Facebook recently unveiled the company’s high-priced renovations made to its Menlo Park, California campus.  The social networking giant spent $250 million to enhance its one million square foot headquarters.  The objective was to create a space that reflected the culture of the company.  Without question, tech giants like Twitter and Facebook are on a mission to design “creative spaces” that will not only support their growth but provide an environment conducive to creativity for the employees.

According to Dan Fasulo, managing director of Real Capital Analytics, “A new generation of corporate leaders is looking at space-planning as a core part of business to increase productivity and keep people in the office. The old guard looked at it as an expense.”

Tech firms are thinking outside-the-box and transforming stale spaces like corridors, nooks and kitchen areas into places where workers want to linger and collaborate with colleagues.  Major cities in the US are seeing a rising demand for this type of space, including New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle.

Obviously, not every company can spend $250 million like Facebook on their office space but it does reinforce the role that office space has in defining a brand.

Findings from a new study by the Kauffman Foundation on the Entrepreneurship Gender Gap reveal women only account for roughly one third of all new business launches.  Women entrepreneurs are also falling behind men when it comes to revenue generation.  Less than two percent of female-led small businesses have revenue exceeding $1 million.  In contrast, more than six percent of male-led firms reported revenue of over $1 million.

Keeping this data in mind, ForbesWoman decided to compile its first annual list of the top 20 cities for women in business.  Criteria that were taken into consideration when compiling the list included:

• What cities have seen the biggest growth in the number of female-led firm in recent years
• Where are the most SBA-backed loans going
• Where are women turning the SBA loans into million-dollar profits

At the top of the list were New York and San Francisco.  The study showed women have an easier time finding the funding and resources that can ultimately make their businesses succeed quicker.  Cities that also made the list include:  Tampa, Fla., Bethesda, Md. and Washington, D.C.

An article in Entrepreneur revealed one professional’s opinion about office space and the importance of matching office space to a business’ identity.  It’s all about striking the right balance.

“When I go into a start-up burning $300,000 a month, and they’ve got posh offices with great furniture, I immediately think the leadership team’s priorities are in the wrong place,” says Mark Montgomery from a Nashville, Tenn.-based VC firm.  “On the other side, I don’t think you should have your people sitting on cardboard boxes at a card table. It really is a matter of being practical.”

So what should your office space look like?  First and foremost, it should project a professional image for clients and prospects.  It needs to be functional and provide a number of work environments to suit different needs where employees can thrive.

Montgomery looks back at a recent visit to Google’s Mountain View, Calif. headquarters and says the company’s culture is perfectly reflected in their workplace design.  “There were areas where it was small and tight and closed-off, and that was where the coders lived, and that was right next to big, open spaces.  It was just a great mix of how they tend to operate the business.”

Obviously, office space needs to serve a business; but don’t forget it also should be a place where creativity can be limitless and workers want to invest long hours.

Researchers at Ohio State University and the National Institute of Mental Health studied white-collar workers at a government facility in the central U.S. and found varying levels of stress for workers who were placed in different environments.  After one year, the scientists found that individuals assigned to work in the older office building, rather than the newer renovated space, were significantly more stressed even when they weren’t at work.

Alternatively, a carefully planned, well-equipped workspace does help people focus and can encourage creativity.

At some point, businesses will go through the process of securing office space.  Here are some things to consider before signing a new agreement:

• Location:  What does the address say about your business?
• The building:  Does it enhance your image?
• Space:  Does the layout work for your business?  Can it be adapted as needs change.

Choosing the right office space is not a decision that should be taken lightly.  “Getting the right office space is so important because your business will have to live with it for the life of a lease,” says Paul Kelly, head of marketing for Morgan Lovell, a UK-based company that does office build outs and design.

Today’s businesses are dealing with so much uncertainty that a solid office plan will give them the competitive edge they need.

Good deals and perks on traditional office space leases are fading fast.

The Manhattan office market is flexinits muscles and is beginning to show signs of strength and improvement.  SL Green Realty Corp., the City’s largest office landlord, just reported its fourth quarter earnings.  A Crain’s New York Business article reported the company’s funds from operations increased to $74.7 million or 93 cents a share, up from $69.1 million or 87 cents a share from the year prior.

So what does this mean for the prospective Manhattan tenant?  Simply put, the good deals and perks on traditional office space leases are fading fast.  The concessions and incentives landlords used to entice tenants into their buildings such as free rent and upgrade allowances are not as easy to secure as they were during the height of the financial crisis when new tenants were hard to come by.

Conversely, landlords are seemingly gaining the upper hand in their lease negotiations and do not feel the need to offer any special benefits as demand starts to rise.  While we are all relieved New York City is rebounding from the recession, forward-thinking businesses looking to office in the City should consider all options before committing to their next lease.

Businesses are desperately trying to be more flexible and are seeking workplace alternatives that provide the amenities and terms that will help them achieve this.  Many landlords cannot support this goal.  Optimism is on the rise in 2011 and so is the need for flexibility.  Businesses need to find a workplace provider that will be able to accommodate them now and as their future plans develop, without restrictions.

Brigitte Baron give insight into the importance of brand stories.

Does your brand have a story?  What does it tell your customers?  Is it telling a story you want heard?

The questions keep buzzing around my head after a recent conversation with Brigitte Baron, the New York Office Manager for Totem Brand Stories, an OfficeLinks client located in our Bryant Park, New York office and internationally awarded creative agency that originates branded content and custom-media programs for clients.

Totem creates branded content and custom-media programs by combining journalism and marketing talent to build meaningful customer relationships and drive clients’ business objectives. Totem’s North American client roster includes Procter & Gamble, The Home Depot, Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), Frito-Lay, Sears, Sobeys, The Principal Financial Group, Rexall, Mazda International, Aeroplan Group, Bank of America and more.

In speaking with Ms. Baron, I learned that telling a brand’s story has much to do with commanding the customers’ attention and building brand community.   Telling great brand stories starts by gaining an intimate understand of a brand and the customer. This, according to Ms. Baron, is where Totem shines. Totem’s team will sit down and talk with clients, finding out what the company’s goals are, what their initiatives are, what they are trying to accomplish, and then finding media solutions based on their priorities. And from there, they use the discipline of journalism and the creativity of storytelling to create a brand story.

How do you create a story?  Ms. Baron walked me through Totem’s strategy and process: Totem develops the “story” that is the consumer’s true brand experience by exploring and mapping out all of a customer’s touch points.  They develop a communication blueprint that involves identifying and tracing customers through their entire life cycle, from initial inspiration to post-purchase phases. Totem ensures that all creative and messaging – across all customer touch points – are grounded in business objectives. They plan content that maximizes consumer engagement with the brand and drives business objectives. Totem delivers media and advertising services and solutions to reach engaged, high-value brand communities – and this includes keeping a close eye on what’s happening with mobile apps, table media and digital solutions.

And this is imperative to business looking to thrive because connecting with consumers will keep them advocating for the brand – even after their purchase.

In the words bright and bold on Totem’s website: “Great brand stories are not merely written.  They are crafted.”  How well is yours crafted?

For more information about how Totem can help your brand story, and to view its portfolio, click here.

One of Manhattan's best stargazing spots is at the Discovery Center at Central Park, just a few miles from each OfficeLinks' offices in New York City.

Where is one of the best stargazing locations in Manhattan?  Just about 2 miles from OfficeLinks’ Grand Central West offices, less than 3 miles from OfficeLinks’ Bryant Park offices, just over 3 miles from OfficeLinks’ Chelsea offices and about 8 miles from OfficeLinks’ Wall Street offices, you’ll find inside Central Park at 110^th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues.

On Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 pm, you are invited to join the Central Park Conservancy and Amateur Astronomers Association for a free (adults only) stargazing Social Hour program in celebration of the transition from winter to spring.

You’ll learn about the brightest stars and constellations of winter and spring. Using naked-eye observation, binoculars (bring your own), and a powerful telescope (provided), you’ll gaze at the night sky from Central Park’s Charles A. Dana Discovery Center’s plaza.

Be sure to dress warmly (it’s not quite spring yet!). Stargazing is a perfect after-work pick-me-up, but it is weather permitting; in the case of a cloudy sky, the Social Hour program will remain indoors for a lecture and slide-show presentation. Refreshments will be provided. No advance registration is required. For more information, call (212) 860-1370 or visit the Harlem Meer Social Hour webpage.

Media, and subsequently how companies reach consumers, is rapidly changing.  How can businesses keep up?

Monica Taylor, founder of MOMS Made Easy, a brand that provides mothers with a host of organizational products designed to make life easier, faces this challenge daily.  Monica believes her biggest lesson in building her business has been to adapt marketing strategies to current times.

Considering the same day I met with Monica she appeared on the Today Show I was surprised to hear her speak of challenges from a marketing and branding standpoint.  It seemed like she is doing “OK” to me!  In fact, as a writer and member of the OfficeLinks team, I was honored to interview a client of ours on the same day she appeared on such a reputable show. 

Despite her experience as an Emmy-nominated producer, former host of “Pure Oxygen,” and marketing consultant, Monica said her past experiences prepared her for some challenges, but not all.  Through trial and error (Monica emphasized to me the importance of not fearing mistakes), she learned to evolve her marketing strategy to realize the power of today’s technology driven world.  Entrepreneurs must be open to change.  MOMS Made Easy utilizes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a Blog, and its creation of a mobile application for iPhones to reach its targeted audience of parents.  Monica says the TV spots that were valued five years ago are no longer really relevant because companies can have the same impact online.  Monica pushes herself to keep learning; a quality she believes is the essence of entrepreneurship.

Monica recently moved her office from OfficeLinks’ Chelsea office space location to our newest space, Grand Central West, on 1140 Avenue of the Americas office space.  Like Monica, we strive to evolve our products and services with the latest technology.  I hope our next-generation design will provide MOMS Made Easy with the environment needed to thrive.  For further information on MOMS Made Easy please visit http://www.momsmadeeasy.com/

Every Friday starting at 6 pm, you’re invited to come by for a FREE improv show with $3 drinks…and you might be randomly picked to jump up onstage to perform without a script!  Now that is a way to end a work week and kick off a weekend! There are four rotating formats with different hosts, so this Happy Hour stays fresh and fun.

The Peoples Improv Theater is composed of three elements: a school that focuses on the craft of improvisation, an eclectic variety of electives, and an unparalleled professional writing program; a theater that presents original comedic shows seven nights a week; and a corporate and educational workshop program that offers team building, leadership, and business training.

So, if you’re looking for some laughs while cutting loose after a long week, check out Happy Hour at The Peoples Improv Theater.  For more information about The Peoples Improv Theater, click here.