Business publishing

I have recently been asked to write articles for magazines so, finally, I have given in and have started to put pen to paper… well, digit to keyboard so to speak and, I have to say, I’m really enjoying it!

16/02/09
The F Word

The F Word
This was a piece I wrote specifically to promote a serviced office facility in Barry.

One thing is for sure, we’re all in for an interesting ride over the next eighteen months and being able to adapt quickly appears to be the key to success.

If you’ve been in business as long as I have, you learn that usually the difference between boom and bust is a couple of thousand pounds and sometimes even less than that. You’ll also learn some pretty fundamental truths…

One, don’t stop marketing. In fact, in a challenging market, the strategy should be to up the effort. Why? Because it’s exactly what less experienced businesses do and you need to be noticed to secure the customers that are out there.

Two. Don’t get sentimental. You’re in business and if you have to let one person go to keep five in a job you’d better learn to get over it, it goes with the territory. Business is about making tough decisions.

And three… Now this, if you don’t do it, will probably kill your business stone dead. Be flexible. At this point, most people are thinking reduction but it can be quite the opposite. The businesses that tend to do well in challenging times are the businesses who are flexible both ways – those who can contract and expand with the market smoothing out the ups and the downs.

For example, if you’re a business based in a small office and you win a large contract, what do you do? Well, you probably celebrate (who doesn’t?) and look for a larger office, sign the lease, buy the furniture and move in – that’s brilliant, but hang on...

Here’s an interesting thought. What if the company who awarded you the contract loses its contract that was basically funding the contract you have? If you’re the business that has just signed the five year lease and bought all the furniture, chances are you’re feeling pretty sick. There’s an old saying in business, “We’re all sixty days away from bankruptcy.” And it’s true, usually because we haven’t been able to adjust to the changes.

Now, imagine you’re the company that had serviced offices in The Business Centre and all you had to do was call reception and shrink back to your original size. Your risk has been minimised and you’ve enjoyed the period of increased income without taking on the long term overhead and, as each office comes furnished, you didn’t have to buy any furniture or install an expensive phone system.

Total flexibility

I like the idea of The Business centre. It’s brilliantly simple. For example, if you’re just starting out and own a mobile phone, you might just want a good address – something that gives you credibility. Well, an address at The Business Centre will cost you a paltry £25 a month.

Three months goes by, hmmm… things are on the up. You really could do with someone answering those calls you keep missing because you’re in meetings with new customers.

No problem, The Business Centre reception facility including a landline number will cost you just £60 a month and yes, you read correctly, the landline number is included!

At this point you may be considering getting an office with your own receptionist, and you could if your business was doing well. The Business Centre has serviced office packages from small offices (one to two persons) right up to full blown suites that can comfortably accommodate six to ten people and with easy in/out terms with one months notice, you won’t be lumbered with a long, expensive lease.

They even offer a range of support services from photocopying right through to secretarial services. You can hire larger rooms for meetings or presentations – they even have an IT suite and fantastic break-out areas with pool table, café and even a gym! In fact, there’s very little The Business Centre can’t supply you with or take care of for you.

Those of you who are sharp, will be thinking you‘ll pay a bit of a premium for this and perhaps you’re right but when push comes to shove, it’s the old F word that matters – flexibility, which means low risk and that is usually the difference between businesses flying or failing. Yes it’s a lot of F’s to think about, but flexibility is better than another F word I can think of… failure.

Mark Roberts has worked with hundreds of businesses over a twenty five year career. He has helped businesses develop successful marketing and promotion strategies through good times and bad. You can contact him on 07766 106731 and, yes, he really does have an office with The Business Centre.

For more information about flexible office solutions to help your business, call Lynnette at The Business Centre, Barry on 01446 739911.