For the last 36 years the celebration of Artscape has elevated the family friendly fun of summer in Baltimore. Starting on this Friday, July 21^st, Artscape, the largest free Art festival will be starting for yet another year. Are you going to join us in the fun? Artscape is an event that celebrates and showcases the artistic talents of painters, musicians, sculptors, dancers, photographers, and so many more.

Artscape 2017

The festival offers a chance for everyone to explore new artists and enjoy a free outing in the city. Perhaps you will attend one of the many concerts or shop the artisans’ stalls for your next art experience. To find out the events schedule for Artscape click on this link.  Also, do not forget about the amazing street food that will be available! Sounds like a great time to grab a funnel cake or even tacos from the many vendors servicing the event. The festival is being held around Mount Royal Avenue & Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill, and Station North Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods with various events at each location. The Festival will end on Sunday, July 23^rd, so do not miss out on all the family friendly entertainment.

We hope to see you there! We are a proud supporter of local businesses in Baltimore and would love to assist your business, today! Rest assured, Officense has got your business during the festival whether it’s answering your calls, processing your mail, or greeting your clients. If you need office or conferencing space over the festival weekend give us a call!

We live in a world of technology. Many of us work virtually. Most of us rely on the internet more than we would like to admit. But even in this tech-driven world, it matters where you are meeting your potential clients.

Meeting Potential Clients

This is discussed in the article Why Meeting Potential Clients at a Café or Your Home Office May Not be Such a Good Idea. The researchers found that “customers still value a positive first impression and old-school contact with a business before they engage their services”. They explain that it matters where initial contact takes place. That “cafes and home offices are considered poor alternatives to an office environment”. So, they believe that meeting potential clients in a professional setting will give the best first impression.

Secret Killers of Business Success

A study by The Secret Killers of Business Success looked into what make positive or negative impacts when meeting potential clients. Their study found that “a big part of creating a positive first impression is where you physically meet your potential client”. And even more specifically, “75% said that meeting in a professional business environment has the highest positive impact”. They also found that meeting in a café or a home office both have negative impacts on the business’ first impression. Clients want the business they work with to look professional and have a professional business address.

Importance of a Physical Meeting Space

A successful business woman, Clare Mann, is featured in the article. She works remotely, but finds it important to commute into the city to meet with potential clients. Clare finds “meeting in a professional room was critical as she needed to set the right image for her business”. Mann also explains “the importance of having a city address is absolutely crucial. People like bricks and mortar and it gives your business gravitas”. She is an example of someone working virtually, but still finds importance in meeting potential clients in a professional setting.

One Shot at a First Impression

The Secret Killers of Business Success found “66 % of people are not willing to give a business a second chance if they make a bad impression”. So, making that first impression is crucial when meeting potential clients. Officense is your solution for having a professional meeting space. We offer class A, fully furnished dedicated office space and month to month office space rented as needed. We have hourly conference space and hourly office space. You can avoid using your resources to pay an expensive monthly rent, while still having an impressive office to use when you need it. Give Officense a call at (410) 814-7500 to make a great first impression when meeting potential clients!

The journey towards our current 40-hour work week started in 1866, when the American Labor Union petitioned the federal government to create an eight-hour workday (Lebowitz, 2015).  Until it became a professional norm in 1940, Labor Unions continued to push for institutionalizing the 40-hour work week. Most Americans have been following this set work week schedule for over 75 years, but many professionals still work more than 40 hours (Lebowitz, 2015).

A Performance Based Work Week

What is a healthy and productive balance of work hours in the work week? Evidence suggests that longer hours over a period of time equals lower productivity, but that periodic bursts of longer hours can improve a worker’s performance (Joseph and Yarrow, 2015). An Article published by The Independent, highlighted a Swedish study and a Stanford University study, which both showed data supported the theory that shorter work hours leads to increased productivity and output (Greenfield, 2016). Wouldn’t it be nice to work less, but still meet your goals?

It’s time for American professionals and companies to embrace this trend. Our Office supports the new short work week by offering a flexible office environment. Perhaps you or your employees are more productive between the hours of 2 AM to 5 AM or 10 PM to 1 AM. Normal office settings may not allow you the freedom to work when and for however long you will be productive.

At Officense, break free from the traditional office with our unique After-Hours Access feature to use fully furnished offices and conference rooms with free high-speed Wi-Fi, whenever you want. If your business operates on non-traditional hours or your employees work five-hour days, look to Officense for your business solution.

https://www.officense.com/working-remotely/

With advances in technology, it is now becoming more popular to use a virtual work space. But, what exactly is a virtual work space? The article “What is Your Definition of a Digital Work Space?” searched to find out.

What is a Virtual Work Space?

In the article, they explain that “emerging technologies now make it possible to deliver the infrastructure needed to enable employees to work securely and productively from home, the office, or on the road”. They believe this is because “new technologies are unlocking new possibilities”. But, what is it like to use a virtual office? How efficient is it? To see how virtual-office-users answer our question, they asked the attendees at its EUC Insights 2017 Conference: “What is your definition of a digital work space?”.

Here are a few of their responses:

“A digital work space is the virtual equivalent of a physical workplace that allows users to work from anywhere, potentially increasing productivity and changing how we see optimal work environments”

“My definition of a digital work space is all of the technological means required to allow me to reach people for collaborative work”

“A digital work space provides all the devices and tools needed to get the job done. Basically, it’s a ‘single pane of glass’ to provide me with everything I need such as browser email, voice, etc.”

Basically “it’s clear that the concepts of mobility, flexibility, and productivity are universally understood to be key attributes”. A virtual work space needs to “deliver everything an individual employee needs to be productive”.

The World of the Virtual Office

The article, “What You Need to Know About the Rise of the Digital, Global, Virtual Office”, explains “it’s been predicted that by 2020, more than half of employees will work remotely”. But, they also talk about some of the problems that may arise when companies start to use a virtual work space. Dr. Stagl, a virtual office expert, explains that “one of the first problems that most teams have when members start working remotely is a drop in the quality of communication”. He continues, “The first thing that poor communication will impact is your production- both efficiency and quality drop when teammates fail to communicate details”. This is a problem that I would expect to come from working in a separate space that your coworkers. But since working virtually is flourishing, how is this being remedied?

The best way to prevent the drop in communication is to “find the best collaboration software for your company’s needs”. By “finding a tool that solves multiple communication, collaboration, and documentation challenges will prevent the possibility of compatibility failures”. This is a solution to maintain the level of communication with your co-workers, when using a virtual work space.

Collaboration Tools for Your Company

Finding an amazing collaboration tool to help you and your coworkers communicate can be priceless for your business. At Officense, we give you virtual office solutions to make working remotely work for you. There are virtual office assistants and live receptionists to answer your calls and handle your administrative needs. We give you a professional face, help you communicate with clients, and provide you with the tools to work remotely.

Officense offers many services that can help your virtual business run smoothly. Virtual phone services with virtual office assistants to handle your calls, set appointments and follow up with leads. We also provide a business mailing address and virtual address mail forwarding. We give you the tools and technology to increase productivity and communication, all at an affordable price.

When working remotely, you may find that you’re occasionally missing a professional office or meeting space. Officense also provides instant office space, giving you a professional setting when you need it. So, give Officense a call at (410) 814-7500 to find your virtual office solution, today!

Virtual Offices can be a blessing to business’ like yours! Let me paint you a picture… Ron is the CEO of a Baltimore startup, who wants to keep his overhead low, but simultaneously have a professional address for his new business. Currently, he is using his home address for his business, which can look unreliable to potential new clients. Ron was considering a virtual office solution for his company that would cost XXXXX. He has shopped around to various virtual companies and thus far has been unable to find a high-quality virtual office. But, that was until he found Officense! Our Virtual Office packages starting at only $99.

Officense’s Virtual Offices Packages Compared to the Competition?

With Officense, you have a prestigious downtown virtual address to advertise as the home base or additional location of your company that includes all your company needs, such as virtual mailboxes, assisting clients, and meetings space. When you use our facilities, you can enjoy our complimentary Wi-Fi, professional Executive Assistants, 24-hour access to private offices and conference rooms, as well as other great perks.

At Officense, we can even answer your business calls. Our Executive Assistants will work with you and your employees to create customized instructions to handle your business calls at a discounted rate as a member with Officense. You can be instantly connected to your clients from anywhere! Never miss a call or client with Officense, your Instant Business Office.

For more information, call 410-814-7500 to schedule a tour of your new virtual office.