Live+Work Lofts

Speaking of Live+Work spaces... Lofts have increased in popularity in the last 5 years. There are plenty of lofts popping up all over the Detroit Metro area. Embarking on a SoHo Style Life in an area that desperately needed it. Today's lofts introduces the FLEX space. It's not exactly an extra bedroom or it could be used an office space. Royal Oak has quite a nice and inviting atmosphere for Live+Work Lofts. The ones I favor the most, Main North Lofts are in an ideal location.

Next time of one the Royal Oak Loft Tours rolls around, be sure and get in on the action. You can find out more information about the tours by visiting Virtual Royal Oak. You'll get to visit all (Well Most) of the Loft Developments including The Fifth, SkyLofts MarketSquare, 400 Parent Avenue, Lofts at 11, Troy Street Lofts, Main North Terraces, Eight 55 South Main, 610 South and Metro Station. Buses departed every fifteen minutes and you were allowed to stay at each station as long as you liked. You can also visit sites like The Loft Critic They have a lot of good information on Lofts in Metro Detroit.

If you do select Royal Oak as your Live+Work Community, you'll have great restaurants and coffee shops to meet clients. It's not always an optimal situation to have clients meet you at your home depending on your business. However, if you're strictly a Telecommuter, you'll get the best of both worlds... Work From Home and when the work day is done, walk outside your front on to the sidewalk of food, shopping, and entertainment.

Its Coming Back! Live+Plus Work

Its coming back and it may be here to stay. The old way of life where having your daily job came just steps from walking out of the front door of your home. Businesses seem to be popping up with their owners living on top of them. With the cost of gasoline on the rise more feverishly than every. Everyone is looking for ways to cut costs.

The option to telecommute within the workplace is on the rise! There are humongous benefits where telecommuting for employees are involved. Its almost the like the work place is Going Green by offering telecommute options to its employees. The fuel savings, one less car adding to the pollution, less cause for traffic accidents, and a low turnovers. Let's face it, you don't have too many out there quitting their telecommute job. As it offers a new and more rewarding lifestyle. The flexibility between work and family just became one!

Making this work does have its challenges. Not all employers are ready to give up their micro-management style of supervision and feel the need to see their employees on a day to day bases. In which case, you may have to create a very strong case and present a well thought out proposal for your temptuous dream of telecommuting. When you do present your proposal, it should be well thought out. Believe me, management will throw every possible "no" they can think of. Fortunately there are lots of resources out there to get you started in presenting the best case scenario for obtaining your work from home position.

The number one frustration everyone seems to have at this point is the cost of fuel and actually affording a regular driving commute to and from work. When I recently looked at my credit card statements, I was amazed (well not really) to see that 5 of 6 of my purchases we're to corner gas station. At least these days, I can say it's not frivolous spending that has me in debt. My point is, it is getting tougher for the daily commuter to even go to work. There are some companies out there implementing programs and projects for its employees to help save on costs. Car pools are more popular than ever.

What we are also noticing is a trend thats reforming the concept of the Live+Work space. Creating an office or a business right beneath the very feet you sleep on. There are are some developers in Ferndale, Michigan who have actually taken the initiative to build new homes. Novi-based builder Terra Land Group is building several dozen live/work units in which the owners operate a business or storefront on the ground level while living in a condominium above. The concept allows business owners the luxury of virtually no commute. Check out this article by the Detroit News.

What is a Live+Work Unit?
Ideas for small businesses often progress through different space needs, from a spare room at home, to a garage and often next to a Live/Work space. The use of the term Live/Work indicates the predominant use of a unit is residential and commercial activity is a secondary use; Employees and walk-in trade are not typical but are acceptable.