Leasing Strategies

For new businesses or locations, we strongly recommend that you start the site selection process at least six months in advance. Two months for site selection and negotiations, one month to finalize the formal lease agreement, two months for the store build-out, and one month as a cushion to deal with the unexpected.
 
For lease renewals, we recommend that you start at least 12 months in advance. If you can’t negotiate a good deal on a renewal in the first few months, you can still exercise your option to renew or start the relocation process.

In all cases, the landlords have the advantage; they have the preprinted leases, the buildings, and the best lawyers. You need to be informed and prepared in order to negotiate the best lease for your purposes.
 
The following five strategies have been listed to assist you with the basic process of negotiating a lease:

1. Be prepared to negotiate. The landlord’s printed lease will most likely favor the landlord.
2. Match the lease to your business’s needs. If location is important, you’ll want a longer lease - or a shorter one with options to renew.
3. Understand who pays what - such as utilities, repairs, insurance, and even taxes. You may want to pay slightly higher rent for eliminating these items.
4. Be aware that your negotiating power is stronger in a market where lots of commercial space is available.
5. Remember that a lease is a legal document and you should completely understand it before signing it.

For new businesses or locations, there are 13 lease clauses that can get you in trouble. Do you know them? And believe us, your lawyer will most likely not take the time to tell you about them.

To learn more about these 13 leasing clauses and more, click here to contact us.

For new businesses and existing locations, there are 4 times in your business life when you may need us:

1. You are ready to sign a lease for the first time. As you’ve learned, all leases favor the landlord, and your lawyer will check only the legality of the lease, making sure that the legal terms are correct, etc. And that’s what he’s supposed to do. But you can do better, a lot better. We will show you how to negotiate much better lease terms, or we will do it for you. We have been doing this for other small business owners for over 25 years, and we know what we are doing. If we don’t save you money and reduce your risk, then you don’t pay us. That’s right. We have 100% money-back guarantee! In most cases, we have been able to save our clients from $15,000 to $30,000 on a standard 1500 square feet lease. What would you do with an extra $15,000 to $30,000?

2. Your lease is up for renewal. Instead of just signing and agreeing 100% to the landlord's terms as written in the original lease, why not try to save money? Once again, we will show you how to negotiate much better lease terms, or we will do it for you. Don’t forget, in 1981 you could buy a home for $89,000, a new car for $8,000, and computers weren’t even for sale to the average consumer. Realizing that times have changed, let us show you how to capitalize on the changing times. None of us could have even imagined 10 to 20 years ago that rents would be where they are today.
 
3. Challenging business climate? Has the economy forced you to be late on your payments? Is your landlord growing impatient and preparing to evict you? Once again, we can come to your rescue. While showing you how to negotiate with your landlord, or doing that for you, we’ll put your mind at ease with our proven techniques.
 
4. You're contemplating closing your business and throwing in the towel! You have a huge liability and exposure on the remaining term of your lease. We’ll show you how to negotiate full closure of your business, limit your risk and exposure, or we’ll do it for you. We know of many creative ways that will help you come out a winner and, yes, you’ll be left standing on your own two feet. You’ve heard of the nightmare stories, where tenants are required to continue to pay rent, even when they’re not occupying the space. Well, don’t be fooled by your landlord; let us put our 25 years of experience to work for you.

Unfair Advantage? You Bet! Most attorneys you hire are not trained to negotiate your lease on your behalf, nor are there any real incentives for them to so. They are excellent at ensuring that the contracts are legal, but that’s about it. What about the 13 lease clauses that can get you in trouble? That’s where Work Solutions comes in: We are experts at what we do and we have the incentive to make sure you succeed. If we don’t save you money, we will refund your payment in full with no questions asked. And in case you’re wondering, during our 25 years of business, this has never happened.

After we help you negotiate favorable terms with your lease, we always recommend that you consult with your attorney to ensure contracts are correct. We are not lawyers, nor do we provide legal advice. Much of the work we do for tenants is coaching and consulting, and by taking advantage of our years of experience you will be assured to come out on top with many more concessions than you could ever imagine.

So if you are looking for a creative way to solve a problem or challenge, expect more. Give your business the edge and connect with the best today! Click here to contact us or visit our Documents and Forms page for 1000's of forms for almost any situation.

Courtesy of Worksolutions.com