of Central Florida since we manage and oversee the leasing and sales of all types of property in Lakeland, from single business offices to full shopping centers.  We even have open properties ready to be built on, so you can start with a blank canvas.  The choice is yours!  Give us a call to make an appointment.