Five Things Every NYC Entrepreneur Should Know About Competing and Succeeding in Today’s Marketplace

Regus, global leader in flexible workplace solutions, offers tips to entrepreneurs and small businesses on how to maximize their chances of success without breaking the bank

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regus (LSE:RGU):

“Regus really knows New York City entrepreneurs, having served as a resource for them in this market for two decades”

REGUS RESOURCES AND MULTIMEDIA Regus Logo Regus Online Press Room ‘Win an Office’ Sweepstakes Website ‘Win an Office’ Sweepstakes Image

NEWS FACTS

• Regus offers five tips for New York entrepreneurs and small businesses to maximize their long-term success, stand out from the crowd and minimize potential financial risks.
• Regus is the world’s leading global provider of innovative workplace solutions.
• Regus’ ‘Win an Office’ sweepstakes will award one small business or entrepreneur one year of New York City office space at any of Regus’ 18 Manhattan locations.

According to Regus (LSE:RGU), global leader in flexible workplace solutions, the shrinking job market has given a growing number of former corporate employees the opportunity to strike out on their own.

Regus’ list of essential tips for New York entrepreneurs and small businesses to maximize their long-term success, stand out from the crowd and minimize potential financial risks include:

1. Focus On What You Do Best And Outsource The Rest Administrative and support services are necessary for any business, but the costs and time expended managing these services may not be worth the investment for a small organization. Rather than hiring an office manager or worrying about which internet provider to select, focus on what your business is really about and let someone else handle the rest. 2. Project a Professional Image on Par with Your Services A professional image is crucial to any entrepreneur’s success. Potential investors and customers judge you on how you present yourself and your business. One critically important element of a professional presentation is an impeccable office where you can entertain potential clients and investors. Having a Park Avenue, Wall Street or Rockefeller Center address can also add a level of prestige to your business that is hard to calculate in dollars, but leasing traditional space there may still be cost prohibitive. Consider a fully-furnished office space that allows you to pay only for what you use rather than a traditional lease. A virtual office can also be a great alternative to leasing physical space. 3. Spend Wisely Whether striking out on your own for the first time or maintaining an established small business, your company’s long-term success is contingent on making more than you spend. Spending wisely doesn’t mean cutting corners; paying your employees well and your bills on time is important, but too many entrepreneurs spend on things they don’t use or don’t really need. It is wisest to spend only on essentials: good employees, technology, marketing; not on that really great, but expensive, espresso maker. 4. Grow Wisely As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, having presence outside of New York may be an important part of your business’s growth. However, expanding your business, whether nationally or globally, can be an expensive and risky undertaking. Make sure that you have researched new markets extensively and are confident you have the tools necessary to succeed in these uncharted waters. Often times it is best to dip one toe in first before you take the plunge. Try a part time or virtual office for several months and set strict goals for performance before setting up shop permanently. 5. Network, Network, Network Meeting other entrepreneurs is critical to creating lasting business relationships and expanding your business. Whether it’s joining groups of other entrepreneurs or using social networks to connect with business leaders in your industry, networking is a great way to expand your professional contacts, gather advice, information, and raise your professional profile.

Regus offers its clients a variety of cost-effective, business-ready workplace solutions including fully- furnished, fully-equipped private offices, meeting rooms and business lounges with on-site business and administrative support services. Regus clients typically experience up to a 60 percent savings on their facilities costs over leasing traditional office space and are not locked into long-term leases, enabling them to grow and spend wisely. For those clients who may not need a full-time office, Regus also offers virtual offices, which allow businesses to instantly gain a presence in a new market with a prestigious, high-profile address, local telephone answering and mail handling services.

Matthew Tuttle, president of Tuttle Wealth Management LLC, has experienced firsthand the challenges and benefits of entrepreneurship in the New York metro area. “One of the reasons I’ve been with Regus since 2003 is because they make it easy for me. I don’t have to worry about potentially distracting issues such as buying and updating office furniture, Internet connectivity, or administrative support. Regus takes care of these and all of my other office needs and I can focus on what’s most important to me – my clients,” said Tuttle.

“Regus really knows New York City entrepreneurs, having served as a resource for them in this market for two decades,” said Donna Scott, east region vice president for Regus. “With 17 Manhattan locations and more on the way, more than 3,500 New York City entrepreneurs and small businesses call Regus home.”

As part of Regus’ continued commitment to New York entrepreneurs, the company has launched its ‘Win an Office’ sweepstakes which will award a lucky small business or entrepreneur one year of fully-furnished office space at any of Regus’ 18 New York City locations. Entries to the sweepstakes will be accepted until December 31, 2009 and a winner(s) will be announced on or before January 15, 2010. There is no purchase necessary to enter. To be eligible for consideration, contestants can fill out an entry form online at http://www.regusnewyork.com or at participating Regus locations. During the registration process contestants will have the opportunity to briefly tell how their business could benefit from a Regus office. (Full terms and conditions of the sweepstakes are available online.)

About Regus

Regus is the world’s leading global provider of innovative workspace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest network of video communication studios. Regus delivers a new way to work, whether it’s from home, on the road or from an office. Clients such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join thousands of growing small and medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workspace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core business.

More than 500,000 clients a day benefit from Regus facilities spread across a global footprint of 1,000 locations in 450 cities and 76 countries, which allow individuals and companies to work wherever, however and whenever they want to. Regus was founded in 1989 in Brussels, Belgium and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:RGU).

For more information please visit www.regus.com/nyc or call 1-877-REGUS-01. Connect with Regus NYC on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Journalist can also visit the Regus online press center at www.regus.presscentre.com.

Keywords: Regus, Small business, Entrepreneur, Office space, Flexible workplace solutions, New York business, Win an office, Sweepstakes.