The Office that Never Sleeps

In the current economic climate it is important to optimize resources and facilities as effectively as possible, and many businesses consider switching to more cost-effective open-plan office space. Reduced cost, however, is not the only thing to consider.

The pros:

Open-plan offices offer ideal conditions for establishing friendships - assuming you like the people you share the space with.

Open-plan offices are more cost-effective, on average saving business up to 20 percent on accommodation cost. Choosing partitions wisely and working out the best possible desk layout allows companies to fit more people into the smaller space.

Buildings with open-plan office facilities are environmentally friendlier as heating and cooling becomes more efficient.

There are eleven Empire zones in New York City that are offered benefits and incentives to expand commercial, retail and industrial companies. These are The Bronx (Port Morris and Hunts Point), Manhattan (East Harlem and Chinatown), Staten Island (West Shore and North), Brooklyn (Southwest Brooklyn, East Brooklyn, North Brooklyn/ Brooklyn Navy Yard) and Queens (South Jamaica and Far Rockaway).

Created in 1996 to help revitalize the Upper Manhattan and South Bronx market place, the New York Empowerment zone is a federal economic development initiative. If your business qualifies and operates in the Empowerment Zone you could be eligible for increased depreciation tax deductions, employer wage credits and tax exempt bond financing.

Combining parenthood and a career can be quite a juggling act, and finding someone to care for your little one is of paramount importance. There are different types of childcare available in New York and finding a safe, reliable and licensed practitioner is vital. You need to be able to do your job knowing that your child is being taken care of, is happy and healthy. You, as the parent, know what is best for your child, and finding a warm, friendly environment requires some research.

The Bureau of Child Care provides a wealth of information and advice on childcare along with licensing and registration services for childcare workers. You should start looking a few months before the childcare needs to start, to give yourself time to check out what is available, and what would best suit you and your child’s needs.

Keeping fit is important for your well being as well as being a great way to keep stress levels down. Fitting exercise into your work day can be a difficult task, but is well worth the effort. Decide what type of fitness training you would like to do - power walking, yoga, jogging, swimming, or a mixture. Even a short walk will do you good - try getting off a stop before you need to and walk the rest of the way, run up the stairs instead of using the elevator and take a walk in the park at lunch time instead of sitting hunched over your desk.

As far as gyms go, there fitness classes for all abilities, with times to suit office workers. You could take a pre breakfast yoga class, a lunchtime spinning class or go for an after work weight training session. If your office building has its own gym you could come into work a little early and spend twenty minutes using the facilities.

With our busy working lives, we don’t always get the time to actually leave the office for lunch, so finding a lunch delivery service that offers healthy options and quality menus is important. Ordering pizza and other fast foods is not good for your diet or well being but taking the time to research alternatives can be time consuming, so we’ve done it for you!

There will be no excuses for drab and unhealthy lunches after you have read through our list, and with all the amazing options available in this multicultural melting pot of a city you are spoiled for choice.