Category: News

January 2015 – Flexible, fully-furnished and serviced office space is rapidly gaining momentum in the prestigious business district of Sandton due to the low risk options that it offers. The Business Exchange is emerging as a major player in this market and offers both local and international companies flexible and “ready-to-go” office solutions at reasonable rates.

The Business Exchange ensures that its tenants are immediately operational by providing them with all the necessary office facilities, including; a furnished private office, IT infrastructure and voice connectivity as well as a professional reception service and welcome lounge, meeting rooms, a cafe and even an events space to hold launches, seminars and the like.

David Seinker, CEO of The Business Exchange says, “This growing trend of leasing fully-furnished and serviced offices makes sense in an economy where businesses are constantly streamlining their operational costs.” The Business Exchange is able to offer its tenants unbeatable value for money for office solutions right in the heart of the Sandton CBD.

Counting the Cost

Seinker points out that it currently costs in the region of R15, 000 to rent 100 square meters of office space in the centre of Sandton, which would most likely include an open plan area of around 50 square meters, a small reception area and possibly one meeting room of 20 square meters. Landlords generally require a 2 to 3 year lease and this rental excludes the costs of; a receptionist, water, electricity, rates and cleaning as well as repairs and maintenance, all of which can easily add up to an additional R10,000.

Seinker says, “Over and above this, the set-up costs for office furniture and IT infrastructure, including voice and printer solutions, is a significant outlay for SME’s.”

Flexible Serviced Office Lease Options

The alternative becomes more attractive when looking at renting serviced offices at The Business Exchange on a flexible lease. “We don’t tie our tenants into long lease agreements,” says Seinker. “Our lease periods start from 3 months and our residents have access to 500 square meters of contemporary-built office space in the centre of the Sandton financial hub.”

There are no substantial setup costs as the infrastructure is already in place and running costs are significantly reduced with rental packages starting from R11, 000, offering residents the prestige and facilities needed to operate and grow their business.

All tenants benefit from the following range of facilities and services which are available at The Business Exchange:

• Private fully-furnished back-offices.
• A professionally-trained receptionist to personally welcome guests.
• Use of the reception lounge for guests, including refreshments on arrival.
• Well-designed and fully-equipped private meeting rooms.
• Cafe and bar.
• Events space for launches, seminars, etc.
• High-speed fibre connectivity.
• Voice solutions including telephone lines and handsets.
• Centralised document stations for all print and copy needs.
• Generator backup power.
• Gautrain bus stop.

Virtual Office Lease Option

For small companies requiring mobility, yet at the same time a prestigious address and a professional telephone answering service, without a dedicated office, The Business Exchange has a Virtual Office package for an affordable R1, 000 per month. This package includes two hours of meeting room space per month in one of the spacious, modern and fully-equipped boardrooms, as well as a personalised telephone number for your company which is answered in your company name.

Unique Networking and Marketing Opportunities

Over and above the above office facilities, The Business Exchange also provides its tenants with a unique opportunity to meet and network with like-minded professionals through a variety of channels. To this end, The Business Exchange provides its residents with online marketing channels and access to investors and influential industry figures.

Successful business networking is all about making connections and nurturing these newly-established relationships. It also happens to be one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tactics available, especially for entrepreneurs who lie awake at night worrying about not having enough customers. According to Bloomberg, this is one of the contributing reasons why 80% of businesses fail within their first 18 months.

The appreciation for personal relationships in business is rising above the onslaught of print media advertising. This is because companies are realising that customers are more willing to conduct business with individuals whom they already like and trust. The old maxim that “It’s not what you know but who you know” should actually state “It’s not what you know but how good your client relationships are.”

How can I network effectively?

Running a business is difficult enough so it is important to surround yourself with positive and uplifting people in your network. This can be done in a variety of ways, either online or offline.

• Offline Networking
Attending business and related networking events will allow you to establish and nurture professional relationships with like-minded people in your and other related industries. It is crucial to be thoroughly prepared when attending these events and this goes further than simply handing out business cards.

To create an effective networking relationship, you need to maintain close ties with relevant business professionals on a regular basis. This is where online networking, using social media, can greatly assist companies.

• Online Networking
An effective online strategy ensures that you understand what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve your online marketing efforts. In order to be effective on social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, you need to regularly communicate relevant information and monitor this content as well as to respond to your network’s online chatter.

Connecting on a personal level in business, through networking has never been more important or easier and the benefits are tremendous.

Benefits of Networking

• Increase Your Business
One of the most obvious outcomes of business networking is that your established network will usually provide you with very high quality leads which have great potential of becoming future business, if nurtured correctly.

• Multiply Your Connections
Networking is an excellent method of sourcing business contacts. It enables you to meet with influential people who are relevant to your business and provides further opportunities of being able to tap into their extended networks too.

• Boost Your Brand
A valuable result of effective networking is that it raises brand awareness enabling both your personal and your company brand image to become more visible in the market. This is beneficial in that your immediate network will remember your brand when they, or a member of their network, require your products or services.

• Become A Thought Leader
Online networking via social media can assist you to become a thought leader within your industry. This is done through publishing content relating to your expertise, such as corporate blog articles or white papers. In addition, as people tap into your expertise so you too can tap into theirs and problem solving becomes a lot easier.

• Cost-Effective Marketing Platform
Whether you are attending an event or following an online marketing strategy, both serve to cut marketing costs. This is especially important for entrepreneurs starting out on a new business venture.

Networking, whether online or offline, is all about relationship-building and developing. Relationships should be mutually beneficial in order to maximise their benefits. By continually connecting with new people and cultivating these professional relationships, you will be able to successfully leverage your network and help your business grow, while keeping you up to date with the subtle undercurrents within your industry.