Survival Tactics - Outsourcing Services at Mail Boxes Etc.

Right now, it pays to be small but think big.  All you need, is the right support system

Recession can be a time of plenty for some.  Consumers are still out there, with their needs and their aspirations and, as the big boys struggle to stay afloat, there are lots of opportunities for businesses that are lithe and agile enough to grab them.

For small companies or start-ups, now is definitely not the time to shut up shop or stop looking for new customers.  The secret to success is to stay small and remain profitable, while still going the extra mile to delight your customers and get out there to win new ones. 

So how do you make sure you’re in the best shape to thrive?  To start with, ask yourself if it’s costing you too much to run your business.  One way to save money is to downsize from your current office premises – perhaps moving to an out-of-town location or even going back to the spare room at home.  And don’t think you can’t explore new ideas or expand your business into new locations.  All it takes is a little ingenuity.

Location, location

Many firms are questioning whether they can justify expensive office premises, but we all know that your business address says a lot about your company.  The answer is to opt for a virtual office solution.  That way, you can work from wherever you want but retain that prestigious address in the right commercial district, at a fraction of the cost of renting the physical space. 

When it comes to your company’s virtual relocation, choose a supplier that gives you access to a real, physical mailbox so you can call in to collect your mail if you want to, but insist on the option to have mail forwarded to you if that’s more convenient.  Mail Boxes Etc. has over 100 top-notch business address locations throughout the UK, all of which accept parcel and courier deliveries.  You can phone or email to check for mail and have it forwarded to anywhere in the world.

Now, more than ever, you’ll want to concentrate your efforts on your core business, and on giving customers exceptional levels of service.  And while no-one likes making tough decisions about whether to reduce employee numbers, if you do decide to scale down you’ll want to know you can outsource vital office support tasks to a reliable partner.  Virtual office solutions at Mail Boxes Etc. can be tailor-made to your precise needs.  You can choose the service bundle you want from a mix of company registration, virtual address, fax bureau, telephone answering, Royal Mail postal services, print and copy, worldwide courier and parcel delivery, office supplies and stationery. 

Take a while to think what that could mean for your business.  As well as being your back-up team when you’re otherwise engaged, we can do your monthly invoice run – just send us all the details and we’ll do the mail-merge, printing, envelope stuffing and postage.  Trust us with all your printing and copying – there’s no minimum quantity and we can handle just about any type of print job you care to throw at us.  And if mail order is what you do, let us do the fulfilment for you.

Small is beautiful

Difficult though it may be to believe right now, there are still gaps in the market to be filled by those brave enough to take a few risks.  And while it’s natural to be nervous about launching a new start-up in the current climate, or taking your business to different parts of the country, here again if you keep your cost base as small as possible you can still grow.

At Mail Boxes Etc. we offer a company registration service that makes it easy to start a new venture.  And with the option to have a virtual office address in almost any major business centre in the UK, you can check out new markets without investing in premises or staff.  Once you’ve got the lie of the land, you can scale up according to the potential.  Many people prefer to deal with local businesses, so depending on the industry you’re in, it pays to consider a local address – wherever you operate from in reality.

Our design and print service is always on hand for your new corporate stationery or those slick direct marketing campaigns that will keep you right up there on your clients’ radar.  We can mail them for you too, of course.

No-one is going to pretend that the coming months, or even years, are going to be easy for business, but a reality check now, coupled with some smart precautionary measures, could mean you’re in the best place not just to survive, but to prosper.

You can find out more about Mail Boxes Etc. at mbe.co.uk or call 0800 623 123