iQ Insights

In today’s business world, there is no cookie-cutter job description. The way people work varies vastly depending on their field and the nature of their work. In fact, from entrepreneurs to salespeople, freelancers, frequent business travelers and beyond, many modern professionals rarely even require a physical workspace anymore. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need some of the physical office fundamentals. Enter: the virtual office. A non-cookie-cutter solution to a non-cookie-cutter challenge, “virtual offices” offer the ability to maintain a professional business image – like a fixed corporate address and mail management, a solid and professional phone system and access to ad-hoc meeting spaces – without incurring the costs of a physical workspace. So, why use a virtual office and how can it help your business?

Landing a new client is an awesome feeling. It means a direct contribution to your business’ bottom and it’s generally the culmination of the expenditure of significant time and resources. But it’s only once the dotted line has been signed that the real work begins, because client retention can be a challenging balance. Fear not. There are some simple tactics you can implement to ensure you’re keeping your clients happy. And while not every client relationship is the same, your chances of success skyrocket when you implement The 10 Commandments of Client Retention.

Here’s the bad news: you send emails that your customers, clients, and colleagues misinterpret and it’s having a negative impact on your relationship. We hate to say it, but it’s true. We’re not saying it happens all the time. But a study by The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people could only correctly interpret the tone and mood of an email, on average, 50% of the time. On top of that, people believe they’ve accurately interpreted the tone of an email 90% of the time. That means that, even if you’re happy 100% of the time, the recipients of half the emails you send might interpret them as frustrated, agitated, irritated, upset, unhappy, or just “meh.” And nine times out of ten, they’ll think they’re right about it.

Canadians are becoming more and more entrepreneurial. In fact, a study by financial software company Intuit predicted that by 2020, forty-five percent of Canadians will be self-employed. The study also indicated the 41% of self-employed Canadians are doing the work to supplement their regular income, while 47% are doing it for greater work-life flexibility. And in a world where technology makes it even easier for people to work remotely, the big question is becoming where you’ll set up shop and call your office. For entrepreneurs, the two most common options are working from home and coworking spaces. But how do you know which to choose?

It’s no secret that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important. As the saying goes, “doing good is good for business.” According to a study by Cone Communications, 63% of consumers look to companies to take the lead on social and environmental change. In fact, it found that 76% of consumers would decline to do business with a company if it held views that conflicted with their beliefs.