DATE: Monday, September 15, 1997            TAG: 9709130369

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, staff writer 

                                            LENGTH:  112 lines

A SUITE DEALAREA OFFICE SUITES GIVE SMALL BUSINESSES A LEG UP BY LEASING SPACES WHICH ARE HIGH ON AMENITIES AND LOW ON RENT.

An office in Virginia Beach's One Columbus Center lends an air of prosperity to a business.

In the heart of the city's Pembroke area, the 11-story building is considered high-end commercial real estate.

Well-appointed offices have receptionists, copiers and fax machines - all necessary tools for the modern workplace. Stylish conference rooms host meetings vital to the future of each business.

The building's tenants must have to pay high rent to lease office space in the building.

Don't they?

Not if the office is among the Columbus Executive Suites on the sixth floor. Monthly rents begin at $390.

The low fees attracted Jack Haworth to locate his real estate firm there.

``I couldn't set up an office on my own for what I'm paying here,'' he said.

One Columbus Center has been the address for Haworth Realty for 11 years, since executive suites were first offered there.

Haworth is one of a handful of small-business owners and representatives of national firms in Hampton Roads setting up shop in buildings that label themselves office or executive suites.

At least six buildings in South Hampton Roads offer executive office arrangements.

The big difference between these facilities and conventional office buildings is that landlords offer shared administrative support, usually priced on a per-job basis, so the firms don't have to hire more employees.

Administrative services available on an as-needed basis appeal to small-business owners like Haworth.

``I couldn't hire a secretary for what I pay in monthly rent,'' Haworth said.

And no one knows the difference.

``Usually the way it appears, people wouldn't know of the suite arrangement unless I explained it to them,'' he said. ``People are impressed with what I've got up here for what I pay.''

Haworth's 130-square-foot office is carpeted and furnished with a desk, chairs and file cabinets. He gets janitorial service and pays extra for typing, copies and long distance phone calls.

The Columbus suites range from as small as 85 square feet to larger spaces available for higher costs - as much as $1,310 per month for up to 250 square feet.

The suites are in demand, said manager Alex Divaris. Only one suite out of 36 now is open for lease.

Three years ago, the collection of suites occupied only half the space it now takes up, Divaris said.

``We had been offering month-to-month arrangements,'' Divaris said. ``But now it's so popular, we offer only yearly leases.''

Mortgage firms, lawyers, investors and personnel recruiters are among the tenants, who like the convenience, Divaris said.

``If a person starts a business or is transferred,'' he said, ``and they want a fully furnished office with a conference room, copy room, receptionist, word-processing. . . . We do practically everything for them.''

The Columbus suites are impressive, but they're not alone.

The HQ Business Center at 125 St. Paul's Blvd. in Norfolk has 20 office suites, ranging from 130 square feet to 250 square feet. Most amenities are included in monthly rents of $650 to $1,300, said general manager Julie Reed.

``We're 100 percent leased,'' Reed said. ``It owes to the small market here and because the price is reasonable for the market.''

HQ, no relation to the hardware store chain with the same initials, is a ``full-service center,'' Reed said. Tenants get office space, furniture, screened phone calls, use of conference rooms and use of other HQ centers around the world should they travel.

Local travel is one reason Management Technology Inc. chose to locate in HQ nearly five years ago.

``We're a computer contracting company, so we have to go to different sites,'' said Kathy O'Neill, management assistant. ``It frees us from answering the phone. We're sure they'll contact us if something important happens.''

HQ also furnishes equipment such as a copier, O'Neill said.

Relations among tenants is also comfortable.

``You know everybody here,'' O'Neill said. ``You can talk freely and still have confidentiality.''

Just a few miles from One Columbus Center, Executive Services Inc. also offers what one tenant called a ``friendly atmosphere.''

Alicia Walker-Gaynor, owner of Enchantment on Ice Inc., likes everything about the office suite building at 4936 Cleveland St. in Virginia Beach.

Walker-Gaynor sells skating apparel, equipment and accessories. She's had other stores, but prefers her latest location because it's more like a family.

``Mine is a family business,'' she said. ``If I need help, someone is there to help.''

The suite arrangement is also less expensive, she said.

``I don't have outrageous rent to pay so my prices don't have to be as high.''

Visibility might not be good, but now that all of her store's offerings are on the Internet, that isn't as important, she said.

Executive Services manager Victoria Norris said eight of the building's 10 suites are rented. Rent runs from $200 to $500 per month.

``We have a mixed bag of tenants,'' Norris said of the real estate, construction and security firms in the building. ``They all use the conference room and have coded access and entry for after-hours security.''

There is building security and there is industry security. Not every tenant of an executive office building is willing to discuss the arrangement.

One discreet tenant had been in the same building for more than five years. ``We're all in business to make money,'' the tenant said. ``The fewer people in our industry doing the things we do to make money, the better.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by D. Kevin elliott

The Columbus Executive...

Graphic

Buildings in the Area

For complete copy, see microfilm KEYWORDS: RENTED OFFICE SPACE

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