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We’ve Got You Covered – Under our Umbrella, Ella, Ella

You’ve all heard the saying “we’ve got you covered – rain, sleet, or snow.”

Now, let us prove it to you.

Corporate Address

Bay Street. Need I say more? This iconic street is one of the most well known in the country, as it’s recognized globally as the Financial centre of Canada.

And that’s not just boasting.

Aside from our neighbours in the financial industry, Bay Street is also shaping up to be the new home of Toronto’s tech hub. With companies such as Microsoft, Acumen Solutions, Cisco Systems Inc, VMware, and Salesforce, Bay Street is further proving to be THE place to be for business operators of all industries to call home.

Virtual Business Offices has long been offering the ability for companies, from the newest startups, to enterprise corporations, to create and reinforce their corporate identity with at Bay Street address and be looked upon as an industry leader.

Live Reception Services

Aside from a great address, having professional live reception & phone services is also a large boost to the success of a company.

Our professionally-trained live reception team can do just that for you and your business.

With customizable greetings, call screening & forwarding, appointment scheduling, and voicemail options, we have the ability to personalize our phone services for each client.

In addition to the customizable service, we offer our clients a highly sought after 416 phone number that reinforces their position in Toronto’s competitive downtown core.

At Virtual Business Offices, we have solutions fit for you.  Whether it be a Bay Street corporate address or customizable live reception services, our wide range of virtual office packages are fit for businesses at any stage of their growth.

If you are looking to add a new corporate identity your business, contact Virtual Business Offcies by visiting www.virtualbusinessoffices.com or calling (416) 214-1840.

If you’d like to begin working in Toronto’s hottest area Sign up online today!

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Entrepreneurial State Of Mind

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Being an entrepreneur is an innate trait that some are born with and some aren’t. It’s a mind set that many with this gift can’t seem to escape. They see the world as a large opportunity and continuously seek ways to seize the moment.

The world has seen its fair share of entrepreneurs who have succeeded and others who have failed miserably. It truly is a high risk, high reward life style.

Companies such as: Microsoft, Apple, Virgin, Tesla & Amazon all began as an idea on a piece of paper, by larger than life personalities that once started out in their parent’s basement. After countless trials and tribulations, these individuals were able to successfully penetrate a market and become king pins of their respective industries.

However, this success certainly didn’t come overnight. It’s a known fact that even these successful would-be billionaires were once on the verge of being homeless, surviving on ramen noodles and living out of the back seats of their vehicles. It was only their entrepreneurial instinct that kept them pushing through these hard times and as luck would have it, their hard work and determination paid off.

Then, you have the other side of the coin.

In the early 2010’s, the world became obsessed with the reality TV concept of seeing entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors on shows like Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank.

These shows gave the everyday viewer a chance to see what entrepreneurs were coming up with, prior to their multi million dollar success. Some were successful, while most failed to develop a concept that could wow not only the investors, but the audience who were watching the show. In some cases, the feedback went as far as telling these individuals to “stop putting money into this and walk away while you still can” or “this is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of”.

One thing to be taken from the countless seasons of good ideas and bad ideas is that the mindset of the participants never veered from their end goal of being a successful entrepreneur, regardless of the feedback they received.

Whether you possess this way of thinking or not, it’s important to remember that each person has a place in the world to be successful.

Most importantly, any good entrepreneur needs the proper business solutions to complement their ideas, so they can continue to develop and grow.

At Virtual Business Offices, we have those solutions for you.  Whether it be a corporate address, live reception services, access to meeting rooms or a combination of all three, our wide range of virtual office packages are fit for businesses at any stage of their growth.

Sign up online today!

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How To Effectively And Productively Work Remotely

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Over the last decade, the number of employees working remotely has skyrocketed, and continues to increase year-over-year. Roughly 70% of the global workforce works remotely at least one day per week, and reports estimate that 50% of the U.S. workforce will be remote within the next ten years. Despite these numbers and the increased popularity of working from home, remote work is still relatively unchartered territory. There are still mixed opinions on teleworking, and many managers remain hesitant and unsure on how to manage remote teams. As a result, it is imperative for remote employees to work efficiently and professionally off-site. I’ve written some key productivity tips below to help remote employees keep on track and stay in their managers good books.

First things first, you need to look the part. A lot of people have this idea that working from home involves sweatpants and a t-shirt, or just throwing on something quick and comfy. Dressing too casually can make it feel like you’re just relaxing at home or hanging out, resulting in lower productivity. Dressing the part, and wearing what one normally would to work, will help you get into the right mindset and feel prepared for your workday.

Secondly, it’s extremely important to keep a proper schedule and work regular hours when working remotely. Some people get into the habit of starting later, and sleeping in, or working different hours when working from home. To be successful and establish a proper routine, it’s important to work the same hours and the same times each and every day.

Similarly, it’s important to remember to take breaks, just like you would at the office, when working from home. A lot of remote workers tend to stay in one place and try to get all of their work done as quickly as possible to have more free time. Instead of cramming, it’s best to take time out of your schedule to get up and get out of your workspace for a few quick breaks.

When working from home it’s also extremely important to pick the right workspace. Creating a dedicated workspace is essential to separating work from your home life and getting into the right mindset for your daily job. When selecting your workspace its important to choose a bright lit space in order to increase your energy, reduce eye strain and keep you focused.

Finally, working from home doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself or work in a completely isolated setting. It’s important to take the time to go outside, get some fresh air, and connect with others. Many remote workers complain of loneliness or of feeling disconnected from the rest of their team. It’s therefore important for remote workers to reach out and connect to their co-workers, friends and family to counteract this.

Remote working is no longer a fringe practice, it’s a legitimate option and could very well be the new norm in the near future. It is therefore important to prepare for remote opportunities and establish strong habits to succeed.

IF you’re ready to build your business and start working remotely, you can check out the Virtual Plans that The Rostie Group has to offer you. All the advantages of having an office in a physical location, with the ability to work anywhere in the World!

Sign up online today!

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Startups can be difficult to build

How Startups can use Virtual Offices

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Building Startups is difficult. You have to not only figure out every detail of your business model, but you also have to assemble a team, determine your costs, shake hands with other business people, find space, etc. The list is endless. You’re creating something out of nothing, and that can be years and years of hard work to achieve. 

However, that isn’t to say that you have to come up with details yourself, and that there isn’t help out there. Smart entrepreneurs know that the key to success in their startups is not to do everything yourself, but to build a good team around you. “No man is an island”, such as no business can be.

But you’ll have to allocate a good portion of your budget to attract top talent. Just as you want the best and brightest to be part of your arsenal, there are also many more entrepreneurs out there also building their dream and also seeking those people for their own startups.

So you have to budget carefully. And as anyone who has built a business in the past knows, it can be difficult to find funding, especially if your business model requires a large investment before it can start returning profits. Startups are built on early labour, and many fail before they turn profitable. Additionally, investors in your business want to know how their money is being spent, and if it is being spent well. That means you have to be smart with those investments, and save where you can, and spend where you need to.

Thankfully many companies have been built from exactly that premise: Saving you money on your own endeavours.

You can outsource email, accounting, graphic design, and even fabrication.

However one major cost center for startups is their space. Rent is high, especially in large cities, which of course, is where you want to be.

You and your staff may spend most of their time working from home. And there are definite advantages to that, especially when it comes to cost and time spent commuting. But working from home does come with two large caveats: How will your staff ever meet to discuss their issues, and how likely are you to be taken seriously as an Entrepreneur if you give someone a residential address?

Appearances can be powerful, and something as simple as the location of your business can give off the wrong idea.

So not only do you need space, but you also a prime address, and that will be especially expensive. With the need to save money in mind, Virtual Business Offices can help you.

With us, you’ll get a world recognized Bay Street Address. As well as professional phone answering services, mail receipt and forwarding, and even professional meeting spaces for when you absolutely need to meet your clients face-to-face.

Take a look at our plans, and get one step closer to building that business today! 

 

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Franchise Owner Working from Home

The Advantages of a Virtual Office for Franchise Managers

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Running a franchise, while having your home as your business address may not represent the best side of your business. However, a virtual office with a premier address in Toronto shows others that you mean business.

Convenience

Having a virtual office allows you to avoid all of the daily annoyances of commuting. Nobody enjoys an hour long trip where you find yourself standing squished between a wall and a group of sweaty bodies on the subway. Working from home allows you to stay inside; this way you not only save energy, but you also save a significant amount of time. This way you can yell at your employees for slacking off from the comfort of your own home! Simply dial the number of your franchise’s location and commence shouting. How exciting!

Cost-Effective

Working through a virtual office saves the cost of renting out a physical space elsewhere. Consequently, you will find yourself gradually saving money since you will not be factoring in a cost of rent.

If you are adamant on a space downtown, you will find the cost of rent is not very forgiving. Therefore, it would be most beneficial to search for smaller spaces in order to avoid spending a large amount for an extra 50 square feet.

Not only is the rent of the physical office going to rack up a large bill every month, but you must also consider the cost of commuting. Whether you take public transit or you drive yourself, you will find a significant chunk of your paycheck going towards the trip to work every day.

As briefly mentioned earlier, this idea of a virtual office is essentially the concept of saving a small piece of each paycheck and putting it into a savings account. Rather than this, you are saving pieces of your paycheck by eliminating the cost of commute.

Overall, it is simply much more cost-effective to use a virtual office rather than sacrifice an arm and a leg for a physical office in an expensive neighbourhood. If you have this opportunity for a virtual office,  the only downside is if you wished to share a workspace with your coworkers.

Credibility and Legitimacy

A virtual office gives an impression that you are working for a professional business in a prestigious location. Rather than having your cell phone number as the main form of contact and an unfamiliar address, a virtual office allows you to use an address that suggests your franchise is legitimate and successful. Imagine having your business card include an address for Bay Street. This address will be easily recognized.

On the contrary, 9092 Dirt Boulevard is not going to impress any potential clients. If anything, they might have a disgusted expression on their face because your business is located on a street called Dirt Boulevard…

Morale

A virtual office will improve your mood even if you can stay home only once per week. Being able to get away from the workplace every now and then will give you a chance to catch your breath and feel refreshed for the next time you may have to go in for the day. It may also be good for your employees since they are most likely uptight when you, their boss, is around. You will find that you are not as drained as a lot of your day at work might be devoted to sitting in traffic or waiting for transit. Imagine looking out the window, seeing horrible weather, but realizing you do not have to face those terrible conditions. How satisfying is that? That will definitely have you sighing in relief and perhaps a maniacal laugh at the thought of those who are standing in the rain waiting for the streetcar that is running late as usual…

So if you’re ready to take your franchise business to the next step, then take a look at our available packages and start your Virtual Office today! 

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Virtual Business Address

Why do you need a Virtual Business Address?

What is a virtual business address, anyway?

I’m going to answer a question with a question, so bear with me here: do you work from home, or from a country other than Canada? If so, you probably need a virtual business address. At Virtual Business Offices, a virtual business address means that you use our prestigious Bay Street address, and we collect and forward all of your mail/packages for you.

Your clients need to think that your business is established, and physically present in Canada. Getting mail sent to a P.O. box to be forwarded to another address, whether residential or out-of-country, is hardly the most professional image you can convey. There’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when you see the business card that someone handed you has a P.O. Box address on it. It positively reeks of “amateur hour”, and if your business is primarily from home; well, amateur hour is the last feeling you want your clients to have.

If your business is based in a country other than Canada, then a virtual business address is also necessary, at least until you expand your operations and need an office. It adds legitimacy to your Canadian operations, and allows you to have a much larger presence. Your clients won’t have to deal with the hassle in sending cheques internationally, and you can use your new virtual business address as the ‘home base’ for any Canadian subsidiary that you want to register.

A virtual business address takes most of the headaches out of expanding your business to Canada- and does so for a lot less than renting office space would cost. Similarly, if you’re working from home, you might not need an office to handle your day to day operations- but your clients don’t need to know that.

So take a look at our packages, and sign up for your Virtual Office today!

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