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The evolving design of coworking spaces

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

One of the fastest-growing areas of commercial real estate is coworking spaces. They have become increasingly popular with freelancers, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals and paraprofessionals, whose numbers have expanded considerably post-recession, as well as with business travelers, who use them as hoteling spaces. As the number of users has grown, so has their diversity and their diverse business needs. Today’s coworking space providers are having to respond to the same types of demands for better working environments as are companies everywhere.

Plan your route and you’ll reach your 2019 destination

Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Many interior design professionals use the holiday season to reflect on the year that was. You’re wise to focus instead on the year that can be. Use this time to plot your course and make your 2019 sales and marketing plan. Why? Because a designer without a plan is like ship without a rudder. You may have a rough idea of where you want to go, but not a clue on how to get there. You can "get there" and achieve your goals for the year ahead by keeping these seven "p"rinciples in mind.

Study: Well-being and technology are driving workplace productivity

Scott E. Rupp Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Employee well-being is dependent on several factors, it seems, including workplace productivity, job satisfaction and employee retention. These factors are tied to employee physical health and financial well-being, according to a new survey, entitled "Working Well: A Global Survey of Workforce Wellbeing Strategies." According to the survey, 40 percent of the organizational leaders interviewed said they believe they have created a culture of well-being in 2018 compared to only 33 percent in 2016. Of those who have not achieved such a result, 81 percent said they "aspire to achieve a culture of wellbeing."

US groundwater sparser than previously thought, technology may help

Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental

Many rural areas in the U.S. may be in danger of a groundwater shortage. Additionally, digging deeper for water in the form of new, deeper wells may not be a good long-term solution to compensate for increasing demands on groundwater because there is potential for contamination of deep freshwater and brackish water in areas where the oil and gas industry injects wastewaters into or in close proximity to aquifers. A new study may shed some light on use of underground freshwater and brackish water in some of the most prominent sedimentary basins across the U.S.

Remodelers brace for deceleration

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

The good news for remodelers, according to recent forecasts, is that demand is expected to continue to grow over the next three years. The not-so-good news is that growth will be slower than it has been for the past three years. Although many remodelers remain optimistic conditions will improve in the months ahead, some already are anticipating a decline in the fourth quarter of this year. Recently released data confirms the trend reported last month that remodeling activity remained strong in the third quarter of this year.

How hidden technology is making airports more efficient

Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & Automotive

The average visit to an airport to take a flight can take some predictable forms for most passengers; arrive at the parking garage, pass through security screening, visit some concessions, walk to the gate, and ultimately depart. Now, technology behind the scenes is helping to identify ways to make the process more seamless for the passenger, and more profitable for the airport. A sensing technology known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is being employed by specialist companies to analyze data on how passengers are using airports.

Federal fracking push has state, local resistance

Michelle R. Matisons Natural Resources

The controversial oil and gas extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," was once regulated under an Obama-era rule addressing chemical disclosure when fracking public land. Since then, this rule has been overturned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as the federal government opens the field of oil and gas extraction to much opposition. Given the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory zeal, what is the current status of fracking in the U.S.?

No response is not a response

Lloyd Princeton Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Have you ever had the experience of trying to get the attention of a store clerk or waiter, only to have them go about whatever they were doing and act like you weren’t there? How did that make you feel? Were you annoyed, angry, exasperated? I’m guessing the one thing you weren’t feeling was satisfied that they had properly responded to your attempt to communicate with them. The point of my example is that most people in a face-to-face situation would consider being ignored or not getting or giving a response as inappropriate and rude. Yet, it is becoming quite common in business communications.

Startup introduces blockchain-based property transaction platform

Scott E. Rupp Science & Technology

A Philadelphia-based startup, Kognition, has launched what it has dubbed as the "world’s first open network and open economy for smart property" to create a real-time stream of opportunities to generate revenue, reduce risk, optimize performance and drive ROI. The blockchain-based effort is called Koin. Koin is designed to facilitate a "synergistic" relationship between smart property owners, traders, builders and vendors to optimize value for each party.

Negotiating commercial leases: Request written proposals

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield Retail

For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.

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