As an entrepreneur, you must be able to communicate your business ideas in a succinct and captivating manner. It is the most important skill in raising capital. The idea of an elevator speech is communicating the idea of a company during an elevator ride. This means it must be about 60 seconds.
Amata Law Offices
8 Characteristics of the Right Office Space in Chicago
Finding the right office space can be a tasking feat. Understanding the components of a great office space can get you on your way to the right space for your business.
Onsite management and ownership – Make sure you have a landlord who understands your business and is empowered to help! At Amata we strive to meet your needs and are eager to learn more about your business!
The Cost of Distraction (And How Shared Office Centers Can Help)
Distractions in the workplace cost companies hundreds of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. In fact, chances are that by the time you finish reading this blog post, you will have answered a call, checked your inbox and/or sent at least one text message.
Shared Offices: A Distraction Free Alternative to Traditional Coworking Spaces
Coworking spaces have been the office of choice for many of today’s young professionals, as they allow them to network, collaborate and go head-to-head in the occasional Ping-Pong battle. But the perceived benefits of these open, airy workspaces are slowly being overshadowed by their negative effects on employee morale and productivity, according to a recent article from Bloomberg Businessweek.
Getting Creative with Customer Appreciation for Small Business
For any business, large or small, the customer is everything. This is true for Amata, too. So we know it’s important to show our customers – or in our case, our shared office tenants – how much we appreciate their business in creative and valuable ways.
How To Know When You’ve Outgrown Your Home Office
Does your kitchen table double as your desk? If you’re having a hard time separating your personal life from your professional life, it could be time to find a new space for your home-based business. While home offices are often a good fit for startups, allowing entrepreneurs to save on rent and other expenses, they present challenges once a company starts to bring on employees and land its first clients, according to this recent article from Mashable.
With everything from barking dogs to crying babies, home offices can be full of distractions, making it difficult for small, start-up businesses to maintain a professional image. A living room isn’t the same as a conference room, and a bedroom isn’t the same as a private office. Home offices also lack the professional exposure of a commercial office with street traffic and, due to their isolated nature, don’t facilitate collaboration with other entrepreneurs. Additionally, heavy foot traffic from employees can be a red flag to homeowners associations and possibly affect your homeowners or renters insurance, creating unnecessary headaches at a time when you’re trying to grow your company, according to the article.
If you aren’t ready to commit to traditional office space, shared office providers like Amata Office Centers are a great, affordable alternative. In addition to offering you private, professional office space, our facilities feature a variety of common areas like state-of-the-art conference rooms and on-site cafés that are ideal for face-to-face meetings with clients, who may be uncomfortable talking about business deals in your family’s dining room. Another less visible perk of shared office suites is the built-in professional network that comes with each center, making it easy for entrepreneurs to work together to solve common problems.
But a shared office suite isn’t the only way to boost your professional image. For those who want to take a smaller step, a virtual office could be a good starting point. Our virtual office solutions provide professional mail and phone answering services that serve as an extension of your brand, allowing you to have a downtown address while continuing to work from home. You can also rent conference space on an as-needed basis. If you ever decide to move to one of Amata’s Chicago office centers, your company address and phone number will stay the same, making the transition from home to office seamless for you and your clients.
Are you a home-based entrepreneur looking for shared office space in Chicago? Head over to our website to find the plan that’s right for your company. And be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook andLinkedIn for updates about Amata and additional tips for growing your business.
Until next time,
Ron Bockstahler,
CEO & Co-founder
Image By: Tammy Strobel
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5 Social Media Marketing Tips For Small Business
If you’re considering marketing your business through social media and don’t know where to start – or how to continue once you’ve begun – then this post is for you. I’ve compiled five quick tips from marketing pros, entrepreneurs, and even some of Amata’s own best practices to share for successful social media marketing for your small business or practice.
What’s the No. 1 Key to Increasing Employee Productivity?
Forget cool office perks like ping-pong tables, Friday happy hour and employee gym memberships. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, the No. 1 key to increasing employee productivity is giving employees control over their work environment, which helps boost their overall happiness, motivation and performance in the workplace.