Meeting Rooms for Teleconference Calls Too
We’ve previously discussed some of the advantages that coworking has over a home office or working out of a local coffee shop. One of these advantages is the greater appearance of professionalism and legitimacy when you are greeted by clients, colleagues and business partners. This still applies if they are not physically in the same room as you.
A great example of this is our use of meeting room rentals. There may be instances where you need to set up or participate in a conference call with other people around the world. While it is particularly pronounced with video conference calls, this is just as valid for audio-only teleconference calls too. The fact of the matter is that you want to still appear as professional as possible.
And that’s why renting a meeting room on an as-needed basis can be such a good idea. The people on the other end don’t necessarily know where you are, but you are provided with a quiet, professional space where you can conduct your call. This is certainly better than trying to conduct a conference call at a coffee shop or trying to find a quiet place in the house where you won’t get disturbed or distracted. If you have a local team who need to participate in the video call, having a conference room is even more important.
Head on over to our page for meeting room rentals to make a reservation today. We have meeting space at both our Vancouver and New Westminster locations.
How to Avoid the Problem of Stolen Parcels
Last week, we talked about the recent surge in mailbox break-ins in West Vancouver. As it turns out, this is becoming an increasingly widespread problem with Richmond RCMP saying that they have noticed a rise in the number of thefts from communal mailboxes in their city too.
Even though these communal mailboxes are locked, they are out in the open for thieves to break, particularly under the cover of night. That’s why we highly recommend our mailbox rental service, since we are able to safely store all your mail in a secure, indoor facility. What some people don’t know is that our mailbox rental service also includes the receipt and storage of parcel deliveries too.
Have you ever had the experience of receiving a parcel that didn’t require a signature, so the mail carrier or courier simply left the box on your front stoop? If you’re gone for the rest of the day, your box could easily be stolen literally right out from your front door. That’s not safe at all. When a parcel arrives at our office for you, there is a real live receptionist there to receive it and safely store it. You don’t have to worry about a random thief walking down your street, seeing an unattended box, and taking your parcel without your knowledge.
Avoid the problem of stolen parcels. Let us set you up with a mailbox rental package and we’ll keep your items safe and secure.
Image credit: rightee / Flickr
How Safe Is Your Mailbox?
A sudden surge in mailbox break-ins in West Vancouver is a cause for concern. Identity thieves are breaking into a number of mailboxes, looking for cheques, credit cards, and other documents that may be useful for identity theft. The problem isn’t restricted solely to the North Shore, of course, as cities like Maple Ridge, Surrey and Coquitlam have also experienced similar issues. Three community mailboxes in the British Properties were broken into in April.
The easiest targets for these identity thieves are the mailboxes that are essentially accessible by the public. If you have a mailbox out on a post by the sidewalk, as depicted above, it doesn’t take much for a thief to open it up and take what’s inside. Similarly, the mailboxes that are typically mounted to the outside of homes, even if they have locks, can be easily broken into. The scary thing is that victims of these crimes don’t even know what is taken.
When it comes to your important financial and business documents, you don’t want to leave their security to chance. That’s why investing in our mailbox rental service is about more than convenience; it’s about privacy and safety. We securely store your mail and parcels, minimizing the risk of theft. Since our office is always staffed and we know the people who are coming in and out, the chances of someone stealing your mail are slim to none.
This is especially important if you’re going to be out of town and your home mailbox is going to be left unattended for several days. That leaves you even more vulnerable to theft. Let us put your mind at ease. Your mailbox rental with us is safe and secure.
Image credit: aidanmorgan / Flickr
We Offer Free Gallery Space for Local Artists
The Network Hub is known primarily as a coworking space. Yes, you might know about our mailbox services, phone services, and meeting room rentals, but did you know that we also function as an art gallery? It’s true!
We’ve affectionately come to know the space as The Artwork Hub, because we’ve opened up our doors to local artists, giving them a platform to showcase their work and they do so free of charge. We’re not like a more conventional art gallery space that takes a fee or a commission, because we want to support the local art community. There is no charge for the exhibition.
After you submit your artwork, we can hang your painting, photo, or whatever other piece of artistic mastery on our walls. Next to it will the standard small description placard and visitors to the space will have the opportunity to purchase it. The total purchase price is then given right back to the artist without a commission on our part, but we highly encourage artists to give back to the community by means of donation a portion (usually 10%) to a charity of their choosing.
Check out our official page for some of the current exhibitions. Considering how many people pass through our Network Hub locations, including those visiting during various networking events, local artists are provided with much-needed exposure through this initiative. And we’re happy to provide it.
Save Money with a Business Service Bundle
There are all sorts of things that you’ll want to get in order when you decide to start your own small business. Maybe you’re already embarking down this path of entrepreneurship, but you don’t quite have your ducks in a row. Make your life a lot easier and consider one of our service bundles.
There is no commitment, no long-term contracts. Instead, you pay on a simple month-to-month basis to have access to a number of our small business services. By bundling these services together, you can net significant savings each and every month. We currently have two levels of service bundles available: basic and advanced.
Both bundles include our phone answering service and our mailbox rental, but the advanced package upgrades that to mail forwarding, as well as the scanning of physical mail to email for ease of delivery. You also get a toll-free phone number, a fax number, meeting room access, and a friendly receptionist to greet your clients. This is just about everything that you need to set up your virtual office and this can all be ready to go in a matter of minutes.
It’s up to you whether you want to add a private office or a coworking plan to these service bundles, but they are not at all required if you don’t need them. Check out the full details of our service bundle packages and sign up for your Vancouver or New Westminster virtual office today!
The Bonus Features of a Coworking Membership
Coworking has quickly risen in popularity and for good reason. It’s much more cost effective than taking out an office on your own, plus you get to network with all kinds of like-minded entrepreneurs and small business owners. But there are some extra features that you may not know about!
Yes, your coworking space will come fully furnished and you’ll have access to our high-speed Internet, but did you know that all coworking members also get mail and courier handling? You also get a shared fax line and access to monthly networking events.
A little known bonus is the Coworking Visa. As an entrepeneur, you might find yourself traveling to other cities. You need somewhere to get your work done and that’s why the coworking visa is so useful. It provides you with three complimentary, drop-in days at the offices of our coworking partners all around the world.
There are over 70 coworking spaces in the United States alone where this will work, as well as locations in 22 different countries. And this visa is included with your membership to The Network Hub.
Coworking options are available at both our Vancouver and New Westminster locations. You don’t have to commit to a dedicated space either, as you can opt for part-time coworking plans too!
We Can Forward Your Mail Anywhere In The World
A few weeks ago, we highlighted the mailbox rental services that we offer here at The Network Hub. That’s very convenient for people who can’t always be around to receive all of their own letters and parcels, but what if you can’t come and retrieve your own mail from the Hub?
That’s why our mail forwarding service can be so useful! It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, because your clients and colleagues can still send your letters and parcels to the same familiar Vancouver address. Once a week, your mail can then be forwarded to wherever you are, whether it’s in Burnaby, Brooklyn, or Borneo! Standard postage is included in the monthly service fee for all regular mail; we accept parcels too, but those shipping charges would be extra. If you happen to be in town, you can alternatively pick up your parcels in person.
What if you happen to be a little further away and don’t want to wait for the snail mail to arrive in physical form? We can alternatively scan your mail and send it to you either via fax or e-mail twice a week. This is great for entrepreneurs and owners of small to medium sized businesses who travel frequently.
Our mail forwarding service is just $45 a month, including automatic email notifications and secure mailbox access.
Private Office Space Rentals at the Hub
As a small business owner, you may find it difficult to rent your own dedicated office space. Taking out that long term lease to get an entire office to yourself can prove costly, not to mention all the additional costs that can come along with running and maintaining a dedicated office. That’s why the private office space rentals at The Network Hub are a much better option!
Whereas the hotdesking option would have you sharing an office space with other entrepreneurs on an as-needed basis, the private office rentals at the Hub mean that you get that office space completely to yourself. It is a private office space and no one else is going to use it. This is just like taking out your own dedicated office, but without having to deal with renting an entire office to yourself.
The best part is that you still get all the benefits associated with coworking at The Network Hub. This means that you don’t have to pay for electricity, water, heating, or any of the other utilities that would be associated with conventional office space rental. You also get high-speed Internet included in your monthly fee, as well as a bookable meeting room, reception service, mail service, courier handling, and a shared fax line. Your private office space also comes fully furnished and you can use our kitchen too.
And don’t think that just because your private office space is at the Hub that you can only get to it during regular business hours. Just as if you rented the entire space yourself, you have 24/7 access to your office. All said, you save several hundred dollars each and every month on utility bills and maintenance costs.
Private office space rentals at both our Vancouver and New Westminster locations start at just $750 per month for a space of between 100 and 130 feet. We also have medium and large office spaces available.
What Is Hotdesking (And Why We Offer It)
Have you ever wanted to give coworking a try, but you didn’t want to commit to a full month or more of renting that desk space? Maybe you’re traveling from out of town on business and you just need a desk for a few days before heading back to home base? In either case, hotdesking could be the answer for you.
In essence, hotdesking (or hot desking, if you prefer) is a system wherein the same desk is used by multiple people, only at different times of the day. This is great for resource sharing and cost savings, since you aren’t paying for the time where you aren’t using the desk. At the same time, when you are working at the desk, you have full access to all the services and equipment that come with that desk space. In the case of The Network Hub, that includes a fully furnished desk, high speed Internet, reception service, and a shared fax line.
This is a great way to experience the coworking environment and it’s also very useful if you know you’ll be in the neighborhood and need a safe, secure, and comfortable place to get some work done. Hot desking is available at both our New Westminster and Downtown Vancouver campuses. The standard rate is $5 per hour between 9am and 5pm, or you can book out an entire day for $35.
Head over to our hotdesking page to check availability and to book your time slot.
Get Mailbox Rental at the Hub Too!
Some people like working from home. We get that. But you’re not always going to be home to receive those important parcels and documents, nor do you necessarily want to give out your home address to your clients and business partners. The mailbox rental service offered here at the Hub is just the ticket!
For just $25 per month, you can have all of your business mail sent to The Network Hub. We’ll store it securely and with the utmost level of confidentiality. You don’t even need to check in to see if you’ve received anything, because we send out automatic email notifications! These notifications will even tell you who sent you something, so you can decide whether it’s worth coming down to pick it up.
Our mailbox rental service offers several advantages over renting a post office box too. With a regular PO Box, your customers and couriers will be faced with just a box. With us, they are greeted with the smiling face of a real person at reception. It’s really like having your own personal front desk!
Check out our page on mailbox rental for more information and to sign up today. Go ahead and add fax services for the extra $10 too!