Premier Business Centers Blog

The Hidden Benefits of Flexible Leases

Whether you've broken out on your own on the business frontier or you're a salesperson constantly chasing success around the country, there's no way you can get stuck in a traditional lease (which can mean three years or sometimes even up to 15 years.) Cue the flexible lease, which allows for a shorter term from a couple months to a couple years, so you can come and go as you please more easily. But there are plenty more advantages to these kinds of office space arrangements, a few of which you'... Read More

5 Best Practices to Make Sales Letters Sell

Whether you run a B2C or B2B small business, you’ve inevitably had to write a sales letter. A good sales letter should be in the tone of the person writing it—never “sales speak.” Write the way you talk so the recipient can get to know you and hopefully follow up on your letter.What to say in your sales letter depends on where you are in the sales process. Are you introducing your business or following up on a sales call? Were you referred to the client or did you get their contact information ... Read More

Handling End of the Year Employee Reviews

While being the boss has its perks, sometimes its not all glitz and glam. One of those times is at the end of the year when its time to review your employees performance.Every company handles this process differently, so deciding how you as a business is going to handle it, and communicating that with your employees is key to encouraging growth and top performance. So what exactly are your options when it comes to end of the year reviews? And how does that fit in with your overall company cultu... Read More

What Small Businesses Can Learn From Apple and Its Products

The buzz around Apple is always impressive, but this year seems particularly interesting. This is due to the recent negative attention surrounding the supposed iCloud leaks that happened right before Apple's iPhone 6 and Apple Pay announcements. Yet Apple continues to be successful despite some bad publicity every now and then, in fact the iPhone 6 has, of course, broken records.Apple provides the perfect teaching moment for any business. Not only does it excel greatly in specific areas, it als... Read More

5 Tips for Staying Productive—Even When You Run a Solo Business

How do the world’s most successful entrepreneurs stay productive and do not burn out on working at the same time? Virgin founder Richard Branson has told many reporters his daily exercise program keeps him going. But when you’re your only employee, how can you justify taking a break when there’s so much to do? The truth is, if you don’t get a handle on your workload now you’ll end up digging yourself into a hole and letting your customer service suffer. Here are five tips to keep your productiv... Read More

What Small Businesses Can Learn From JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Hack Attack

Yesterday, it was reported that Russian hackers attacked JPMorgan Chase @ Co. in mid-August. Gigabytes of data were reportedly stolen by using "zero day" attacks (meaning vulnerabilities that were previously unknown). Many news sources are reporting that the attack was so highly sophisticated that the hackers must be state-sponsored. The FBI is currently investigating.There is no clear report yet on how much information was compromised or what this means for JPMorgan customers. It also appears ... Read More

Do I Need a Mentor?

Who do you turn to when you need advice or feedback about a business issue or challenge? If you’re smart, you have formed an informal board of advisors you meet with regularly or whenever you need to make a major decision. But what about the smaller hurdles? Do you have someone you can turn to when you’re contemplating your next stepsor trying to deal with employee issues? No? Maybe you need a mentor—someone to guide you on your path to growth.Famous fictional mentor-mentee relationships abound... Read More

Getting Small Business Help In Irvine, California

Besides its near-perfect southern California weather, low crime rate (it’s frequently been called the safest city in America) and median household income of over $96K, this year, Irvine, California, was also voted the best-run city in the nation. In addition, the affluent Orange County suburban city has been named one of the best places to live in the U.S. several times by Money magazine (I’ll personally vouch for that, as a long-time Irvine resident myself). The city is adjacent to the John Wa... Read More

Can You Take a Vacation as a Sole Proprietor?

Remember when you were a kid and summer meant vacation and family fun? As a small business owner, it either means a slow season where you worry about sales, or a busy season where you need to hire more help. So the big question is this: is it even possible to take a vacation if you’re the only person in your company?Forty-three percent of small business owners say they are taking less vacation than they were five years ago, according to a Sage Reinvention Study. Why even try to take a vacation?... Read More

Mobile Payment Processing Boosts Your Business

For a small business owner, a big part of success is maintaining your cash flow by ensuring you get paid on time and in full. If your business visits customers at their locations to provide services or deliver products, or if you frequently sell products or services at an outside location (such as at events or conferences), you could benefit from a mobile payment solution.Mobile payment tools work using a reader device that attaches to your smartphone and/or tablet computer and lets you accept ... Read More