Virtual Office Services Ideal for Home Based Businesses

Thousands of Queens’ business owners commute to work every morning by taking the stairs down to the basement or to another area in the house designated as a home office. 

Every year, an increasing number of entrepreneurs choose to work out of their homes, some out of preference, but most out of economic necessity. The recession has forced millions of small business owners to cut back on rent and overhead expenses.

There are a great many benefits to working at home, most notably, the cost savings.  Foregoing a traditional Queens office space allows you to save on rent and associated overhead expenses.  Additionally, you save on gas, on child care, and a myriad of other costs involved with operating a business out of a rented office space.

Another great benefit is the flexibility it offers you to tend to the needs of your family, especially if you have young children.  You can pick up the kids at school, and get them started on their homework.  You can also get the chicken into the oven at 4:00 p.m. 

Though the advantages to working at home are numerous, there is a downside, as well.  What to do you do when you need to meet with a client?  Do you really want to meet with clients or customers in your home?  In your basement?  Some home based entrepreneurs opt to meet clients at public hubs such as Starbucks.  That may work once or twice, but is not a solution for the long term.

Another downside to working in the house is the temptation to do the laundry or get sidetracked by other household chores.  Your kids can also be a distraction just at the moment that you get an important call.  That has happened to me on more than one occasion, especially when my children were very young.  They seem to demand your attention just as you pick up the phone.

Fortunately there is a solution for home based businesses in need of a professional facade.  It is called a virtual office.  The concept of virtual office services began to take shape about twenty years ago as an outgrowth of the executive suite industry.  An executive suite center offers offices that are furnished, and equipped for telephone and internet use.  They often have a receptionist to meet and greet clients and answer telephones for the tenants.  Personalized answering services make it appear as if you have your own personal secretary.  There is usually a common conference room available for scheduled use, a cafeteria, copy center, and other office amenities.

A virtual office allows you to take advantage of these services on an a la carte basis.  Perhaps you only need an office suite or conference room once or twice a week to meet an occasional client.  Or maybe you need use of a conference room to make a presentation before a group.  Some executive suite centers offer high quality videoconference services, as well.  Or maybe you just need to get out of the house and into an office environment a few days to a week in order to feel more professional.  Whatever you need, virtual office services are often available from the provider in customizable form.  You pay for your use of the office facility on an as need basis.

In sum, virtual office services allow you to maintain a professional appearance without the cost of maintaining a full time office.  It is not surprising that though the office rental market is still reeling from the effects of the financial downturn that began in 2008, the virtual office industry has continued to grow.

See why this guy is upset with Executive Office Center at Fresh Meadows in Queens NY

"All Things"

No word that the Lord has ever spoken to me has failed. Not ever.

That's my declaration and reminder to you (and to myself) today. When times are tough, as they are for many of us these days, it's only natural to become discouraged...to lose hope. But we must not lose hope. We must have faith and continue to press on, knowing that God has his children accounted for in His plan. If you love God and are called according to His purpose, in Christ, He promises that He works all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

All things.

The next time you're feeling down in the dumps and despondent, try to remember that. Meditate on that word from God: all things.

Do not fear. Trust in the Lord and He will work all things out. It's absolutely critical that you get this deep down in your spirit so you can operate in vision instead of survival mode. Success in any endeavor requires taking the long view...and you can't take the long view if you're worried about this afternoon, this business deal, this negotiation, this next paycheck, this investment.

Do the Hustle!

I'm embarrassed to say I was getting out-hustled when I got inspired to write this. I wasn't in the office but working at my local Starbucks when this guy came in and started banging away at calls. I was working...but he was WORKING!

What a great reminder about the importance of having a sense of urgency.

Hustle! Hustle! Hustle! Sometimes you have to increase your effort and the pace of your effort. So many opportunities are lost because we are so casual about pursuing them. Opportunity won't sit still waiting on your forever. GO GET IT!!!

Lessons in Life from the King of the Jungle

"The lion which is mighty among beasts
And does not retreat before any..." Proverbs 30:30 (NASB)

In my view, one of the reasons some of us fail to bring in the big kill is because we go into the hunt alone. After praying about this matter and doing some research (I even called staff members at the Dallas Zoo and the Houston Zoo), here are some thoughts I'd like to share about how the lion, the king of the jungle, reigns as the most successful hunter on the plains:

Every battle doesn't have to be fought alone. Here are the key things that I have learned from studying the Lion, one of the greatest pack hunters:

1. Even the king of the jungle doesn’t go it alone when hunting big game. Even though the lioness is powerful and fears nothing, she doesn't attempt to take down a giraffe alone. It requires a lot of energy and endangers her own life.

2. Only predators hunt in packs. Foragers go out alone and are, typically, happy with whatever they find. The most aggressive killers in nature, opt to work in groups. Maybe there's something to be learned from this?

3. Pack hunters are normally closely related. They are blood relatives. Because of their close relationship, each is highly invested in the welfare of the other. Similarly, we are not only related, but we are the same body.

4. Hunting in packs requires highly coordinated efforts and excellent internal communication. Working together can't be done haphazardly. It requires communication, organization and order within the group. Sometimes leadership is rotated, but there's always leadership. Sometimes leadership is challenged, but once the matter is settled, it remains settled...for a while, at least.

5. Hunting isn't always successful, but it is more likely to be successful. Just because they band together doesn't mean they will always succeed, but their chances are increased tremendously. Sometimes it's their teamwork that is the difference between hunger and feasting.

6. Packs often choose to outsmart their prey. Larger prey may overpower the group, but may not be as intelligent. Lions will employ the necessary tactic to win.

7. Packs sometimes choose to overpower their prey. Some prey are faster and more nimble...so they must be trapped and overpowered by sheer force. Lions will employ the necessary tactic to eat.

8. Packs sometimes choose to fatigue their prey. Some prey are nimble and strong...so the lion will chase them until one of them falls over from exhaustion. Lions will employ the necessary tactic to provide for their pride.

9. Packs instinctively choose advantageous situations and easier prey. There's rarely a need to attack a stronger opponent. There's rarely a clear benefit in doing so. The "low hanging fruit" can feed the pride, too. Low hanging fruit doesn't require a ladder. There are some victories that are easily available to us. We must stop passing them up.

10. Each pack has its own territory , marks its territory and defends it by attacking trespassers violently. It is well known that the females do the majority of the hunting (and I haven't quite reconciled that in my mind yet!). The males are usually more involved in the defense than they are the hunting. When there are threats to the pride, the males take a stand. However it's delineated, every member of the pack has a role and executes it.

I challenge us to increasingly find ways to work with one another and hunt together. It might be the answer for which many of us are looking in trying times.

What are your thoughts?

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Next time you pick up an apple...

Still not convinced of the power of sowing and reaping? Let’s look at the shocking math of sowing and reaping in the world of the common apple. I want to prove to you that even if your seed doesn’t become a lot, it will almost always be a lot more than what you have in your hand. After all, what seed doesn’t hold within itself vast multiples?

Consider a typical apple. A normal apple will have ten seeds (some varieties have as many as twenty):

One apple = ten seeds
Ten seeds = ten trees
One mature tree = up to 300 apples per season
Ten mature trees = 3000 apples per season
3000 apples per season can yield 30,000 new apple seeds
30,000 apple seeds can yield 9,000,000 apples in a single season.

An apple tree begins to bear fruit in 6 to 8 years, and is capable of producing fruit for as long as 100 years. 100 years! Americans eat on average about 60 apples per person per year. This means within your lifetime, a single apple you can hold in your hand has the possibility of becoming food for 150,000 people each and every year.

It is the same way with every other seed we plant: health, relationships, money, children, business, ministry, emotional wellness. Once we plant our seed, we start in motion one of God’s foundational principles of nature…one He himself has promised to never change as long as there is an Earth.

Every seed is a multiple. Where are you sowing today?

The Principle That Changed My Life

I finally get it.

Life is about choices. We reap the harvests of the seeds we've sown - of the choices we've made. This is all of life. Paul reminds in Galatians 6:7 that we reap what we sow...always. Therefore, we must sow wherever we want a harvest - and in proportion to the size of harvest we desire (2 Corinthians 9:6).

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

God promises in his word that the laws of sowing and reaping, or seedtime and harvest, will be in effect as long as there is an Earth. In fact, just as certain as we are there will be a tomorrow, we should be just as certain we will receive a harvest on the seeds that we have sown.

Think about that for a moment. Think about how sure we are that tomorrow will come. When people are going through their most difficult times, they console themselves with statements that tomorrow will be a new day. There are even songs written about it... ”the sun will come out tomorrow! Tomorrow! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow...”

Think about how sure you are there will be a tomorrow and transfer your certainty to your thinking about seedtime and harvest. God tells us they go along together, so we must never doubt this fact of life.

People always say "you reap what you sow" as a negative - like we're due the punishments coming to us. True. Sometimes God gives us grace to lessen the sting, but it's still true. But here's the other side of the coin: WE REAP WHAT WE SOW! We can sow towards good, super, abundant harvests, too!

The laws of sowing and reaping apply to all areas of our lives: our money, our businesses, our health, our relationships. Everywhere. Solomon even says you have to show yourself friendly if you want to have friends. We see even having healthy relationships require us to sow into them.

Each of us has to sow towards any harvest we want. If we want better health, we sow towards it better habits. If we want a loving spouse, we sow compliments and affection. If a Believer wants financial prosperity, I believe he or she must sow seed into the kingdom of God. If a business needs more customers, it must sow advertising into the market.

This is my key area of focus right now. I MUST, MUST, MUST make sure I'm sowing seeds towards the harvests that I desire. For me that includes my health, my money, my relationships, my business and my ministry above all! I'm stepping up and sowing seeds to bring my money and businesses to a new level!

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Mark Anthony McCray is the Founder of "Live BIG, Die Empty" a movement designed to help people live life more abundantly and walk in the purposes for which they were created. Write me at markanthonymccray@gmail.com for more information or call 832-566-2001. Follow Mark on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MARKMCCRAY and http://www.twitter.com/LiveBigDieEmpty

If you're interested in learning more about Mark Anthony McCray and having him speak to your group, here's a complete bio: MEET MARK ANTHONY McCRAY!

The 10,000 Hour Rule

What is the difference between good and great? Malcolm Gladwell says about 10,000 hours...10,000 hours of practice and serious application. In his outstanding book, Outliers, Gladwell suggests that many of the most accomplished men and women in several fields had to invest that much time into their craft before achieving true excellence:

Bill Gates in programming software
The Beatles in music
Athletes
Teachers
Professional speakers
Bloggers

There is scientific research indicating that to prepare someone for THE opportunity that one day will come, he or she should already have gone through a minimum 10,000 hours of practice. This is roughly equivalent to 3-hours of practice everyday for about 10 years. It makes sense in this way: only those with the determination and focus to stick with a specific mission will be successful, while those who jump around from one thing to another will likely fail. Gladwell reminds us with several examples that raw talent and pure intelligence are only a small part of manifesting success. They only matter up to a certain degree.

Bruce Lee once said, “I’m not afraid of a person who practice 1000 kicks one time, but I’m afraid of a person who practice one kick 1000 times.”

I'll be honest. I don't necessarily know how to measure all the hours I'm involved in the activities most important to my future. However, I know I'm well short of 10,000 hours of speaking, writing and teaching. By this rule, I'm not yet approaching "greatness", but I'm making up for lost time. This blog is proof! My other writings are proof. I'm committed to getting my hours in so I'm ready for those doors that are opening for me.

Need a speaker for your next event? Guess what? I'm more available than you think because I need to get more hours in! Tell me. Are you getting your hours in? Post your comments below!

Mark Anthony McCray helps people live on PURPOSE, achieve higher PERFORMANCE and experience true PROSPERITY. Be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss a thing and forward this to a friend if you found it helpful. All material © Copyright, Mark Anthony McCray unless otherwise noted!

He can be reached in the following ways:

Mark@LiveBIGDieEmpty.com
Phone: 281-846-5720
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Click HERE for information on Mark as a speaker or presenter and HERE to learn about coaching programs to help you realize your potential and live more prosperously!

How to Live in a Virtuous Cycle

Most people know the feeling of living in a "vicious cycle" at one time in their life or another - the feeling that nothing is going right and that nothing will ever go right. It's the feeling of being caught up in a pattern where things are going down and down and down with no end in sight.

The good news is your life doesn't have to be that way. There's another option called a "virtuous cycle" and that's what I'm hoping for your life and for my own. A virtuous cycle is a positive feedback loop. A set of patterns in which one good decision leads to a good outcome and creates momentum towards more good outcomes.

I first learned of virtuous cycles in Economics class in college and it is exactly what it sounds like: a pattern in which your life, your relationships, your business, your money and your overall spiritual health is improving all the time. We all want to be in a place where things are going up and up and up with no end in sight!

But how do we get there? How do we stop the decline and start things heading in the other direction?

1. Decide what direction you want to go. If you want your life to go up, determine so. You have the ability to change your life. It's up to you. You have control. You are a not on a runaway train or a boat without a paddle. You have to understand this fundamental principle before you'll be able to make any lasting changes. The number one reason most people don't advance their lives in ways important to them is they NEVER DECIDE TO. If you want more, decide so right now. What do you want? Write it down!

2. Stop doing the things that are taking you down the wrong path. The next step is the most obvious, but we don't always do the obvious things. When you find you are going the wrong direction, STOP GOING THAT DIRECTION! There are several manifestations of this. You, the reader, know how this applies in your life better than I do. Here's one example: if the money always runs out before the month runs out, it might be time to cut back on certain expenses for a while.

3. Take a step in the new direction. Even a small step will be HUGE improvement because it's taking you away from the declining direction and moving you towards the incline. You'll not only feel better but you've made tangible, actual progress and that is exciting! I challenge you - even beg you - to take a step. Even if you can't run a mile, take a walk around the block. Drink an extra glass of water. (Drink a SINGLE glass of water??!!) There's something each of us can do right now to move our lives forward.

4. Keep going! This is where a lot of people lose it. They make a few good choices and then stop. Once you take a step, take another...and another...and another. Pretty soon you'll be in an entirely new place in life - one of your own choosing. It is like opening a savings account and making a deposit. One deposit earns interest. The interest compounds. As you add to your savings, the process accelerates.

Start today! Just make a decision to do something different - something that will begin to take you in a better direction. Sow an offering or give someone an unexpected gift. Surprise your spouse with a compliment. Open a special savings account even if you can only set aside a dollar. It all feeds into a new pattern in your life.

My pastor, Thaddeus Eastland of HOPE Church - Pearland, likes to say that "life is choice-driven." Since life is choice-driven, prosperous living is about making choices that lead to prosperity. Make a choice today to end the vicious cycles and enter a pattern of living in a virtuous cycle.

Soy candles

Description: In terms of organic products, there were studies that said that classical paraffin candles produce harmful emissions of harmful substances. Thus an American researcher has found a more ecological and more efficient alternative: soy wax candles. Unlike paraffin candles, soy wax candles burn slower and twice more, and in terms of harmful gases, they are not harmful at all. Knowing that, it can be a profitable business keeping in mind the request for all
natural products on world markets. The business aim is to develop and market soy wax candles. Soy wax is obtained through a chemical process of hydrogenation of soybean oil. Here is an example of how this is achieved from soy wax:

Resources needed: -acquisition costs oil / soy wax
                                - documentation regarding the implementation process
                                - purchasing patterns / molds
                                - acquisition of cotton yarn (for cords)

Pros: - natural products are increasingly sought
          - the investment is very small
          - prices of these candles are much higher than the classical candles
          - it can obtain substantial profits

Cons:  - once knowledge and dexterity in the manufacturing process are aquired, there will be no disadvantages

Conclusions: Natural products are increasingly sought and a business in this field can bring great benefits to those who choose to invest.

Rental of fitness equipment

Description: Professional fitness equipment prices are very high, subscriptions to the gym as well, plus we have little time to run to the gym every day. The proposed service is the rental and installation in the client's home of fitness equipment. So everyone can have access to professional fitness equipment at home. There are many types of equipment that can be rented, from hand weights and crunch banquets to treadmills and equipment versatile for all muscle groups. The rental price will be set so that it is good value in relation to its purchase.

Resources needed: - expenditure on devices (these devices can be purchased second-hand as well, but they should be well kept to avoid possible accidents).

                                - average online promotion service
                                - minimal knowledge of assembly and availability for home delivery

Pros: -  it is an activity that produces passive income
          - does not require advanced technical knowledge

        - gym machines have long life (only minor technical revisions are necessary to detect and correct possible defects)

          - the need for holding a storage room
          - owning a car to provide transport

Cons: - being a rental business, a guarantee should be required to ensure any misunderstandings or problems.

Conclusion: Such a service can be very useful for many people, as it is more affordable than gym subscription or the purchase of the equipment at the gym, in the comfort of one’s own home.

Mosaic tiling

Description: Application of decorative mosaic is a work which consists of assembling small pieces of marble, glass, ceramics on objects. These objects may be on the wall (interior or exterior), flooring, furniture, sanitary ware, various frames, etc.

           Here is an application of a mosaic pot: 

     
    The business aim is to develop and apply these mosaic pieces on various objects and their sale. For example a table may be particularly simple and it can bring back three times its value if mosaic is applied on the countertop.

Resources needed: -documentation in the application of the mosaic
                                - expenses related to acquisition of boards from which to be cut mosaic pieces
                                - development of more interesting models

Pros:  - does not require large investment
           - such items can reach very high prices

Cons:  - the development of portfolio models is needed and the remaining projects to be documented to avoid a static stock.

Conclusion: It is an activity that involves costs and requires little imagination. The objects applied in a special mosaic pattern can be sold at high prices.

When the Bell Rings, Come Out Fighting!

Get ready for a lickin'

When it comes to business, I like to think of the annual fight for profitability as a ten round boxing match. The opening bell rings in the early morning hours of January 2.   I’ve learned, as a mature fighter learns, never to come out flailing wildly in the first round.  I’ve never won by a technical knockout in January, but by the accumulation of points throughout the ten rounds of the year.  The first round is for the implementation of my business plan, and the assessment of prevailing economic conditions.  I dance around the ring, looking for opportunity.

Presidents Week gives us a chance to go back to our corners, and have our shoulders massaged.  But the second round of the fight is usually for minor adjustments only.  In the northeast, winter weather is a big factor.  Advertising is a puny weapon against two feet of snow.   When I can’t bring customers in through the door, I do the things necessary to bring them in at a later date. 

Round three has a variable start date – somewhere between mid March and the beginning of April, when there is a noticeable thaw in the weather.   As the weather warms, there is always a corresponding increase in phone calls.   As buds begin to appear on the trees, customers begin to come out of hibernation.  Now is the time to charge into the ring and take command of the fight.

Just as we are getting into a groove, G-d demands our attention with the holidays of Passover and Easter.   Round 4 begins after spring vacation.  I am in my corner by 7:00 a.m., loosening up, anxious to get back into the ring, and reestablish my rhythm.  This is the time of year when prospects seem most receptive.  I’ve had four months to get a feel of the market, and figure out what’s working and what is not.  I go with what’s working.       

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, marks the beginning of Round 5.  Round 5 is an important round.  The snow is now a distant memory, and the torpor of summer has not yet set in.  This is the time to move in on my opponent and hurt him. 

Independence Day, Round 6:  Thank G-d we are not in France, where people take off all summer.  What’s with those Europeans, anyway?  Remember when the nations of Europe ruled the world?  What happened to all that ambition?   Patience is necessary during the summer months.  Some people are on vacation.  Where everybody else is, I don’t know.

Labor Day, Round 7:  Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays. Man, do I love that Tuesday after Labor Day.  People are ready to do business again in the fall.  It is merely my job to identify and attract them.   I jab with my right, hook with my left, hammer away at the body, uppercut to the chin.

The Jewish New Year, Round 8:  No sooner have we got our rhythm back, here comes G-d again to remind us that our success in life is not merely dependent on the fight, but the observance of His Laws.  Business activity in New York all but ceases between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  After atoning for my sins, I return to the ring with a vengeance, knowing that the Christmas shopping season is just around the corner, that 30 day period when the department stores become the locus of the Bermuda Triangle.

 We pause on Thanksgiving to give thanks for the bounty G-d has given us.  A lot of people eat so much on Thanksgiving, they can hardly get out of their corners for Round 9 of the fight.  They believe, self-fulfillingly, that the beginning of the Christmas shopping season ends all commerce, except for retail.   Knowing that my competitors in the real estate industry usually began to surrender this time of year, I have always tried to animate our sales force in December with motivational speakers and events. 

The final round of the year is fought in the week immediately preceding Christmas.  Not everybody is shopping for presents, certainly not all of the time.  I’m looking for that one or two people who have finished shopping, or those who are waiting till the last minute.  This year I’m not giving an inch to the economy.  I will be in the ring, bobbing and weaving, feinting and jabbing, swinging away till the last moment.