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So I thought I was "faking it" as a business ownerwhen I used to say to potential clients "Of course wecan take care of that," and "Let me check with myteam, and I'll get back to you." These should bestrategic phrases out of a guide called TheSmall-Business Owner Hand-Book for a Company of One (goodidea, no?). Then I found myself in a tiny, albeit new, office withfurniture, office equipment and several warm bodies in front ofcomputer terminals. Voilá! Insta-Company. The mainthought on my mind? "What do I do now?"
My move from studio apartment into fully-furnished office spacewas a big leap in terms of incurring new expenses, both inanimateand human. How could I have eased the burden and reduced the riskof death by expenditure? And how could I have brought the image ofmy company, or at least the perception of the image of my company,up a few notches in the eyes of prospective clients?
Business consultant Mohamed Fathelbab of Forum Resources Networktook a slightly different approach than I did when he outgrew hishomebased office. "One of the best things I did was to find ashared office space. This was [a great] option for many reasons: 1)Lower initial investment because they had the fax and copy machinesas well as the sophisticated phone/voice-mail system that made ussound like a big company; 2) We were able to use a boardroom formeetings without having to carry the entire monetary burden; and 3)It was good to have other businesspeople to talk to."
Looking back, I can see that Mohamed's course of actioncould have saved me a lot of money and aggravation. Case In PointNo. 1: The Phone System. We started with two phone lines and a faxline. We leased the fax machine (as well as the Xerox machine),which actually turned out to be a great idea. But we didn'tinvest in a phone system.
Words will never do justice to the horror of phone hell that weendured. I can't even begin to estimate the number of importantcalls we missed because of a perpetual busy signal or becausesomeone forgot to clear out the answering machine. Or how muchproductivity was lost because we had to constantly get up and walkaround, forever searching for the phone. Or the lawsuit waiting tohappen with a 25-foot phone cord twisting across the office flooras the lone phone traveled from desk to desk.
Investing in a phone system with voice mail is one of thesmartest and fastest ways to manage your company communications andproject a more professional image. We did that late in year two ofour business. Which leads me to a mantra that all entrepreneursshould repeat to themselves when hesitating about investing inessential business tools: "You have to spend money to makemoney. An investment now will be a savings later."
I know that the purchase of a phone system took our company to anew level. The moment we installed and programmed it, productivitysoared, calls from clients were better-managed, and calls frompotential clients increased, not to mention the lift in companymorale as each employee got their own phone and voice-mail box.
Another of Mohamed's points really hits home. Case In PointNo. 2: The Meeting Space. Having a place to meet with clients andpotential clients is a challenge when you only have one main roomthat houses all employees in a labyrinth of desks.
Starbucks to the rescue. I truly believe that the Starbucksacross the street owes their livelihood to our company and clientmeetings-- sometimes three, four, even five a day--all held intheir space. We've even asked them to turn down the musicduring the more important meetings.
By the way, don't underestimate the power of going to theclient or prospective client's office, but make sure you showup prepared with enough copies of handouts, your own pads and pens,and the right team members to address main issues.
These days, you can actually rent conference room space frombusinesses such as HQ Global Workplaces Inc. (http://www.hqglobal.com), where anhourly rate can get you not only a cushy board room, but also useof a reception area, a friendly receptionist, and office equipmentyou may need in a pinch during a meeting, like a coffee maker andcopy or fax machine.
We all know first impressions count, particularly whenyou're prospecting for new clients. I'm now a firm believerin making strategic investments in products, services and resourcesthat will help make any company appear more polished, professionaland established.
Aliza Sherman is an entrepreneur and author of Cybergrrl:A Woman's Guide to the World Wide Web (Ballantine Books,$12, 800-726-0600). She is currently working on her next book andnew company.
