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Archive for June, 2010

30
Jun

Did You Know? Facts About Entrepreneurship in America

Entrepreneurs are leading the growth of American business.  According to Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship, “Entrepreneurs are still the primary engine of job creation in the United States.  In the last 30 years, literally all the net job creation in this country has taken place in firms less than five years old.”  That is an amazing statistic. 

Here are some more interesting statistics on entrepreneurs in America from the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship.

  • 40:  The average and median age of company founders
  • 95% of entrepreneurs have a bachelor’s degree
  • 47% of entrepreneurs have an advnaced degree
  • 69.9% are married
  • 59.7% of entrepreneurs have at least one child when they launch their first business
  • 43.5% of entrepreneurs have two or more children when they launch their first business
  • 2.3:  The average number of businesses launched by study participants
21
Jun

Looking for Office Space in Denver?

Finding the right space in the Denver area for your growing business is essential.  You need a location that is convenient not only for your daily commute, but for your clients, vendors and employees.  A location that offers affordable space with flexible lease arrangements is also key.  If you could find office space in an easy to access location, that offered loads of amenities for the right price, you would snatch it up in a heartbeat, right?

Welcome to Regent Business Centers’ Highlands Ranch Business Park facility.  Located just off C-470, you won’t find a location that is more convenient.  What you will also find is a Regent executive office facility that has the features you desire, with the leasing arrangements you need.  Check out this amazing list of amenities and features.

  • A 25,000 square feet facility, featuring 97 fully furnished offices averaging 200 square feet each
  • All offices wired with category-5 cabling for T1 internet access
  • State-of-the-art telecommunications equipment
  • 3 conference rooms with HD video conferencing
  • 2 copy rooms
  • Cyber-Café with internet access and large screen TVs
  • A kitchen
  • Beautiful views
  • Located adjacent to a world-class golf course for easy client entertaining
  • Within 15 minutes of downtown Denver
  • Easily accessible to the Denver Tech Center

Finding the ideal location for your business has never been easier. Simply call Regent Business Centers at 720-344-4801 to tour our executive office facility and learn more.  Or visit our website to learn more.

16
Jun

Success: It’s a State of Mind

Everyone who starts a business does so under the assumption that it will be a success.  If we are being honest, many of us start a business with the belief that success is just around the corner.  But what if after a few months on the job, things aren’t going exactly the way you had planned?  When self doubt starts to creep in, that is the most important time to step back and remind yourself of why you know you can and will be successful!

It is essential as a business owner that you believe completely in your success and the success of your business.  If you don’t, no one else will.  People respond to confidence.  Your clients need to feel that innate sense of power and persuasiveness that comes with knowing that yours is the best possible product or service for their company. 

So, how do you keep your chin up during the dark days?  Being a business owner is a tough job.  It’s one of those things that most people don’t think about when they dream of owning their own company.  The hours are long, the multitude of tasks and responsibilities are endless, and the thanks are few and far between.  Some tips for avoiding disillusionment include:

  • Get organized early on and do everything in your power to stay that way.  
  • Know your limitations and get help for those tasks that you don’t enjoy or are not your strong suit. 
  • Gain as much knowledge as possible prior to starting your business.  Seek out and use your vast network of resources to learn as much as you can about what to expect.  Learn early and keep learning each day you own your business.  As the old adage says, “Knowledge is power.” 

The multitude of daily tasks and the overwhelming amount of knowledge needed to be successful can bring even the most motivated and positive person down.  Businesses most often fail because owners underestimate the time, resources or work involved in getting started and keeping a business running.   Keeping ahead of these pitfalls will help you to avoid being overpowered by all that it takes to run a successful business.

Be realistic about what it takes to start and maintain your business and then be positive about how you can make your business a success!  With hard work and the right attitude, you can turn your dream into a reality.  When you are convinced of this…everyone else will be too!

10
Jun

Moving Out of the Garage and Into Office Space

You start out small; working in the garage, at the kitchen table or in the spare bedroom.  You scrimp and save; reinvesting every dime into your business until it starts to thrive.  Then you reach a point when it is time to upgrade to office space.  Every entrepreneur has to make this decision at one time or another, but it opens up a whole load of questions that you never had time to consider before.

Where do you locate? Do you lease space or buy space?  How much space do you need? How long should the lease be for?  What about phone lines and internet access?  The list can become so overwhelming that you might just decide to stay where you are at.

If this is where you find yourself, it is time to consider the advantages of shared or serviced office space.  Also known as executive office suites, shared office space provides many advantages to the start up business.  For very reasonable rates, you can take advantage of offices that are furnished prior to your occupancy.  A quality shared office suite will provide its clients with executive quality furniture and a host of amenities.  Common amenities in shared office suites include:

  • Conference room space
  • Multi-line phone systems
  • Permanet internet access
  • Back office services
  • Reception staff
  • On-site cafes

Shared office space is also popular with start up businesses because it generally come with flexible lease agreements.  These agreements allow businesses to increase or decrease space as needed.  With none of the expense of starting up a traditional office, shared office space offers businesses a great way establish themselves with a prestigious address.

When it is time for your business to move out of the garage, moving to a shared office space may be the best, most economical solution.

If you are interested in more information on shared office space, please contact Regent Business Centers at (888) 616-6378.

3
Jun

Relationship Building and Closing the Sale

All too often sales is viewed as a win-lose proposition.  One party in the process “wins” by either closing the sale, or throwing up enough objections to prevent the sale from being closed.  Most sales training courses teach us how to handle objections, as if an objection is an obstacle to be avoided at all costs.  By changing your way of thinking, and viewing the sale as part of the relationship building process, you will find that closing a sale is easier than ever.

Let’s be honest no matter what you sell, your objective is the same…to secure the business of your client.  But what if your objective changed from meeting a short term goal…closing a single deal …to achieving long term success…nurturing a relationship that leads to a series of sales over many years?  Changing your focus from transactional based sales, to relationship based sales, allows you to enjoy the fruits of a long term approach to meeting your client’s needs.

When you embrace a relationship building approach to sales, you are able to view the objection, not as an obstacle, but as an active engagement by your client.  While the client may have some concerns about your product or service, they are still talking and considering your offer.  They are actively engaged in a conversation leaving the door open to a future sale.  This is infinitely better than the prospective client who has become so disengaged that they don’t even return your calls.

With relationship building, you can embrace the objection and recognize it as the opportunity it truly is.  You can move forward and explore the concerns your client has and look for ways to resolve those concerns.  If you are able to meet those concerns head on, and with viable solutions, you will most likely close the deal. 

If your client’s concerns cannot be resolved, it is almost certainly because now is not the right time or yours is not the right product.  By acknowledging that a solution may not be attainable, you actually gain credibility with your client.  This fair, open minded, relationship building approach to sales keeps the door open to future meetings with your client.  Continue to actively engage your client, and you are likely to get a heads up the next time they have a need for your company’s goods or services.  This could be one of those times where you lose the battle, but win the war. 

By establishing and maintaining a relationship with your clients, you are building trust and the foundation that will benefit your business for years to come.  When push comes to shove, business is often given to those partners who are trusted.  Become that valued, trusted partner by building relationships and, in the end, closing sales.