Some markets are moving quickly to optimize expenses while increasing revenue even in a down economy.

Regardless of your business the movers and shakers are those who’ve figured out how to provide less expensive service to corporations are the ones flourishing now.

“We are keeping costs down by using in-house attorneys as much as possible and using sole practitioners or nontraditional law firms with big firm experience,” said Kristen K. McGuffey, executive vice president and general counsel of Simmons Bedding Co.

One of the non-traditional firms McGuffey uses is FSB Legal Counsel, founded seven years ago by two of her former colleagues at Morris, Manning & Martin, James M. Fisher II and Kevin E. Broyles. It’s a “virtual” firm of former big law attorneys working remotely to offer clients the same services as before at half the rate — or less.

“We didn’t plan this economic situation. We’re just benefiting from it,” said Fisher. “In a time of lawyers being laid off, we’re increasing our size.”

Fisher said FSB is growing as fast as they can find attorneys who meet their standards — which include seven years or more of big law experience. Some have decades with big law firms, and some are former corporate GCs.

Fisher worked for Holland & Knight and Baker & McKenzie before joining Morris, Manning & Martin, where he met Broyles. They started FSB in 2002 with six lawyers in Atlanta. Last fall they had 27 lawyers, and now have 41. They expect to have 50 by the end of the quarter and 75 to 100 by the end of the year.

In addition to Atlanta, they have attorneys in Dallas and Chicago and are adding them in Washington and New York. They work in their home offices or other quarters of their own choosing. They do their own typing and answer their own phones. Their only firm office is an executive suite at an office park that is rented for specific occasions only — like a hotel meeting room. Their regular partner meetings are often held in restaurants or bars, where the only cost is the meal. They stay in touch through e-mail, cell phones and the Internet.

“There are a lot of inefficiencies in the law firm model,” said Fisher, who noted that law firms respond to economic pressures by increasing rates paid by clients or — when that won’t fly, as in the current climate — laying off associates and increasing the workload for those left. “They never thought of cutting expenses,” Fisher said, adding that he and Broyles exploited that traditional resistance to change and overhead cost cutting.

“What we’ve done is taken a big law firm and taken away the ivory tower, the mahogany desks, the expensive artwork, the young associates being trained on the clients’ dime and the redundant support staff,” said Fisher. “The clients are really only paying for what’s between our ears.”

Firms that supply contract attorneys operate on a different model than FSB, but they also save on overhead from working remotely and staying connected through technology. And at the moment, those who provide contract lawyers are also growing in a down economic cycle.

“The pressures that our in-house clients face are unlike anything we’ve seen in the past,” said Jane Hanner Allen, who founded Counsel On Call 10 years ago to provide contract attorneys to law firms on hourly rates for full- or part-time work as needed. Now, her business has grown from her solo shop in a Nashville, Tenn., suburb to six offices — including one in Atlanta — and hundreds of attorneys around the country. They now split their business evenly between law firms and corporate legal departments, and they are growing.

Allen said the sight of so many qualified attorneys leaving law firms for personal reasons drove her to start a contract law firm as an alternative way to build a practice around a life — and to pass the cost savings on to clients.

Now that the attorneys are in place, the economy has focused the need to cut costs. Allen said she’s been hearing GCs say they have to cut outside counsel costs or lose their bonuses. Next, they’ll have to cut costs or lose their jobs. The financial pressure is creating a boiling point for change.

The same thinking applies to any business not just the legal industry.  If you haven’t examined the value of creating a virtual office and saving the related cost then someday you may just be forced to. Why wait?

  We are becoming more mobile than ever before, thanks to technology that lets us interact personally and professionally in diverse, fluid ways. While there are ample reports to confirm this truth, one needs only look around while out and about to know it’s accurate. Everywhere, people are texting, taking photos and forwarding, checking email and even, well, talking using their multi-functional phones–Blackberries, iPhones and the like. Now, even netbooks and slimline laptops also make it easier to make great use of mobile broadband, enabling users to be fully functional while on the go.

 Parks Associates, a Texas-based research firm specializing in”digital living technologies,” was widely quoted earlier this year as it announced that mobile broadband users will top 140 million by 2013.  Likewise, a 2008 report from comScore, Inc. reported that Americans accessing the Internet via mobile broadband lept by 154% in 2007. The comScore report noted that 59% of users were using the technology for work purposes, versus 41% for personal use. Suffice to say, this versatile capability is increasingly impacting our everyday lives in more integrated ways.

The Wall Street Journal quotes best selling author Paul Edwards as saying, “Virtual assistants provide services ranging from administrative support to consulting via e-mail, fax and phone.”

The article continues recommending several books for getting started, including Virtual Assistant – The Series by Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker.

In the May issue of Reader’s Digest, an article entitled New Ways to Make a Bundle states, “If you possess word processing, transcription, bookkeeping, public relations, or website design skills, you may want to try employment as a virtual assistant. Ennen is quoted saying “There is so much work for VA’s that the field is thriving. It is absolutely booming.”

The important thing is to use your own skills and expertise to build your business. Starting a virtual assistant business isn’t a get rich quick scheme. It takes time and talent, but those who succeed can’t imagine doing anything else. Clients are grateful to have talented, highly skilled, and motivated virtual assistants to support their business growth.

Why the draw to Virtual Services?

Davinci Virtual recognized the “shift” in business models years ago and subsequently have now set up a worldwide network of “virtual resources for businesses”.  Our network includes virtual offices, virtual assistance, virtual receptionist and we adding more and more services to our portfolio as “virtual services” go mainstream.

Virtual services can optimize business performance. Soon the business models of the past will become out dated and virtual services will become the norm.  Why wait to catch up with the marketplace.  Call Davinci Virtual and learn how using “virtual services” can save you money and improve performance.
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Sometimes the words “start-up,” “entrepreneur” and “small business” can conjure images of fledgling dreamers setting up shop in their apartments, struggling to pay student loans while launching their big ideas.

Of course, the reality is much broader and deeper than that image.  Today’s entrepreneurs come in all ages, shapes and stages of experience.  Many who are starting up new ventures are winding down other successful careers, drawing upon their C-Suites knowledge to try different enterprises.

For former chief executives taking bold leaps out of the suite and into unchartered ventures, it often works well to incorporate touches of “corporate” to make the transition more smooth.  Some structure and support are often immensely helpful for newly suite-less entrepreneurs.

Virtual offices and virtual support staff are ideal options for this breed of entrepreneur.  It can sometimes be a shock to the system to go from the tiered structure of a corporate office to the nebulous, undefined world of start-up small business.  Though they may find starting a business exciting and liberating, former C-Suiters sometimes face surprising challenges as sole proprietors.  Virtual support can be customized to meet need levels along the way, yet provide the reliable, familiar support that corporate refugees are accustomed to.

Former execs are not likely to feel at ease conducting business at the neighborhood coffee house.  Going from the fully staffed and appointed office suite to a bustling coffee shop to conduct business can simply be too foreign or jarring a concept for some.  Virtual office space, available as needed, is an ideal alternative, as it provides the professionalism and environment desired without the cost or maintenance associated with a full-term lease.

For any business person, the art of delegation is important.  While some natural born entrepreneurs lean toward a do-it-myself mentality, many former executives thrive in the ability to delegate, allowing themselves to focus on leadership and visionary aspects of their business.  The business DIYers often have hard times growing their businesses because they’re uncomfortable passing batons.  Former C-Suiters are adept at utilizing support and handing off tasks, which often nurtures growth.

Companies like Davinci Virtual utilize today’s amazing, seamless technology to equip experienced, dependable receptionists and assistants to provide professional support services to businesses of all shapes and sizes.  Likewise, they secure office locations globally to offer businesses physical space responsively and affordably.

Davinci Virtual itself is a business built on corporate-world knowledge and unbridled entrerpreneurialism.  Davinci was created to serve all business people, though there is a strong connectivity to executive types who are drawn to the high level of service Davinci Virtual provides.  These execs are very , as well as the proven hiring and vetting processes employed to ensure the best people are on hand any time.

Are you a C-Suite executive who’s feeling an urge to try something just for you?  If you’re preparing to leap from the suite and try something by the seat of your pants, you don’t have to go it alone.  Virtual offices, virtual receptionists and virtual assistants are already on hand, equipped and ready to go when you are.  Virtual support will help you transition from the suite life to the sweet life whenever the time is right for you!

These days we marvel about how technology has torn down barriers to global business.  Of course, the first hints of a global economy hearken back to early exploration accomplished by adventurous, curious (and often opportunistic) souls traversing worldly waters by ship.  Many moons later, we figured out things like international air travel, telephone communications and so on.  Then that aforementioned technology started really kicking in—computers, the Internet, mobile devices, and the game altered dramatically.

Thanks to all that progress and innovation, we now work in business world ready for global interconnectivity.  In person or online, we can ‘be there’ at any time, at any point, anywhere.

As a matter of fact, there are virtual office providers that can secure nicely appointed, fully equipped physical space just about anywhere on the globe.  Business people can work seamlessly no matter the hemisphere, meeting in person with customers as needed and maintaining relationships through fluid technology long term.

For example, virtual office solutions provider Davinci Virtual just announced the addition of 28 partner center locations in the Far East and Australia.  These additions come on top of an already widespread network of office space in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Central America, Asia and Australia.  Business people use Davinci’s virtual office services to have on-location meeting space, then use the company’s virtual staffing solutions for ongoing support to service, manage and maintain global business relationships.  And all this can be done without ever leasing a physical location or directly hiring anyone.

“Yeah., and…?”

That might be the response of small or mid-size business owners in Boise. Or Beaumont.  Or Bakersfield.  For businesses with local or regional focus, the talk of global economy often seems fascinating yet superfluous.  What relevance is there for companies whose customer bases are defined by counties, not countries?

Why should SMBs go beyond local to embrace global opportunities?

1.  They can afford to expand their world view.  Technology, transportation and virtual office solutions make working globally very plausible, manageable and affordable.  Even doing global market research is not nearly as daunting or expensive as it once was thanks to technology and access to information.

2.  They can find untapped selling potential.  If a widget maker has had success in the U.S., there may likely be another market somewhere on the planet that would want that widget.

3.  They can find great new sources and resources.  It’s more than just the idea that things can be manufactured more affordably “in China.”  SMBs may find other corners of the world that make or do things more efficiently in ways that could positively impact their operations and processes.  There may be a potential business partner abroad who can add a unique perspective or dimension to help grow business.

4.  They can build in longevity for their businesses.  No matter the current scope of a business, the reality is the world is getting smaller and the economy is becoming globally inclusive.  Should business owners desire to build a business with staying power, they must look beyond the expected borders.

Yes—it’s a small world after all.  And it’s also a virtual one.  Small business owners willing to tap into the amazing resources stand to build equally amazing relationships.  A small world can mean big opportunities!

It’s nearly impossible to “do everything right” when you’re doing “everything.”  Even if you’re ambitious, resourceful, tireless and clever, you are a mortal with limitations, strengths and weaknesses.  You simply can’t be best at everything, not to mention you’ll never have enough time to do everything on your own.

Small business people are often big thinkers with plenty of drive and motivation yet not a lot of capital, staffing or support.  Their broad vision and intense drive sometimes supersedes the reality of logistics and the fact that there must be some money to spend in order to make more.  Inspiration and operations must coalesce for small businesses to establish roots and grow.

How can small business owners balance it all?

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Of course, it’s wise, if not flat out necessary, for businesses to start with a plan.  The adage “plan your work and work your plan” keeps getting passed down for a reason.  Without a detailed road map, even the most skilled driver can end up circling roadways aimlessly.  The business plan assigns nuts and bolts to biz owners’ big picture idea; it brings practical application to visionary inspiration.

Budge the Budget
Budgeting is part of Business 101, yet the topic always merits a reminder and a thorough review.  Savvy small business owners will be better prepared to navigate if they’re prepared to financially anticipate what’s ahead.  It may seem daunting, but it’s actually liberating to plot out expected expenditures for up to a year.  Postage, facilities, marketing/advertising, fees, taxes, entertainment—no stone should be left unturned.

Call in Reinforcements
All the planning and budgeting in the world won’t be much help if business owners are overworked to the point of being lackluster and ineffectual.  We often call “delegation” an art, which, for some people, implies that it’s not a requirement.  Delegation is actually a core skill that helps even the most fiercely independent, solo act business people find immense success.  Whether outsourcing the company bookkeeping, contracting an agency to create marketing materials or hiring a virtual assistant to manage schedules and customer follow-up, small business owners must invest in divesting some tasks to other professionals.

The reality is, no business owner will ever do “everything right.”  We all make mistakes and learn lessons along the way.  That’s why it’s best to plan, budget and enlist assistance; business owners never have to sink ‘solo’ when there are ways to ‘duet’ better!

In-boxes (especially those wood ones actually labeled “IN”).  Fake ficus trees in office lobbies.  Snail mail.  Normal business hours.  First generation Palm Pilots.  Fax machines.

This is a list of things on their way to the Museum of How We Used to Do Business.  As times change and technology evolves, these items will join dictation machines, rotary phones, gargantuan computers the size of boats, typewriters and carbon paper in the hall of relics from business eras gone by.  I’m sure there are more than a few of you out there hoping that modular cubicle walls also go the way of extinction in the not so distant future.

The fact is, there are better ways to get things done now.  Who needs carbon paper, let alone a copy machine in many instances, when you can hit “send” on an email and get your message out to everyone immediately?  We all carry microcomputers with immense processing power and conduct business (and frivolity!) while standing in line to get coffee, rendering the boat-like computers of four decades ago utterly ridiculous.

As a matter of fact, the concept of “office” itself is rapidly evolving.  Sure, most people in the working world still shows up somewhere, just about everyday, to get things done.  However, there’s a growing percentage that office remotely and work virtually.  Numbers in reports vary, but one source states that upward of 23% of Americans already work remotely at least one day a month.  That percentage jumps to 41% when referring to business owners.

No matter the exact numbers, it’s evident that our business society is becoming less constrained by the need for stuff and less defined by geographic location. Just as technology has taken us from typewriters to iPhones, our workplaces are moving from office parks to local parks (or home offices, restaurants, our relatives’ house, our cars, etc) thanks to amazing technology and wireless-Internet-everywhere capabilities.

Of course, evolutionary support businesses and services have emerged to accommodate the changing needs in this new era.  Virtual office providers are on the scene to help transition business people into a working environment without walls, boundaries or borders.  As technology brings the world within reach, virtual offices are ensuring business runs seamlessly.  Companies like Davinci Virtual are leading the way into leading edge options and opportunities that allow modern businesses to run smoothly, connect internationally at surprisingly affordable rates.

And there are some exact numbers that do matter.  Davinci Virtual is running specials to get you started in your new era, the virtual office era, through the end of this month, and the exact numbers are motivating.  For minimal investment, you can set up a fully functional virtual office, with an address and other amenities to give your business a professional front and give you optimum flexibility.  Likewise, Davinci is offering live receptionist support in addition for rates that seem to be from an era gone by.  Log on to www.davincivirtual.com to learn about the progressive, modern alternatives that will help keep your business thriving.

Put the old office equipment and that fake tree from the lobby in moth balls, and come over to the modern working world.

When it comes to deciding what to do about physical office space, many business owners have it simple.  If there are no funds for down payments or monthly mortgage expenditures, purchasing is immediately out as an option.  Likewise, if a business’s workforce is geographically scattered in order to nurture regional opportunities, there’s often no logic in investing in real estate for a large company headquarters.  Then the debate is often what and where to lease, if at all.

Yet of course, some businesses still function in the hamster wheel approach, in which space is considered a must, and everybody runs in forward circles trying to earn enough to keep a weighty operational budget funded.  All too often for such companies, the walls of their financially burdensome office spaces start to confine companies.  When the going gets tough for the business, it’s hard to maintain the space, let alone salaries.

The modern business model is not only taking companies off the hamster wheel, its providing sophisticated, affordable alternatives.  Even for companies with geographically scattered workforces or little to no capital for purchasing or leasing, there are inventive office space solutions that allow businesses to put their best feet forward in any location or circumstance.  It’s the era of the “virtual offices,” “virtual conference rooms,” even “virtual staffing.”

Mind you, we call the space “virtual” but it’s quite real.  Virtual offices are spaces secured and maintained to provide temporary and immediate solutions for business people who need places work, host meetings, etc, yet don’t want the ongoing responsibilities of leasing or owning.  Virtual office companies find locations for clients, ensure those locations are pleasing and manage the details of use.  Clients simply pay for the space they need, just for the time they need it, and move on hassle-free.  Should needs arise in another city, state or location across town, the virtual office provider is the source for solutions.

Even for companies with the capital for purchasing or leasing space, virtual offices are becoming a more undeniably viable alternative.  The advantages are many.  From initial and ongoing cost savings and less responsibility related to space upkeep to greater flexibility and minimized paperwork, businesses benefit greatly from using virtual space solutions.  Companies using virtual spaces needn’t fret over utilities, janitorial services, let alone coffee supplies or furniture maintenance.  It allows companies to focus on their core businesses versus dabbling in facility management and real estate, tasks that inevitably take lots of time and energy.

The use of virtual office space lets everyone focus on their core competencies and use funds more wisely.  It’s a professional, polished alternative that offers true forward motion for modern businesses.  …Much better than that hamster wheel approach of days gone by!…

Anyone who’s a fan of the TV show Seinfeld likely recalls the episode in which Kramer, Jerry’s affable and laughable neighbor, decides to hire a college intern to help him with his various ‘enterprises.’  Eventually the college advisor terminates the internship because it became clear the student was working for “a solitary man with a messy apartment that may or may not contain a chicken.”  Even still, the intern came back to eagerly help his eccentric boss.  That was a devoted assistant!

I recently met an entrepreneur with a home-based business.  She’d retained a college student to be a virtual assistant, in hopes of alleviating some of her workload and forging ahead on some market research and new business prospecting.  Of course, a perceived plus for this sole proprietor was the affordability of hiring a student who could work remotely.  Yet as I began to inquire further, it became clear there might be some potential snags to the arrangement.

In hiring a virtual assistant directly, this already busy entrepreneur was inadvertently adding to her own workload.  She expressed that the student, though bright and spirited, was green in the ways of the business world.  The business owner had been required to offer much guidance to get a market research project going, and there’d been some issues regarding due dates for the report.  Not to mention, there were details to be hashed out regarding technology compatibilities, as well as reimbursements for cell phone use, supplies and the like.  I also couldn’t help but wonder how an active college student would perform long term without supervision once school was back in session and attentions were more divided.

This conversation was a reminder to me about the advantages of hiring a virtual assistant through a reputable organization such as Davinci Virtual.  Certainly, the cost will be higher, but the results and efficiencies are well worth it.  Here’s a quick list of benefits you’ll find in working with a professional agency to secure your virtual assistant needs.

Vetted, experienced staff:  Davinci Virtual hires only the cream of the crop based on stringent criteria for employment.  Business owners don’t have to fret over resumes and the daunting process of hiring because Davinci does this for them.  And because of this superior vetting process, these virtual assistants come to the assignment with proven experience, know-how and knowledge to hit the ground running.
Technology and equipment:  Davinci Virtual equips its virtual assistants and virtual receptionists with technology and equipment to get the work done.  Entrepreneurs can rely on the software and web-based communications programs Davinci provides.
Quality assurance:  Business owners hire help because they need their loads lightened.  If they hire directly, they often end up dealing with employee issues, tending to issues of performance or following up on tasks themselves to ensure they’re done correctly.  Yet all that is taken care of through Davinci.  Not only are assistants thoroughly vetted to ensure only the best performers are assigned, there is a mediator should a question of professional service ever arise.
Versatility:  Businesses can rely on the vast capabilities of Davinci virtual assistants.  With proven experience and results, these pros can serve as true extensions of businesses, providing marketing and sales support, as well as administrative tasks and customer service functions.
Simplicity of payment:  There’s comfort in dealing directly with Davinci for all payments and processes.  Davinci covers all the details and keeps records so that business owners can get back to the business at hand.

The reasons are numerous, and the advantages are priceless.  So unless you find a devoted intern like Kramer on Seinfeld did, you’re likely better off investing in hiring a qualified, experienced virtual assistant through a company like Davinci Virtual.  Don’t learn the hard way; your business is worthy of experienced, professional help.

Straight out of college, I signed up for temp work just to pay the bills while I searched for my first career opportunity.  Freshly scrubbed and green as could be, I presumed my days as a temp worker would be short lived, that a great company would rush to snatch me up and launch my career.  All told, those temp days didn’t last long, yet some of the lessons I learned during that time have lingered with me all the years since my career really took off with that first, permanent position.

On one of my first temp assignments, I worked as receptionist at the front desk of a spartan tool and dye shop smack dab in the middle of an industrial park.  Suffice to say, I was a bit of an outsider in my flowered dresses without hardly a clue what tools or dyes were all about.  Nonetheless, I settled in for a two-week stint greeting customers and taking calls.

One afternoon, I sat alone in the office, staring at pen indentations on the veneer top of the old metal desk at which I was stationed.  A man came in to pick up some bolts or bits or some such thing (I still don’t know much about tool and dye shops!), and I raised my eyes, put on a big smile and greeted him with a “Hello” and “How may I help you?”.  The man, a hearty fellow with a scruffy beard, stopped in his tracks as he approached the desk—almost as if taken aback.

“Well…I’d hire you just for being pleasant!,” he proclaimed.

I’ve never forgotten that moment.

Honestly, nobody had taught me that customers should be greeted with a smile and an offer for assistance.  I’d kind of picked up on that just through life experience and just did what came naturally.  But that man’s sincere reaction revealed to me that, apparently, not everyone he encountered did greet him pleasantly.  I learned there was immense value in being approachable, helpful and just plain nice.

There I was with all that shiny new college learning under my belt, yet an afternoon at a tool and dye shop in an industrial park gave me an invaluable real-working-world lesson.  First impressions and kindness to customers cannot be compromised for any business, no matter the type or size.  Tool and dye, high finance, mass retail, sole proprietorship… Every customer of every business should be greeted warmly.

Is it time you upped the ante on your company’s first impressions?  Are you so busy keeping business afloat that you find yourself grunting “hello” any time you must answer the phone.  Invest in your company’s first impression.  Hire a virtual assistant to assure the quality and consistency of your initial point of contact with customers and clients.

Davinci Virtual has a full virtual receptionist monthly package that’s surprisingly affordable, simple to incorporate and invaluable in terms of positive impact on your business.   It’s Business 101 to know that first impressions really do last.  Act upon this basic business tenet and tap into the reliable services of a virtual receptionist today.