Intelligent Office Brings Customizable Office Services to Downtown

ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT — BY SUSAN POST ONAPRIL 29, 2014 AT 8:00 AM

Whether you need a 614 number, a receptionist or an office for a few hours, Intelligent Office offers a suite of solutions that any small business or entrepreneur can customize to fit their needs.

Otto Beatty, owner of E.E. Ward and small business champion, heads the Columbus branch of the franchised office solution.

“I found it was a good business not only for my passions and what I’m interested in, but also an emerging trend that more people want to work as freelancers, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs [and] small business contacts,” Beatty says. “Those that do are looking for a way to keep overhead down, but also have a professional appearance.”

Intelligent Office has the capacity to cater to a large number of businesses through their extensive option of services.

“Two of the biggest costs in business are people and space and we provide a suite of solutions that allow you to utilize great space and great people for a fraction of the cost,” Beatty says. With a pay-per-service model, a client only purchases what they need to run their business more effectively.

The downtown suite contains 12 offices that can be rented by the hour, day or month. Eight to nine of the offices are reserved for entrepreneurs who want to use the space full-time, with the remaining three to four available for hourly clients. Because of the renting flexibility, Intelligent Office sees clients using the offices for a variety of reasons. For example, attorneys use the spaces for meetings as necessary, while tenant Leadership Columbus temporarily houses their operations in an office while they prepare long-term plans, providing a professional space for the business without having to invest in furniture and the like. In addition, if an entrepreneur just needs a work space for a few hours, five cube-style stations are available at a less expensive rate.

Businesses and organizations can also take advantage of Intelligent Office’s conference rooms. Both are equipped with presentation technology and white boards. The smaller room accommodates about six, with a larger room that can hold up to 25 people, but also be split into two smaller spaces. With the office’s highly flexible services, renters can use the conference rooms with no other attachments to the office for one-off events or recurring needs.

A host of virtual services distinguish Intelligent Office from other rentable office spaces. Intelligent Office is able to offer what Beatty describes as an extra set of hands without having to hire a full-time assistant.

“We focus on the routine task to allow our customers to focus on the important task,” Beatty says. Entrepreneurs can focus on their business knowing phones will be answered and other time-consuming tasks covered.

Intelligent Office creates virtual tenancy for businesses by providing 300 mailbox spaces. Renting a mailbox earns a business a spot on compnay’s suite directory, building access to check their mail 24/7, reception courtesies for package pick-up and delivery, as well as other mail alerts including delivery notification and forwarding capacities.

Reception services use call center technology for small business application. Receptionists makes sure that all of a client’s calls are answered and can screen, announce and transfer the calls. Businesses utilizing reception services also have the option to provide the office staff with basic information to pass along to customers and answer frequently asked questions. In addition, receptionists can schedule appointments for clients or transfer any urgent calls directly to them, wherever they may be. Call plan prices depend on the volume of calls a business receives.

Offering flexibility in all that they do, support staff services are included with a rented office, but virtual tenants can also engage reception services. Tenants like John Singleton of Singleton & Associates say the support services offer the bit of extra help he needs, while allowing him to keep his business small and eliminating the sometimes costly and timely hiring process. For a virtual tenant, support services mean a client will never miss a lead or a chance to schedule an appointment because someone is always answering the phone.

Intelligent Office currently serves about 30 clients from a variety of industries including non-profits, attorneys, IT, consultants, online retailers and marketing firms. Sales Manager Trevion Blanding describes their services as for, “Anyone who needs to have a strong professional presence as well as have the ability to have a full-time receptionist.”

Intelligent Office wants businesses to work smarter, not harder.

“Every service that we do is customized as much as possible to the individual business,” Beatty says. With so many options, he encourages new tenants to set up an individual consultation to figure out what suite of services will best help develop their business. Everything is charged a-la-carte or per use, so tenants only ever pay for what they need or what they use.

For more information, visit their website or call (614) 484-7070.