Archive for June, 2009

How can a Virtual Office help you?

Case Study: Kris and Erica
Type of Business: Agents Representing Artists
Location: Los Angeles, California and New York, New York
Services: New York Virtual Office and 212 Manhattan Call Forwarding Phone Number.

Kris and Erica are business partners that manage and represent renowned makeup artists and photographers. They both live with their respective families and commute to their brick and mortar office in Los Angeles each day.

They wanted to grow the photographic representation part of their company, but weren’t able to attract more photographers and or magazine editor attention in New York. All the magazine companies were located here, in NYC, and most of these wanted to see the Photographer portfolios right away. It was costly to overnight large and heavy portfolios back and forth from Los Angeles to New York. They needed a cost effective alternative to keep costs down and profits up while living 3,000 miles from their target audience.

They contacted VH International Business Solutions, Inc for assistance.

Their budget was small and they wanted to start off small to test the market. Their first purchase was a 212 Manhattan voice mail to email phone number. At only $10 per month, the cost wasn’t a deterrent issue. Incoming messages were sent via email as a .wav file simultaneously to Kris and Erica. They added the phone number to their website, got new business cards and were ready to hit the New York market.

Good news: It worked! They were attracting new clients to represent and starting relationships with Manhattan publishing companies.

Three months later they contacted VH International Business Solutions again with the possibility of upgrading their phone number to better cater to their new needs. They wanted to answer their calls personally. Since they were all setup with an assistant and an intern in their Los Angeles office, they had more than enough people to answer both their LA and NY calls. They even considered the time zone, and made a rotating schedule of who would be in the LA office at 5:30 am to start answering any New York phone calls during Eastern Time. We said “sure, no problem” and upgraded their phone for only $5 per month and they started to get their 212 Manhattan phone calls directly in Los Angeles.

Great news: This worked even better! Though they were actually answering their calls from Los Angeles, it was as if they were just across town from their callers in New York.

The huge influx of new clients caused them a new business dilemma. Editors wanted to see the photographers portfolios right away. The quickest Kris and Erica could get the portfolios to New York was via overnight courier. As noted earlier, they were spending a small fortune in courier costs to overnight huge and heavy portfolios. None of the portfolios would fit in courier boxes, so they were just shipping the portfolios, sans packaging, with just a courier label attached to the actual portfolio handle; it was costly and damaging! It was time… they now needed a physical presence in New York.

Once again, Kris and Erica contacted VH International Business Solutions for assistance. They opened their New York real / virtual office in just hours. A few weeks later, Erica flew out to New York with 15 portfolios which would be based in New York along with a stash of promo cards and business cards and explained how they needed their New York presence to operate.

Initially they would send an email to our Customer Service department with an address where each portfolio should be sent to. We would forward the portfolios via messenger to each respective magazine editors’ office. When the magazine offices were done with the portfolios, Erica would then contact them and tell them where they should go next. We’d only see the portfolios back at the office if they needed restocking of business / promo cards or if the photographer was in town and needed one of their portfolios to meet with a potential client in our meeting room facilities.

Kris and Erica continued working from Los Angeles for the next few years. Erica’s trips to NYC became more and more frequent; she was quickly racking up those frequent flier miles! However, taking several cross country trips each month was exhausting Erica – they decided, someone would need to relocate to New York. Erica took the plunge and, along with her husband, relocated to New York. Thankfully it worked out well, her husband is an artist and has his work frequently exhibited in New York galleries, many right near the office in Chelsea. It was a no brainer: Erica and family’s move to New York was a success.

Erica kept her days busy in Manhattan lunching with prospective clients. She worked mostly from home, and would come into the office occasionally for a quick meeting. Any mail that came in for Kris and Erica was now forwarded to Erica’s NYC home.

They toyed with the idea of opening their own office in NYC, but decided it was unnecessary. By having a virtual office serviced by VH International Business Solutions, they were saving on the exorbitant costs associated with opening their own brick and mortar office: rent, payroll, insurance, utilities just to name a few, in Manhattan, is a costly venture. Our virtual office service, including a physical business office address with meeting facilities, was exactly what they needed at an unbeatable price.

Years later, Kris and Erica’s business is still successful. Erica and family are still in New York. We are proud to still call them our clients.

How can VH International Business Solutions help you?
Website: Manhattan Virtual Office
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
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