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Regus
Regus is a noted provider of workplace solutions, offering a wide range of products and services that allow entrepreneurs to work however, wherever, and whenever they need to. Regus operates over 1,000 business centers across 500 cities in 85 countries.
Explaining how the company works in India, Madhusudan Thakur, Regional Vice-President, South Asia, Regus says: “Regus in India works in the same way all over the world, providing flexible workplaces, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest network of video communication studios. Regus helps small and medium businesses in India that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core activities.”

Virtual offices give businesses a prestigious office address, a dedicated business phone number which is answered by a local receptionist, and post and call management. When they need meeting rooms or office facilities, they can hire them at the same office address for an hour,
a day or more.

This is especially beneficial for young entrepreneurs and startups. “Far too often companies make the mistake of needlessly tying up their capital in real estate. For startup entrepreneurial ventures, virtual offices allow the first step on the business property ladder. We act as an incubator for more companies than I can remember here in India. Companies start up with a virtual office, take a fully equipped private office with us, and then grow and develop into their own traditional space,” says Thakur. “For larger companies, virtual offices act as a bridgehead into a new market or sub-market. You can establish your company footprint with your virtual office in the market as a low risk approach, and test the financial practicality before investing in a flexible or fixed workplace.”

One huge benefit with Regus in particular is that it supports customers with a range of solutions that have been developed globally based on the company’s experience with over 9 lakh customers. There are business lounges where customers can touch down and work, common areas and cafes that encourage friendly interaction and offices by the day. “We’ve even developed a campus option, where entrepreneurs can have their desk in a common workspace with other business owners. This encourages interaction between our customers, as do our regular center events. It’s a form of support, both mental and emotional, from people in the same situation. Also, it’s a great way to meet other entrepreneurs, share ideas, and even find clients or partners,” adds Thakur.

He goes on to say that there is a common misconception that only rich companies can afford a decent international standard workplace solution. But Regus has a whole range of value-added options to suit every budget and every business need. Check out www.regus.co.in for further details.

Servcorp
Another workplace solution provider is Servcorp, which offers premium managed, furnished office suites in a CBD location and includes receptionist services, boardrooms, superior technology with support services. “As a Serviced Office client at Servcorp in India, you will not face the daily hassle of managing your office environment. You can focus entirely on operating your business while we take care of everything. We even give you online access to everything, so that you can control your services from anywhere, at anytime,” claims the company’s website, www.servcorp.co.in.

The benefits of a Servcorp Serviced Office in India include a professional business address in the CBD, a dedicated business fax number, professional staff to manage all your postal, fax and courier requirements, Broadband high speed internet, access to executive business lounges around the world and personal assistants fluent in multiple languages. Servcorp’s international network of offices provides boardrooms and meeting rooms which can be booked for a 10-minute chat or a multi-day event as needed. Then there’s the phone answering facility, wherein a local business phone number and dedicated reception staff are trained to answer all your calls professionally. Instructions for answering calls can be changed instantly via Servcorp Online.
Your calls are also transferred to your physical office, mobile phone, voicemail or any number you specify.

Servcorp Virtual Offices gives you a phone number with dedicated receptionist, a prime CBD address and facilities for your meetings without the overheads of a physical office allowing you to run your business efficiently. The locations at Vibgyor Towers, Mumbai and
Mindspace Complex, Hyderabad offer Virtual Office packages and Serviced Office suites.

Vatika Business Centre
This is a state-of-the-art business environment where you can get a host of business facilities, including personalized staff located at prime business hubs in major cities. The office suites are equipped with the option of executive workstations, cabin desk, data and voice ports and digital telephonic instruments. These can seat between one and 200 persons. The facilities offered include reception services, administrative and secretarial support, high speed Internet access, security, housekeeping, financial services, travel desk and staffing solutions.

Some of the locations include First India Place, Gurgaon, Vatika Atrium, Gurgaon, Tech Park One, Pune, NSL Icon, Hyderabad, DivyaSree Chambers, Bengaluru, Supreme Business Park, Mumbai and The Westin, Gurgaon, according to the company’s website, www.vatikabusinesscentre.com.

The Conclave, Kolkata
This standalone property in the Park Circus area of Kolkata scores heavily, thanks to its location which is close to the city’s commercial hub. The Conclave is quite popular among entrepreneurs looking to have a day-long meeting in Kolkata. It works on a whole day hiring basis (9 am to 6 pm). There are meeting rooms and a conference room, which can be used depending upon the number of people attending your meeting. The minimum rate to be maintained for the Rose Room is Rs.10,000 plus taxes for 30 people, including lunch. The other meeting room charge is Rs.15,000 plus taxes for 30 people, including lunch. There is a membership option too, if your business takes you to Kolkata often enough and you need to hire meeting rooms there on a regular basis. However, one thing you must keep in mind is that additional facilities like secretarial support are not provided here.

Last word
There are a number of other small meeting places all over India where you can arrange a quick meeting. If you are a startup and strapped for funds, you can even have a small brainstorming session at your local Barista, Café Coffee Day, the Moshe’s restaurant at Cuffe Parade, the Café Moshe at Kala Ghoda, the India Coffee House branches at Indore’s M.G. Road, Bhopal’s New Market area, West High Court Road in Nagpur and the many others spread all over India. In fact, we have listed some of the best hotels, bars and coffee bars, but there are many other hotel chains, both big and small, which could prove to be ideal venues for you, depending on your budget and the number of personnel attending your meeting.

©Entrepreneur October 2011

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office, regus, servcorp, space, Sriya Ray Chaudhuri, the conclave, vatika business centre, virtual office