Rail to Reston, Loudoun

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Feb 21, 2012

Tagged in: Dulles

As most of us have seen (just by driving the Dulles Toll Road), rail is fast becoming a reality to Wiehle Avenue in Reston. Rail to Dulles and to Loudoun County still has hurdles to overcome, but the benefits, as outlined by Rail to Loudoun Coalition, are incredible. And it’s critical to our region’s long-term growth and prosperity. Completion will bring us closer to the DC Metropolitan area, but it will also bring DC closer to Loudoun!!


If you agree that Rail to Loudoun is a vitally important component to meeting our region’s future needs (from transportation to economic development), go to the Rail2Loudoun petition and show your support by signing! I did!

Below is project overview information and the February 2012 update courtesy of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project...


 

 

The Danger Zone

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Feb 13, 2012

Tagged in: Leases

In the world of commercial real estate lease agreements, there’s something we like to refer to as “The Danger Zone.”  No, we’re not referring to a particular section of contract legalese or the theme song from Top Gun. What we’re actually talking about is a date range on the calendar that is less than ideal for leases to expire. Specifically, we’re referring to November 30th through January 31st.

So why is this the “The Danger Zone?”  Basically it comes down to this: November 30th through January 31st is a lousy time to have to move out.  And the reasons make sense...

  • The holiday season falls smack in the middle of “The Danger Zone” and that’s always a busy time for everyone, especially our small business owner tenants. The last thing you want to do is renegotiate a lease in between things like your holiday rush, figuring out employee vacations and making last minute shopping trips.
  • Also, Old Man Winter takes no pity on leases that expire in “The Danger Zone.” Should you find yourself in the situation that requires a move during to a different space during "The Danger Zone," you may end up doing so in the snow (or in the case of Northern Virginia, the “freezing rain”). Again, not ideal.
  • For most businesses, the end of the year marks the end of the fiscal calendar. That means you’re closing the books, dealing with year-end accounting issues, hounding your customers or clients for overdue payments, and squaring up with your vendors. A lease renegotiation is not a to-do item you want to add to that list.
    •

So as experienced landlords, we know that “The Danger Zone” just isn’t a great time for a small business to renegotiate a lease. That said, with our tenants best interest in mind, we recommend that a lease expires outside of “The Danger Zone,” usually sometime in the second quarter. (Spring's a much better time to tackle lease renegotiation!)  In fact, over 60 percent of Clarke-Hook tenants have leases that expire outside “The Danger Zone.”

This is about our responsibility as landlords to share our insight and experience to help a tenant focus on what matters most: their business. It’s about foresight. Negotiating a lease that expires outside of “The Danger Zone” is logical. It just makes sense. And it’s good business for everyone involved.

If you have any questions about lease terms, expiration dates, or in general, send an email and we’ll chat!

 

Twitter 101 for Small Businesses

Posted by: Dave Clarke in My Blog on Feb 07, 2012

Tagged in: Small Business

Tweeting? Following? DMing? Trending? Hashtags? Twitpics? 140 characters?

Welcome to the vocabulary of Twitter.

Of all the social networks, Twitter tends to get pegged as the most inane social network with, not surprisingly, a reputation for being difficult to “get.”  And these sentiments seem to ring even louder amongst small business owners.

To help, we’re going to break down Twitter into its basic elements and easy-to-understand pieces.  And by the end of the article, you should have a decent idea as to whether or not Twitter is relevant to you and your business and how you can best get started with it.

Twitter
What Is It?
Twitter is a free, online social networking website that gives users the ability to...
  • Broadcast brief content (which we’ll go over shortly)
  • “Listen” to conversations amongst other users... especially conversations that are relevant to you, your business, your region, or any number of focus areas
  • Communicate with other users... especially your customers and potential customers

Why Does It Matter?
Picture a typical business networking function offered by many organizations such as a Chamber, Agency, Association or Club.  There are lots of conversations.  Some attendees are listening to one person. Others are listening to many.  There are quick exchanges, and ideas shared.  Someone then repeats one idea to another group.  That group then seeks out the originator of the idea for more thoughts.  Then a business executive joins in the conversation.  Then a politician.  A few uninterested people depart for another conversation.  Then, a few people agree to meet and chat on a regular basis.  On the surface it appears to be organized chaos yet everyone is getting something out of it.  

Twitter is a lot like a face-to-face networking event, but digital.  Lots of conversation - and lots of relationship building.

Now we’ll walk through the basics...

First, you sign up (for free) with a user name at http://twitter.com.  (All you need is an active email address.) Users are individuals, companies, political figures, non-profits, celebrities, retailers... literally anyone and anything.  Immediately upon signing up you can then do a few things, including...

Identify Yourself
The Twitter system will coach you through the process of setting up a profile which includes a picture, a short bio, a link that you’d like to feature (for a small business, it might make sense to link to your website page or a Yelp page) and more. This is one of the first things you’ll do - and it’s actually mandatory to get started. And take your time with this! It’s what other Twitter users will see!  Think of your profile as your storefront’s signage.

Tweet
When we say “tweet,” here’s what we’re referring to: once you’re all set up and on your Twitter homepage, there is a box that asks the question, “What’s happening?”  In this space, you can share anything you like: a link to an interesting article you read (or wrote!), a picture you took on your cell phone, a special promotion your business is running, what you’re making for dinner - literally... anything.  The catch is, though, you only have 140 characters, including punctuation and spaces, to do it.  In fact, just below this box, you’ll see a countdown that goes from 140 to 0 as you type. The system will let you type more than 140 characters - and it will actually turn into negative numbers to show that you’ve typed too much - but it won’t let you send it... 140 is the max.  And with good reason.  The guys who created Twitter wanted to keep things brief and to the point.

So tweeting is broadcasting your message in the “What’s Happening” space. You’re posting a message for other Twitter users to see. Go ahead and tweet for a few days. And don’t get stuck in the “I don’t know what to tweet!” mentality. These are your first attempts; they can be baby steps. (Below, we’ll cover types of tweets to help you drum up some ideas.)

Next, you will want to start building up your network of people who might read what you are tweeting.

Follow
There’s a good chance you’re thinking, “OK, so I tweet something - but who’s listening?!” Well, when you first start out, no one is listening because no one knows you’ve arrived on Twitter.  But that’s OK! When you first sign up for Twitter, you’re going to feel like you’re whispering into the Grand Canyon.  After you have generated a few tweets, it’s time for you to start “listening” - and by that, we mean “following.”  

When you first sign up, Twitter will make a few recommendations for other users you might want to follow.  Some of these may be good and right for you, but don’t feel obligated to follow another user that’s not terribly interesting to you.  Instead, look toward the top of the page for the “Who To Follow” button.  Once you click it, you’ll see a small space where you can enter a topic. For example, if you own a pizza place in Northern Virginia you would type “pizza” into the “Who To Follow” field.  Presto!  A whole list will pop up of Twitter users (some individuals, some actual companies or organizations) who share your common interest in pizza!  Browse through them and click on the corresponding “Follow” button for those most interesting to you and your business.  Do this with a few different keywords (i.e., after searching “pizza,” perhaps search “Italian Virginia” since your product is in the Italian food category and you’re located in Virginia). Other categories worth following might include:
So build up a good list of Twitter users you follow that you’re interested in and are related to your business.  

Who Will Listen to Me?
Even if you’re following 40 Twitter users that are interesting and relevant to you and your business, it still doesn’t mean anyone’s listening to you or reading what you are broadcasting. You’ll be able to tell how many people are “listening” to you by viewing on your Twitter page your own list of “Followers” (aka, people who are following you). Those are the Twitter users that have subscribed to (or are “listening”) your tweets. Out of the gate, that number is going to be small. Real small. But that’s nothing to worry about at this point.

Despite what anyone might tell you, there is no magic formula for gaining followers.  You can’t buy them. You can’t force people to follow you.  

What you can do, though, is tweet. And it’s all about providing useful content.

Tweeting is a great way to gain followers who are interested in you and your business.  Here are a few different “types” of tweets that can help build your following:

Informational - The majority of your first few tweets will be basic: “Just signed up for Twitter! Excited to tap into some good conversations.”  Or “We just had a month of 99% customer support satisfaction!”  Or “Interesting article from the WashingtonPost on rise of independent pizza shops: http://wa.po/pizza.”  These types of tweets are good for the early goings of your Twitter experience.  


Tip: Information tweets should be just that - informational.  They need to be useful, subtle and interesting with minimal self-promotion, if any at all.  


Public Reply - Chances are, you’ve seen tweets from a user that have the @ symbol before another Twitter users name. This is a “public reply.”  Think of it as a text message conversation between two people that all other Twitter users (including the followers of the two users involved) can see.  When you see a tweet that moves you, click the “Reply” button and you’ll be able to “tweet at” or respond to that specific user.  Remember though, your reply tweet will be public for all to see!


Why is this helpful or good?  As a small business owner, you know that engaging with customers, potential customers or influencers is a good thing.  And it’s even better when others hear the conversation.  A public reply makes this possible.


Let’s look at this fictional example...


NoVaPrintShop tweets, “Ordering pizza for the office holiday party later today!”


This is a great opportunity for our local pizza shop to engage a potential customer.  So assuming that NearByPizzaPlace is following a number of local businesses or “listening” for pizza-related tweets, they might want to tweet “@NoVaPrintShop we’re running a special for office parties! Give us a call at 703-555-5555 anytime and we’ll take care of you!”


See what just happened there?  The tweeter, NoVaPrintShop, will see NearByPizzaPlace’s mention of them because they will get a notification of the mention via email.  NearByPizzaPlace was able to “listen” to a little bit of insider knowledge about what a potential customer wants and NoVaPrintShop  is definitely in the market for some pizza.


Retweets - Retweeting is the action of copying and pasting another users tweet that you like.  A retweet mentions the user who originally tweeted the tweet. It also gives you the opportunity to add your own two cents, provide the whole thing stays under 140 characters. (Twitter has actually built in a “Retweet” button so you don’t have to copy and paste.)  


How is this helpful in building a follower base?  Not only are you publicly mentioning the original user who will see that they’ve been mentioned and might be inclined to follow you, but you’re also positioning yourself for exposure to the followers of other Twitter users who may retweet as well or start following you.  Plus, retweeting is a great way to build up your tweets in the early stages when you might feel like you don’t have a lot to say.


Now you have the Twitter basics. Yes, there’s lots more to learn about Twitter, but for now, this information should help you get a sense as to what Twitter is and how it might be useful to you and your business.

If you want to learn more on your own, check out this helpful guide SmallBusinessTrends: How Small Businesses Get the Most Out of Twitter. And don’t be shy about reaching out to us!  We’re more than happy to help you learn the ropes of Twitter.  Just email Dave at the address below.


This article is presented by Dave Clarke, one of our business resource experts.  Dave is the founder of AuthenticMatters, a strategic digital communications consultancy that helps businesses - from seed-stage startups to mid-sized companies - better tell their stories and ultimately, attract the right customer for the right reasons, the right way.  He is not the Chairman of Clarke-Hook with whom he shares a name (and perhaps numerous personality traits).

Dave specializes in web marketing, content and social media strategies, customer engagement and media relations. Prior to founding AuthenticMatters, he’s worked on a number of interesting projects including Thrive (a personal finance management site acquired by LendingTree), Churnless (a behavioral web consultancy) and GetRaised (a web service designed to help people get raises at work). Get in touch with Dave on Twitter or email him.

Attention Loudoun Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs! (Event Notice)

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Jan 06, 2012

Tagged in: Small Business

Funding your business growth… bank loans simplified.

Find out what it takes to get a Business Bank loan.

Friday, January 27, 2012 from 8-10 am.

Your chance to network directly with bankers, SBA, The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority and the Loudoun Small Business Development Center.

Cost: Free!!

Location: Loudoun County Pubic Schools Administration Building – 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA 20148

But you must register: click here!

Have questions??? Call 703-430-7222

Sponsored by...
Town of Leesburg 
GMU 

Yelp 101 for Small Business Owners

Posted by: Dave Clarke in My Blog on Jan 05, 2012

Tagged in: Yelp

 

Yelp

As a small business owner, there’s a good chance you might have heard about a website called Yelp.

At its most basic level, Yelp is a social networking site that features listings of businesses and services from all over the US and Canada (and a number of other countries).  These listings feature user-submitted reviews as well as useful information about the business including address, hours, pictures, contact information, etc.  Think of Yelp as an interactive YellowPages where it’s not just your business, but also your customers, that control what information is presented.

And to give you a sense of how big it is, over 61 million people from over 13 countries visit Yelp each month.

So what does that mean to you and your business?  To help you navigate Yelp, we’ve put together a basic overview that will answer some of the high-level questions and hopefully give you a sense as to whether or not Yelp is relevant to your business.  And if it is, we’ll get you started on the right foot.

Splitting Things Up
In the case of Yelp, there are two audiences:
  1. Users
  2. Businesses and services

Let’s start by understanding users (aka, anybody).  First, Yelp is free for users to join.  When a user first signs up, he or she creates a profile much like they do with Facebook.  Then they write reviews of places, businesses, or services they’ve been to or experienced (i.e., a restaurant, a doctor’s office, a print shop, an HVAC service... literally anything).  The user searches for the business or service they want to review by entering the name and location.  To see this in action, let’s search “Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Q” in or near “Chantilly, VA” as an example.

Here’s the result: http://www.yelp.com/biz/famous-daves-chantilly

In addition to basic business information, you’ll see nearly 40 user-submitted reviews of Famous Dave’s here in Chantilly, near Clarke-Hook’s offices.  Just look at how detailed and descriptive these reviews are!  And what’s even more impressive is that most reviewers are not incentivized to review! (We say “most” because Yelp does “reward” power users with “Elite” status which provides them with invites to VIP events, discounts, coupons, etc.  But “Elite” Yelpers are by no means the majority.)

If you were the franchise manager of this specific Famous Dave’s, you’d want to know what’s being said on your Yelp page, right?  And you’d certainly want to figure out how you can take advantage of it not only to drive more customers, but also to provide them with a better experience based on what is virtually free customer feedback.

That brings us to the other Yelp audience: businesses and services (aka, you).  If you were to search for your business on Yelp.com, there’s a good chance something will come up.  It may be a page with just your basic business information that Yelp has gathered from third party sources and public records. There may also be some user-submitted reviews on your business’ Yelp page.  (If there are reviews, that will let you know that your existing customers are active on Yelp.)

The most important opportunity for business owners when it comes to Yelp is their ability to “Claim This Business.”  When you find your business’ page for the first time on Yelp, the site will ask you if it’s your business.  The site will instruct you to “claim your business page and access your free Yelp for Business Owners account.”  Regardless of whether or not there are any reviews on your business’ Yelp page, we recommend claiming it so that, if for nothing else, you can make sure the correct business information is presented. If you searched for your business on Yelp and nothing came up, you'll be walked through the process once you've set up a Business Owners account.

So why claim your page?  Won’t this be just another “internet thing” you’ll have to worry about?  There’s got to be a catch somewhere, right?

Well, there are a few reasons why we recommend claiming your Yelp page.  First, if you have a website for your business, it is no longer the sole source for people seeking information about your business. Sure, it’s the one you control the most, but there are numerous other ways customers can learn about your business via the web - and when it comes to posting and reading reviews of merchants, many people use Yelp.  Plus, once you claim your business page on Yelp, you can monitor how many people view your business page, update and control all the business information (which might not be totally accurate based on information Yelp has gathered!), privately or publicly send messages to customers, receive email alerts when a new review is posted, and - best of all - you can engage personally with your customers.

If you need more instruction on setting up your business page on Yelp, visit Yelp’s Business Owners Support Center.

Also, if you find your company Yelp page contains unfavorable reviews, we can provide some tips and tactics to help you manage your Yelp presence and image. Just contact Dave at his email listed below.

The last thing we’ll cover here about Yelp is how they make money. They make their money by enticing businesses to advertise on Yelp. “Businesses may advertise with Yelp for preferred search result placement and extra listing features. For the advertising fee, the business may include an individualized message, video and photo slide show onto the web page for its listing as well as receive reports on listing traffic.” (source)  For now though, we recommend just dipping your toe in and familiarizing yourself with Yelp’s free elements.

Here are a few basic questions to ask yourself when it comes to Yelp and your business:
  • Do my customers use Yelp?  Ask them!  And search for your competitors on Yelp to see if they have business pages (and customer reviews).  If they do, it’s time to claim your Yelp page too.
  • Does my business currently have a Yelp presence? Simply search your business name and location on Yelp.com and you’ll find out.
  • If my business is listed on Yelp, are there any reviews written by users/customers?  If so, this is a sign that you might want to “Claim Your Business Page.”  If not, it still makes sense to claim the page because you should control as much as you can of any web presence about your business.
  • Once I’ve claimed my Yelp page, is all of the business information correct?  If not, simply edit the business information.
  • Where can I go for help?  Check out Yelp’s supremely helpful “Support Center.” It’s full of easy-to-understand videos, tutorials and content.  And as always, we’re here to answer any of your questions.


This article is presented by Dave Clarke, one of our business resource experts.  Dave is the founder of AuthenticMatters, a strategic digital communications consultancy that helps businesses - from seed-stage startups to mid-sized companies - better tell their stories and ultimately, attract the right customer for the right reasons, the right way.  He is not the Chairman of Clarke-Hook with whom he shares a name (and perhaps numerous personality traits).

Dave specializes in web marketing, content and social media strategies, customer engagement and media relations. Prior to founding AuthenticMatters, he’s worked on a number of interesting projects including Thrive (a personal finance management site acquired by LendingTree), Churnless (a behavioral web consultancy) and GetRaised (a web service designed to help people get raises at work). For more, follow Dave on Twitter or email him.

Reflections of 2011

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Dec 20, 2011

Tagged in: Ed Zigo

Personally, this year hasn’t been great for me, particularly because I lost my Dad last February.  


Business has been fairly stable….not good …not bad… BUT….as bad as times get, I am and always will be the eternal optimist!!!  


Macy’s Christmas theme for the past few years has been “Believe”. While certainly the first thing that would come to mind is to believe in Santa…the magic of Christmas….the giving season and so on….  


Here’s my take…. It’s my favorite word….It keeps me focused…motivated…why? Because…  

I BELIEVE in my family & my faith & my country  

I BELIEVE in my friends  

I BELIEVE in my co-workers  

I BELIEVE in me  

And, yes, I do BELIEVE in Santa.  


So, in spite of year filled with sorrow and some disappointment… I BELIEVE that we will have a great 2012!  


To all…..please have a wonderful and safe Holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Most of all…………BELIEVE!

The Value of a Knowledgeable Commercial Real Estate Broker

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Dec 14, 2011

Tagged in: Brokers

 

In the course of our leasing and sales operations, we’ve always made it a priority at Clarke-Hook to work and cooperate with the brokerage community.  This experienced group plays a vital role in the commercial real estate industry across markets of all sizes.  And while we have worked with agents and brokerages from large national companies to regional, we especially enjoy working with a great corps of local professionals, right here in the Fairfax, Loudoun, and Dulles regions.

In our constant effort to foster strong bonds with our tenant business community, oftentimes we see the local broker as the catalyst that plants the seed of authentic trust and mutual benefit.

And that bond has to work both ways. Translated: both the landlord and the tenant (aka, the broker’s client) have to trust that the broker has mutual interest in mind. True, the broker represents the tenant, but instilling mutual trust will go a long way in customer satisfaction over the life of the business’s stay at the leased location.

So as an entrepreneur or small business owner seeking a commercial real estate broker, what should you be looking for?
  • Your broker should have a clear understanding of the type of space you desire and the ability to offer workable alternatives.
  • He or she should have strong knowledge of not only regional geography but also - and most importantly - the submarket you specifically want.
  • They need to understand your space and equipment needs relative to the space you are looking at.
  • They must have the ability to analyze the economic terms and compare them to the market.  (And that doesn’t mean just rent, but pass throughs, escalators, etc.)
  • And most importantly, they need to be expert negotiators.
From our experience, we’ve seen the majority of small businesses most frequently represented by local or regional brokerages.  And that seems to make sense, given most of the bullet points above.  

As landlords, our idea of negotiation is win-win.  It really is.  And as you’re evaluating brokers, you should have the same mentality in mind: win-win.  The relationship has to work both ways.

Once the lease is signed, it’s then up to both parties - tenant and landlord - to nurture and grow the relationship.

 

Tips to Having a Successful and Productive Holiday Season

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Nov 23, 2011

Tagged in: Small Business

Loudoun & Fairfax Small Businesses: It’s that time of year again... the holidays.

Embraced, dreaded, chaotic, busy and seemingly arriving earlier each year, the holiday season, for most of us, is anything but restful.  And, usually starting right around Halloween, our office gets calls from our tenant businesses asking what we can do to help generate sales or what they can do in the form of promotion.  As a property management firm, that’s natural.  Our years of experience have given us a unique perspective that can help you have a successful and productive holiday season.  And while we’re not going to tell you what to do (that’s your job!), below are a few tips that might be of value. They might even help you find a little more rest during the holiday hustle and bustle...

  • Use Customer Common Sense - Sometimes it’s the simple things.  Try to put yourself in your customers’ shoes.  How can you make things easier for them?  What would make total sense to them?  Here’s an example... You want your customers to have easy, convenient access to your entrance, right?  Then shouldn’t you and your employees park away from your entrance?  Common...or customer...sense lets the little things shine through.
  • Before You Decorate - Clean up your place! Make it inviting, warm and welcoming.
  • OK, Now Decorate - Tastefully!  And do so with respect to the exterior.  You should run any holiday decoration by your landlord - chances are, they’ll be able to help you take your ideas further!  We enjoy doing our part to make our buildings welcoming and festive... without going over the top. (After all, we might lose a few customers if we decorate our space like Clark Griswold.)
  • Know When Your Customer Buys - Again, we’re not going to tell you what to do, but we will tell you to determine who your customers are, why they need your product or service and why they might need it more now, during the holiday season, than throughout the rest of the year.  Now you can do what you do!
  • Oh, there is one thing we’ll tell you to do: BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!  We’ll say it again: BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!  That means longer, convenient hours.  And this should go without saying, but when we say “convenient hours” we mean for your customer, not you!


So again, these tips are just our two cents we’ve picked up along the way.  We’re not here to tell you what to do; we’re here to provide some tips based on our experience, as property managers, with countless small businesses.

And one last job for you as we head into the holidays: if we missed something at any of our properties, tell us!  This goes for the biz tips above as well as the day-to-day.  This time of the year is ushered in with falling leaves and even the occasional  snowstorm.  And while we do a terrific job of clearing, cleaning and maximizing safety at our properties in Northern Virginia, even we miss something every now and then.  So if you see an issue, give the landlord a ring!

Ed Zigo is the President of Clarke-Hook Corporation, a leading development, leasing and management firm of commercial, industrial and retail properties located in the Washington DC region, Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Virginia.  

Clarke-Hook: Providing More Than Just Space

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Nov 18, 2011

Tagged in: Small Business

 

How Clarke-Hook is Becoming a Small Business Resource

Among small business owners, the landlord relationship is usually pretty standard.  The tenant needs workspace and the landlord has it.  Throw in the occasional maintenance work and collect a check on the first of the month and that’s what is expected.  

But we’re improving on that.

At Clarke-Hook, we’ve always been a property manager that values trusting relationships - with our brokers, our vendors... and especially our tenants.  And now we’re forging new initiatives to grow that trust and be a small business resource for our tenants that goes beyond providing space.  We’re laying out a plan to provide our tenants with useful insights, tools and ideas that can help them grow their business.  Because after all, our success is heavily dependent upon our tenants success - and we want to see them thrive.  

So what are we actually going to do?  First, we are going to build a library of resources that will exist right here on the Clarke-Hook blog.  We’ll cover a range of topics that are relevant to our tenants and their businesses. Examples include....
  • Analyses of regional business trends and economic news
  • Thoughts and insights into best business practices across various disciplines, such as marketing, bookkeeping, sales, customer engagement, hiring, negotiating, and more.
  • Simple breakdowns of web tools like LinkedIn, Yelp and Twitter
  • Tenant spotlights
  • Unbiased reviews on business products and services that can help our tenants save time and money
  • And, most importantly, topics our tenants express an interest in. (Suggestions are welcome!)
That’s how we’re out to provide more than just space.  At the end of the day, this effort is about helping small business at the grassroots level. Most importantly, we’re going to let our readers form their own conclusions about what applies to their business.  If, for example, you’re reading through our forthcoming post on “LinkedIn Basics,” we’re not going to tell you that you just have to sign up for LinkedIn.  Instead, we’ll explain LinkedIn’s value and will pose a few questions to you that should help you figure out whether or not LinkedIn would actually be useful to your business.  We’re providing a small business resource - not a sales platform.  

All of this content will exist here, on the Clarke-Hook blog.  Visitors will be able to search for topics by category, author and more.  We’re also setting up weekly email notifications, so readers can find out what’s new without having to revisit every day.

We’re excited about this endeavor - and we hope it provides genuine value to our tenants, and to the region’s business community, at large.  If you have any questions, we’re here for you. Just shoot us an email or call (703-378-8500).

Stay tuned!

Loudoun County Government Means Business!!

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Sep 30, 2011

Tagged in: Small Business

In our business, which is regional, we work with the many departments affecting real estate including building, planning and most regularly, zoning.

Oftentimes County officials – much like we landlords! - get a bad rap…close minded…overbearing. Lengthy review processes are sometimes to blame for missed business opportunities or at the least, causing hiccups in the transition of businesses moving or expanding or simply redesigning its space to make it more functional.

Delays, especially, can kill deals...add time and money while the businesses and the building owners lose money….delays in opening …..lost rent.

Not the case in Loudoun….County officials have been very helpful and  willing to make things happen.

Sometimes the answer is not what you hoped for…but, hey, that's their job …to enforce codes and ensure proper administration. But, they respond quickly and provide a fair explanation. Recently, we had a chance to meet with County officials to clarify a somewhat confusing issue…..We spent a good portion of the morning trying to work acceptable alternatives to a problem.

They just didn't reject a proposal …they sat with us and worked with us……and, no matter the outcome…it was a great experience.

That, dear readers, is a local government providing proof positive that they are open for business.

School Is In

Posted by: Ingrid Gelinas in My Blog on Aug 25, 2011

Tagged in: Clarke-Hook News

With an upsurge in leasing activity, Clarke-Hook is busy working with current and future tenants.  Our newest include

While the thought of a dance studio and youth athletic training may sound mainstream, these unique enterprises work one-on-one with children starting at a very young age on learning skills, mobility, coordination and most importantly, teamwork.

All three youth-oriented organizations are located in our newest building at University Commerce Center on George Washington Blvd in Ashburn VA.

In addition, one of our flagship tenants - The Newton School located on Nokes Blvd in Sterling VA - is a recognized, fully accredited program for training students and helping them grow through activity.

If I can quote our president, Ed Zigo, he recently said that “the demands on our region for the next few decades make it incumbent upon us to nurture, train and do whatever we can to help prepare tomorrow’s business leaders and the future workforce of our greater community here in Northern Virginia.”

These new organizations that are being welcomed to our family of tenants are representative of Clarke-Hook’s strong philosophy of doing its part to prepare today’s youth for tomorrow’s educational and vocational demands.

Commercial Real Estate – Running its Course

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Aug 17, 2011

Tagged in: Clarke-Hook News

Clarke-Hook sticks to its plan!

Recently, a friend said they were going to run a marathon in a certain time on a bet….more of a dare.

Being a long time runner myself, I questioned the motive…..actually, I more than questioned it!!

During my early morning run today, I thought about this and drew an analogy to our Loudoun/Fairfax counties commercial real estate market here in Northern Virginia.

Being a Developer…Landlord….Property Manager and Broker in Northern Virginia…in this market….in this economy ….requires a solid plan …..one that is adhered to but infuses a certain amount of flexibility to allow for reacting to unexpected developments.

Kind of like planning to train for the Marathon!

Risk plays a part of all business. Any good biz plan contains risk assessment and strategies to minimize or avert risk and related pitfalls.

A distance runner knows that a solid training plan is one that is balanced….to build endurance (staying power to go the distance)…to build strength (usually hill work  to tackle the ups and downs of the race)….to build speed (to maintain your best steady pace in an effort to reach your target).

Hopefully, you can see where I'm going with this!!

This is all going through my mind as I'm on my morning run in Chantilly VA. I don't listen to music when I run!

Over the years, I have been a competitive runner with a number of topnotch coaches and I have run and trained for countless events and many marathons, including all the majors…Boston, NYC, Chicago, Marine Corps. Additionally, I have coached runners from grade school track and cross-country to adult distance runners.

While my competing days are over, I still train like there's no tomorrow.

It amazes me how similar our Clarke-Hook's business philosophy and strategic planning mirrors a sound, balanced, dedicated and – I dare say – well coached approach …one that has enabled us to maintain our staying power…our strong commitment to the highest level of customer satisfaction…our ability to weather the ups and downs of this economic storm….and our ability to pace ourselves without overextending.

To say that being in our business in this economy is like running a marathon….is a major understatement.

We built our base…..we are strong enough to take on the tough times.

We didn't take on unnecessary debt…..which enabled us to tackle those deadly hills and address – to our best ability – the woes of our tenants.

By being cautious…staying on pace…..we don't fall behind our goals and objectives.

Yes….running the distance requires psychological stamina as well…..which ONLY comes from adhering to a solid training schedule/business plan.

Our tenants have seen us as a source of strength and remain confident in us…..which is very, very important.

Ok….I'll stop!!!!!

But for me, this analogy offers a tremendous amount of strength and satisfaction that I know we are "properly trained" and running the course……the right way!

I challenge my colleagues out there to draw their own analogies …

Anything we do with passion really requires the same mindset and willingness to believe in that which I just wrote about.

There's an old saying that applies to those not properly trained……words of caution…….Don’t' Bonk!

We've seen a lot of businesses not properly trained over the past few years bonking!!!

Make sure you back the right runner!!!

Our Brokerage Services At Work

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Jul 10, 2011

Tagged in: Local News

For Immediate Release

Contact: Stephanie Kenyon, COO

571-223-4040

SKenyon@LoudounCHC.org

LOUDOUN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER TO BUILD NEW CLINIC,

BRINGING NEW JOBS AND HEALTH CARE TO LOUDOUN COUNTY

 Leesburg, VA (July 11, 2011) - The Loudoun Community Health Center today announced that after an exhaustive search to find land on which to construct a new clinic, it has closed on the purchase of property located at 163 Fort Evans Road, Leesburg, VA.

In October 2010, the Loudoun Community Health Center was awarded a federal grant for $8.7 million to build a new building. With a wait list of more than 900 people, their current location on Cornwall Street in Leesburg has reached its capacity so a larger facility is needed to meet the demand. The new health center facility will provide health services to 12,000 patients each year and will generate new employment opportunities in Loudoun County.  The grant does not cover all the costs associated with the new building, and so LCHC plans to launch a capital campaign this fall to raise the money needed to open its new doors in 2012.

“Our new location in Leesburg will position us to meet the overwhelming need for our services. There are approximately 40,000 uninsured residents in Loudoun County who need primary and preventive health care.  Now, we can proceed with our plans to build a new 25,000 sq. ft. clinic and carry out our mission to provide care to anyone in need,” said Stephanie Kenyon, Chief Operating Officer of LCHC.

The Loudoun Community Health Center engaged the commercial brokerage services of Clarke-Hook Corporation to find the ideal property. Ed Zigo, President, and Ingrid Gelinas, Director Leasing Division, provided the research, homework and footwork to assess the specific requirements of LCHC against what was available in the marketplace.  “We had a number of unique requirements for a site that would best serve our patients that only through the dedication and knowledge from Clarke-Hook were we able to achieve a successful outcome,” said Kenyon.

“We have been honored to work with the Loudoun Community Health Center to find property that supports their mission and their financial structure,” said Clarke-Hook Corporation President, Ed Zigo.  “LCHC fulfills a great need for affordable health care in our community. The people they serve are our neighbors who, without the Loudoun Community Health Center, would have nowhere else to turn when they need care.”

About Loudoun Community Health Center:

Loudoun Community Health Center is a charitable organization that provides medical, dental and mental health care services to anyone in need regardless of age or ability to pay. Services are provided on a sliding fee scale basis. Since opening in 2007, the health center has provided care to more than 8,000 patients.

About Clarke-Hook Corporation:

Clarke-Hook Corporation is a full service commercial real estate firm focused in the Loudoun County and Dulles, Virginia regions.  Clarke-Hook is a family-owned business based in Chantilly, VA specializing in office, industrial, R&D and retail space for small and medium size businesses in Northern Virginia.

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New Leasing Trends

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Jun 30, 2011

Tagged in: Untagged 

We have been experiencing a new and very interesting trend in leasing recently.

Businesses and uses that we normally wouldn’t pursue are becoming more popular and attractive.

For instance, unique fitness uses such as personal trainers, dance, indoor sports training – baseball/softball, lacrosse, soccer, golf.

We welcome those types of uses and their clientele. These are typically clean & healthy uses which bring a number of frequent and diverse visitors to our centers which tend to bring businesses to all our other tenants….making for a more vibrant active commerce environment.

So, if the zoning permits, pay us a visit.

I guess it doesn’t hurt that the landlord is a fitness nut from competitive running to competitive surfing!!

Giving Back is Not a Contest

Posted by: Ed Zigo in My Blog on Apr 14, 2011

Tagged in: Untagged 

I know there are countless businesses and individuals who devote their time and money for noble philanthropic causes.  They/we do this not for any award but to make our community better in all aspects.  And also because it’s well…just plain nice.

My family and my company believe that through volunteerism and  financial support we are doing our part to help those in need….help those less fortunate than us….and make our community better in all aspects.

We don’t do it for the publicity.  We volunteer because we really want to .  It’s nice to be acknowledged but it’s much better to see the results from those we help!

Clarke-Hook acts in small but very effective ways.  Over the years, many non-profits have been customers/tenants of ours and we take pride in serving them. Presently, we are host to Operation Homefront and Friends of Homeless Animals’ Treasure Hound.

Also, for the past two years, we have been working as exclusive agents and real estate consultants for the Loudoun Community Health Center whose cause is vital to our communities.

In addition, working as individuals out in the field, our employees volunteer time and money to many very important causes that have personal significance to them.

Personally, I love working for the benefit of special needs children. Seeing those results are so rewarding, it drives me to want to do more and more.

Through my two outside loves, running and surfing, I have channeled my energy to raise awareness….raise funds….and get special needs children and their families involved in 5k Road Races in Fairfax, Virginia and to Surf Contests in Costa Rica!

My advice….forget publicity and awards plaques…just volunteer because you want to ...for the sheer wonder of helping others.

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