Southcreek News

American Heart Association 2012 Heart Walk with Southcreek Overland Park Tenants

If you are interested in supporting the American Heart Association and getting a little heart healthy exercise yourself, sign up to participate in the American Heart Association Kansas City Heart Walk with Southcreek tenant TEKsystems! The walk itself is either 1 mile or 4 miles, and the whole event will have a festive atmosphere with free giveaways, face painting, booths, local mascots, and other activities for participants to enjoy. It is a great opportunity for friends and family to come together for a fun event and a good cause! 10,000 people total are expected to participate in this opportunity to both pledge to live a healthier lifestyle and to fundraise for research that could save lives. Here is some information about the event:

Date: May 19, 2012
Location: Theis Park
Event Schedule:
7:30 a.m. – Festivities Begin
8:45 a.m. – Warm Up
9:00 a.m. – Walk

There is no fee to participate in this event. Participants who fundraise $100 will be eligible for an American Heart Association t-shirt.

In addition to recruiting walkers for their team, TEKsystem’s goal is to raise $10,000. They have turned fundraising into a competition between 7 teams in their office to see who can raise the most money. If you cannot participate in the actual walk, TEKsystems would love your financial support! You can make a donation on their fundraising page.

If you are interested in learning more about being a tenant of DDI Commercial Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to talk about our affordable office space in Overland Park.

Unique Furnishings for Your Office Space in Kansas City

If you want something a little more unique than standard office furniture for your office space, consider some of these crafty pieces, which will add both creativity and functionality to your office:

Erasable Labeled Drawers. To make drawers with labels that can be easily erased and rewritten, take a drawer or tin and use masking tape to shape the outline of a square. Paint that square with latex chalkboard paint, let dry, and remove tape. You can add borders by placing two strips of masking tape parallel to each other on opposite sides of square, painting, then removing tape once the paint dries. Repeat with two other sides.
Bookcase Desk. If you want something really unique for a desk, try balancing a door on either sawhorses or bookcases for added storage. Doors make great desktops because they are inexpensive, roomy, and readily available in a variety of sizes. To tie the look together, paint the door and the bookcases the same color and line the back of the shelves with marbled paper secured with double-sided tape.
Wallpapered Shelves. You can brighten up floating shelves, great for added storage space, by covering them with patterned or colored wallpaper. Measure the shelf, and cut the wallpaper slightly longer than shelf and wide enough to wrap around it with an overlap. Then use wallpaper paste to cover the shelf in wallpaper, one shelf at a time. Cut slits into extra paper at the end to form flaps, fold down, and paste. Once the shelf is completely dry, hang as usual.

Give us a call at South Creek Overland Park at 913-685-4100 to talk about what you are looking for in a small office lease in Kansas City so you can begin furnishing your own office space soon!

Stylish Storage for Your Office Rental Space in Overland Park

Looking to add both functionality and style to your office space? Here are a few little projects to clear your clutter that are as eye-catching as they are useful:

Cloth Storage-Box Covers. Take a basic storage box and add a little color by cutting a plus-sign shape out of a fabric of your choice, measuring the fabric to the sides of the box and making sure each side panel covers box with an extra 1/2 inch on both sides and 2 inches on the end, putting paste on the center panel and setting the box on top, then spread paste on the side panels and cover the box. Use clothespins to hold in fabric in place while it dries overnight.
Paint Can Cubbies. Add a modern flair to your office and add a place to store paperwork with shiny paint cans held in place on shelves with strips of Velcro. You can purchase these inexpensive, unused cans at paint stores.
Tree-Bark Pen Holder. Give a plain plastic or ceramic pen and pencil holder an earthy makeover by wrapping it at tree bark, which you can either find outside or order online.

These are just a few fun ways to spice up the standard task of keeping an office organized. If you are looking to rent commercial space in Overland Park, give South Creek Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100 and let us help you find your own office space to start decorating!

15 Days of Yoga in Your Kansas City Office Space

Want to add a little stretching to your work day? Here are few days’ worth of yoga moves that will only take you two minutes each (there are videos on Yoga Journal’s website the website if you need to see how to perform each move):

Dynamic Arm Raises. Simply raise your arms above your head, coordinating your breaths with the motion.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with shoulders back and palms open at sides to work on better posture.
Standing Crescent. Stand and extend one hand above head, then lean to the side and reach the hand over the head.
Eagle Arms. Raise arms from sides with palms up, and then give yourself a hug. Bring hands in front of face with forearms still crossed and push back on the thumb of the hand closer to your body (a video might be worth watching for this one).
Neck & Shoulder Release. Bring hand behind back and interlace fingers, straightening arms. Then raise hands as high as you can to open the shoulders and soften neck tension.
Standing Chair Twist. Bend the knee and put one foot on your chair (make sure the back of your chair is on the side of the leg on the chair). Reach the opposite arm across the body and put the palm on the back of the chair to give your back a nice twist and stretch.
Standing Thigh Stretch. Put your hand on your desk to support yourself. Bend your knee, kicking your foot up behind you, and hold the foot to stretch your quadriceps.

Looking for affordable office space in Kansas City? Give one of our commercial realtors in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100and talk to us what you are looking for!

Yoga in Your Kansas City Office Space

If you are desk-bound all day and looking for a way to take a quick stretch break, Cyndi Lee, founder of the OM yoga center in New York, has some Office Yoga Tips you can use to relax for a few minutes:

Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet on the floor hip distance apart, palms on thighs. Stretch out spine, balancing head over heart, heart over hips, and inhale and exhale for five counts each.
Inhale and lift arms overhead, grabbing left wrist with right hand. Exhale and bend to the right, staying there for three breaths to stretch your side. Inhale as you come back to vertical and then perform stretch on the other side.
Roll shoulders a few times, then on the fourth role, interlace fingers behind back and straighten arms (just hold onto the back of your chair if you don’t have enough room). Inhale and lift chest to make a high backbend. Stay here for three full breaths.
Exhale and place hands on knees, rounding spine. Tuck pelvis and pull naval away from knees to come into a seated cat pose. Let your head dangle and breathe deeply.
Perform an inversion by folding forward, letting upper body fall through thighs. Try to get your head lower than your hips, reaching toward the floor (or ankles or shins) with palms flat.
Slowly roll up, then exhale as you twist to the right. Place left hand on outside of right thigh and right hand on back of chair, making sure to lift your right armpit-chest area. Look over right shoulder to include your head in the twist, and move your eyes to the upper right corner of your eyes then the lower right corner. Repeat eye exercise twice. Then close your eyes, twist back to center, and repeat on other side.

An easy five minutes to de-stress!

Finding office suites for rent in Kansas City can be stress-free too…just give us a call at South Creek Overland Park at 913-685-4100 and let us help you with your search!

Keeping Your Desk Organized at South Creek Overland Park

Keeping an office desk organized can be a tough battle, so here are a few more tips to help you minimize clutter and maximize productivity:

Cleaning supplies. Having a clean desk helps you maintain an organized desk. Keep whatever cleaning supplies you use to wipe down your desk handy so that you will be inclined to clean (and thus clear off and organize) more often.
Scratch notepad. Keep a notepad handy specifically for all the phone numbers, names, flight numbers, etc. that you will have to jot down during the course of the day. Keeping them in one place—versus writing them on whatever paper scraps are handy—will make it less likely that you will lose anything.
Organize wires. Move some electronics off your desk, wrap Velcro around wires, make sure wires are long enough to tuck out of the way, go wireless if possible—anything to keep your desk from being taken over by a rat’s nest of wires for various electronics.
If you don’t have enough drawers. If you need more storage space, bring in items like a dresser, bookshelves with boxes on the shelves, or file cabinets that can slide under your desk.
Lighting. Make sure your desk is well lit—a bright area can be easier to keep clean than a dark one.
Organize as you go. Try to stay on top of your organization as you work instead of letting it all pile up. If you are getting disorganized during a big project, try to take small steps to clean, such as clearing a 1 foot by 1 foot area before you leave each day.

For information about finding an affordable office space in Overland Park, give DDI Commercial in Overland Park a call 913-685-4100!

Tips for an Organized Desk at South Creek Overland Park

If you are looking to increase your office productivity, a few simple suggestions for staying organized might be all you need. Here are a few tips for keeping your desk neat and orderly:

Get rid of writing instruments you don’t need. You might only have a few pens you use, but somehow your desk gets cluttered with other random writing utensils. If you aren’t going to use them, throw them out!
Have a place for the contents of your pockets. Designate a space for your phone, keys, wallet, etc. Ideally, find a space where you can run power cords to charge various items, such as a drawer or right under your monitor.
Proximity based on frequency of use. A simple concept: if you use it more, keep it closer to you. Often people forget to arrange things this way because they are focused on the look of the desk rather than convenience.
Move electronics out of sight. Cable modem, wireless router, firewall, etc. should all be kept out of sight to cut down on visual clutter and make your desk a nicer place to work.
Easy access to files. Easy filing is one of the most important organization tips. You should be able to grab a folder, label it, and file it without having to get up from your desk or move your chair.
Scanning documents. Scanning documents into PDFs and keeping them on your computer is a good way to cut down on filing and keep papers off your desk. This can be especially helpful if you travel a lot and need to transport papers electronically.

If you have the organization down and are just looking for the actual office rental space in Overland Park, give one of our commercial realtors in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

Designing Your Office Rental Space in Overland Park

If you are getting ready to set up a new office, you might want to put some thought into how you arrange your furniture. Here are a few tips that might help you decide how you want to set up your personal office:

Do Not Sit With Your Back to the Door. If you can avoid this, it might help improve your privacy. Placing your computer in the front corner of your workspace will allow you to face the door as you work, which will prevent passerby from seeing your screen, and you will be able to see visitors as they come into your office and avoid the problem of anyone sneaking up on you during your work day.
Add a 48” Bridge. A bridge connects your desk to your credenza and gives you more workspace. Getting a 48” bridge (versus the old standard 42”) will give you more room for your chair and a little more desk space.
Do Not Put File Drawers Directly Behind You. This will prevent the hassle of moving your chair out of the way every time you need to get something out of a drawer. Avoid this productivity killer if possible.
Add Grommets. Having an easily accessible place to run electrical cords through will improve any office design. A few good places to put grommets include the front corner of the desk so you can run computer cords under the desk from there or on your credenza so you can put your printer there and keep it out of the way.

If you want to talk more about commercial space for rent in Overland Park and how we can help meet your office rental and configuration needs, give our commercial realtors in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

Different Office Layouts for Your Office Rental Space in Kansas City

Trying to figure out how best to configure your office rental space? Here are a few different office layouts to give you some ideas as you consider how to best use your space:

Traditional. This is the typical office layout involving doors, walls, and cubicles. Partitions can be set up in the open area for support staff and other lower level employees, while top level company officers usually occupy corner offices with windows, more privacy, and often more square footage.
Cubicle. This is often used in companies with large numbers of middle-management level workers. Open office space is divided by partitions into rows of spaces separated by isles for employees to move through and be able to communicate with one another. Each cubicle typically has a desk with a computer and a phone and is usually occupied by one employee, but could house two or three.
Open. This plan is often found in creative environments (i.e. design companies). The benefit of this layout is increased communication among staff members. Often staff members do not have their own individual desk, computer, or phone in this plan, and conference areas are generally set up on the outer walls of the open office space.
“Hot Desk.” This type of layout is a late 20th century phenomenon. With this arrangement, two or more employees share the same space at different times of day or on different days of the week, maximizing the amount of people who can use an office space.

There are many different ways to layout an office to best suit your company’s needs, and South Creek Overland Park is willing to work with you to arrange your space to best meet those needs, so give one of our commercial real estate brokers in Overland Park a call and tell us what you are looking for: 913-685-4100!

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Discount Near Southcreek Overland Park

This summer, if you are looking for some good deals on cool summer fun, Schlitterbahn Waterpark is offering some great discounts to Southcreek Office Park tenants! Schlitterbahn, located at 9400 State Ave. Kansas City, KS 66112, is the only waterpark in Kansas City that offers a river tubing adventure with a lazy river that takes you through the entire park.

Other attractions include an uphill water coaster, mammoth tubing rivers including the world’s longest tidal wave river, gigantic slides, whitewater tube chutes, 13 mini slides for kids, relaxing beach areas and a giant hot tub with a swim-up refreshment bar. In 2011, Schlitterbahn added a multi-million dollar expansion that includes the only surf ride in the region, a 3000-foot rapids river, two head-first mat slides, a totally enclosed dark tube slide and two new tube chutes.

Schlitterbahn is offering Southcreek Office Park tenants the opportunity to save $7 on the online purchase an all day admission and $15 on a season pass. To take advantage of this deal, follow these steps:

1.   Visit Schlitterbahn.com and click on Kansas City.
2.   Click on GET TICKETS and select Admission Tickets or Season Passes.
3.   Enter the Promo Code: DDIRS12.

Note: this offer is only available for online purchase of tickets and not at the park entrance. In addition to this great discount, Schlitterbahn also offers free parking, provides free lifejacket and tube usage, and welcomes patrons to bring their own picnics inside the park.

The Schlitterbahn discount is one of many deals offered to tenants of DDI Commercial Overland Park. If you would like to learn more about the benefits offered to our tenants, give a DDI commercial real estate broker in Kansas City a call at 913-685-4100.