Business Journal

Posts Tagged ‘Help’

You do all the right things for your business: You offer the latest merchandise, you make it easy for customers to do business with you, and you accept credit cards for their purchases. What else can you do?With the help of the right merchant services account, you can offer your customers far more than they expect when they walk into your retail establishment. Here are some ways you can keep your business booming, with the help of the right merchant service account:

Credit card processing

Today’s consumers expect your business to accept credit cards and other non-cash payments in exchange for their business. They get this kind of service elsewhere, so if you are going to compete, you need to offer the same level of service. For you to offer that kind of service, you need to look for a merchant account where you pay the lowest possible fee, with a service provider that offers you the best possible services.You want to hang onto every dollar you earn. That means you cannot simply accept the lowest rate offered. It means you need to look for a provider that offers you more than the lowest possible rate. The provider must also offer special services such as debit cards, check and pre-paid card processing, electronic balance transfers and gift and loyalty cards, which can also generate revenue.

You also need a merchant account that has your back. It should look out for you when you have grown and when business is not as strong as it has been in the past.Finally, you need to find a service provider that offers a full-range of processing options and industry-leading service and support. What can your merchant account offer you in the way of free equipment? Does it offer you space-saving countertop terminals or wireless terminals with PIN pads and check readers? Here are some other options to consider:

Check acceptance

While most clients prefer to pay with a bank card, there are a few who still prefer to break out their checkbooks and write a check. You need a service provider that lets you accept checks as your client’s preferred method of payment and still limits the time between deposit and redemption. Find a service provider that lets you convert checks into a secure electronic document. This will ease your record-keeping and also help guarantee payment on that check. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ll be posting many more case studies within the next few weeks answering the question: How can your New York Virtual Office service help my growing business? Doug and Suzanne are the latest to share their virtual office success stories. They should be this site within a couple of weeks.

As a reflection – if you haven’t opened your virtual office yet – you may be running your business from Chicago, Moscow, Mississippi or Hong Kong. With a virtual office service only you will know you are not located in New York. Your business will have an actual street address in an actual Corporate Office Business Center. Not an obscure PO Box or a fake suite number in a mailbox operation (BEWARE OF THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIRTUAL OFFICES BUT ARE IN FACT MAILBOXES!). If a one of your clients show up at our office, they will be greeted by a receptionist in a pleasant and professional workplace in the trendy Flatiron District. Right on Broadway! Yup – THAT Broadway. THE Broadway! Having a physical New York City office address on Broadway can help bolster your business image. Everyone knows Broadway! It’s an instantly recognizable address!

When you need to meet with your clients, we will be ready for you! With meeting space located directly at your virtual office address. (Please keep in mind that you may be using the address virtually, but it’s a full fledged brick and mortar operation!) The meeting space is equipped with a computer workstation with all the latest software and a nice big flat screen monitor; wifi internet connection, so you can connect directly with your laptop, internet phone, or other wireless device; a maple toned conference table with black leather seating for 5; a 4′ x 6′ whiteboard, with a colorful variety of markers and eraser; easel with a pad – you can use the easel for your presentation or use the Post-it brand easel pad with plethora of presentation markers; stereo speakers and an 84″ x 84″ projection screen. Have your presentation on your laptop? Then we have a state of the art projector available for you to project on our 9′ x 9′ screen. All of the artwork in our facilities are by a world renowned artist. You’ve seen his work!

While you are at the office, you will have a knowledgeable administrative assistant assigned to your meeting to assist with administrative support, supplies, technical help, digital projector setup, printing, copying, water service, catering, lunch recommendations, car service and transportation booking, etc.

You and your business are in good hands – VH International Business Solutions has been doing this since 1990.  Checkout the Case Study category on our blog to see all of our Virtual Office Case Studies.

How can a Virtual Office help you?

Case Study: James
Type of Business: Attorney
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Services: New York Virtual Office, Meeting Room Usage

James worked for a prestigious law firm in Midtown Manhattan – all day, early mornings, late nights, all nighters… He had enough!; enough of the schlep, enough of the commute and most of all, enough of the suit and tie! James HATED the suit and tie. He was ready to break away and start his own law firm and hit the ground running. He gave his 2-week notice and left his position at this dreadful law firm.

He immediately started preparations to go out on his own. Purposefully having no Plan B, he was going to make this work, he had to. He quickly realized that he would need, first and foremost, an office. Being on a limited budget, he knew that he would not be able to afford renting his own brick and mortar office, not to mention all the associated costs that go along with renting an office: electric, furniture, insurance, staff, supplies, etc…

James recalled that one of his former colleagues, Bruce, left the same midtown law firm a few months before he did. James contacted Bruce to touch base and see how independent life was treating him… and to possibly get some guidance. Bruce told James about the services he was utilizing along with services offered by VH International Business Solutions. James was intrigued about the quality and affordability of the services recommended by Bruce, this is just what he needed.

James contacted VH International Business Solutions to open his own New York office. James initially subscribed to our physical office address rental (virtual office) service. He needed to receive paperwork, correspondence, legal documents, and service of process at our offices. Any items received in his new law firm’s name would need to be overnighted to his Brooklyn home address. James was quickly tying all those loose ends, it was coming together for him.

James was ready and excited to finally be able to work from home. His office was all set up with VH International Business Solutions in Manhattan. He got his website domain name, business cards, and placed a few ads.

Today, James wakes up bright and early, showers, and puts on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and works in his home office all day. He takes a quick break in the morning and afternoon to walk his dog. By late afternoon he receives any paperwork that has been overnighted from the office. He works with clients via phone and email during the week. James rents the available office meeting room for 4 hours every two weeks or so from 12-4pm. He schedules all his client consultations during this time period, one every 30 minutes.

When client consultation day arrives, James gets to the office in the dreaded suit and tie, with his Fiji water in hand, sets up his laptop and is ready within seconds for his first guest. He leaves a list of his appointments with the receptionist and she greets and announces each client. If James needs copies of legal documents or ID’s, he gives them to the receptionist to make. After his last appointment, he leaves the office at 4pm and is back home in Brooklyn before the 5pm rush.

James is a pleasure to have as a client. He loves his virtual work life and more so since our services enable him to have the freedom he wants by providing the physical presence he requires. And most of all he loves only having to put on his “Monkey Suit” (and tie) every couple of weeks!

Previous Case Studies:
Case Study: Donald, His Publishing Company and a NY Virtual Office
Case Study: Kris, Erica and a NY Virtual Office

We’ll be posting many more case studies within the next few weeks answering the question: How can our New York Virtual Office service help your growing business?

With our virtual office service, you can literally run your business from anywhere in the World and still have a fully operational, fully staffed office in New York. Your business will have a physical office address in an actual Corporate Office Business Center – not an obscure PO Box or made-up suite number in a simple mailbox operation. Hence, if one of your clients happens to show up at our office, they will be greeted by a receptionist in a pleasant and professional workplace in the trendy Flatiron District on Broadway! Yup, Broadway… The Great White Way! Having a physical New York City office address on Broadway can help bolster your business image. Everyone knows Broadway… It’s a World renown NYC thoroughfare!

If you need to physically meet with your clients, we will be ready for you! With meeting space located directly at your virtual office address (keep in mind that you may be using the address virtually, but it’s a full fledged brick and mortar operation!). The meeting space is equipped with a computer workstation with all the latest software and a nice big flat screen monitor; wifi internet connection, so you can connect directly with your laptop, internet phone, or other wireless device; a contemporary conference table with black leather seating for 5; a 4′ x 6′ whiteboard, with a colorful variety of markers and eraser; easel with a pad – you can use the easel for your presentation or use the Post-it brand easel pad with plethora of presentation markers; stereo speakers and an 84″ x 84″ projection screen. Have your presentation on your laptop? Then we have a state of the art projector available for you to project on our 9′ x 9′ screen. All of the artwork in our facilities are by a World renowned artist. You’ve seen his work!

While in the office, you will have a knowledgeable administrative assistant assigned to your meeting to assist with administrative support, supplies, technical help, digital projector setup, printing, copying, water service, catering, lunch recommendations, car service, transportation bookings, etc. Just like in any fully functional and staffed office.

VH International Business Solutions has been doing this since 1990, so rest assured, you and your business will be well taken care of.