Does your corporate office space ever say Thank You?
I’m pretty sure the answer is NO, but as always I strive to be different.
What am I thankful for? If you look at my Twitter feed you’d probably think that would never be grateful for anything, but that’s simply not the case.
- I am thankful for how close my brother & sister live to me (right across the parking lot). They help me get through my vacant times.
- I’m thankful that brat tagger down the street got thrown in jail, I’m really sick of him giving my cousins makeovers.
- I’m thankful that Barker Morrissey Construction is building a brand new hottie up 1st avenue. I’m not sure what her job will be yet, but I’m very excited to meet her.
- I’m thankful for my friends on Twitter that keep me company!
- I’m thankful it’s finally cooling off in Tucson
- I’m thankful that all of the University of Arizona students are back in town (more chances for visitors)
- I’m thankful for the snow-birds flocking to Tucson
- I’m thankful I won’t be getting fat from Thanksgiving dinner like you humans
- I’m thankful you’re reading this right now.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! What are you grateful for? Please let me know in the comments below!
~Ralph
Why Picor Tucson Provides The Best Property Management
I’m getting a little bit annoyed at myself for constantly whining about my loneliness and I’m feeling pretty grateful and thought I’d share some kind words about my current real estate broker Jeff from Picor Tucson. He kicks ass!
I’ve spent almost 2 years here alone and initially the people over at RPM (Real Property Management — the acronym should stand for Retarded Property Managers). Honestly, they put a sign in the window, sat down to read a commercial property news article and waited for the calls to come flooding in. I think one time they actually went out of their way to show me off to a prospective tenant. I know my owner Aaron was really annoyed and the lack of transparency and follow-through that they provided to him.
Fortunately, earlier this year he connected with Barbi Reuter on Twitter and she really knew her stuff! Not only did she help with marketing ideas BEFORE they had a contract in place, but she quickly connected him with Jeff Zellet who has been awesome!
Jeff is constantly trying to get office space pictures of me in front of growing insurance agents, small Tucson lawyers and technology businesses. Not only that, but he actually keeps Aaron up to date with what’s going on AND visits me regularly (I love when he does that).
With the condition the commercial real estate market is in, you can’t just sit around with empty offices and wait for potential tenants to call you. You’ve got to get out there and make connections.
Thanks again to the Picor Commercial Real Estate team!
~Ralph
Filling empty offices with U of A students
It’s been quite an emotional roller-coaster over here recently. I had Jeff from Picor Tucson bring an awesome lawyer over here to see me last week. I thought things went great, but it turns out he only wanted part of me, not all of me 
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about that and spoke with @67tallchris over on Twitter who had some great ideas! He suggested that we leverage the fact that I’m located close to the University of Arizona Business School, Tucson Arts District and downtown Tucson. We could convert my office space into some cool study spaces or a study exchange of some sort.
We would allow the mentors to rent the space and use it collaboratively for their group. I would have monitors, projectors and other business center features that would make their time extremely productive.
It seems like it might work better than trying to start a business incubator.
What do you think?
~Ralph
Look What Craig’s List Dragged In!
Look What the Cat Craig’s List Dragged In!
After the young professionals networking event, tweeting, chatting people up on Facebook and everything else we’ve done, it’s finally happened! This guy called and said “I need office space!” which was music to our ears!
Soon, he came by and Aaron, my pimpinformant owner, showed him around. We were all on our best behavior (even Bathroom who, I’m absolutely sure, we cannot take out in public).
I’m guessing we made a good impression because he’s having his people call my people! (Actually, he’s having his lawyer look over the lease papers Picor Tucson put together) Perhaps I’ll be a lonely office no more real soon. How cool would that be??
Those humans out there following along, keep your fingers crossed for me. And for the rest of you, do that broadcast thing we do to get everybody cheering for me!
~Ralph
It Was So Nice, We Want To Do It Twice!
Have you ever done something and it was just so great you wanted to do it again? Like, getting your paint done? Or having your lot re-surfaced? Wait – you’re humans. Let me put it in terms you can understand. Ummm… Going for a summer drive or eating a delicious meal. (I could probably go a little more specific, but Clock is only 2 years old!)
Anyway, that’s how I felt about the No-Snob Hobnob Networking Event I hosted last month. It was SO.MUCH.FUN to have people hanging out again, listening to all that conversation, watching the people come and go. It was absolutely great! So I’m doing it again!
On Wednesday, June 29th, I’m inviting you all over to hang out again! This time is going to be even better than the last one!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
5 – 8 p.m.
Jacinto Plaza – Ralph’s Spot
2579 N. 1st Street
Tucson, AZ 85710
So don’t forget to let my handler, Aaron, know if you’re planning to come – just visit this site to register! See you there!
~Ralph
Empty Offices + Office Makeovers = One Great Party!
So, I had this great idea a few weeks ago that if I wanted people to come visit me, I needed to give them a reason to come visit. And that’s how the No-Snob Hobnob was born. My “handler,” Aaron, jumped in with both feet (he’s human, he can do that) and helped me make it happen. He quickly pulled together one of those epic office makeovers you’d see on reality TV!
Did they have a great time or what?! Why yes, yes they did! No one played any of the games we had set-up upstairs (we even had Quelf!) but that’s okay – maybe next time they will! (It could have something to do with all the cheap wine they drank!)
One of the great things that came out of that event was that Seth Webster and Jason Young are planning to work together on Jason’s diabetes project. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the SXSW Ogilvy Notes that were plastered all over the place – those were a hit. Oh – and Chris Porter (67tallchris) shared some great ways to market a podiatrist using social media during the event! We all got some great ideas from that – including Seth’s stow away cat. Great ideas, I might add, that I may also be implementing so look out world!
All-in-all, I was very happy to have almost an entire day with people hanging out with me, enjoying themselves. It was a great event and a great day!
~Ralph
Lingerie For Men – Is That The Key?
Women have their parties, right? Perfume. Candles. Lingerie. All the time. So it gave me another idea.
What’s the best way to get some guys in here to take a look at my office space? Throw a party for them! And not just any party. I’ve got to make this the kind of party that will make them come by and never want to leave.
Lingerie for men.
So wait a minute. I know what you’re thinking. “What the heck is lingerie for men??” Not cutsie little undies. Not purple nighties. Nope. Power tools. Think they’ll stay?
My office size may not be big, but I think I’m a pretty creative work space!
~Ralph
What’s That Funny Smell?
There used to be these guys who worked here. They had a weird company name, Webglimmer Internet. I noticed that when they were around it always smelled funny in here. Like “what IS that smell” kind of office smell funny.
The furniture and I were talking about it last night (yes, we have late-nite chats). We realized what the smell was – them! Know how we know?
Yesterday a building maintenance service guy came by to fix up a few things and when he left, he left the bathroom door open. Guess what? And here we always thought they just wanted to let the others know the bathroom was unoccupied. We thought wrong.
On the flip side, no one ever says ‘what’s that smell’ anymore around these clean offices!
~Ralph
It’s Legal Medical Marijuana! (Trust Me!)
Ok so no kidding! The other day, these guys came in to take a look around Tucson’s coolest office. (Not important.) We straightened up because we wanted to make a good impression, you know? The office pictures slid over just a hair to cover that spot on the wall where some tape pulled off the wall paint. A CEO chair rolled just enough to hide that paperclip on the floor.
Anyway, while the folks from Picor Tucson were showing the guys around, I started listening to their conversation (of course). Guess what they wanted me for!? They wanted to open a medical marijuana dispensary! Here! Right here! hahahahahaha
That just beat all! My owners finally get some people to come check me out and they want to hand out pot “for medicinal purposes.” Figures that Arizona is one of the medical marijuana states where you can open a legal dispensary (assuming that prop 203 actually passes)
So, still waiting to find a great tenant…
~Ralph
Being An Empty Office Sucks
I’ve got four words for you: Empty Office Space Sucks.
Seriously? (Ok, that’s five but so what. This sucks being empty.)
~Ralph