Amata Law Offices 
Amata recently became a sponsor of the Small Business Advocacy Council, a non-partisan, Chicago-based advocacy group that empowers the state’s small business community through legislation and other initiatives designed to improve the Illinois economy and give a voice to the small business owners who call Illinois home.
In business, it’s all about location, location, location – a mantra that rings especially true when it comes to finding and leasing office space.
For many businesses, the start of a new year holds exciting opportunities as they look toward the future. But for companies that signed leases on or around January 1, the new year can also bring unexpected challenges in the form of rent increases that can cause real estate budgets to soar.
Ready to move from the home office to a permanent space in the Loop? If your requirement is small, for example 125-200 square feet and you still need those amenities you enjoyed at home; privacy, coffee nearby, furnished for productivity with internet and phones you will most likely find yourself looking at “shared” space.
Corporate offices may be shrinking in terms of square footage as businesses of all sizes adopt the open-office model, but demand for conference rooms is on the rise as workplace privacy becomes increasingly harder to come by in this world of office densification.
The area known as ‘the Loop’ is the central business district of Chicago, and hosts places and groups like the Board of Trade, the Mercantile Exchange, the State Street shopping district, Joffrey Ballet, the Orchestra Hall, the Harold Washington Library, the Lyric Opera, the Goodman Theatre, and City Hall.
The West Loop is one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Chicago. From Grand Avenue in the north to Eisenhower Expressway in the south, and Ashland Avenue in the west towards the Chicago River and Wells Street, the West Loop’s dynamic, vibrant style has made it into a truly valuable destination.
Successful negotiations are the lifeblood of a company, and if you don’t have the right agreement in place, then you could literally be paying for it for years to come. For a company that’s looking to lease new office space, this means two things: Finding a Broker and finding a Real Estate Attorney.
While Amata’s shared office centers appeal to a variety of businesses, they’re especially popular with attorneys, who account for nearly a third of the company’s business. Each location’s amenities and full-service staff, who can assist with everything from preparing a deposition room to serving subpoenas, makes Amata a natural choice for law firms looking for flexible, affordable space in the heart of Chicago’s Legal District. This attention to service is part of what drew Garofalo Law Group to Amata’s 161 N. Clark St. location back in 2004. Now, a decade later, Garofalo attributes much of its growth to Amata and continues to reap the benefits of the shared office environment.
Locating the right office space is a major challenge for any business – especially small, growing companies that don’t actually know how much space they’ll need over the next few years. Your office space could be stopping you from succeeding, so let’s look at some of the factors to keep in mind when you’re searching for your next office.
