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There’s been plenty of headlines about the poor judgment of some U.S. Secret Service members in recent weeks, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that more federal agencies are making mobile IT investments that set the stage for remote work. Is your business center ready for the storm—and the potential food?

The Telework Exchange just announced the results of The 2012-2013 Telework/Mobile IT Almanac. The Almanac provides a snapshot of where federal agencies stand on enabling remote workers and delivers a forecast for mobile IT investments.

“Mobile device use among federal workers is clearly on the rise,� says Bob Kerr, vice president of SwishData Corporation. “Federal agencies are successfully implementing telework polices and the technology infrastructure needed to support remote workers—but there are some areas where agencies can improve.�

The report reveals that 65 percent of federal agencies cite above average IT programs for enabling telework and mobility. What’s more, federal IT executives expect mobile device use to increase by 20 percent by 2013. What does this mean for your business center.

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have already noticed a federal worker walking through your business center doors. The study shows about 21 percent of federal employees are already teleworking. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed expect more regular teleworkers and 45 percent expect more part-time mobile workers in the next two years.

“More than half of Federal agencies are making the grade in terms of enabling the growing mobile workforce,� says Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. “They serve as a model for others looking to strengthen their telework programs in the most efficient way possible,� said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. “As the number of teleworkers and mobile workers increases over the next couple of years, it is imperative agencies invest in technology that supports the changing workforce.�

And it’s also imperative that business centers invest. Federal workers must be assured that they can do business from your serviced office space securely. With the rising population of remote federal workers who need a place to land while traveling or need a meeting room in which to conduct business, savvy business centers are taking measured steps to bolster the security of their technology infrastructures now. It may be time to consult with a security specialist who can help you prepare for opportunities on the federal worker front.

What’s better for your business center? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or pay-per-click ads? Where will you get the bigger bang for your buck?

Based on a new survey from Social Media Examiner, you may be better off with SEO. In case you aren’t familiar with SEO, it’s the process if improving the visibility of a website in search engines via natural (also called organic or unpaid) means. By contrast, pay-per-click, or PPC, ads are just as you would expect: paid.

Although SEO isn’t always free—you can pay firms pretty pennies (and nickels, and dimes and even thousands of dollars)—you can accomplish a certain level of SEO yourself if you are willing to invest some time in keyword research and updating your website appropriately. And that might be all it takes.

Of course, you might also opt for e-mail marketing. Or you could invest in social media efforts galore. But what is more effective? Social Media Examiner’s fourth annual survey listed SEO right behind e-mail marketing. Paid search, or PPC, was sixth on the list. I think for business centers, SEO may be the most effective online marketing strategy of all.

It seems many social media marketers agree on the value of SEO. In total, 65 percent of social media marketers said they used SEO compared to only 38 percent who use paid search. That should tell you something, business center marketer. It appears that the experts believe you get a higher return on investment for SEO than paid search.

According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents plan to increase their SEO efforts. And another telling stat indicates that only nine percent say they have no plans to use SEO. So now the question is: Are you using SEO? Have you search engine optimized your business center Web site? Are your competitors using SEO? If they are and you aren’t, you are likely missing out on tons of free Internet leads.

SEO is ideal for location-based operations like business centers because you can target based on your city. For example, if your business center is in New York, you’d want to use words like “New York executive office suites� in your meta tags and content. If you are in an area with heavy competition for business centers, SEO could mean the difference between winning and losing the opportunity to sign up new tenants.

If you have any questions about who can provide your business center with knowledgeable SEO or PPC services, please contact an ABCN representative at 800.869.9595.

Understanding your sales funnel and its key components is critical before you can begin to evaluate and improve results starting from leads through to closing

Understanding your sales funnel and its key components is critical before you can begin to evaluate and improve results starting from leads through to closing

Understanding your sales funnel and its key components is critical before you can begin to evaluate and improve results starting from leads through to closing

Understanding your sales funnel and its key components is critical before you can begin to evaluate and improve results starting from leads through to closing

Is your business center making the most of networking? After you discover what AnswerFirst Communications has been up to in the past couple of months,

United Mediation Services has announced the launch of their new website at http://www.unitedmediationservices.com. The new user-friendly site offers information about the firm’s certified debt mediation

United Mediation Services has announced the launch of their new website. The new user-friendly site offers information about the firm’s certified debt mediation collection services,

Getting the right size desk for your office is key to long-term business success, claims new research by Avanta Managed Offices, which also finds that