Virtual Assistants and Outsourcing…Both Can Benefit Your Business.
For many business owners and managers, the decision to outsource a job or position is becoming more and more common. With budgets tight, the role of the Virtual Assistant has become vital to many businesses and outsourcing can save a business thousands of dollars. Let’s examine how your business can take advantage of one or both of these options.
Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants (VAs) can play an extremely valuable role in many businesses. As compared to a secretary or executive assistant who is hired by the firm and works on site, the VA works off site and is either an independent contractor or is hired through a firm like FrontDesk.
VAs provide business support ranging from basic reception services, such as phone answering and call routing to full secretarial support including appointment scheduling. With a Virtual Assitant, your firm is not required to pay payroll taxes, sick or holiday pay. Your VA will collaborate with you to understand your business and works with you on an as needed basis to meet your needs. VAs provide business owners with the additional support they need without the added overhead of a full time employee.
For more information regarding how a virtual assistant can help your business, visit FrontDesk.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing allows business owners to hire professionals for specific jobs on an as needed basis. When outsourcing a job, there are several factors to keep in mind to ensure the experience is a successful one. First, always ask for references and samples of previous work. Ensure that you are able to easily connect with your potential hire. If you have difficulty contacting a potential contractor during the interview phase, chances are they will also be hard to get a hold of during the length of the contract.
Be certain that you have set clear expectations and instructions for your project. Set a regular schedule of meetings to address any issues that could crop up and to check the status of the work being completed. Make certain that you are available to answer any questions that arise during the project.
Ensuring that both parties are aware of and agree to the terms of payment prior to starting the project is also essential. This will make for a smoothly run project and will also keep the doors open for future work if the overall project is a success.
Regent Offers Savings on 12 Month Contracts Signed in 2010
Regent Business Centers is now offering promotions at several of its executive office suite locations. New clients can enjoy 3 months free** when signing a 12 month market rate contract prior to December 31, 2010. This promotion is in place at the following Regent Business Centers’ locations:
- Gas Company Tower, Los Angeles
- US Bank Tower, Los Angeles
- Woodland Hills
- Brentwood
- Denver, Highlands Ranch
Those looking for office space in Chicago or New York* will enjoy 2 months free** when signing a 12 month market rate contract prior to December 31, 2010.
With any contract, Regent clients always enjoy the flexible lease terms that Regent Business Centers are known for. When choosing a Regent executive office suite for your business, you will enjoy a fully furnished office space with state of the art technology. The standard offering of business amenities found at Regent Business Centers include:
- Telephone calls answered by our courteous staff in your company’s name.
- Visitors cordially greeted in our spacious reception areas.
- A complete range of back-office services, including professional secretarial services, facsimile transmission, word processing, photocopying, messenger and overnight delivery services.
- Catering services and additional equipment available for special meetings and conferences.
- Easy to read monthly statements, including an itemized bill of all long distance calls, postage and ancillary services.
- Professional, cost-effective and easy-to-reserve meeting rooms delivered with complete business support.
For more information on the promotions available at any of the offices listed above, please contact Regent Business Centers. Visit our website to find contact information for each office location.
* Please note this promotion is only available at Regent’s 750 Third Avenue facility.
** Amortized over the 12 month term
Concepts that Help You Grow Your Business
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a book or website that had all the tips you needed to help your business grow? A simple list of steps you could follow that would guarantee success. If only life was that simple, right?
Well growing a business is never that simple or easy. But with some hard work and the drive to succeed, you will get where you want to be. Along the road to success, you can use these concepts to help you grow your business.
Don’t Work in a Vacuum. That nose to the grindstone mentality is only good to a certain degree. You need to get out there and meet other entrepreneurs and business people. Join networking groups. Talk to your peers. Find a mentor. By sharing experiences, frustrations and asking questions, you will go farther than you ever could alone.
Build A Quality Staff. This includes hiring people who are able to get the work done, not just conceptual thinkers. It also means expressing clearly to your team what the goals of the company are and what you expect from each team member. You will go further when everyone is striving toward a common goal.
Be Mindful of the Numbers. While you can’t do everything and it is important to have qualified financial experts on your team, you also need to be aware of and fully understand the numbers associated with your business. Don’t assume your financial team is looking out for your best interest. No one will take your success more seriously than you will.
Working On Your Business and Working In Your Business are Two Different Things. Understanding, knowing and working on both aspects of your business are essential. Working on the day to day operations is working IN your business. Working on the growth potential, examining ways to improve, change and expand operations is working ON your business. You must embrace both aspects of your job to help your business grow and succeed.
Century City Reaches 100% Occupancy
Regent Business Centers is proud to announce that its Century City location has reached 100% occupancy. Located in the heart of the city adjacent to the Century City Shopping Center, these executive office suites are some of the finest available in the Los Angeles area.
Our Century City clients have been raving about the services and support they receive from the Regent staff. Attorney Peter Shahriari had this to say about his experiences with our Century City offices, “RBC Century City is where I decided to open my law practice. I undertook an extensive search of executive class office space in the Los Angeles area and found this location to be an excellent value, providing a high-end professional office atmosphere that is competitively priced. The RBC staff is highly skilled, friendly and responsive. Thank you RBC Century City.”
David Nadler, Managing Partner for Regent Business Centers, remarked, “The Century City office achieving full occupancy is a testament to the quality of the Regent team. Working hard to anticipate and meet the needs of our clients is what we do best at Regent, and the team at Century City has done an excellent job at this. It shows in the satisfaction of our clients and the 100% occupancy we have now achieved.”
Regent Business Centers would like to extend a warm welcome to all the clients new to the Century City office.
To learn more about Regent Business Centers’ Century City location, or any of our other locations in the Los Angeles area or across the country, visit our website.
Those interested in learning more about Regent Business Centers can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Strengthen Relationships, Increase Sales
Looking to strengthen relationships and increase sales? Of course you are! Anyone in business today knows the value of their established relationships. So what is the key to ensuring that those key relationships you spent valuable time nurturing continue to reward you into the future? The key is to focus on the customer.
With the tentative turnaround in the economy, it may be tempting to start focusing more on new business and let your current relationships shift into autopilot. Resist that temptation. As you seek out new business, don’t neglect those clients who have been with you over the long haul. Here are some tips that can help you maintain existing client relationships and grow new relationships as well.
- Perception is Reality. Let’s face it what the client thinks is law. If their slow, you’re slow. If their busy, you’re busy. Right? Focus on your client’s reality and you are sure to find the answers you seek. Understand what they are looking for in their products or services, what value they seek, what their current reality is and you will find that your partnership approach leads to a closed sale.
- Know Thy Self. As important as knowing your customer is, it is as important to know your own company and product. Understand what sets you apart from your competition, but know this from the eyes of your customer so you can answer their questions and meet their reality.
- Get Out There. The new version of this is to network via social media. Don’t underestimate the power of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Embrace the power of these new media tools and cold call via the Internet. Use a blog, email campaign or personal website to capture the minds of your customers and express to them the value of your business and begin establishing those valuable relationships.
Regent has San Francisco’s Financial District Covered
Location and amenities combine to create the finest executive office suites in the San Francisco at Regent Business Centers’ 315 Montgomery Street location. In the heart of the financial district, you will find a superior office facility situated within easy access to retail and residential centers as well as public transportation.
Completed in the early 20th Century, this historic building has been updated to offer all of the modern amenities you would expect from Regent Business Centers. Our executive office suites are located on the 8th and 9th floors. The 85 offices average 165 square feet and always come furnished with executive quality furniture. With Regent Business Centers, getting settled is as easy as plugging in your laptop and opening your email.
The executive suites at 315 Montgomery Street feature three conference rooms with HD video conferencing. We also have two copy rooms and a café for your convenience. Of course, you may also take advantage of our complete array of office services. From the friendly reception staff that is available to answer and route your calls, to the secretarial services team, to the delivery service, everyone on the Regent team is ready to help your business run as smoothly as possible.
With state of the art technology in place, you can be assured that permanent Internet access is always in place for your convenience. Our individual, direct, inward dial telephone and voice mail services provide the highest quality phone service. Fax broadcasting is also available.
With flexible lease arrangements, a wide range of amenities, and the helpful, professional Regent staff, you are sure to find Regent Business Centers to be the best in San Francisco. To set an appointment to visit 315 Montgomery Street, please call (888) 616-6378 or email Nancy Tak at ntak@regentbc.com.
Where to Find Shared Office Space in Chicago
Have you been looking for shared office space in Chicago? Many small businesses have seen the value of shared office space in Chicago. With rents in the city sky high, it can be cost prohibitive to lease your own office space in the city. For the smart business owner looking for a highly sought after address, without sky high rents, shared office space is the right answer.
So where do you find the best shared office space in Chicago? The best shared office space is found with Regent Business Centers. Regent is the leading provider of shared office space in Chicago and throughout the US. Beyond Chicago, we also have facilities in New York, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and India. When you join our shared office space in Chicago, you will have access to all of our office facilities worldwide. Traveling for business is a lot easier when you know that you can take the benefits of your shared office space in Chicago to any of our worldwide locations.
Regent’s shared office space in Chicago is located at 222 South Riverside Plaza. Located atop Union Station, and across the street from Willis Tower, this is the premier shared office space in Chicago. For accessibility and prestige, you will not find a better location than Regent’s shared office space in Chicago. At 222 South Riverside Plaza, you can enjoy 24 hour key card access and security, a fitness center, food court and onsite parking garage.
If your business has been looking for shared office space in Chicago, you need to learn about Regent Business Centers. For more information visit our website or call 312-239-1301.
Regent Business Centers Puts Executive Office Centers Within Reach
If you have been searching for space in executive office centers, you may be having trouble finding the right space with all of the right features. Some executive office centers don’t offer flexibility in terms of office size. Some don’t have lease agreements that can be modified to meet your needs. Some are not designed to provide you with all of the additional office services you need.
If you have been running into these obstacles, it is time to look at Regent Business Centers. Our executive office centers are designed to meet all your needs. We work with our clients to establish office space that is the right size for their needs. Our lease agreements are flexible and can be customized to fit the individual needs of your business. At Regent Business Centers, you will find executive office centers with professional and knowledgeable staff that are ready to assist you in all of your administrative tasks.
When you join Regent’s executive office centers, you are moving into an office that is fully furnished and ready for you. All of our executive office centers have state of the art technology and phone systems. Our back office services are complete and always staffed with professionals who understand the value of your time. Our team is ready to jump in and assist you in achieving your goals.
With executive office centers throughout the country, our clients are able to work from any of our facilities while traveling for business. Never again will you be forced to work out of your hotel room. Simply visit the local Regent office center during your trip and take advantage of all of our professional services.
For professionals looking at executive office centers, Regent Business Centers offera complete package of services, space and affordability. To learn more about Regent’s executive office centers, visit our website.
Moving Your Business Forward in a Down Economy
A successful business is one that is able to move quickly and adapt to change. With swift responses to changing situations, a successful business will remain successful even in a down economy, like the one we are living through today. These tips will help your business to continue moving forward and growing in any situation.
- The Customer is King. Your customers are your most valuable asset. You spent time, energy and expense to acquire them. Don’t let a negative experience or competitor steal them out from under you. Do everything you can to ensure that every interaction is a positive one. Take the time to interact with your customers through social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Yelp. Knowing what your customers are saying about you, both positive and negative, will help you to know where you are succeeding, and possibly failing, as a business. Do everything in your power to fix any areas where your customer service isn’t up to par.
- Know the Competition. This is closely related to knowing your customer. You need to know your competition inside and out because your customer likely does. Ensure that you are aware of their product and service developments, what their customers are saying about them and how your company compares. Keeping up on the competition is as easy as reading trade journals, following them on Twitter and setting up Google Alerts.
- Engage Your Customer. When you invest your time and energy to start talking to your customers via social media, resist the urge to SELL, SELL, SELL! It is essential that you provide them with a service in addition to your product, or you will quickly turn your customers off. Provide them with interesting tips, relevant information, some kind of additional content that goes beyond what they would expect to see about your product or service. Become a partner with your customer, a resource for information, and they will look forward to hearing from you.
- Know When to Spend. This is the trickiest point of all. When the economy slows down it is only logical to tighten your budgets and not spend as much. But when things start to turn around, it is time to start making small spending choices. When business starts to improve make strategic decisions about adding staff, widening product lines or purchasing equipment. Adding a part time or freelance person can offer the added help you need without the commitment of a full time employee. Adding one or two additional products can give your line the freshness and lift it needs. Making those strategic decisions are essential to future success.
LA’s Largest Office Lease Deal of the Year
Eric Duncanson and Steve Walbridge of Cushman & Wakefield partnered with Howard Feuerstein of Travers Realty to represent USC in what is being touted as LA’s largest office lease deal of 2010. The University of Southern California (USC) has renewed their 160,000 square foot lease in the Marina Towers in Marina Del Rey, California.
The Marina Towers consists of two 12-story office buildings totaling 380,000 square feet and are located across from Marina Del Rey Hospital. The building located at 4676 Admiralty Way is home to USC’s Information Sciences Institute, a unit of the Viterbi School of Engineering.
Regent congratulates the team who represented USC on closing this extremely important deal.
