Orange County Legal Blog

Consumers here in California can log onto their computers and purchase just about anything from nearly anywhere in the world just like everyone else. This new way of shopping has put a dent into the traditional brick and mortar method, but it has not killed it just yet. Developers may still find tenants for new developments by looking to the boutique industry.

When consumers know what they want, they turn to online retailers such as Amazon. However, when they are not quite sure, the turn to brick and mortar stores. More than that, they turn to smaller stores that specialize in one category of goods for which consumers are searching.

You may believe that since your lease outlines all of the rights and responsibilities of the parties, that everything will be smooth sailing. After all, you spent a significant amount of time negotiating it, so everyone should live up to his or her obligations. Sadly, that is not always the case whether here in Orange County or elsewhere. A commercial tenant and a landlord do not always get along.

When disputes arise, your commercial lease should be the guidepost for resolving it. Perhaps the matter is just a misunderstanding of a provision of the lease, and a reminder is enough to get the landlord/tenant relationship back on track. If that proves not to be the case, it may be necessary to take further action.

California small business owners know how difficult it can be to find the right space from which to operate a company. Finding the right place at a price that works for the budget may tempt a business owner to move forward as quickly as possible, but it is prudent to be careful and cautious regarding the terms of a commercial lease. It is beneficial to first understand the different types of commercial leases before signing.

The type of commercial lease matters significantly for a business. It can affect payment amounts and various other factors. The terms of many commercial lease are negotiable, and it is possible to work for the terms and type of lease that will work best for the specific company and minimize exposure to financial risk.

In a previous blog we posted, we discussed the importance of finding the right retail space for your brick and mortar location. Knowing who your audience is, what their needs are and how your establishment will fit into the commercial makeup of the area are vital to any successful business. Building from those principles, we are now going to consider how a new business can benefit from renovating a space.

Some of the spaces that apply themselves best to being redeveloped for commercial use are shopping centers. It is a fact that many brick and mortar shopping centers have been suffering over the last decade – Sears, Toys R’ Us, K-Mart – but there is still hope for physical locations when they are smartly designed and presented.