This is just the beginning, but your eyes should be on Regus. Regus will open another new mobile business center every two weeks for the balance of 2012. By the end of the year, the Regus brand name will be on 13 mobile workstations across the nation.

“The remarkable potential of mobile, tablet and cloud technology is wasted if workers cannot find somewhere conducive to use it,� says Mark Dixon, Group CEO of Regus. “Even on the move, people need access to work space—be that a quiet space to think, or decent printing facilities, maybe just for 20 minutes at a time. Otherwise their work suffers or they miss business opportunities.�

Regus is pushing forward very aggressively with its mobile business center strategy. Beyond the NS deal, Regus also has partnerships with SNCF and Shell in France and Trenitalia in Italy. Through those partnerships, Regus plans to open mobile business lounges in train and gas stations across Europe. The goal: to change the way people work and travel.

Why the big push? For reasons that Officing Today has been trumpeting for the past year: There are more than 1 billion mobile workers in the world today and IDC predicts that number will rise to 1.2 billion by the end of 2013. Regus equates that to a soaring demand for drop-in workspace from professionals on the go as well as from a new breed of flexible workers.

Mobile workers aren’t making much of a sacrifice technology-wise when they enter a Regus mobile business center. These flexible workers still have access to facilities and technology found in modern offices, such as workstations, meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, videolink facilities, administrative support and, of course, free tea and coffee. Regus expects to see workers drop in to use the Internet, do paperwork, print documents, and meet colleagues or customers.

“Passengers at Amersfoort Station are among the first people in the world to benefit from a change that will improve the way people work and make businesses more productive,� says Michiel Noy, CEO of NS Trains. “Having instant access to a good working environment whilst on the move will help workers harness the potential of mobile working technology like smartphones and tablets. The launch of the first Regus NS station2station is thus an important step forward in the global shift to flexible and mobile ways of working.�

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You may think customer service at your business center is excellent—but your tenants may have a different perspective. It’s better to ask and find out so you can make adjustments rather than lose tenants mysteriously.

That’s what Avanta India did. When Avanta India launched in 2008, the business center set out to build on strong service standards and infrastructure. But the company didn’t just develop a customer service program and leave the results to chance. No, Avanta recently launched a survey to take the pulse of its customer service efforts.

“Our center enjoys over 90 percent occupancy rate and is known as one of the best serviced office providers in the region,â€� Avanta India’s manager says. “While we adhere to a strict code of conduct, we believe in improving our services continuously. In order to do that, there could be no better feedback mechanism than asking our clients so we decided to conduct a customer satisfaction survey.â€�

Avanta India designed a questionnaire that sought to measure the customer experience from the moment they stepped foot into an Avanta India business center—starting with the facility tour. The survey then asks questions about every detail of the experience and services, from how easy it is to get set up to housekeeping to billing and beyond.

How did Avanta India fare? Here are just a few of the many customer service metrics the business center collected in its survey:

70% of clients chose Avanta because of its excellent location
90% respondents liked the ambience, hospitality and reception
100% appreciated the speed and timeliness of the information sharing

“The customer satisfaction survey also included open-ended questions that could help us gather comprehensive feedback,â€� Avanta India’s facility manager said. “We also wanted to seek inputs for continued service excellence and further improvements. The team was delighted to receive accolades for excellent service, resourcefulness and reliability. Our staff members were applauded for their extremely helpful conduct.”

Although Avanta India scored exceptionally well in every area it tested, there is always room for improvement. Avanta India can’t easily change the location of its business center, but the fact that 70% chose the serviced office space because of its excellent location is a strong indicator that the company’s site selection process is strong.

What’s more, the customer service survey now becomes a marketing tool. Avanta India can take these and other customer satisfaction scores it gathered and use it to drive word of mouth about its excellent service while it continues to make small improvements along the way.

Avanta India also did something else: produced a YouTube video showing what its clients have to say about the business center’s service levels: Watch the video

Orega’s joint-founder Zach Douglas has noticed that, despite more clients seeking longer license agreements, the need for greater flexibility in the workplace is continuing to drive clients towards the business centre solution – particularly with the re-emergence of satellite offices.

“We are seeing a return to corporate project teams needing short to medium-term space, accompanied by technology that can integrate with their own head office systems,� says Zach.

The serviced office product answers this requirement perfectly, and with increased demand such as this, Zach is positive about Orega’s future – commenting that the company is “likely to accelerate its current expansion plansâ€�.

So with this in mind, what’s next for Orega?

“We definitely have plans to increase our portfolio,� explains Zach. “We expect to announce a number of planned openings in the coming months. The primary focus for our expansion plan is London as we are under-represented in this market. The lead flow is significantly higher in the capital and there is demand for our quality of business centre.�

There is certainly a large spotlight on London at the moment, thanks to the much-anticipated Olympic & Paralympic Games. Interestingly, Zach says that they have noticed an “increase in Olympic-specific enquiriesâ€� – particularly for their London locations. “Orega is delighted to have signed up a number of occupiers and to play our part in London 2012!â€� he added.

Olympics aside, the capital is also buzzing with property developments such as the Shard, and other recently completed buildings including Heron Tower. This, plus other high-profile buildings including Tower 42 and 30 St Mary Axe – aka The Gherkin – have attracted serviced office companies to take up space there. But Orega has so far resisted this temptation.

“Of course there is always a strong pull towards high-profile buildings,� explains Zach. “However, the business plan still needs to stack up to make it a profitable reality. In the current market, where our primary occupier targets are corporates and SMEs looking for medium-term contracts, it is often challenging to make the workstation rate competitive, whilst still operating profitably in these high-profile schemes.

“Needless to say, we are looking closely at a number of opportunities to take Orega into high-profile developments where we see the right combination of high demand and an appropriate cost base.�

And what about further afield? As of yet, Orega has also refrained from taking its product abroad – but it seems that this too may be about to change. “We are actively looking to take Orega into the international arena,â€� says Zach, explaining that they have already considered possible locations outside of the UK, adding: “We see opportunities in key European locations such as Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam.â€�

So from expansion overseas to new London locations, there are many possibilities around the corner for Orega in what could be an exciting year for this enterprising UK company and for the serviced office industry as a whole. Watch this space…

Creating a mobile app isn’t a bank-breaking proposition. It doesn’t cost any more to build a mobile app than it does to build a quality web site and it can set you apart from the competition. Think of the early days of the Internet. Companies that adopted Internet technologies from the beginning gained a competitive advantage. Developing mobile apps now could offer a similar advantage for business centers.

Companies of every size and stature have readily consumed the advice by flattening office walls, consolidating their leased space and handing back the surplus, watching their office rates and energy bills go down in the process. In the serviced office world, businessmen and women actively seek out shared space to encourage a collaborative and supportive environment – and many freelancers routinely opt for busy cafes or rent shared space to bounce ideas around and soak up human interaction.

But what about the people that work there? Is an open-plan office really a good fit?

Open-plan environments have been attacked for circulating illnesses and causing disruptions, affecting productivity in the process. In a review for the Asia-Pacific Journal of Health Management, author Vinesh Oommen stated that employees face “a multitude of problems” in an open-plan environment ranging from health issues and loss of privacy to low job satisfaction.

Author Susan Cain has also challenged the culture of “offices without walls”, claiming that they are designed for extroverts where workers cannot escape the noise or gaze of co-workers. “There’s nowhere to stop, to hide or to think. I believe open-plan actually stops us being as productive as we can be,” she says.

So what does this mean for your business centre, and can you successfully create a ‘one size fits all’ space?

Every person is unique and each has their own individual likes and dislikes, so in an ideal world a workplace environment will enable all personalities – from quiet introverts to the more outgoing types – to feel welcome and comfortable. This might seem impossible, but there are plenty of ways to improve your centre that will help to address the needs of every individual.

• Space to think: Create free-to-use spaces with a whiteboard where employees can retreat to, whether that’s to explore the delicate roots of a new idea or to thrash out plans with colleagues.

• Barriers: Provide the option to break large open-plan offices down by separating the room into smaller workspaces with the help of partitions or visual barriers.

• Mixed space: Create different types of space where possible – such as a large communal area with tables or sofas to encourage collaboration. Or split a larger meeting room down to create small private zones for single occupancy.

There can never be a solution that pleases everyone all of the time. But even with the advance of mobile technology and remote working, the cost-effective open-plan office will always exist. So the more you can cater it to the needs of each individual, improving comfort levels and thereby enhancing productivity, the more your centre will appeal to a wider range of clients.

How does your centre cater for different personalities? Please share your views or experiences via the comments box below.

The business launched in the UK last year and rapidly built up there, the largest network of business centers offering day offices. Now they are aiming to do the same in the U.S. The Alliance Business Centers Network has partnered with Dayoffice Card to bring the program to its members throughout the Americas. 

Some of the country’s leading operators, including Premier Business Centers, Metro Office and NYC Suites have already committed to the program and it’s easy to understand why. The Dayoffice Card program does not cost the business center operator anything to join and delivers 99% net profit on all revenue received. Dayoffice Card handles membership sales, marketing and support. They even manage all day office bookings with their 24/7 call center and real time, web-based booking system. 

The Dayoffice Card program does not require any new software or systems to be installed in the center and takes very little work on the part of the operator. Dayoffice Card adds substantial incremental revenue to business centers and also delivers a steady flow of high quality prospective clients for full time offices.

Following the U.S. launch, Dayoffice Card will roll out its offering to Europe and Asia creating a global membership program with more locations than any other.

Many independent operators have been waiting for a program that allows them to offer a national/international day office membership card to help ‘level the playing field’. Now there is a proven and professional solution available but operators should move quickly to secure their involvement. Dayoffice card is interested to hear from U.S. business center operators of all sizes in all states. If you are interested in finding out more contact Rich Kraus, CEO the Americas by email at rich.kraus@dayofficecard.com, by phone at 949 681-3530 or using our online form.

“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!

The survey predicts hundreds of thousands of London commuters will struggle with what it is calling the daily “workathlon” when the Olympics begin because businesses won’t let them work telecommute or tap into some other flexible work schedule to avoid the Olympic traffic. Your business center should be trumpeting serviced office space as a solution—and you should start now.

Consider this: London is expecting an extra 20 million train and tube trips during the course of the Olympics. Eighty percent of spectators visiting the games will travel by train and underground, causing massive strain on travel hotspots like London Bridge, Canary Wharf and Victoria. That translates to an enormous disruption for commuters—and businesses are yet unprepared. But your business center doesn’t have to be.

“Our survey shows that some London businesses are sleepwalking into a potential work nightmare,” says Kathryn Hurt, MWB’s Head of Olympics. “Businesses who have not thought about it are really going to be hit the hardest. Time really is running out.”

MWB’s surveyed 430 London companies in potential travel hotspots and discovered they face huge threats to their productivity and business. Consider the data:

• • 11% of firms are allowing their staff to work from home
• • 30% have not made any contingency plans for the Olympics 
• • 89% believe the games will affect them
• • 30% are allowing employees to work flexible hours to beat travel disruption
• • 18% of firms have reviewed their staff’s annual leave arrangements

In response to the dilemma, MWB Business Exchange just launched a Business Survival Guide at London Bridge to help budding Workathletes get in training. The guide aims to help businesses address issues like annual leave/staff unavailability, flexible work schedules, telecommuting and temporary office relocation. 

“By not looking into remote working from home or even considering flexible hours, companies will be turning their employees into workathletes, putting their productivity and their staff’s health at risk,” Hurt says. “That’s why we’re launching an MWB Business Survival Guide to help firms and commuters prepare for the worst and ensure they continue to operate smoothly during the Games.”

Since its launch in 2010, Pinterest has grown to over 10.4 million members and daily users have increased 145 percent since the beginning of the year. Gentlemint is similar service that is also gaining momentum.

Indeed, leveraging social media websites beyond Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn is one way for a business center to further grow customer lists, increase website traffic and build brand awareness. But why, specifically, can your business center get on board the Pintrest bandwagon? 

The answer is simple: You already have plenty of photos of your business center. Why not put them to more use on a visual content board that could turn into a powerful referral platform for your business center? It takes a few minutes and could pay dividends long-term.

E-mail marketing service Campaigner offers four tips for enhancing marketing content, encouraging customer interaction and raising social media responses through Pinterest and Gentlemint. We outlined them here with some of our own comments:

1. Find the right audience: Pinterest membership is female dominated. Top pins are about crafts, gifts, interior design and fashion. Gentlemint offers mostly a male readership. Try one social platform before diving in based on the audience. If targeting both sites, keep the audience in mind when choosing photos to add to boards. OfficingToday believes business centers should be on both sites but focus on Pinterest first.

2. Get the news out: Once the account is set up, include the board link in all new e-mail marketing campaigns and your website. For example, add a ‘Follow us’ button on Pinterest within a campaign e-mail alongside the links to pages on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. OfficingToday believes Pinterest is going to continue to gain momentum. Being an early adopter could give you a competitive advantage.

3. Captivate and capture: Make it as easy as possible to subscribe to an e-mail marketing program. Include a sign-up form in a prominent position on every website page, on Pinterest and/or Gentlemint boards and pages on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. OfficingToday believes if you offer an incentive, like some sort of free report, you’ll be more likely to get sign ups.

4. Make new friends but keep the old: Don’t skip out on Facebook and Twitter to focus solely on Pinterest. Share your content on all platforms. Just add Pinterest to the list. OfficingToday believes you should start with Pintrest and replicate your efforts on Gentlemint as time permits.