Future of Business Heads Back Downtown…
It seems once again what once was old is now new. Apparently the trend in corporate headquarters is shifting away from the suburbs and back to central downtown locations. The next generation of talented graduates especially in technology is more interested in the city life. Companies across the board are reacting to this shift in order to improve their recruitment efforts to get top talent. Cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and Raleigh-Durham are some of the favored destinations of this new shift. Some are calling this the beginning of “Corporate Urban-ism” . Some of the leading contributors to this major shift in focus are tax credits, falling real estate prices in urban areas, and the increasing price of energy costs. These new centrally located headquarters allow the next generation of engineers, designers, programmers, etc. to have quick and easy commutes along with access to great after work lifestyle choices. Even the mighty Silicon Valley appears to not be immune from this huge change. Here is a great article we recommend to get yourself up to speed on this interesting new trend in business:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-goodbye-burbs-004800326.html
Two thoughts come to mind after learning of this shift in how businesses are positioning themselves for the future. Older employees especially ones with families will need to find ways to adapt quickly, or they will be left behind. Now more than ever before it becomes vitally important to learn how to utilize technology to possibly add working remotely to ones options. For example, if your company moves their headquarters, possibly you can negotiate a couple days of working at home into the weekly schedule to help offset a longer commute. Secondly, the represents some exciting possibilities for younger employees, as the largest and most powerful companies begin to make even greater shifts towards catering to the desires of younger workers. One thing is for certain all businesses new and old need to take note of this trend and plan accordingly. Here’s to hoping that everyone finds a way to successfully navigate this interesting new landscape shift in the world of business.
This post must have taken some time to write. Good stuff.