Las Vegas Executive Suites and Virtual Offices

New York City-based Law Firm Suites has recently joined Alliance Business Centers Network as one of our newest Members, and we are thrilled to welcome them into the Network family! With a unique and specific focus on the law community, Law Firm Suites was designed by lawyers, for lawyers and other service professionals, to help give a distinct competitive advantage. The well-maintained spaces and extremely helpful staff are touted as center highlights, but it is the “amazing culture� of the center that really helps Law Firm Suites stand out in the Manhattan office space market.

“ABCN is so very excited to welcome Law Firm Suites into our Member Network. With its positive culture and niche market, this center will make a fantastic addition to our growing family of next-generation business centers, and we look forward to supporting their growth along the way,� remarked ABCN chairman, Frank Cottle.

Encouraging an open-door culture, Law Firm Suites was created with its clients in mind. With constant interaction throughout the center, valuable input is shared between Law Firm Suites’ clientele, leading to increased insights on practice issues, business development ideas and referrals as well.

“Law Firm Suites is thrilled to now be a part of ABCN,� stated Center Manager, Lauren Cohen. “We are excited about the mutual benefits and support that will undoubtedly result from this new partnership and we very much look forward to what lies ahead!�

In the unique business community created by Law Firm Suites, what clients find is a group of friendly professionals who are eager to learn from one another in the hopes of growing and creating maximum business value. Welcome to the Network!

Regus may be doing its business center competitors a big favor—or it may become a bigger threat. It all depends on your perspective.

The executive offices suites giant just published a new book that aims to answer the key business question of the decade: How do you grow a business in today’s ultra-competitive landscape?

Dubbed Growth in a Difficult Decade, the book offers advice from successful entrepreneurs, along with practical insights for managers and business owners in every industry.

Regus pulled out all the stops to offer a resource to its would-be tenants, including advice from more than 60 entrepreneurs and corporations. Donald Trump and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz join teenage Internet millionaires, winning serial entrepreneurs, and founders of billion-dollar family businesses that are now being transitioned to the next generation in offering the secrets of success.

“At Regus we work closely with successful entrepreneurs all over the world, so we wanted to help share their insights into how to achieve sustainable business growth, even in times of recession or economic uncertainty,� says Mark Dixon, CEO of Regus.

Growth in a Difficult Decade, the Regus book offers guidance on every facet of running and growing a business, from how to monetize and execute a business idea to the importance of validating and iterating ideas to how to build a business sustainably, tips on raising finance, how to expand a business into new countries or continents, and what to look for when hiring key staff or finding business mentors.

“This book shows there’s no single formula for success and growth—there’s a fascinating diversity of ideas and approaches,� Dixon says. “But it also shows there are common themes for success—from the power of marketing, to the importance of mentors and colleagues whose talents complement your own, to perseverance, to the importance of exploring new markets. The insights and practical tips in this book will help businesses of all sizes and at all stages of growth.�

Regus’ strategy is simple and effective: Become a resource for entrepreneurs, small business owners and large corporations alike. People value books, and they especially value books with practical advice for doing business in today’s economy.  What’s more, Regus has demonstrated that it can grow in a difficult decade, which gives it the credibility it needs to author such a book.

Regus’ book is now part of its marketing arsenal. It will become a calling card, of sorts, a resource for would-be tenants that shows Regus gets it. Professionals in all industries have been authoring books to build their personal brand for years. Regus has taken a similar approach with Growth in a Difficult Decade. Ultimately, the book alone won’t help Regus win customers. But it becomes part of a larger branding and marketing effort that helps turn heads.

What can your business center to do position your brand as an expert resource in the field?

Zach Douglas – joint MD of successful serviced office company Orega – hasn’t always been in the commercial property industry. Prior to setting up the business centre establishment with fellow MD Paul Finch, Zach worked for his father’s boat-building firm. Now, having survived the dot com crash and emerged from the worst global recession since WWII, Orega is a successful multi-million pound company with 10 locations and counting. Officing Today talks shop with Zach to find out what makes Orega ship-shape.

Although its consistent growth might have you believe otherwise, Orega hasn’t always been a thriving enterprise. Zach and Paul narrowly missed bankruptcy when they started the company back in 2000. But 12 years later, having expanded their popular Manchester and Birmingham centres and added a new location in Hammersmith, it’s a different story. So what’s their secret?

“Positive service delivery and a clear understanding of what larger corporates need,” says Zach, explaining that it’s all about good relationships, support, and reducing the hassle and down-time associated with the move-in process. “It has enabled Orega to differentiate its offer from its competitors,” he says.

This rock-solid approach has helped steer the company through economic instability and place it in a strong position for the future. And despite the UK’s return to recession, Zach is reassuringly positive about Orega’s standpoint as well as the business centre industry as a whole.

“Because of our unique partnership operating model, Orega is more likely to accelerate its current expansion plans as more property stakeholders find themselves needing to react to a softening conventional property market with new and creative marketing strategies,” he says.

And when asked if the serviced industry is holding its own in this difficult economy? “Most definitely. We have become an increasingly relevant and important part of the property market. Our credibility as an industry has increased and our offering is becoming a part of all forward-thinking organisations’ property strategies.”

Zach explains that this is also down to the supportive and short-term nature of the business centre model. “There is no doubt that tough economic times support the requirement for our industry to provide short to medium-term space to occupiers,” he says, “especially those who are operating against an uncertain background and are themselves working under flexible contracts to their customers.”

As part of their drive to support their clients and stay flexible, in August last year, Orega offered businesses in Staines a new part-time office scheme. While this may complement the mobile technology boom and new, more ‘nomadic’ working behaviours, Zach says that they are actually seeing demand for more stability, with longer initial terms and regular break options.

Furthermore, they have remained relatively untouched by the developments in mobile technology. “Interestingly enough, people are still using their landlines,” says Zach. “But we are seeing an increasing requirement to support cloud-based technologies and the integration of mobile technology into our IT and telephony packages.”

Next Week: Part Two of Officing Today’s interview with Zach Douglas discusses what’s next for Orega, and how business is heating up with the arrival of the Olympic Games.

Every business center should work to be a good corporate citizen. 

Avanta is showing the serviced office space industry how its done with strong corporate support for a children’s medical center charity.

Indeed, Avanta has reconfirmed its support for Sparks, announcing it will donate

£1 for every meeting room reservation for 10 delegates or more at any of its 18 United Kingdom business centers in 2012.

“We take our commitment to the environment and our corporate social responsibility very seriously,” says Geraint Evans, Avanta’s sales & marketing director. “In recent years, we have held events to raise both funds and awareness of Sparks, but this year we have decided to do something a little different.”

Avanta has supported Sparks for the past six years, to be exact. But through this new initiative the business center hopes to raise more than £6,500 by the end of 2012. So far, Avanta seems to be on track to reach that target.

“Our meeting rooms are proving extremely popular with bookings increasing 20 percent year on year,” Evans says. “So, by donating this amount to Sparks we are hopefully spreading the word about the great work they do, and the benefits they provide, to a much wider audience.”

Sparks is a leading children’s medical research charity dedicated to funding and championing pioneering research into a range of conditions affecting babies, children and pregnant mothers. Sparks aims to improve the quality of life for children and families affected by serious illness or disability now, while seeking ways to better diagnose, treat and prevent these conditions in the future.

“Avanta has been a loyal and valuable supporter of our work for a number of years,” says Faye Matthews, head of Corporate Partnerships at Sparks. “Sadly, in the UK, 1 in 30 babies are born with a medical condition which may affect them for life. Our goal is for every child to be born healthy and stay healthy and the wonderful funds raised by Avanta will help us to continue our pioneering medical research and enable us to touch the lives of those children who need our help.”

Avanta is modeling the way. Has your business center selected a charity you can get behind—and get involved with? It’s not always necessary to donate money. Volunteering for service projects in your community can also be helpful to charitable organizations.

ABCN would like to extend a warm welcome to one of our newest Member centers, Beijing’s Vantone Commercial Center. Vantone’s impressive team traces its roots

ABCN would like to extend a warm welcome to one of our newest Member centers, Beijing’s Vantone Commercial Center. Vantone’s impressive team traces its roots

ABCN would like to extend a warm welcome to one of our newest Member centers, Beijing’s Vantone Commercial Center. Vantone’s impressive team traces its roots

ABCN would like to extend a warm welcome to one of our newest Member centers, Beijing’s Vantone Commercial Center. Vantone’s impressive team traces its roots

ABCN would like to extend a warm welcome to one of our newest Member centers, Beijing’s Vantone Commercial Center. Vantone’s impressive team traces its roots