One of the main ways small companies reduced costs was office space. Pacific Business News recently reported Commercial Vacancy rates are at record highs, increasing 40% from 2020. Lots of these missing renters are small businesses. Many had the experience of Gerald Wilson of Hawaii Financial Store, “I was paying around $4,000 per month on rent, phone and utilities for my office of 22 years in Kaimuki. I only had about 20 meetings at my office throughout the past few years. After the pandemic, it only made sense to let go of all those expenses and get a virtual office in a professional space. It’s working great for me and I’m saving a ton of money.”
Entrepreneurs also report that they still need a professional space to meet clients as well as staff to answer the phone, open mail and welcome visitors. “Running a company these days requires a mix of low overhead, outsourcing admin functions and just the right amount of corporate presence to make customers feel comfortable”, says Ms. Martin of Resource Suites, a leading Virtual Office in Honolulu. “A virtual office strikes the right balance between saving money on rent, and having the admin support and professional presence that some co-working spaces may lack.”
Co-working spaces are often used for networking, informal work or meetings. While service plans vary across the industry, some co-working spaces have limited mail and reception services.
Lakecia King of Liberty United Cleaning, shared, “I toured the coworking centers and found them to be busy and distracting. Resource Suites offers the business address, privacy, and professional presence that met the needs of my business. I also use a business phone number that’s transferred to my cell phone, they sign for my packages, and they notify me of incoming mail and delivered items.” A virtual office like Resource Suites has a full range of services such as workstations, meeting rooms, dedicated offices, mail and package receiving, as well as receptionists to answer calls, administrative assistance, printing and scanning, business phone numbers (including 800 numbers), convenient and affordable parking. “We do it all,” said Ms. Martin, “And, we have the most prestigious business address in Honolulu, the Waikiki Landmark.”
Recently, Resource Suites has rebranded and is launching a new program for Honolulu entrepreneurs. “We realized our clients need more support than just a virtual office, so we’re adding a service that connects entrepreneurs with the resources they need to help grow their business. Resource Suites is the best Virtual Office we can provide,” said Te’ana Bowman Resource Suites Admin, “but our clients still need more. So in January we’re launching our Ohi’a Lehua Program, to further help the local business community.” The planned Ohi’a Lehua Program will create opportunities for like-minded business people to become mentors, connect entrepreneurs to accounting, legal, marketing and government services. The program will be officially launched in January, but networking and planning is happening at a furious pace at Resource Suites in Waikiki.
“We are creating something really unique in the Virtual Office space for Hawaii, using the ohi’a lehua as our inspiration. We’ve rebranded with a new logo that boldly symbolizes who we are, where we are, and what we do,” said Shane-nah Martin, “The building represents our location, The Waikiki Landmark. The envelope is a representation of the business address we provide. Combined, they are two key components of a virtual office. The Ohi’a lehua epitomizes our spirit; Endemic to Hawai’i, resilient, and a valuable resource.”
The excitement is building at the Waikiki Landmark in advance of the Ohi’a Lehua Program launch in January 2023. Local entrepreneurs and service providers interested in participating are encouraged to contact Resource Suites in the Waikiki Landmark.
