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Why Your Internet Business Needs a Human Voice On the Line

The Internet has brought about many changes to the way a company can conduct business. One of the most significant changes is the change from brick and mortar to laptop offices. A business no longer needs to have a physical presence to conduct business. They can purchase from suppliers, contact remote employees, interact with their customers and ship their products all from their virtual location.

“This seems like the ultimate way to conduct a business!”

In most ways, this statement is true. You have reduced operating expenses, you can work from anywhere and you can produce a product or service with little effort.

However, consumers are starting to grow tired of computer generated customer service. They want to “connect” with a real person when they have a question or an issue. They want to know that the company they are dealing with is “real.” They are becoming disenchanted with live chat options and want to talk to a human being.

Is This The End For Internet Based Businesses?

Of course not, internet businesses are here to stay, they only need to adapt to their consumers. Any business that wishes to meet the needs of their clients will prosper, and Internet based companies can meet this need by investing in a virtual office.

An online solution like a virtual office from ring central(dot)com provides that personal touch that laptop businesses often lack. They have “real” receptionists to take your calls and interact with your clients. The receptionist will be assigned to your company and you can interact with them as you would an answering service.

This one feature alone can set you apart from other online businesses that only provide online contact. It will also give your company live support for any time of the day, meeting the needs of your clients in different time zones.

Can You Still Keep Operating Expenses Low?

The additional benefits of using a virtual office are that you do not have to rent office space, pay for electricity, or pay employee related expenses. You will not be obligated to pay payroll tax, carry workers compensation insurance, or worry about someone calling off from work. Your virtual office will always be there and operating, increasing your business and profit margin.

The Internet has become a large part of everyday life. More people turn to the Internet now for information, advice, and shopping than ever before. It has become a tool that helps people find what they want, regardless of distance, and make connections with people all over the world.

As much as this technology has helped advance the world, the desire to communicate with a real human still remains. People want to place a voice behind their transaction to make sure that it is real. They want to hear sympathy when they are upset with a product or service, and they want to hear a calm voice when they are angry. By providing a point-of-contact for your clients by using a virtual office, you are providing them with that voice they desire to hear. This will increase your business while still giving you the freedom to operate your Internet based business on your own terms.

A small business operator, Ann Bailey presents these tips for new ways to save and succeed in the office. Having a virtual office from ringcentral.com is an easy way to provide all of the old fashioned charm of a typical store front office while only paying for the sleek, new streamlined business model of internet enterprises.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwichary/2398196800/

U.S. Real Estate Investment – Will It Ever Bounce Back?

When the U.S. housing market began to crash in 2007, it looked like declining values and foreclosure activity would never end. By 2009, most of the country saw a 34 percent decline in their property values, with some areas seeing drops of 65 percent or more. Every day it seemed as if the news brought only more disastrous coverage of the housing crisis.

Investors were even shying away from purchasing these low priced properties. Why purchase today when values would only drop again tomorrow? This was the sentiment felt by everyone concerning the housing market. However, time heals all market crashes, and there has never been a better time to invest into properties and “flip” them for a profit.

The Trend Started In 2012

In 2012, the housing market began to take a turn for the better. Foreclosures activity, while still high, began to ease, which allowed home values to begin to rise. During 2012, home values increased each month, even if only by a fraction of a percent, creating the best year the market has seen in half a decade.

In fact, the housing industry even contributed to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation in 2012, which was a first since 2005.

There are many other factors that are creating a good housing market at this time. Unemployment figures have steadily dropped over the last year and a half, consumer sentiment is on the rise, and interest rates remain low, making purchasing a home even more attractive.

What This Means For The Investor

If you are interested in investing into the distressed properties that still remain on the market, or if you are already a real estate investor, this news should make you happy. Even slight increases in home values means that you can easily purchase a distressed home, complete any necessary renovations, and flip it for a great profit because the market is now moving to benefit the seller.

If you are new to this type of business, you may wish to consider partnering with a cash-for-homes business that will help you learn the tricks of the trade. Why would a company be willing to share this type of information? Simple, because there are more than enough opportunities around that will allow everyone to profit.

Will The Trend Continue?

There are people who may wish to invest in this type of venture but are afraid that they will not be able to turn a profit because home prices are steadily increasing. This is, however, the farthest thing from the truth.

Even though home prices have been steadily increasing over the last 15 months, they are still on average 28 percent below their peak values in 2006. Some areas, such as Florida, Nevada, and parts of California are still 50 percent or more below their 2006 values. This leaves an extraordinary amount of room to generate a profit.

Additionally, there are still over 2 million homes in the Shadow Inventory. The Shadow Inventory are homes that are either severely delinquent in their mortgage payment, somewhere in the process of foreclosure, or have been seized by the lender but not placed on the market for sale. With this amount of property still looming, there will still be pliantly of properties available for investments.

Blogger Brady Sullivan is a tradesman and knows that certain types of updating and improvements actually do help your home sell faster. PDXRenovations.com has been transforming the Metro communities of Phoenix and Portland with high-quality property faceliftss, achieving quicker home sales at higher prices.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arnoldmasonryandconcrete/7517687932/

How to Keep Your Best Employee Focused When Their New Baby Arrives

A major goal of any small business owner is to hire intelligent, hard-working people and keep them around for many years to come. If you run your own business, you already know that attempting to find good employees can be a tiring and frustrating process. People can sometimes seem amazing during the interview, only to begin demonstrating a poor work ethic a few weeks into the job. Other times, major life changes, such as health problems, having a baby or returning to school, can drive your good employees away. If you have a beloved employee that is pregnant, you may want to consider doing some things to help keep her around after the baby is born.

Throw an Excellent Baby Shower

Throwing an office baby shower is a good way to support your employee during her pregnancy. Not only will the effort warm her heart and provide her with numerous gifts that she will need for the baby, but it will also show her that she is a valued member of your team. Just as it can be difficult to find good employees, it can also be difficult to find a good place to work. A baby shower could remind your employee just how special your place of business really is.

Be Understanding and Generous With Time Off

It’s important to understand that your employee is going to need plenty of time off both during her pregnancy and after the baby is born. Allow a good amount of time for pregnancy leave as well as plenty of sick days in case anything unexpected should come up.

Provide a Reasonable Work Load

Being a new mom can be quite distracting. If your employee has just returned to work after having the baby, understand that she may be more tired and spaced out than usual. Therefore, you may want to provide her with a less-demanding workload than she is used to. Start slow and help her ease back into her regular routine by adding a bit more work each week and talking to her about what she’s comfortable with.

Make Room for the Baby at the Office

Finding a babysitter can be difficult, and many new moms don’t feel comfortable leaving their newborn right away. By allowing your employee to bring her baby to work, you’ll be helping her get back into the swing of things without having to suffer the distraction of wondering how her baby is doing while she’s away. Plus, you’ll be making your other employees happy, because who wouldn’t enjoy having an adorable baby around? To help make the new mom comfortable, consider purchasing a sanitary changing table and play yard for babies and placing it in her office. That way, she wont have to waste time taking the baby to a different place to change him or her.

Running a small business is like being the leader of a tribe. When the leader is kind, generous and understanding, the entire group does well. The more love and support you give your employee during this changing time in her life, the more she will appreciate you as a boss and want to continue doing a great job.

Having been a TV reporter with a new baby on the job, Ann Bailey encourages support for any employee coming back to work as a new mom. A clean, modern play yard for babies is a powerful statement of support that business owners can easily provide for seamless continuity for their employees with new family additions.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johneric/2587428334/

Use Labeling to Organize Your Entire Office

Use Labeling to Organize Your Entire Office

Even though most companies have been placing an emphasis on reducing the amount of paper that they print and store, there is always going to be a need to keep hard copies of certain documents on-site. However, without the proper filing system, it can become very difficult to access the necessary paperwork in a timely manner. Therefore, it is essential for your business to invest in a proper storage solution, and you will also need to ensure that everything is properly labeled. Additionally, there are several other components of a busy office that should also be labeled to increase productivity.

Easy Labeling Solutions

If you look around your office, you will see a long list of items that would benefit from being labeled, including files, binders, cables, shelving and supplies. After all, any well-organized office will be designed so that a new person could step in without any training and instantly have at least a basic idea of where everything is located. By labeling everything, you can ensure that your employees will be able to complete their daily tasks more quickly, and you will also be providing a more welcoming environment for the newest members of your staff.

In order to make the labeling process go more smoothly, it is a good idea to purchase at least one label maker. Although some companies choose to print labels from a computer or even fill them out by hand, it is much more efficient to utilize the proper tool. Using Image Supply specials on the web, you can have your own multipurpose label maker on-site, where you can easily produce new labels at any time.

Upgrading a Filing System

Most businesses could greatly benefit from a newly organized filing system, and a label maker will be a vital piece of this project. Placing a fresh label on all of your files will make it easy for everyone to select the right one without spending time digging through paperwork to verify their selection. This will also make it easier to comply whenever your company’s files are audited. After all, if the person who conducts the audit is unable to quickly determine which file they are pulling, they are going to need to spend a lot more time on-site, and they are also likely to be influenced by feelings of frustration. Therefore, by making the files more accessible, you will increase your chances of getting a favorable review.

Labeling the Rest of the Office

Although your filing system is the most obvious place to utilize a label maker, there are actually dozens of practical purposes for the item within your office. As previously mentioned, you use your label maker to organize your supply closet by labeling the shelves and even the individual supplies. This is also a good way to make sure that your employees do not take your company’s supplies home with them. Even though they could remove the label, most people will be much less inclined to take that extra step.

If you are not currently using a label maker in your office, it is a good idea to purchase one today. After all, you can use them as part of an overall office upgrade, and they can also be utilized to provide more cohesiveness in your filing cabinet. As an added bonus, this simple organizational tool can produce each label within a few seconds.

Jonathan Billings is a blogging entrepreneur who has created several businesses from his own home office, and consistently streamlines his systems to make them more manageable. There are Image Supply specials online daily, featuring affordable brand name label makers (both guns and printers) to help you get your office under control.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trec_lit/135640056/

Recurring Meetings in DC? Surprising Ways a Condo Can Save Your Business Expenses

Small business owners understand the expenses associated with traveling. In addition to the flight, airport fees and meals, you could be talking about serious costs, and you haven’t even booked your lodging yet. The following are advantages of condominium ownership, and ways it can improve for your business savings.

Great Resale Value

Washington DC is one of the few areas around the United States experiencing a rise in home prices in recent years. Not only have the values on homes, condominiums, and town homes increased, the area is reporting substantial housing property growth within the community. For companies with employees consistently traveling in and out of Arlington VA and the Washington area on business, you’ll find buying a substantial savings to renting or booking an expensive hotel. Depending on the location, you can find affordable condominiums for sale in a great neighborhood. Also, with interest rates at an all-time low, your payments will be minimal compared to expense-budget money on lodging.

Savings on Meals

Meals on the road can be expensive for business owners and eating out several times a day can add up. With a condo, you have the opportunity to trim your budget by eating in-house and preparing your own food. Hotel gift shops, convenience stores, room service and the mini bar can be expensive, and you won’t find the healthiest of choices. Storing your own food, beverages and toiletries can save many a traveler on unnecessary costs.

Centrally Located

Condominiums that are centrally located make it easy for you and your co-workers to get to your meetings and trade shows on time. The urban destinations are also ideal for entertaining, and you’ll have an assortment of restaurants, shows and historic sites to select from.

Additional Benefits

In addition to saving on expenses such as food, lodging and time, you’ll find owning a dwelling in the Washington DC area an added tax benefit compared with renting. Not only is your money going down the drain by renting, your company’s monthly mortgage amount will stay the same, and the debt reduced significantly every year until it’s paid off. Maintenance on the building and other common elements are also taken care of so you don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn or general upkeep. Many condominiums have an assortment of amenities at your fingertips such as a fitness facility, clubhouse and security.

Using a Real Estate Agent

Utilizing the services of a real estate agent can help small business owners when selecting a Washington DC condominium. Not only are they an expert in the realty industry, they can also offer sound advice on selecting the perfect dwelling for your needs. A Realtor is also a tough negotiator and can provide you with the data to make the right offer on a property.

Business owners traveling to the Washington DC area regularly may want to think twice about wasting their hard earned cash on renting or reserving a hotel room. Investing in real estate can save you money on an assortment of expenses and help you place the funds saved on your company’s growth and success.

A small business owner, Ann Bailey shares these pointers for saving business travel expenses on Arlington VA and DC trips. The dedicated Realtors at Northern Virginia Avenue Realty work tirelessly to help their clients find exactly what they want and need in property around the nation’s capitol.