Here’s a list of tips you and your colleagues can use to help reduce the negative impact of open-plan office arrangements.

1. Be quiet. Try and keep the noise level to the minimum. Avoid using the speaker phone if it’s not necessary. Avoid using noisy gadgets. Befriend a set of headphones to listen to videos and podcasts. Find an enclosed space for short personal phone calls if you must make them.

2. Control your phones. The constant ringing of your cell phone while there’s also someone on your direct line can be distracting to your colleagues. Turn down the volume and try to answer the phone within three rings. Avoid fancy ringtones.

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.

Companies looking to relocate to Lower Manhattan are entitled to various tax savings and incentives programs. These incentives include Sales Tax Savings, Commercial Rent Tax Savings, Special WTC Rent Reductions and the Lower Manhattan Relocation Employment Assistance Program.

Cycling is closely associated with New York, and it has been for several decades. For some of us cycling is a relaxing activity for the weekend, for others it provides much needed exercise, while some simply refuse to commute to work using any other form of transport.

New York City has a wide range of specialized bicycle shops, and the staff are usually well informed and helpful. Before you hit the street on your two-wheeled friend, make sure you know the NYC Traffic Rules and Regulations and get yourself a copy of the NYC cycling map, available from any bike shop across the city.

The stats have shown that commuter cycling has been on the increase in New York, with an estimated 35% increase from year 2007/2008. Whether for environmental or practical reasons, cycling levels doubled in the last 6 years.

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.