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Fostering the Local Start-up

Written by Officense on May 9, 2019. Posted in Blog.

Taking to leap to start a local Start-up takes tenacity, determination, and true grit. Traditionally, support provides for startups focused on amassing resources rather than creating a community of connections to open the door for budding entrepreneurs. Additionally, a start-up business is more likely to receive assistance if they had a scalable product or idea. This is due to traded business allowing venture capitalist to have a quicker and more lucrative business launch. Unfortunately, this does not typically foster a city’s local industries such as health services, construction, or legal services.

Who Starts the Local start-up?

Local start-ups are traditionally created by your long-time local resident. Someone who wants to work for themselves and fill a void in the local economy. This could be a lawyer looking to open a practice or a construction professional looking to start their own construction firm. It could be anyone really who wants to make the leap from working to running a new business.

What Type of Resources Does a Local Start-up Need?

Let’s say a fresh law school graduate decides to open a practice. This means the new lawyer will require an address to receive mail, a dedicated phone number, professional office space, and staff to greet his clients. This provides the young attorney will a professional appearance to his newly formed business. A professional appearance can make or break sign new clients to get the firm up and running. At Officense we have experience with providing assistance to the neglected local start-ups.

Choosing Your Resources

Our clients include lawyer, contractors, CPA, Caterers, health service trainers, therapists, doctors, and so many more. With our expertise in providing the professional experience, we frequently provide insight into how a new client can grow their local business. Furthermore, Our company was recently highlighted by Launchopedia article, “Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Spotlight: Baltimore, MD” as a premier co-working space for the local start-up. Please look into our various services to see how our company can foster your local start-up. Finally, Don’t be afraid to take the leap and start your business today with Officense at your back!

Vacation? Let Virtual Assistants Help!

Written by Officense on May 3, 2019. Posted in Blog.

Going Away?

Spring is here, Summer is coming, and the end of the school year is approaching. All of this could only mean one thing – Vacation! Now is the perfect time to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World with your family in Orlando. Perhaps you can visit the casinos in Las Vegas. or tour the Statue of Liberty in New York.

How Will You Manage While Away?

Bags are packed, hotels are booked, and plane tickets are ready for your Vacation! Before you go away do you ever have that feeling you forgot something such as your keys, your wallet, or your hat? Who will take care of your company when you are away on Vacation? How will your calls get handled? Where will your mail go? The answer is simple – Virtual Assistants.

Virtual Assistants Can Help!

Virtual Assistants can handle your mail, schedule appointments, answer incoming calls, and greet your clients while you are miles away. In addition, they are able to keep track of your schedule while you obtain the perfect tan on the beach. We have the perfect solution for you and your company to avoid important calls going to voicemail. Never miss a business opportunity, or a decrease in revenue and profit while on vacation.

Additional tasks that an assistant is able to do to help ease your mind while you are on vacation:

· Data entry

· Creating and managing spreadsheets

· Filing time-sensitive or confidential documents

· Scanning documents

· Sending and receiving faxes

· Handling applications or other important files

· Email handling

With Officense by your side, your needs are our priority and we strive to fulfill any service you may need. We have professional Virtual Assistants who will make your clients feel valued and appreciated while you’re away. To get started, give us a call at 410-814-7500 for further details.

Phone Answering for the Contractor

Written by Officense on April 26, 2019. Posted in Blog.

When you’re on the road heading to an estimate for one of your customers, the last thing you want is your phone constantly ringing with people trying to schedule appointments. You need a staff who can take calls for you and help your business grow! At Officense, we have a fully-trained staff readily available to provide phone answering services for all of your contracting needs. Our receptionists are trained to answer calls in a professional manner while guiding the call the best way possible in a minimum amount of time.

The Officense staff will be your very own to schedule your customers, to list your customers on a log if you’d like, and answer questions regarding the services you offer. We will be as thorough as possible to keep the amount of calls sent to you to a minimum. As a contractor, having a staff to lighten the load while you’re at job sites is incredibly beneficial. Our staff gives the first impressions to your customers when they call in, which is key for your brand’s image. We will be able to provide your business information, screen the calls, transfer callers if needed, send them to voicemail, and/or take a message. As an Officense receptionist, we will ensure the customer is heard, understood, and scheduled appropriately; and you won’t have to worry about the hassle of getting too many calls and having too little time to answer them. It won’t be the most pleasant experience to be a customer trying to schedule an appointment with a contractor who is stressed, in a rush, and maybe even impatient over the phone. Our staff can eliminate the hang-ups and improve your customer retention. With Officense, your calls will be answered quickly and the message will be sent to you immediately, a call will never go unanswered. With our 24/7 service, someone will always be there to speak with your customers, even if it’s after hours.

A staff is a contractor’s support. We obtain the information and help to grow your customer base, and you provide excellent service to your customers! It’s a win-win! If you would like more information on our phone answering services, or the many other services offered at Officense, click the link: https://hilivepro.com/home/live-answer-phone-service/

An Executive Assistant? Can You Afford One?

Written by Officense on April 11, 2019. Posted in Blog.

Executive assistants are essential to a company’s daily operations. They are the conduits to your customers. They give the first impression and convey your company’s message, which is key for your new brand’s image. For every company, especially a startup, customers are extremely important for the future of your business.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER

In Micah Solomon’s article “Leadership is Swell, But Your Receptionist Makes or Breaks Your Business” he claims a “clueless receptionist today, a bankrupt business tomorrow”. His article provides the example of the Ritz Carlton Hotels rigorous training for their receptionists. This customer service focused approach is based on their belief that every single employee is a representation of the brand. Solomon believes that the “first and last impression creator is among the most important positions in your enterprise.” At Officense we share Solomon’s belief when training our Executive Assistants.

COST BURDEN OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS

Now, I understand that a startup business may not always have the means to provide rigorous customer-service training for their employees. Or perhaps, even have the time to hire or train new employees at all. In an interview, a first-time business owner gave tips to make a successful startup company. Her #1 tip was to “Keep a Lean Team and Spend Wisely,” where she advises avoiding unnecessary hires and spending every dollar intentionally. This cost efficiency is what all startup business owners can connect with. As a business owner, having an executive assistant would allow you to use your time adequately. But there is simply not enough time or money to hire and train these employees. Minimum wage in Maryland is increasing and not to mention shelling out for benefits like healthcare, parking, and retirement. Keeping a full-time Executive Assistant may not fit the budget or be your best option.

OUR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS

Having professionally trained executive assistants who exude your new brand’s image, without having to spend time training, while staying on budget. I know what you are thinking- this is not possible for my business. Well, with Officense it is! At Officense you will have a team of executive assistants, both in office and virtually, who tailor services to your company’s needs. Our team comes at a fraction of the cost of hiring an assistant on your own. Finally, you gain a fully trained staff that will give your startup the great first impression it needs.

We have executive assistants to answer your calls, greet your clients, follow up with leads, schedule appointments, and much more. We also provide high-end business facilities with fully furnished dedicated and a la carte office space, as well as live 24/7 call answering services. Give Officense a call at (410) 814-7500 to meet your new staff and tour your new prestigious business location, today!

Can You Remotely Work?

Written by Officense on April 5, 2019. Posted in Blog.

Can you remotely do it?

Imagine telling someone 15 years ago that you do not have to go to an office to work. You can handle work calls, manage your office, and save your business money, all from the beach, mountain resort, or your bed remotely. They would have called you crazy. They might remind you that you were forgetting about your normal daily-grind. Think about all of your basic duties when showing up to a traditional office. How could you remotely handle that? In 2019 work is happening everywhere and anywhere except traditional office spaces, and employers and employees are loving it.

Is it to much money?

As time goes on, the cubicles and costly office space of the past is adding up to be a poor decision. Especially in the current fast paced, technology driven business world. The trend line is clear. Offices are falling by the wayside and new services are replacing them. The costs of a traditional office are simply too much for some small businesses. Start-up cost are increasing, entrepreneurs are rejecting these unnecessary expenses for more efficient solutions. Besides costing less, the advantages of virtual space are higher productivity and general job satisfaction. Anyone would be happier taking a work call while relaxing on the couch rather than in an office! How could you remotely go back to a traditional office setting?

You still need a place to meet

While the physical idea of being in an office is changing, the implications and thought process behind the word are not. People are interactive and social beings and still need a way to communicate face to face comfortably and efficiently. The traditional office is dead but the temporary office space, conference facility, and hourly business setting are all alive and well. Working remotely and using technology doesn’t eliminate a need to present a professional office image when you need it. It can make it outrageous to pay for a traditional space year-round, when the actual time you are using it is very minimal.

The solution is remotely simple

Maybe we’re a little ahead of our time here at Officense, offering creative alternatives to the traditional office for over 10 years. Being able to remotely handle things is the next step. But it’s like Shel Silverstein said, “If you’re behind the times, they won’t notice you. If you’re right in tune with them, you’re no better than they are, so they won’t care much for you. Be just a little ahead of them.”

Author: Officense