Friday, August 21, 2015

Video Debut: "Work Where There's Room to Play" - Frederick, Maryland



The City of Frederick's new three minute film, "Work Where There's Room to Play," showcases the benefits of working in Frederick, Maryland. From thriving Downtown Frederick to outdoor activities, the film highlights the opportunities of life outside of work.The three minute film debuted on Friday, August 21, 2015 at Downtown Frederick Partnership's "Movie Night on the Creek" event. 

The project was developed after Tech Frederick, a Frederick area non-profit that advocates for the local IT industry, indicated recruiting top talent to Frederick was a priority. While the film was developed with IT professionals in mind, any Frederick area business can use it in coordination with their recruitment efforts. 

"There are many advantages to working in Frederick," said Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development for The City of Frederick. "This three-minute video features Frederick's great downtown, the arts, amenities, and quality of life we all know and love. It shows that Frederick offers a great place to play when people get off of work." 

Local talent featured in the film included narrator, Ashley Miles, local musician and Frederick resident; Jeanne and Eric Rhodes, Frederick residents; Steve Ellis, recruiter for local software development company Regent; and Justin Saltzman, insurance agent and community volunteer. They volunteered their time to appear in the film.

Local company Digital Bard produced the film with additional film footage courtesy of Visit Frederick, Downtown Frederick Partnership, and drone footage by Mike Purks. 

3 Ways Businesses Can Use This Video
Businesses can use this video in three ways to support their recruitment efforts: 
  1. Share it. The easiest way to use this video immediately is to share it on your website's employment or recruitment page. Use this to link to the video: https://youtu.be/aXaanozKY_QYou can also share the video via Facebook
  2. Make it Yours. Customize the existing video with your company's message or branding at the beginning and end of the video. Contact the production company, Digital Bard, to discuss this option.
  3. Be Inspired. Use this as inspiration to develop your own recruitment video to meet your individual hiring needs. 

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Inspiring Offices: Wood Street


In The City of Frederick, business spaces go beyond basics. Here, unique offices allow businesses to cultivate creativity, express their company's culture, and create a work environment that inspires.  From industrial to classic, artsy to funky, historic to high tech, spaces abound to meet a variety of needs. 

Inspiring Offices is a feature that highlights some of the creative and unique office spaces in Frederick.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek inside this month's inspiring office in Frederick - Wood Street. Wood Street partner Jamie Stup answered a few questions about what they love about their office space. 


August 2015 Inspiring Office - Wood Street
Founded in 2002, Wood Street has built a reputation of consistently dedicating itself to outstanding web design and development, as well as quality customer service. They are located at 303 East Patrick Street in Frederick.
 

Through these core principles, we have been able to acquire top-notch design, development and marketing talent as well as ally ourselves with some of the area’s leading experts in the industry.

Wood Street is managed by the partnership of James Stup, Jon-Mikel Bailey, Jason Giuliano, and Derek Jubach. Their partner team has over 35 years of combined web design and development experience. Smart growth has been, and continues to be, a top priority for the company. Through this philosophy, they are able to provide cost-effective solutions to existing and potential clients.

Why did you choose your current office location and how long has Wood Street been located here? 
We choose our office based on several factors, including its proximity to Downtown Frederick, that we have plenty of parking, and the office layout is very open. We've been here since 2011.

Was it “move in” ready or did you have to design/fit it out? 
The office space was technically move in ready, but it really needed some updates to modernize it - wood flooring in the conference room, new floors in the kitchen and bathroom, and a new coat of paint as well as some wiring. The "southwest" themed wall paper needed to come down as well as the teal carpeting in the conference room.

What inspirations did you use to decorate/design the space?
We're still working on decorating. Obviously, we hung several pieces of our work as well as our awards and accolades, but for the most part we like having an empty canvas. We work daily in so many different mediums, its nice to have an office that grounds us.

What are the most unique aspects about your office space?
The openness, interior brick surface and the conference room overlooking the offices are by far the best qualities. The theme of our space is really one of collaboration and teamwork.

What do your employees like best about the office space?
The open-office design allows all employees to converse with each other as well as supervisors. Also, the high ceilings come in handy during our indoor corn-hole tournaments.

Find Your Own Inspiring Office
If you are looking to open or expand a business in Frederick, we can help.  Contact us, and let us help you find your own inspiring office space so you can build your dream. 

If YOU know of any interesting office spaces, let us know and we will put them on our list to feature!

This Week on Carroll Creek - August 10, 2015

A grand opening was held last month to celebrate the first section of the final phase of Carroll Creek Park being completed. In case you haven't seen the new fountain, take a walk just past the Delaplaine and before East Street. 


On the west side of the Creek, things are moving quickly on the next set of fountains to come online - The Spring House Fountains across from LaPaz. Check out the beautiful stone work and progress. Look for updates on Facebook as details are announced regarding the opening of this section.



 Some additional photos of the east side of the park:




How to Market Your Retail or Office Space to Potential Tenants

An Introduction to Online Business Location Search

Whether a start-up or a business simply looking for new space, online property search tools are vital to finding a new business location.  Commercial brokers assist their clients and utilize online database services to locate potential business locations. 

For individual property owners interested in leasing space directly, it is important to also include your property listing in online commercial property databases.  Both CoStar and LoopNet are popular services and enable both commercial brokers and individuals to search for available business locations.  As a property owner, you may include your listing in both services at no charge for a basic listing.  Property listings can include details including a space description, square footage, photographs, and pricing.  Follow the instructions below to ensure your listing is viewable to your potential tenants and always feel free to contact the Department of Economic Development for additional resources.

How to add your listing to LoopNet

1. Add a Listing / Create an Account - Begin your listing by accessing LoopNet's website.  Next, select "Add a lease listing".  You will also be prompted to open an account and provide your name, an email address, and to create a password.

2. Add Your Property - This is your opportunity to include the important information prospective tenants are looking for, including the space size, price, pictures, and a complete property description.


3. Select Your Listing Type - Continue with a complimentary standard listing or select a premium listing. 

4. Track Your Listings - Once your property listing is live, you can monitor the listing and make any changes/updates in real-time.


How to add your listing to Costar

Once you have created a listing in LoopNet, you have the information necessary for inclusion in CoStar.  Unlike LoopNet, a representative must enter your listing into the system.  This service is also available at no charge by completing the following steps:


1. Contact CoStar at 1-800-613-1303 or support@costar.com.  Please be sure to include the listing description and photographs for your property listing.   

2. Review the proof of your listing.  Once CoStar has received your listing and entered the information into the system, you will receive a proof of the listing for your final approval.  Once the listing is approved, the property will become searchable in the CoStar database.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

7 Farmers Markets in the City of Frederick

Everedy Square & Shab Row Farmers Market

Frederick is fortunate to be surrounded by bountiful farmland.  Farmers Markets in the area help those who live and work access locally grown and harvested items nearly every day of the week.  Some locations provide weekday convenience to those working in Downtown Frederick or at Fort Detrick.  

7 Farmers Markets Located in the City of Frederick, Maryland (2015)

Everedy Square & Shab Row Farmers Market
Church and East Streets
Through October 29
Thursdays, 3pm – 6pm

West Frederick Farmers Market
United HealthCare Parking Lot
800 Oak Street
Through November 21
Saturdays, 10am-1pm

Frederick City Market
331 N. Market Street
Through October 25
Sundays, 9am – 1pm

9380 Butterfly Lane
Through Mid November
Fridays, 3pm – 6pm

Great Frederick Fair Farmers Market
Frederick Fairgrounds – East Patrick Street
Open Year Round
Saturdays, 8:00am – 2:00pm 

Farmers Markets at NCI- Frederick
NCI-Frederick located on Fort Detrick - Open to Public
Outdoor Market space is located in the parking lot in front of the NCI Cafe/Scientific Library (Building 549) 
Through October
Tuesdays, 11am – 1:30pm

YMCA of Frederick Farmers Market
1000 N. Market Street
Through October 6
Tuesdays, 3:30pm – 6:30pm

Learn more about other Farmers Markets in Frederick County

Updated: August 4, 2015