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After joining the Air Force, Charles started teaching leadership classes. The instructor he replaced was leaving the Air Force to become a financial advisor, and he stopped by one day to teach Charles about his new role and how things like mutual funds and IRAs worked.  This was a turning point for Charles. He realized that this was something he was interested in and, more importantly, something he could turn into a career. Charles started doing financial advising on the side while in the Air Force but eventually gave up his license due to the Air Force job becoming more demanding.

 Eventually, Charles left the Air Force and started working on his financial advising career in Tucson, Arizona. After dipping his toe in the corporate world and moving to North Carolina, Charles found his way back to financial advising with Primerica. Nowadays, Charles focuses on helping families make wiser choices with their money, get out of debt, and find financial independence. Charles is also passionate about educating the next generation of financial professionals who will continue to serve clients long after he retires. 

Charles has spent the last four years leasing an office at Office Ours in Garner, North Carolina. Charles was drawn to Office Ours because of the location and office space, but also everything else that came with it. A phone system, conference room access, and Wi-Fi were included, which made it a no-brainer when he decided to sign the lease. He also knew he could scale his business at Office Ours. He could add on an office or downsize if needed. Access to other Office Ours locations and conference rooms allows him to meet with clients anywhere in the Triangle, not just at his office in Garner. 

Each day, as Charles swipes his card and enters his office at Office Ours, he is driven by two unwavering goals. These are the same goals that have guided him for the past thirty years in the financial industry: serving clients and building a long-lasting agency.

Learn more about Charles Calloway:

500 Benson Road, Suite 110, Garner, NC 27529

919-526-7898

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While working out of your home makes sense now and saves you money, you don’t want to have your home address also be your business address. Also, businesses may still need access to some aspects of a physical office like conference rooms or a mailbox. If a customer checks out your business address on Google Maps, you wouldn’t want them to discover it is a home in a residential neighborhood. You will be adding your business address to your website, social media accounts, business cards and giving it out to your clients. A professional address will show the world that your business is legitimate and credible. This is when having a virtual office becomes crucial to your business. 

A virtual office offers you flexibility and credibility for your business without the hassle of signing on to a long-term lease. You can continue to work from home but benefit from using a professional business address without giving out your home address. Establishing a reliable business address in an area close to your target customers is crucial and manageable with a virtual office. 

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Here is a list of the stages of businesses that benefit from having virtual offices. 

Freelancers, consultants, solopreneurs, and the self-employed:

For most single-person companies, working from home is one of the biggest perks. But how do you gain the credibility and professionalism of having an office without the expense? Potential clients will see your business as more credible if your address is a commercial building. Holding meetings in executive conference rooms will also raise your credibility. Local or toll-free numbers to an auto-attendant will also make your company appear like a large consultancy.

Startups:

For startups, virtual offices are just a stepping stone to world domination. You might be a one or two-person team today, but you intend on growing the team in the future. A virtual office can help you with providing the savings you need today but also has the upgrade path to right-size your facility needs as you grow. You can start with a virtual office and grow into a single office suite tomorrow. Soon after that, you may have multiple office suites. Eventually, you’ll need a whole top floor in a downtown highrise. Until then, a virtual office with access to conference rooms for interviews for your new employees is your place to start. 

An established company entering new markets:

You have an established company that provides services in another part of North Carolina, the USA, or even another part of the world. The strategic direction of your company now is to set up shop in the Triangle region. Before signing up for an expensive office in Wake County that comes with a long-term lease, you will want to test the waters. A virtual office gives you the mailing address and meeting space. Then as your success grows, you can rent a few office suites. Only after you’ve fully established your business in the new region do you go and make a long-term, expensive commitment.

These are just a few examples of businesses of every size benefiting from having virtual offices. A virtual office has something to offer all types of business, whether you are just starting, growing by the day, or already established worldwide. Did your notice your business or industry listed above? It is time to consider how a virtual office might benefit you and your business. 

If you enjoyed this blog, you might also enjoy:

• Top 9 Reasons a Business Should Use a Virtual Office
• Online Business Directories

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9. Foundational Business Systems

A virtual office is not just a mailbox. Many services that are foundational to any business are typically included with a virtual office to save you time and effort:

• Phone Systems – Many virtual offices come with phone services that will allow your clients and vendors to call a business number, not your personal number. This provides room for growth when you finally decide to hire a second employee, salesperson, or operations manager.
• Copy Center– Having your own printer may have its benefits for small printing jobs, but having access to a professional copy center will win in the long run. No need to worry about buying ink or trying to solve printer drive issues all by yourself. Some virtual office offerings might even give you free printing.
• Conference Rooms-Access to conference rooms is essential if you have a business that holds weekly or monthly meetings. Conference room access also opens up the ability to do sales meetings, trainings, interviews, and classes, all while you still run your business out of your home. Instead of meeting at a coffee shop or rushing to find a space to hold your last-minute meeting, conference room access with a virtual office will bring peace of mind. 

8. Flexible Working-At Home or the Office

One of the many perks of owning a business is a flexible schedule. Recent trends in coworking and virtual offices have made it more and more efficient to work where you want when you want. Using a virtual office will give you access to office facilities where you can go and get away from barking dogs for a while and focus on your work. Many facilities will have access to the coworking or cubicle areas.

7. Privacy

Many businesses make a significant mistake when choosing a business address, such as using their home address, a P.O. box, or a retail storefront mailbox. Those options lack the professionalism and credibility of the business address provided by a virtual office in case your clients or vendors decide to look you up. When someone Googles your business address, you want them to see a commercial office building, not your personal residence. Business cards, your website, and business directories will all display your business address, so you want to make it a professional business address. 

6. Compliance 

When you choose to use your home address for your business, you may run into legal and contractual restrictions. 

• Does your city’s code prohibit or restrict you from running a business from your home?
• Does your HOA have a restriction preventing you from doing business out of your home?
• Would it be a material breach of your lease if you use your residence to conduct commercial operations?

Using a virtual office address will reassure you that you are complying with all of the legal and regulatory requirements that go into owning a business.

5. Professionalism

An excellent first impression with a client is essential. The main thing that makes your business appear to outsiders as being real is separating the business from your personal life. This is extremely hard for solopreneurs or companies just starting out. If your business address is separate from your personal address, it signifies your business is professional. If your meetings are in a different location than your local coffee shop, where everybody knows your name because it is a mile from your house, that is professional. If your business’s phone number is separate from your mobile number, it signifies your business’s professionalism. It is essential that the business appears to be more than just the owner that is starting it. The company is its own entity with its own resources and a separate identity.

4. Credibility

Credibility is your client’s, partner’s, and vendor’s perception of you. Does having no address on your business card communicate to a potential partner a lack of commitment to the business? Does a P.O. Box or a retail mailbox communicate to a potential customer you are not a fly by night operation? Does asking a potential employee to do the interview at the coffee shop signal your business is fully funded and can afford payroll?  If your operation is run professionally, then it will be more likely to be perceived as credible. 

3. Savings

What if your business isn’t ready for the expenses and overhead of a private office? What if your business plan is designed in such a way it might never need a private office? A virtual office gives you most of the benefits of a private office without the expense. Undoubtedly, businesses need to be as profitable as possible to grow effectively and intelligently. This means that budgeting, accounting, and profitability are among the most important factors to consider when operating a business. Many virtual office providers will be a one-stop-shop for business services, which can save you a big chunk of change in the long run.

2. Rightsize your Business

Your business is thriving, revenue is growing, you are hiring more employees, and it is time for a new office suite. Most business centers will have resources available when you decide to grow into an office suite, and many centers have multiple locations from which to choose. You can start with a virtual office, but then you can then conveniently move into an office. The flexibility and futureproofing of your business address are crucial to seamlessly expand or contract to your business needs while keeping costs in mind.

1. Confidence 

Your business is powerful no matter where you work, where you meet, and what business address you use. However, business owners often need all the help they can get. Increased privacy, savings, credibility, and professionalism will only boost your confidence, which will help your business thrive. The belief that your business has its business infrastructure needs covered will free up your mind to focus on growing your business. In conclusion, virtual offices provide your business with a competitive advantage. Imagine you are at a business networking event, and a potential customer is roaming the crowd. Your competitor hands that potential customer a business card with no business address and asks for a meeting with that customer next week at the nearest coffee shop. Then you hand the customer your business card with a professional business address and ask for a meeting next week at “your office.” Who is most likely to win that business?

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One of the first goals you will want to tackle is to make sure your business address is listed on major online directories. Adding your virtual office address to these directories will drive traffic to your website, and increase your business’s SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and will improve your business ranking in online search results. Your SEO improves when you do things like adding your business to online directories. As a business owner, you may already utilize platforms like Facebook, Yelp, and LinkedIn, but there may be some directories you have never heard of that can help your business. 

Unfortunately, you cannot add a virtual office address on Google My Business, but there are many places you CAN use your virtual office address. Knowing where to add your business address can be difficult and you don’t want to waste your time with websites that rarely get clicks. We have compiled a list of reputable places online where you can list your business address. We built this checklist to make it easier for business owners to confirm they have added their virtual office address to all the free virtual directories listed. The more places you add your business information, the more valuable your virtual office address will be!

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Ericka’s foundational message and life goal is to help others achieve their maximum potential while staying true to their core beliefs. Through her companies and missions, she has found a balance and a synergy between her ministry and business pursuits.

When Ericka was just 12, she discovered exactly what she wanted to do; she had a desire to run a successful business. She had great role models. Her parents were both entrepreneurs and she had a front row seat to watching them build successful companies and give back to their community. This left an impression on young Ericka and she was inspired to follow a similar path.

At 17, circumstances at the church Erika attended nearly interrupted her dreams of entrepreneurship. Leadership at her church was falling short and not meeting the expectations of its congregants. Concerned, members of the congregation reached out to Erika and asked her to assist in the ministry. She obliged but serving her church while also pursuing her business interests became very challenging. The time and energy demands were daunting. That is, until she did what all successful entrepreneurs do; she evaluated her new circumstances, considered her options and found a solution. Ultimately, Erika was able to integrate her two interests—faith and entrepreneurship—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Her advice for anyone looking to break into a new field or try something new and remarkable is to embrace the uncomfortable tasks. To have different, you must do things differently, and that is often uncomfortable. Being willing to step outside your comfort zone is the key to maximizing you potential and becoming who you truly want to be. It may not be easy, but it is worth it! These empowering messages have helped Ericka grow her businesses into successful brands that help whole communities of businesswomen, Christians, and entrepreneurs achieve goals they thought were possible.

Ericka appreciates  what Office Ours offers her businesses. The offices spaces, amenities and services all help to project her professionalism and facilitate efficiencies. For small meetings Erika is able to schedule the conference room across from her office at the Professional Court location. For larger meetings, she uses the Midtown conference room, which holds up to 34 people. It’s a convenient place for her to hold events and meetings.

Before, Erika had to seek out and rent out separate spaces specifically for her meetings, which was time-consuming and expensive. Now, with her monthly credits—which are included with her rent—she can easily check availability and book the conference rooms through our online member portal. The onsite printing services have also been a game changer for Ericka; it saves her time and endless trips to the local copy center. The upgraded and secure internet services at the Office Ours locations, provide a stable and secure internet connection and ensure reliable online performance in face-to-face or virtual meetings.

To learn more about Ericka James and her businesses and missions, visit: https://erickajackson.com/.

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So over time, your cell phone number also ends up on the website, invoices, brochures, signage, and advertisements. The result is that your cell phone starts receiving all the incoming calls for sales, marketing, accounting and operations, all those different hats you wear as an entrepreneur.

But then, something starts to happen… A glimmer of success? You win your first large contract and your business is starting to feel like reality. Now you can afford to hire an employee or vendor to handle your accounting. However, there is one small dilemma; all the account payable and account receivable calls are still coming to your cell phone. That should be an easy fix as you can just switch the phone number on the invoices to your new employee’s cell phone or your accountants main phone number. On top of that, you recently hired a sales and marketing professional to lead your growth efforts. This results in the same issue; sales and marketing calls are coming to your cell phone due to all the paper brochures and the corners of the internet that have your cell phone on them. No problem, you can just make the next batch of brochures and the next revision of the website use your new sales person’s cell phone.

More time passes as your company starts to have trouble keeping up with the demand for your products and services. With the importance of your working hours increasing, efficiency becomes ever so important to manage your time. However, you are finding that your productivity isn’t increasing as you are still being interrupted and pulled in five different directions from the calls you are still receiving from all of the old advertisements, brochures, invoices, and business cards. To make things worse, your accountant is moving out-of-state to be closer to family and your sales person landed a new job and is leaving your company. So now, you have the added distraction of angry emails and calls from vendors who can’t get a hold of your accountant to get paid, because they are calling the phone number they have on file… which is your old accountants number. And for some reason your sales call volume has dropped. You don’t know that potential customers are calling the number on old brochures and outdated corners of the internet that have your old sales person’s cell phone.

The result? Your sales are down, your stress is up, and there isn’t enough time or coffee to deal with all the messes you have to clean up.

Design your business to scale and grow from day one.

You might be a solopreneur today, but tomorrow your company could be significantly bigger. A phone service is valuable to set up from day one of your business even if all you do is forward the “business phone number” to your cell phone. This gives you a phone number you can publish on any marketing, sales, accounting or operational material. It might seem like a waste in the beginning but when you hire your new accountant, all you have to do is add an auto attendant to say “Thanks for calling my business… for Accounting press 1, sales press 2, for marketing press 3, for all other inquiries press 4”. It doesn’t matter if number 2, 3 and 4 forward to your cell phone. At least accounting can be forwarded to the accounting firm you have today and it can be changed to forward to the accounting firm you’ll have tomorrow. Then, when you hire your new sales person, pressing #2 will forward to their cell phone or desk phone. If you make the decision to set up a phone system and phone number separate from your cell phone from day one, then the moment you redirect those calls to that new person/vendor you will be immediately removing distractions. You will also be eliminating the chance that people are calling wrong numbers… even when that “wrong number” is your personal cell phone.

Office Ours has rolled out a new phone system that is designed to assist small businesses in their growth and development, while also giving you the flexibility to take it with you as you grow, even if that means graduating from our office products into a standard commercial lease. To all small businesses that sign up, we are giving one of the most affordable and flexible phone systems offered on the market. No more headaches of transferring systems when you move office locations and most importantly, no hidden fees. For new members and leases, we are offering the first line and business phone number for free. Ask about how our phone system can help your business achieve growth and efficiency.

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Along with additional new products and services added to the website, there are a variety of new resources and information for our members as well as prospective partners and members. Please go through and check out some of our content and let us know what you think about it! 

Make sure to check out some of our newest pages:

• Marketing Services
• Industries
• Partners
• Real Estate Agents 
• Meet the Team

Got any comments or feedback? Please let us know by posting a message below.

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We have another tenant, a non-profit, that was locked into a long term lease for a printer. When she moved into Office Ours, she had to continue payments on the printer until the lease term was completed and had to get it hauled into her new office. Lastly, almost every tenant with an existing business or non-profit that has moved in with us from another office location, they’ve made a significant investment in furniture. When they add employees they have to buy more. When they shrink they have to deal with selling it. When they move… well, they have to pay someone to move it all.

This is money and time being diverted from their mission.

At office ours we have noticed that all of these situations involve organizations having to commit time and money to products and services that either they might not need tomorrow, or their growth might be prevented because they don’t have enough. We take all the risk. We make all the long-term commitments. We make all of the upfront investments, so you don’t have to. The value we add is to make all the long-term commitments so we can turn around and give you an environment with the option of a minimal commitment, termination with just 60 days’ notice. You can add space, furniture, services as you grow with little notice. You can remove space and services when you shrink… just before you grow again. If you want to move your main office to another city, like from Raleigh to Cary for example, we can accommodate that too.

Our business is giving you back the time and money to focus your business.

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Kelvin has a unique and encouraging entrepreneurial journey that is beneficial for all small business owners to hear.

He began his insurance career at a sales job with a large company years ago after getting his insurance license. His duties included consulting with businesses, trying to reach the owner to sell supplemental insurance to them. Though it was hard work and it didn’t really correlate with his goals, he learned and developed the skills that would eventually give him the knowledge to become successful on his own. Even though this was a great start, he knew he could do more for himself and his family. With this internal desire to do more, regardless of what it took, he started his own company in 2015.

KGT Enterprises began to grow after it’s conception in 2015, as he marketed himself by attending church events and other local organizations. His name quickly became popular among the local community. “I wanted to own a business where I could control my own income and have it work in parallel with ministry.” Kelvin stated.

He moved into our Professional Court location at Office Ours in 2018, helping his business gain a larger footprint and allowing him to establish more agents in his company. He now works with all types of insurance; business liability, property and casual, and life, with auto being his favorite. With ministry being an important aspect of his life, he is excited that he can assist his clients on a personal level with ministry and a financial aspect with insurance.

The convenient location, affordability, and proximity to dozens of local communities are some of Kelvins favorite aspects of Office Ours. He frequently uses the conference rooms, which he says allows him to meet with clients in a professional setting and he also finds working around other entrepreneurs brings him creative ideas and allows him to collaborate and network. The guest Wi-Fi and break room are also additional amenities that he uses and finds useful for himself and his clients. Also the new locations opening up will give him the opportunity to expand his prospective business locations and open the door to larger growth in his business.

To learn more about Kelvin and his missions, visit his websites at: 413insuranceservices.com and kgt1enterprises.com.

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Midtown Place features executive office suites, workstations, a conference room and Cyber café style work spaces in the kitchen and outdoor patio. With just about every other office amenity you could possibly need. Learn more at oomigration.tempurl.host. Or Book at showing now or email us at info@officeours.com

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10 years ago, I had an idea. A good idea. But before I could get started, I needed to find a place to work. One thing I discovered very quickly was home didn’t work. Between the family and the dog, I could never get anything done. And there was a lot to get done.

Coffee shops were not the answer. I hated giving out business cards without an address. Perspective clients were not impressed. And the people I wanted to work with didn’t believe I had a real business. I did spend a lot of time sitting around small tables in uncomfortable chairs, drinking fancy, overpriced coffee though.

What else could I do? The time and expense to setup an office didn’t really seem feasible. The infrastructure and IT setup seemed overwhelming. Where would I find the time? Could I really afford not to? Was there another way?

Well, yes, there was. I was one of the lucky ones. I worked in the technology industry. My big idea got funded and we landed in a technology incubator. I had the good fortune of working in a shared office environment that let me focus on my idea. Which became a thriving business. I had a mailing address, a shared conference room, a scalable professional office space that I increased as I grew. Or shrank when I hit a rough patch. I had everything I needed right at my fingertips.

Just as importantly, I had complementary businesses all around me I could consult with. It was miraculous. All of these things were in place for me. I spent the next 7 years transforming industry after industry through a software technology with infinite possibilities. Until I had enough. So, I sold my company and here I am.

Well, thanks to that experience, I had another idea. I wondered why it should be that tech companies like mine got so much while other companies did not. I also wondered why big companies seem to have it easier and get all the special perks. I thought, all kinds of business should have the opportunity to get such a great start.

Let’s bring a collaborative work environment to companies like yours. Check out our locations, products and services and make ours yours.

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