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How To Work When Your Firm’s Been Displaced

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How To Work When Your Firm’s Been Displaced

What happens when the unthinkable occurs and you find your law office space in Chicago has been displaced due to fire, flood, or other catastrophic event? This is a question no attorney wants to mull over as it can present a slew of potential headaches, financial pressures, and strains to consider that will affect your firm during the transition period. However, if you don’t have a contingency plan in place, you’re setting your firm up for a difficult and strenuous displacement.

When displacement occurs, the main focus should be on getting your firm back up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. The transition should be swift and smooth to provide both you and your clients a feeling of seamlessness while maintaining your firm’s integrity as well as your clients’ faith that the ball won’t be dropped on their cases just because you’ve experienced a situation out of your control.

In order to provide this security for your firm and clients, you should consider the following:

1. Rent Only the Space You Need – Conference Rooms

With your law offices in Chicago out of use, you’ll need a professional place to meet with your clients, conduct closings and depositions, etc. The last thing you want to do when dealing with displacement is allocate more funds than necessary for a temporary space. By utilizing a conference room rental, you can choose the size of space tailored to your firm’s needs and use it only when you need it. Make sure your conference room includes necessary items like a conference phone and high speed Internet.

  • Day Offices
    You should be able to focus on your cases in a space that offers the feel of a firm or schedule a day of meetings with clients where you can provide them with the sharp, professional aesthetic they’ve come to know and expect from you.
  • Large Conference Rooms
    It’s important to have a place to meet with your litigation teams that is large enough to hold everyone and is close to the courts so you gain time preparing witnesses during trials. Make sure your conference room is located conveniently to the courts in Chicago, and if not, close to transportation so you can quickly get to and from them.
  • Board Rooms
    When law offices in Chicago are displaced for any period of time, board room rental is an affordable solution for gatherings of large groups and provides an excellent opportunity for attorney networking during meetings and seminars.

2. Take Advantage of Attorney Networking Opportunities

Just because your law office space in Chicago has been displaced doesn’t mean you can’t find and enjoy perks in the meantime – perks like taking advantage of attorney networking where you can receive expert guidance and co-counsel opportunities as well as a vast referral network that you only get with a virtual or coworking space for attorneys. These all offer the ability for your firm to grow and prosper even in the event of a disaster.

  • Virtual and Coworking Space for Attorneys
    Virtual and coworking space for attorneys allows you to utilize a professional office space when you need it. Present the professional image of your firm when you want, and save financially by working from home during the other times. Just make sure wherever you choose to house your Chicago attorney office rental it has multiple locations to take advantage of. This will ensure you can conduct firm business when and where you need at a moment’s notice.
  • Surround Your Firm with Experts
    Attorney networking is critical to growing your firm – whether just starting out or having been in practice for a few decades. By choosing a location for your firm during displacement that offers a community of lawyers, you are essentially boosting the potential success of your firm in spite of the situation you’re currently facing with displacement.
  • Use Your Time for Billable Hours
    It’s enough to have to deal with finding a Chicago attorney office rental when your firm’s been displaced. Adding on the daily mundane tasks to that ever-growing pile of frustration is easily avoidable. Make sure the space your firm will temporarily be utilizing offers highly-trained, expert attorney staff on-hand that handle things like call answering, administrative tasks, and client intake. Get an even bigger bonus when you find a location that includes this service as a standard.

3. Private Chicago Attorney Office Rental

If your law office in Chicago is in need of a longer time table for space during displacement, you may want to consider renting a private office space. When considering a private office, you’ll want to ensure it offers the same attorney networking benefits as virtual and coworking space for attorneys as well as the following:

  • Individually Priced Offices
    The last thing you should waste money on is a private office space that is half the size but the same price as the larger, corner office down the hall. When seeking out a Chicago attorney office rental for private offices, make sure the pricing is individualized. That way, you a find what fits in your budget.
  • Saves on Extras
    Enjoying a community of lawyers that allows for attorney networking when your firm’s been displaced happens best when your Chicago law offices are in a space that shares common areas like cafes and lounges. Look for common areas that expand your space without expanding the price. It should always be included.
  • Chicago Law Office Aesthetic
    Even though your firm has been displaced, you and your clients shouldn’t have to feel the burden of change during the transition period. Choosing a Chicago attorney office rental space that holds the aesthetic that best represents your firm is key to ensuring a smooth shift from one space to the next and back again. Keeping with the look and feel of your current law offices in Chicago will also keep you working efficiently and more productively as you’ll feel at home.

Keeping all of these things in mind when looking for Chicago attorney office rental space will greatly ease the burden of displacement. It’s important for your firm to get back to focusing on billable hours and not dwell on the situation at hand.

If you’re looking for a Chicago attorney office rental that offers all of these things and more, look no further than Amata Law Office Suites. With multiple locations to choose from, all boasting different aesthetics from traditional to modern and everything in between, there’s something for everyone. Our locales are all convenient to Chicago courts and major transportation as well to save you time and money so you can focus on what really matters – getting back to business.

Tired of wasting time being an office manager instead of handling firm business? Give Amata a call today to find out the Amata difference!

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

Why Attorneys Choose to Stay in Coworking Spaces

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coworking space for attorneys

Professional office space in Chicago that offers the unique environment attorneys need to run a successful firm can be hard to come by – especially at an affordable rate. What they often don’t teach in law school is how to run a business. This may be why many law firms take on more space than they need with the anticipation of growing into the space. Paying for this extra space is the same as burning your money. Before incurring expenses an attorney should build a proforma to estimate income to expenses and the key metric to use should be cost per billable hour. If an attorney anticipates they will bill 1500 hours next year and they are collecting $250/hour, they may want to keep their total costs at $50/hour or $6,250/month. These costs should include their office space, reception service, software programs, computers (amortized over their useful life), support staff, marketing expenses, and continuing education costs. This same metric should be used when adding attorneys to your staff to set expectations and manage expenses. Coworking or shared offices lends itself to controlling expenses based on estimated billable hours.

Receptionist Services at No Extra Cost

When it comes to coworking space for attorneys that truly provides a quality service for less cost, the first place you look is the reception. We have found that including front desk reception for our clients at no additional charge is a no-brainer. A successful attorney, billing 1500 hours a year, does not have time to waste answering phones and making sure clients are greeted properly. But these things are very important to building a loyal clientele. Staffing the receptionist position is a key part of the value offered at a shared office environment. It should not be a revolving door for temps and part-time employees who care little for their work.

Community

The opportunity to work among your peers, sharing referrals, consulting on changes in the law and building comradery among attorneys may be the most important aspect of working in a shared office environment for attorneys. Whether your case load has you in court all day or you are building your book of business, the best place to find fulfillment in your work is among other attorneys. Relationships blossom around the water cooler and popping into a neighbor’s office down the hall. When you require additional resources your shared office provider should offer an online community of attorneys with something in common as a resource for you to take advantage of.

Top-Notch Staff

Time and time again, our attorney clients are singing the praises of Amata Law Office Suites’ expert staff. Our professional reception, our on-hand paralegals, legal assistants, and our office managers go above and beyond to set the tone for our office services at Amata Law Office Suites. We take great pride in carefully selecting our team members, creating an enjoyable working environment, and compensating them well to reduce turnover and disruption for our members. Our efforts to create a superb team at each of our law office suites shows by the high remarks we consistently receive from our clients and visiting patrons at our locations.

Atmosphere Unlike Any Other

Amata Law Office Suites set out to create coworking space in Chicago that rivals that of a large law firm, offering all the perks of having the collaborative legal environment at a fraction of the cost. Our office suites are designed for the quiet, focused atmosphere that is required for any practicing attorney while also including shared spaces perfect for networking and taking advantage of co-counsel opportunities or the chance to pick another lawyer’s brain rather than spending countless hours researching to find what you need.

In today’s competitive environment it is important to not only get business in the door, but to get the right business. Having the luxury to choose the deals you accept and passing on those that either don’t fit into what you want to do or don’t pay enough is an important aspect to enjoying the practice of law. At Amata Law Office Suites, we understand this and have created a culture and community to help attorneys reach their goals.

Amata Law Office Suites is more than office space, it’s a community of attorneys with a thriving culture and the services required make the practice of law profitable and enjoyable.

With multiple locations, you can easily find the professional office space in Chicago that you need.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

The Need for a Virtual Office

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We Are A Full-Service Support Solution For Professionals

Chicago_Virtual_Office_Defined

With today’s rapidly evolving technology, it is increasingly common for businesses to embrace the virtual or work life. Virtual office users range from early stage start-ups looking to grow their presence without overextending their budgets, to established businesses that are gradually expanding. No matter your type of company, a virtual office can provide you with the amenities of a complete office and set you up for a success.

Benefits Of A Virtual Office

Leasing and maintaining an independent office for your business can become costly, depending on the stage of your business and its growth plan. Why strain yourself or your budget when a virtual office reduces overhead cost, increases flexibility for meeting and staffing needs, and provides access to class-A building services when needed. Here are a few benefits a virtual office can provide:

  • Virtual Phone Answering Service: A personalized call answering program promotes work productivity. This cost-effective program allows you to prioritize workflow while never missing an important business or client call. Amata provides a personalized call answering service for your business with an after-hours auto attendant and a designated number for call forwarding.
  • Phone Automation: Automation is an interactive voice response system that interacts with callers. It allows businesses to respond to customers promptly and in an organized manner. Once the appropriate information is given to the customer, a member from your team may reach out in a more personal response. This is a great service for small businesses when competing against larger businesses to create a personalized customer experience.
  • Virtual Access: Virtual access gives your business the opportunity to grow with access to a shared office space, coworking rooms, common areas, cafés, and conference rooms during standard office hours. Amata offers a virtual access package, which is perfect for people who work remotely, such as frequent business travelers andthose with a home-based office who require the professional appearance of a formal office.
  • Prestigious Business Address: A prestigious business address projects a professional image to your clients while you work from home. This is a great option for those whose business is not yet ready to rent an actual office space. Amata gives you the option to choose from one of six prestigious business addresses to impress your clients on paper. As an added bonus, mailing addresses also allow you access to common areas, cafés, and coworking rooms.
  • Conference Rooms: A virtual office gives you discounted access to conference rooms where you can conduct meetings or conference calls. Give your business a professional appearance and some of downtown Chicago’s best views when you have meetings with potential business partners or clients. Amata provides multiple conference rooms in every center. Book your room here.

Work Smarter Not Harder

As large corporations transition employees to remote work positions, the playing field is leveled a bit more for small market businesses and entrepreneurs. Now, both employees of large and small companies can enjoy greater work-life balance through the convenience of a virtual office. Reduce time and money wasted on daily commute. If your business is looking to conserve budget or gain an additional location without entering into a lease, a virtual office space is right for you.

See if a virtual office is right for your business. Contact Amata for information about the virtual office plan.

As your business weighs the importance of the image it projects through its office presentation and location, make sure you take charge of its online reputation. Continue read this helpful article for more insight: Take Control Of Your Online Reputation.

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How To Create A Morning Routine

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Creating the perfect morning routine can help set the tone for the rest of your day. By developing a good morning habit, you can experience increased focus, workplace productivity, happiness, and more!

Below are 5 tips recommended by Jim Lenger, Amata Member and Founder of Guitar Chicago, on how to create your morning routine.

  1. Find your accountability partner
    It’s easy to get side tracked off your morning routine. That is why it is important that you have a friend, spouse, roommate, or co-worker check in on your progress. This can be an easy way for you to go over which parts of your routine are working and which area needs to be improved.
  2. Make goals
    Whether you are starting the day early with a new healthy lifestyle routine or easing your way into the day before heading to work, it doesn’t happen overnight; instead, build towards it. Start with simple goals you can accomplish every morning such as squats while brushing you teeth, 15 minute run around the block, or cook a nutritious meal before you walk out the door. The simple goal can lead you to your overarching goal.
  3. Begin with a reasonable schedule
    Don’t wake up extremely early out of your normal everyday schedule. Start getting up early a few days a week and gradually work your way up!
  4. Get Your Sleep
    Start your morning with 8 hours of sleep the night before. If you have to, be sure to set a few alarms prior to the time you need to be up- it’s ok, we all need the extra push at times.
  5. Keep it simple
    Don’t try to accomplish everything at once, instead, take it one step at a time. If you find yourself struggling, take a load off, whether it’s the early hours you keep or the amount of activity you try to accomplish in the morning.

Try these tips and see if you notice a difference in focus and productivity.

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What’s the No. 1 Key to Increasing Employee Productivity?

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sleeping-on-the-job

Forget cool office perks like ping-pong tables, Friday happy hour and employee gym memberships. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, the No. 1  key to increasing employee productivity is giving employees control over their work environment, which helps boost their overall happiness, motivation and performance in the workplace.

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What’s the No. 1 Key to Increasing Employee Productivity?

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Forget cool office perks like ping-pong tables, Friday happy hour and employee gym memberships. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, the No. 1  key to increasing employee productivity is giving employees control over their work environment, which helps boost their overall happiness, motivation and performance in the workplace.

Read more

Chicago’s Innovative Office Space is aSuiteOffice

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Client Spotlight: EquiTrade Group Inc.

At Amata Office Centers, we understand that no matter how large or small the industry type, establishing a new office location can be time consuming, costly, and frustrating. At Amata our aSuiteOffice provides the much needed flexibility to react to ever-changing market influences requiring a business to expand, contract, or relocate. This kind of flexibility cannot be achieved through traditional long-term office leasing. Our aSuiteOffice agreements are simple and straight forward. The result is the quick establishment of your office, allowing you to take advantage of your new space immediately.

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