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Want to learn how to head down the road to success with higher profits, more satisfied employees and happier clients? Take a look at our 14 tips to business success.

Plan: The first step in finding business success is clearly defining your professional objectives, your mission statement, your value propositions and how you’re going to achieve them. What is the plan you have in place to reach your goals?

Care: Care about your business, your work, your clients and your professional reputation. Be passionate about your company’s mission. Care about the satisfaction levels of your employees. Support improvement and reward success. Caring about your work and your business is contagious, and it should start with you.

Be knowledgeable: Who is your target audience? What do your customers want from companies in your industry? What are your competitors’ strategies? What are the opinions of your employees and clients about your business? From your company to your employees, to your clients, to your products and services, know the ins and outs. The more feedback you receive, the more you can direct and understand.

Focus on work environment: Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch is your top Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch/Sarasota provider of executive suites for a reason—we know the importance of a professional, healthy and positive work environment and how it encourages success!

Care about image and location: In the world of business, first impressions go an awful long way, especially if you are an unknown trying to get business from a prospect that has been in business for a while. Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch knows that your company deserves the finest. Our building is in a prestigious Lakewood Ranch location that creates a professional, active and high-status image for you.

Delegate: Teamwork is key! Learn the skillsets of your employees and delegate tasks accordingly. Delegating gives you more time to run your business and focus on your core competencies, while giving others further opportunities to invest themselves in your company. If you don’t have employees then delegate your tasks to the friendly and professional administrative staff at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch. We work really hard to make you look really good.

Reputation: A company that truly desires success will seek more than profits. Keep the needs of your customers in mind! Satisfied customers equal repeat customers, and research shows that repeat customers are likely to spend 67 percent more than new customers. Not only that, it is much cheaper to retain than to recruit, so make it a point to not only attract clients, but to keep them coming back for more.

Keep it simple: The best problem solvers are ones that not only find an effective solution, but also the most efficient, simple and sustainable answer. Take care of business while steering clear from overly complex solutions.

Be flexible: Every company knows that no matter how carefully you plan there is always the possibility that something happens or a decision is made that changes the game. As long as your company’s operations have room for flexibility and your employees have open minds, several doors to opportunity and success will remain open even if one closes.

Keep accurate records: While the task can be tedious, keeping detailed records of all business activity can be invaluable. Costs can be reduced and controlled, audits can be made easier, and time can be spent more efficiently. Gathering, and most importantly, analyzing the metrics of how your business spends time and money can help you trim the fat and quickly reach your goals.

Differentiate: In other words, free yourself from your competitors! Discover what it is about your business that makes it exceptional. While your company may have similar services and products as others in your industry, identify the part of your business that is unique and makes it stand out from the rest. Use this to show your clients how working with you will be a professional and refreshing experience.

Maintain quality: While saving time and money is crucial for any business, don’t forget the necessity of high quality. Whether in customer service, products or services, quality is the foundation of success.

Plan for growth: With success comes development and growth, so plan for it! Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch offers flexible workspace solutions that provide offices for one to many people, with the option of moving into larger executive office suites in the same location to meet the needs of your growing business.

Have fun: Most importantly, enjoy your work! Keep you and your employees from burning out by maintaining the passion and drive for success. Cultivate a supportive, healthy work environment that will make your employees proud to work for you and your clients happy to work with you.

What does success mean to you? Here at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch, the provider of high quality executive suites in the Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch/ Sarasota area, we know what businesses need to make their visions of success a reality. We have worked closely with a large number of different companies and organizations to learn what it takes to make it in business and have fashioned our suites and the corporate culture to nurture your success.

Oh, and the fifteenth step for business success? It is to locate your business at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch. Stop in and see why.

4 Reasons a Professional Office Space is better than Open-Plan Offices

There can be benefits to open-plan office layouts such as greater interaction among workers or increasing the flexibility of a space but for a lot of people there are reasons that a dedicated office space is preferred. Below are four of the most oft-cited reasons that a professional office space is better than open-plan offices.

1) Fewer Interruptions

The ability to separate yourself from other co-workers when needed and have someone else take care of answering the phone can reduce the stress of environmental stimuli and allow you to prioritize and focus on important tasks.

2) Privacy

If you meet with existing clients or potential clients in person, having an open-plan office may make them uneasy or may make it difficult for you to meet with people face-to-face as often as you would like. In addition, there may be phone calls or business issues that need to be discussed that are uncomfortable to talk about in semi-public locations.

3) Feeling Less Crowded

Simply providing a more enclosed space as opposed to short walls that you can see over may help people feel less crowded. It can be difficult to concentrate when co-workers keep popping by a space or talking loudly on the phone.

4) Having a dedicated space

Individuals often have different tasks depending on their job functions and sometimes need different layouts or furniture for different functions. Instead of thinking of everyone’s workspace as the same, an individual office can be personalized based on whether that person does a lot of filing, drawing, or computer work, for example.

Come see what we have to offer and experience our professional and welcoming office environment today! Detailed information on the services Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch offers can be found here, but feel free to contact us (941.373.1400) and take a tour if you have specific questions about your business needs!

Has your business grown to the point that you feel like you need a professional office space? Want an office but not the high overhead associated with traditional offices? Your chosen office space should be an asset not a hindrance in growing your business – below are 4 problems that your space should address.

Furniture and technology

Finding, buying, and installing furniture and phone systems can take a large amount of upfront money and time. You need a fully-furnished, turnkey solution that is ready to use as soon as possible, regardless of whether you are a sole proprietor or multi-employee enterprise.

Access

When you’re a small business owner or an entrepreneur, you’re often working around the clock. Typical business hours don’t necessarily apply to your work schedule and you need an office space that can fit those parameters. Access 24/7 is a must for your company.

Uncertainty

You’re not sure if this quarter you’ll be hiring three new people or not. Next quarter you may be in the midst of meetings with high-level clients or investors and require a well-equipped conference room. A flexible lease should be important to you as a business owner so that you have the resources to deal with future unknowns.

Front-desk staffing

Although your company may be in a start-up or growth phase, a professional façade is important. Having a lobby receptionist available during business hours is critical for greeting incoming clients and unexpected visitors. A welcoming face and friendly greeting can make a great impression of your business.

Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch can provide all of the above and more – come see what we have to offer and experience our professional and welcoming office environment today! Detailed information on the services Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch offers can be found at our website: www.executivesuite.wpengine.com, but feel free to contact us (941.373.1400) and take a tour if you have specific questions about your business needs!

Customer Service is your # 1 edge against the competition. We strongly advise that reviewing your customer service principles on a weekly basis and refine, refine and refine, discuss, discuss and talk about it more, so providing superior customer service becomes a habit and a focus of your office.

10 Keys to Superior Customer Service

1.) Invest heavily into customers who complain.
2.) Take notes, create checklists and listen to every detail of every complaint to improve your services
3.) Absolute honesty
4.) Adopt a No excuses, no buck passing, no pleas for sympathy philosophy
5.) Never ignore a customer
6.) Continuously study, watch and improve the service process.
7.) Teamwork- Take care of the customer before anything else is done.
8.) Use customer feedback as the measure of performance.
9.) Look at everything through the eyes of the customer.
10.) Empower all employees to serve and surprise customers.

Our philosophy at Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch is to give our clients reasons to stay, not reasons to leave. Adopt this philosophy and you and your team will become customer service leaders as well.

Some of the most successful businesses in the world started out by using a virtual office service. A virtual office is a great way to get your business off of the ground without a lot of overhead. The following are a few helpful tips on how to work in a virtual office.

Organize Your Time and Your Desk

One of the best ways to stay productive, whether it is in your home or in an actual office, is by staying organized. Having all of your important documents at your fingertips will help you avoid the wasted time spent hunting for things. Be sure to develop a good filing system so you will be able to find anything you need at a moment’s notice. You also need to adequately plan your day so you can avoid wasting valuable work opportunity. The most successful virtual office users have a concrete schedule that they do not stray from in order to stay on track with their work time. One of the biggest drawbacks to working from home is the overwhelming amount of distractions that can prohibit you from being productive if you are not careful.

Dress for Work

Another great way to stay motivated while working from home is getting up early and getting ready. You should treat your at work environment just like a normal job, so dressing for success should be at the top of your list of priorities. The best way to be successful at a virtual office is by treating it like a real job and by doing so you will be able to stay on track and be productive. Most virtual office users utilize the power of video conferencing so being dressed for success will give you a more professional look to your clients and employees that you are chatting with.

If you are looking for a quality virtual office provider, then look no further than Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch (941.373.1300). We offer a lot of amenities and all at a very affordable price.
Get to know us better at www.executivesuitsatlakewoodranch.com