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Tag Archives: Virtual Office solution

Digital Transformation and Why a Virtual Office is the ‘New Normal’.

Thursday, 10 September 2020 08:49
Richard Cooper
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digital transformation

digital transformation

I have noticed a clever meme floating around on social media this month – “who spearheaded your company’s digital transformation?” Answer “Covid-19”.   Yes, it’s undoubtedly true that when things have settled enough for us to look back on the disruption of 2020 we will see Covid-19 being the catalyst we had been waiting for to rationalise the way we work and let office practise catch up with digital reality.  Indeed, experts had warned against the false sense of security many companies had that the warmer weather and the general easing of restrib=ctions would return us to a landscape not wholly different from what we had known in the past.

Without a vaccine readily available, many organizations are continuing to encourage their workers to work remotely. In July, Google became the first major organization to formally extend its work-from-home policy until summer 2021. Other large organizations such as the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, and Japanese technology company Fujitsu took a further step in their digital transformation by announcing “indefinite”  flexible and remote working policies for their employees.

Socially distanced work, a novelty only four months ago, has now become the “new normal.”  But are countries prepared to make near-term improvements and plan investments for the longer-term, beyond the immediate crisis?  And where do they start?  This is a macro policy consideration but it is important to think about.  In order to have a Work From Home (WFH) new normal we need certain structural elements in place.  Not all countries are equal in meeting the challenge.

A study by Harvard Business School shows that America (of course!!!) is well equipped for the challenge as is the UK.  But many other European countries do not have a reliable enough digital framework to support a distance-working economy. For business leaders, it raises new possibilities for recruiting and hiring new and diverse talent. Unbound by the constraints of physical headquarters or office locations, executives are free to hire talent in new locations, provided that adequate network infrastructure exists for remote working. This enables companies to recruit and manage staff well outside their normal base of operation.  There is a vast pool of talent sitting around on short term recruitment platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr and now, People Per Hour.   This influx of new overseas talent means that UK freelancers must work ever more efficiently to compete and thrive in our new world order of digital transformation.

digital transformation freelance

Having an efficient virtual office based in the centre of London helps make this possible and gives a big tactical advantage to small businesses and freelancers working from home.  Being able to get your phone calls answered professionally by British staff and mail forwarded through the fastest UK mail channels gives a huge advantage which will be more apparent as the working world changes.   This is a good moment to talk with the team at Hold Everything on London’s Regent Street.   We have been preparing for this enormous paradigm shift for the last 30 years.  We knew it had to happen eventually, commercial properties are expensive to rent and very wasteful on space and resources.  Employing full-time staff to answer 20 phone calls a day is an anachronism, it only makes sense to pay for what you actually need.   We can show you how you can boost your business or freelance profile and save money doing so.   Forwarding mail and answering your phone is just a small part of what is entailed in a virtual office.   We can help you, from company formation to your IPO, We want to help you make sense of Post Covid-19 business.

Post Brexit London. Medical Tourism Generates Millions for the Economy.

Sunday, 02 February 2020 18:20
Richard Cooper
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medical tourism near the hold everything virtual office
medical tourism near the hold everything virtual office

Harley St is the epicentre of London Medical Tourism

Over the coming months and years London will need to be ‘fleet of foot’ to thrive independently from the EU.  The soundest way to do this will be to push our strengths and our unique skill sets that our European competitors cannot compete with.  Obviously we have our financial sector which is world-beating and  the premier destination for mainland Europe to raise finance and take advantage of our sophisticated financial instruments. But over the coming weeks we will look at other lesser known sectors that are unrivalled from Berlin to Rome.  One of these is situated right on our doorstep and its importance may yet surprise you.

Many people, when they think of Regent Street, think mainly of the prestige shops that line the streets from Piccadilly Circus to Oxford Circus .  The huge flagship stores from Apple and Nike and the world famous toyshop Hamleys.  People seldom think that just the other side of Oxford Circus  is another vast tourist goldmine earning this country millions of pounds every year.  Just a few hundred yards north of Oxford Circus is Harley Street, the epicentre of the British private medical universe.  Nowhere else in the world is there such a concentration of medical skill and specialisation which act as a magnet to London’s high-level medical tourism market.  Different intermediaries, especially, medical concierge companies, help international patients to navigate the UK health system and ease the travel arrangements. Many of those offer services oriented to the wealthiest clientele.

The United Kingdom has been the destination of choice for medical tourists to whom quality of treatment comes first, and price second. Medical facilities in the UK offer many advanced treatments that are not available in other medical tourism destinations, despite the fact that the latter may be far more affordable. The UK has been seen as a premier choice for medical procedures like fertility treatment and cancer therapies and also for cosmetic surgery clinics, owing to its reliable quality of care that far exceeds its competitors elsewhere. Medical tourists typically visit cities like Manchester and London to take advantage of the first-grade healthcare facilities and their wealth of skilled practitioners.  Typically medical tourists are wealthy visitors from the oil-rich Arab countries and Russian oligarchs who also spend large sums on accommodation and entertainment whilst they are visiting their doctors.   Our medical tourist industry also helps finance our own NHS by using NHS facilities at market rates.  This, in turn is a social benefit for all of us in London.

So, if your business is in the medical tourism sector, perhaps as a medical facilitator, you would be very wise to base your business at our virtual office since it locates you right at the heart of medical London and gives extra credibility to your company.   Over the coming weeks we will be looking at various sectors that will help the uK thrive post-Brexit and make London and even more prosperous city.

 

Use Your Empathy to Help Lead a Successful Team

Monday, 20 January 2020 13:43
Richard Cooper
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There is something very ominous about the word ‘boss’.  It evokes the concept of bullying and hassling staff.  When we say ‘he bosses you around’ you think of an executive who has poor man-management skills and relies on brute management force to move his team onwards.   A recent article I read by John Monarch on ‘Entrepreneur ‘ and a similar article by Brent Barnhart very clearly set out some interesting thoughts on the best way to manage a team thoughtfully.  I will mention some of their excellent ideas.

Avoid ‘hustling’ 24/7 and be more chilled. Constantly working long hours without a break, he says, isn’t a recipe for success. It’s a recipe for burnout. Motivational and Youtube videos constantly advise young entrepreneurs and executives to work 14 hours a day and “hustle” every minute of every hour. That’s probably the worst possible advice to give someone in a leadership position.

Treat the team as you would like to be treated.  this makes sense and has a biblical ring to it.  Basically the suggestion is by nice to your team ands they will respond in a positive way.  the reasoning being  that a tough job always presents its own issues for workers. Why would you compound those issues by spreading negativity and treating people poorly?

Choose your management wisely.  This makes good sense.  Just being in a job a certain amount of time doesn’t mean you should automatically be promoted. You might have already have reached your personal level of competence. The truth is, some people are really great at specific roles, but their ceiling is lower because they aren’t great leaders.

Keep your expectations realistic.  To be a good leader and manager, you also need to understand the work your team is doing. If you don’t think you have a solid grasp on what your employees do, then start learning. Part of being an effective leader is always looking for new subjects or concepts to learn about.

Open channels for cross-company communication. Whether it’s among one team or between groups, you have to provide people with channels for strong communication if you want your business to operate efficiently.Exercising empathy for coworkers means not only being a good listener but also asking the right questions to get to the root of your colleagues’ problems.When you ask thoughtful questions of your coworkers, you’re basically saying, “Okay, I hear you. What can I do to help? How are we going to take care of this?”Questions asked of your employees should be specific rather a blanket, one-size-fits-all response. Workers deserve to have their concerns heard and understood.That said, sometimes the wants of our workers aren’t always clear. In the case that someone sends you a vague or otherwise confusing query, here’s a quick script you can use to help get to the core of their problem ASAP

 Give your coworkers the benefit of the doubt before passing judgment on their behaviour in the office.Let’s say a new hire is having trouble adhering to a particular policy. You could assume that they’re being negligent or otherwise aloof, but chances are they’re simply adjusting to a new way of thinking. Both adopting and breaking away from workplace rituals takes time and you should respect that.This goes without saying, but don’t automatically assume the worst of people. Maybe that coworker who’s become increasingly needy is having a tough time at home.Workplace stress comes in all shapes and sizes. Practicing patience with your coworkers is key to demonstrating empathy in the workplace.

This is the essence of the empathy argument and  I think it open some interesting points for consideration.  If you are scaling a startup it is very important to engender some sort of corporate spirit and that is best done by treating staff wisely and communicating effectively.  This style of management is particularly important when you are dealing ‘at distance’ from your team and maybe working out from a virtual office environment. I any case the maxim ‘do unto others…’ makes sense in business as it does in life.

5 Helpful Rules for Budding Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, 04 December 2019 10:31
Richard Cooper
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When you come into contact with aspiring entrepreneurs every day of your working life as we do running a virtual office in Central London we notice that certain qualities mark out business success.   My own thoughts and observations are well reflected in a recent article by Cheryl Snapp Conner who writes regularly on business development.  She identifies 6 important qualities to develop when you are building your business.

1. Add value first — and always.

Regardless of the obstacles in consulting and business, this rule is akin to the laws of gravity and physics. Be as interested and devoted to your client’s successes as you are to your own. When this is the case, there’s no need to talk about your hero stories or the ego numbers you’ve reached. Every contact should begin and ends with the thought, “What kind of massively important difference can I make for my clients today?” There’s no need to hard sell.

2. Put Your Brain in Gear Before You Speak.

And then think again. This is interesting in that some entrepreneurs, leaders and even elected officials (think Trump or Boris Johnson) suffer from the chronic impulse to fill the air with words before their brains have fully engaged.  whoSome are living by the motto that “if you’re brazen enough when you say it, it’s true.”

3. Creative Thinking is Essential.

In business and life, beware of the parties who declare “this is how it has to be done.” There are myriad paths to success. What can you add, subtract or tweak to get a situation to work? What would turn it into magic? If option A and option B are both untenable, don’t settle. Continue to think and strategize on ideas about what will work instead of bemoaning what can’t — or what didn’t.

4. Be Clear and to the Point.

Brevity is a virtue in our harried business and personal worlds. We all know the person we unconsciously flee or avoid calling because we know the conversation will never be short. In selling, planning, and every aspect of a business, distill your message to its essence. When you can tell it in a single breath or while standing on one foot, you are probably there. Make the details of your proposal easy to find and verify, but don’t feel the need to overwhelm your listeners. Think about whetting their appetites enough that they come to you, asking for more. This is where you succeed.

5. Gratitude is a Powerful Ingredient.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed about everything that goes wrong in the world of business. Taxes rise, systems fail and rush hour traffic is worse by the day. Health concerns and stress put us all to the test. But imagine the power of stopping at least twice a day to consider at least three things you are intensely grateful for. Family relationships. Seasonal colors or scents or the clothes you love wearing, Your company’s strategy and the customers and clients you serve. Imagine the power you’d instill if you showed gratitude to your employees every day.

We would also add some guiding principles of our own.  The fact that every budding entrepreneur needs expert support in their office to free their minds from the mundane so that they can pursue loftier business ideals.  Having someone answer your phone and pass on messages correctly can be crucially important.  Knowing that business mail is attended to in a timely and secure manner is vital even in our ‘paperless age’.  This is why so many of our clients at Hold Everything build and maintain successful businesses in a rapidly changing business landscape.

 

3 Top Ways to Improve Your Small Business Marketing Using Psychology

Wednesday, 13 November 2019 05:33
Richard Cooper
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Here at Hold Everything, our main concern has always been for the small business which is why we are enthusiastic to dispense helpful information about small business marketing. Which is why we are glad to share advice from Melinda Emerson’s site who is a recognised American guru on small business marketing ideas.

Small business marketing can be tough sometimes. As well as focusing on lead generation, you have to spend time nurturing and pushing customers through your sales funnels to create essential customer loyalty. Sometimes, you could benefit from extra strategies to give your small business marketing an edge. Using the power of psychology in your marketing will add power and potency to your marketing messages, generating more customers and ultimately, more sales for your small business. 

How to Use Psychology to Boost Your Small Business Marketing

In this article, we’ll take a look at 3 ways to use psychology to make sure your small business marketing is as powerful as possible.

The principle of reciprocity states that humans have a tendency, as well as a need, to want to give something back when they receive something. Or, put another way, people feel obligated to do something when something is done for them. This is GREAT news for your small business marketing! 

You can use the principle of reciprocity for new customer acquisition as well as nurturing existing customers by simply giving them something extra. A discount, a free coffee, a free product from your store or another free benefit. These strategies give customers extra value and the result is that they’ll be more likely to spend money or leave a review for other products or services (which boosts your brand awareness as well as sales). The principle of reciprocity is an important psychological tool for developing stronger and longer-lasting customer relationships too. It’s a win-win.

Top tip: Use your ‘gift’ to make customers feel unique and valued. Achieve this by using demographic insight or use existing customer data to send individualised rewards to each customer. 

2. Social Proof: Get Those Reviews

Think about it, when you see a long line at a store or restaurant, you immediately want to join it, don’t you? In your mind, something must be worth having at that business because so many other people are waiting to get in. That’s social proof- the psychological theory that says we all want to have or do what everyone else is just because they are. This is a really powerful marketing tool for any small business. 

You can capitalise on social proof in your small business marketing by building strong social media profiles on platforms such as Instagram or gathering great reviews on Yelp or TripAdvisor. For your customers, seeing how other people have visited, interacted with, or purchased from your business will make them want to do so as well; it’s kind of like FOMO (fear of missing out) for small business marketing. Taking the time to constantly boost your social proof by asking for user-generated content or customer reviews will really pay off, so don’t skimp on it.

Top tip: Make getting those essential reviews easier by automating your review request process via email or push SMS. Making it as easy as possible for every customer will increase your social proof, leading to more reviews and more customers.

3. Halo-Effect: Supercharge Brand Awareness

Every small business knows that for customer sales and new leads, brand awareness is essential. But the halo-effect takes brand awareness to the next level. 

The halo-effect is the tendency for positive associations of a person, brand or company in one area to influence positive associations for other areas too. For any small business, this amplification of brand values is a marketing goldmine. 

Use social media platforms to continually promote your brand reputation to customers and followers. Include case studies, testimonials and ask for user-generated content on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to consistently share what makes your brand or business great. 

Top tip: Your customer stories and experiences are essential for boosting your halo-effect. Make asking for reviews and user-generated testimonials a clear priority, highlighting every single time your small business does something great.

Psychology Can Amplify Small Business Marketing

Small business marketing is constantly developing. Small businesses need to create stand-out marketing campaigns that not only create new customer leads, but that also help generate lasting customer loyalty too. From the principle of reciprocity to the halo-effect, your small business marketing will benefit from utilising psychology and the tendencies of human nature to amplify your message and reach. Your marketing will be more powerful and cost-efficient, helping to make sure your small business is a lasting success.

Remember, the team at Hold Everything are waiting to help you expand your small business projects by giving you the support of a prestigious London office base and a helful secretarial team to answer your phone and forward your mail.