Office Business Centers Improve Corporate America's Resistance to Recession

As American businesses face renewed concerns over economic uncertainty, they are stepping up efforts to cut costs and become more flexible. They are looking to avoid long term commitments, such as office leases, capital equipment purchases and staffing in the event of continued slowing of the economy.

The flexible, cost saving solutions provided by the country’s burgeoning Office Business Center Industry have recently become the answer for fast moving companies of all sizes from Bristol-Myers Squib and Nortel to Estee Lauder and Pratt & Whitney. CFO’s are enjoying the benefits of outsourcing their real estate, telecommunications, data and clerical services functions using short-term service contracts. Office Business Centers offer fully serviced plans for 1 to 50 employees, complete with furnished offices, team rooms, conference rooms, receptionist, administrative support, voice and data services…all on contracts as short as one month. Companies can also arrange contracts for telecommuting employees to have access to conference rooms, televideo conferencing and administrative support by the hour in programs referred to as virtual office plans.

“Large corporations have identified headquarters office facility costs as being their largest expense next to staffing costs. Predictably, they are now working to reduce the amount of expensive headquarters office space they occupy,” said Carol Jansch, President of the Executive Suite Association. “Today, new technologies are enabling these companies to implement new workplace strategies, including satellite offices, virtual offices, job-sharing, and flextime. Companies recognize that by utilizing business centers, they can significantly reduce corporate headquarters space requirements, while lifting employee productivity and morale. By using Office Business Centers, companies can reduce facilities cost per worker by as much as 50%, with flexible service agreements for fully staffed and equipped office facilities vs. traditional long term leases.”

“When my company decided to open a branch office we searched for the best office value available in the area. A Business Center provided the affordable administrative assistance, personal service and professional environment that my company needed in order to grow. Thanks in part to our Business Center strategy, Chaney Thomas has been able to make its mark in this marketplace,” said Erin Humphries, Branch Manager for Chaney, Thomas, Stephenson & Hill.

“World One Technologies could not be more pleased with the service we receive from Business Centers. They have provided our company with a wonderful office environment that is ideally situated in one of the main business districts,” said Jennifer Ferenz, District Sales Manager for World One Technologies, Incorporated. “Having a receptionist answer our calls and forward them to us when traveling helps our company run more efficiently. Operating an office at a Business Center helped to ease the transition of not only opening a new office, but in a new city as well.”