Santa Rosa Breakfast Club Newsletter
May 2010

NEWSLETTERS

April 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

September 2009

August 2009

July 2009

May 2009

April 2009

ATTENTION
Here's where we meet, to talk, eat and network!!

Where is this place you find yourself asking?

Well, we meet at Willie Bird's Restaurant at 1150 South Santa Rosa Ave. We meet on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 am until 8:30 am.

Parking is easy as there are parking spaces on both sides and the back of the restaurant.

We will have access to a closed meeting room, where we will actually be able to hear each other talk.

Our Website Host


We're Still Looking for Some New Members
To borrow a phrase, we're looking for a few good men and women of the same ilk to join us for breakfast on Tuesday mornings. The purpose is to network, share views and enjoy the meeting of new people from all business persuasions.

To entice you into joining us, we've come up with some nifty benefits. We intend to provide a Preferred Services Provider Directory, increased web exposure of your business or profession through our web site and member directory, an informative newsletter, featured member of the month and of course, the opportunity for social networking. Pretty good deal, eh?

It's inexpensive...only $120.00 a year, or two payments of $60 each, bi-annually, plus the $20.00 initiation fee (we do understand that times are tough). The benefits have been mentioned before, but you'll have to join to make full use of them.

We'll look forward to seeing you on Tuesday morning at 7:30am, at Willie Bird's on Santa Rosa Ave.

Cheers!

The Santa Rosa Breakfast Club

Virtual Offices: The Future of Work?
By: Sarah Edison

A virtual office is a combination of off-site live communication and address services that allow users to reduce traditional costs while maintaining business professionalism. The term is often mistaken for “office centres” or “executive business suites” which demand a conventional lease. A true virtual office does not require such an expense.

The virtual office idea developed from the meeting of technological innovation, the arrival of the Information Age and the increasing need for flexibility in the workplace. The concept could be said to have roots in the Industrial Revolution, where similar notions of working environments, such as working from home, can be seen.

The ‘virtual office’ term was first utilized in a 1983 airline magazine article that discussed portable computing. The concept of ‘virtual office’ evolved primarily from the notion of the ‘executive suites’ industry. The first recorded example of a commercial virtual office was noted in Boulder, Colorado, when Ralph Gregory introduced the “The Virtual Office Inc”, in 1994.

Services

The term “virtual office” implies space utilization but a full application includes a full suite of professional live communications and support services.

Communications

1. Remote Receptionist – using integrated computer telephone systems, a team works remotely to deal with all communications.

2. Virtual Assistant – often an individual working from home, skilled in support and communication.

3. Answering Services/Call centres – utilized by companies receiving a high level of incoming communications.

4. Voicemail – low cost service, often used by start-ups using virtual offices.

Space

1. Professional Address – can be used in marketing materials to imply prestige, privacy and build a presence.

2. Mailing Address – used for accepting, sending and forwarding without the connotations of a P.O. box. Also used as a convenient and secure location for transfer of inter-office documents.

3. Receptionist – provides a face to the company when receiving and sending out documents, visitors, couriers etc.

4. Workrooms/meeting rooms/business spaces – for the times when it is necessary to meet face-to-face with a colleague, client or partner. Usually on-demand and paid for hourly/daily or weekly.

5. On-site amenities – full service virtual office will provide all necessary technologies and communication devices, kitchen and meeting area, as well as a professional lobby.

Cost Efficiencies

It is vital to ensure that your company provides a consistently professional image without forgetting about important business necessities like communications, interaction and engagement. A virtual office will provide you with all the comforts and efficiencies of a full-time office and support, whilst cutting down on the overhead costs.

A virtual office combines office and home spaces and tools to keep costs low and still retain a highly professional image. This can also reduce environmental damage of commuting and be seen as a positive tax write-off situation. Clientele usually have the ability to match expenses with revenue immediately, thus developing more efficient and profitable conditions. Other cost-savings are seen in the elimination of traditional time-off, benefits, sick days, records, health care, insurance and rent.

In summary, Virtual offices will help you retain a professional image while enabling significant cost efficiencies for your small business.

About Sarah Edison Sarah Edison is an office space expert at Elite Business Centres. Elite specializes in Vancouver Virtual Offices and has 6 offices in the Vancouver area. You can visit their website at http://www.eliteoffices.com

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=514734&ca=Business

UPDATED - SRBC Social Time
The SRBC Social Committee has determined that June would be a good month to have a Business Social. So, all you paid up SRCB members, put on your party hats, grab your significant other and maybe a prospective new member and show up at our Social. We're looking at June 25th for the date. We'll keep you posted as to time and place.

SRBC Member News
David Wasley is taking his CRPC exam on Thursday. Perhaps he'll tell us what that all means next week.

Christie Cooley is very busy with Process Serving Aces, but she's always looking for new attorney and family law leads. On a personal note, Christie is leading the women's motorcycle racing championships with the two west coast racing organizations.

©2010 Melinda Hughes-Berland

Melinda Hughes-Berland won Print of the Month with her digital painting of "Stallions of the Gods" at the April Professional Photographers of the Redwood Empire meeting. She also participated in a recent art show in Montgomery Village, showing off her equine fine art images.

James Randolph is offering $100 off deductibles for all SRBC members if they bring in their vehicles to Lou Saare Body Shop, where he will de-ding your automobile. He's also racing his motorcycle at Infineon Raceway on May 23rd. If you go, bring your earplugs. Christie is racing that weekend, as well. Lastly, James wants to know how we (the SRBC) can get more referrals?

Ed Berland of Berland Design Group is putting the finishing touches on a website for his client, Four Seasons Maintenance and Landscaping and expects to make the site go live in the next week or so. He also indicates that he has very good pricing on all your printing needs, from business cards to catalogs...and can supply you with design and production services, as well.

Featured Member of the Month for May
She's the member with the hypnotic personality. Pat Mitchell is involved in the wonderful healing work of hypnotherapy. She is a certified hypnotherapist and a graduate of two hypnotherapy schools. She's also an accomplished artist. To read more about Pat, click here.

SRBC Membership Drive
For the month of May, we're having a membership drive. The individual that brings in the most new members will have their choice of breakfasts at one meeting, compliments of the Club treasury. Yes, you get to eat for free...as much as you'd like, and the Club will pay for it. However, it does require some work...you have to recruit some new members. Check your list of business associates and see if one or more of them is a good fit for the SRBC. Bring them down for a meeting...the Club will pay for their breakfast. Remember, if we don't continually add new members, it will be difficult to provide those leads and referrals we're all looking for.