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May 2, 2014

Is A Virtual Office Space Right For You?

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Many working individuals do not need to be in a professional office space every single working day of the week. They may prefer to work from home or are immersed in the wheels/smart phone/hot desk world of the nomadic worker. Yet even these individuals may find that Virtual Office service has many benefits to offer them.

For anyone who wants to protect a home address, provide the appearance of professionalism over a home-office or a wireless hot spot or wish to have someone answer their phone for them (while not having to pay for a full-time staff member to do so), then a virtual office is the perfect solution.

For some, increasing lease rates and maintenance costs, coupled with lengthy lease terms, make physical offices less affordable. Virtual office space is a great alternative for maintaining a professional appearance with the flexibility of working from a remote location. Here are a few reasons that virtual offices may work for you:

Virtual office space provides you with a physical address where you can receive mail and have packages delivered without worrying about delivery to a PO Box or sacrificing the privacy of releasing your home address. And you don’t waste your valuable time waiting around for a delivery that requires a signature.

Conference room booking means no more meetings at public locations such as the library or Starbucks. Work from anywhere and still have the option of meeting your clients and prospects in a  professional executive conference room. Many Virtual Office services include video conference capability as well. This lets you meet anyone, anywhere in the world, with no travel time and at immensely reduced expense.

Get the appearance of an additional physical location anywhere in the U.S. for a fraction of the cost of a full service physical location. Create branch office opportunities with ease and minimal cost.

Virtual offices provide small businesses with all of the above, and more, at low monthly rates. Service plans can often be tailored to meet your unique needs providing you with total flexibility. Varying term lengths are available as well.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch is your one-stop destination for virtual office services. We also provide executive suites and support services should you need them. We support you and the growth of your organization, both literally and virtually. Contact us to find out more.

April 23, 2014

What Is Videoconferencing, Why Is It Used?

What is video conferencing?

Video conferencing is two-way interactive communication. In today’s world it is delivered using Internet technologies that allow people at different location to come together for a meeting. The video conference can be as simple as a conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve several sites (multi-point) with more than one person in large rooms at different sites.

A basic video conference setup has a camera and a microphone. Video from the camera and audio from the microphone is converted into a digital format and transmitted to a receiving location using a coding and decoding device, often referred to as a “codec”.

At the receiving location is another codec device that decodes the receiving digital stream into a form that can be seen and heard on monitors or televisions. At the same time, video and audio from cameras and microphones at the received location is sent back to the original location. This process is practically instantaneous.

What are the benefits of video conferencing?

Video conferencing saves travel time and money. Participants can see and hear all other participants and communicate both verbally and visually, creating a face-to-face experience. PowerPoint and other on screen graphics can be employed to further reinforce the message that is being delivered. People downtime is reduced and productivity gains are achieved by removing the logistics of flight preparations, airport delays, hotel stays, and all the other inconveniences of business travel. In distance education or training, video conferencing provides quality access to students who could not travel to or could afford to relocate to a traditional campus. Video conferences are also used in legal depositions and employee recruitment. People utilizing the video conference service provided by Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch can connect with other individuals in other parts of the world without having to leave town to do so.

People use video conferencing when:

A live conversation is needed;
Visual information is an important component of the conversation;
The parties of the conversation can’t physically come to the same location;
The expense or time of travel is a consideration.

Executive Suites At Lakewood Ranch provides video conference service to the public utilizing state-of-the-art IP based video conference equipment in a professional room dedicated strictly to providing video conference service.

April 15, 2014

Four signs it’s time to upgrade your home office to a professional space

Working out of a home office can be convenient (and budget-friendly) when you’re just starting out on a new venture. But as your business grows, a home office can quickly become impractical and even sabotage your success. On the other hand, renting office space – even small, flexible spaces like the ones at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch can be a big expense for startups. So how can one find balance? To help you determine whether your business would actually benefit from a professional office space or you’re just overhyping its performance, check out the tips below.

1) You have employees

This is one of the top signals that it’s time to leave your home office – but take careful note: the focus here is on full-time, on-location workers rather than merely a general count of the people that provide services for your business on a remote, freelance and/or consulting basis. While many aspects of running a business can be accomplished in the latter format (which is usually recommended for new ventures) as your business grows, you’ll likely eventually hire people to support you on a daily basis. If sharing a space makes your cooperation more productive, you may see less distractions and better performance in a professional office space, particularly if you have several employees.

2) You have equipment

If your business provides a service, it makes sense to start out with a limited capacity so you can maximize the return on your investment. But when you’re regularly sold out and have to turn away demand, it may be time to expand. This doesn’t mean you

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 should multiply your capacity; you may just want to double it initially, for instance by purchasing an additional machine. If your home office poses space constraints, or you need additional furniture to store records and files, you’ve probably outgrown your home space and should rent a professional office space.

3) You have meetings

Though many meetings can be held in your home office (or even just the local coffee shop), larger meetings with multiple attendees often require professional meeting rooms. When you’re just starting out, these can be rented on an hourly or daily basis – Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch has three conference rooms of various sizes for your use. But if you’re spending most of your days in these spaces and commuting to them, you may want to look at office space packages that include meeting room time, such as the ones from Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch. Depending on your situation, these can save you both time and money.

4) You have mail volume

In the early stages, you can maintain a prestigious business identity while working from home with virtual office space plans, such as the ones from Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch. These plans will either forward your mail or designate an inbox that you can check on your own. Both options are excellent when you receive just a few pieces of mail every week; if you’re processing more than that, and you definitely need a professional address; it may be time to get a real office at your virtual address. This indicator can be tricky, so you may want to evaluate it in conjunction with the other signals mentioned above.

April 2, 2014

What Is Important In A Meeting Room?

There are many details to consider when looking for meeting rooms for your next business event. You want a venue that will convey the right message and compliment the event’s subject or purpose. The room should have the assets you need to make your meeting successful. Management and staff must be prepared to obtain anything you need to make your event a success.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch has three conference rooms of varying sizes to accommodate your meeting. Each room is professionally decorated and offers wireless Internet access, three-way speaker phones with unlimited domestic long distance at no additional charge, white boards and pull down screens for data presentations. Team members are on hand and prepared to do anything they can to insure the success of your meeting.

Look and Feel – The atmosphere of meeting rooms can have an impact on the meeting itself. A professional image means everything.

The meeting rooms at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch are located within a Class-A office building in prestigious Lakewood Ranch.

Surrounding Venues – You should consider what kind of facilities may be necessary to have nearby during your event for your visitors. Will you need catering services to provide lunch during a meeting, or will attendees require a place to eat dinner afterwards? Will people travelling a long way require overnight accommodations? It’s also important to keep in mind the sorts of places you don’t want to meet near.

The meeting rooms at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch are located within a five-minute walk of a major hotel and two excellent restaurants. It is less than twenty minutes by cab from the Sarasota- Bradenton International airport and we feature a very well-lit parking lot.

The Best Location – Seeking a convenient location is a good idea, especially if many people are coming a long way to attend your business event. Finding a location that is easily accessible for as many attendees as possible may increase the chances that your event will be a success.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch is located less than two minutes from the University Parkway intersection with I-75 (mile marker 213).

March 24, 2014

On Your Own Without Being on Your Own

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Are you a freelancer or considering freelancing? The number of freelancer workers in the US workforce is expected to outgrow full-time workers by 2020. Although part of what it means to be a freelancer is to not be confined by a confined space, it might not be wise to discard the idea of an office space all together. Executive suites are an excellent compromise that doesn’t confine like a cubicle, but maintains the professionalism and productivity necessary to successfully grow your business. Here’s why freelancers need an executive suite to succeed and standout in the increasingly competitive DIY economy.

They’re Ideal for Getting Started

The toughest part about being a freelancer is getting started. You need to find clients that are willing to take a chance on someone new, even if that new person comes with a wealth of experience. First impressions are crucial in situations such as this. An executive suite in a class A office environment helps to make that valuable good first impression because it shows that you are serious about your work.

With an executive suite, you have a professional business address that you can add to your email signature or on your business card. Its location can add immediate credence to your business reputation and it also provides you with valuable business cred. After all, your clients most likely spend their work days in a professional business environment and it’s normal for them to have the same expectations when it comes to choosing a vendor.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch provides class A office space in a class A professional building at a class A business location.

Privacy When You Need It

Executive suites have a door, and when you’re a freelancer on the phone with a client or with a source, privacy can be extremely important. You don’t want to risk jeopardizing a client’s trust because they think someone can overhear your conversation. And you don’t want to risk misunderstanding the conversation because of competition from any background noise.

Being able to shut the door is essential something not available in a co-working space, a table at the local coffee shop or even from your home office as shutting the door doesn’t necessarily drown out the kids in the next room or noises from outside. It goes without saying that none of these other options are acceptable if the client wants to come to meet you.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch has private, fully-furnished, and quiet, office space and conference rooms.

Get Away from Time-Wasting Distractions

Although email and social media will always find you, there are distractions at the home office or coffee shop that won’t follow you to the business address. These distractions can include raiding the refrigerator, watching TV – just for a minute – and even unproductive people (not everyone at the coffee shop is there to work or to study). Any or all of these distractions hinder your ability to be productive. With an executive suite you don’t have food in the refrigerator or kitchen pantry to tempt you and you don’t have a television on in the background as you’re working.
Also consider the executive suite as a way to be part of the working world, but on your terms. You are freed of forced schedules, costly commutes and awkward meetings. You have complete control over when you are there or not. Even when you are not there your professional address is. Most shared office spaces have a staffed lobby so even if a client pops in unannounced and you’re not there someone is there to let them know you are out and take a message on your behalf. With this service you look professional even when you are absent.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch provides fully furnished work spaces, the services and technology that enhances your performance and productivity. Learn more by calling 941.373.1400.

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