The Suites Collection

We got some exciting news today at Tree Studios.  One of our favorite tenants, a strong company that has been with us for three years, will be moving out soon.  Why are they moving?  Their business has done so well that they are expanding their staff and transitioning to dedicated office space.  Though it is bittersweet for us to loose them, we know that one of our highest values as a shared office provider is providing a safe place for fragile start-ups to flourish.

What motivates your dreams of entrepreneurial success?  Is it the desire to be your own boss?  Do you wish to imprint your talents and ideas on the world?  It is not likely that the prospect of researching phone systems, leasing copiers and ordering office furniture drives you to start a company.  With all of the hats small business owners must wear, organizing and maintaining the office is understandably low on the priority list. 

Some companies may always consist of one or two individuals, some may increase or decrease depending on seasonal and project demands.  Especially in an economic climate like ours, many people are pursuing their dreams of entrepreneurship because they’ve lost their job.  Our offices, services and prime locations offer a support system to these small and burgeoning new companies.  We have special furnished start-up offices at Court House Executive Offices that are move in ready and include your telephone and internet connection. Change can feel daunting, but at the same time exhilarating.  If it’s time to make a change and you want to find an environment that encourages you to grow, give us a call and we will work together toward building your dreams.

Current marketing buzz is all about “social media”.   Everyone touts the explosive popularity of websites like Twitter and Facebook as the next big way for small businesses to connect with customers.  Is this true or is it just hype created by self-described “social mavens” who want us to hire them for expensive consultation gigs?  In a contracting economy, experts agree you should increase marketing efforts and pursue all opportunities for visibility, but what can you do to turn the “followers” and “fans” on networking sites into paying customers? 

Unfortunately, there is not one clear answer to that question.  We do know that once your business joins a social media site, making continual updates is mandatory.  With all the work you do to attract online visitors, once they get to your page they’d better not find it “stale” or else they’ll click away and on to something else that will hold their attention.  “Fans” on Facebook and “followers” on Twitter need to feel like there is someone on the other side of the screen.  That’s how they’ll make that social connection with your brand and that’s how, hopefully, you’ll start making deals.

The first time you hear about a new website or a development in technology, you are often made to feel like you are already behind the times.  That is not necessarily true.  Each small business grows at it’s own pace and when you are ready for the next step; you will know.  Daily demands from current customers consume time and energy.  The majority of small businesses can’t afford to keep a marketing person or a computer programmer on staff.   When you are doing it all, you can’t do it all at once.

During the past year at The Suites Collection, we’ve managed to optimize our website for search engines, develop pay per click campaigns, generate this blog and post regularly on Craigslist.  We now know those initiatives simply laid the foundation for a basic internet marketing strategy.  Sometimes we wonder what happened to the old marketing “necessities” (Is anyone still using AOL?  Even MySpace is fading!), but gazing wistfully backwards is just not helpful.  Moving forward is the only way to stay relevant in this ever changing marketing environment. 

We will continue to blog about how The Suites Collection is expanding its online marketing strategy to include social media.   We’d love to hear about your endeavors and what you’ve experienced.  And if you haven’t yet tackled these new opportunities because you don’t know how to begin, here’s a fundamental guide to getting started on Twitter.