Converting your office space into an eco-friendly one is just as important as doing it for your home. Most adult individuals spend a majority of their time at work anyway, so conservation and preservation of the environment should be practiced where people are all the time. An office in Makati is just the same as anywhere else in the world in terms of converting it to an environmentally friendly one. Business owners who are looking for an office for rent in Makati should already consider designing their work place with the environment in mind. Not only will it help the planet in reducing wastes and saving energy, but will also help a company cut down on unnecessary costs and save money.

The first thing to focus on when converting your office space is the energy efficiency of your computers. Since computers are mainstays in any office environment, businesses should be wary of the amount of energy they expend. An office in Makati will have at least ten computers in most cases, and there are plenty of offices that actually have hundreds. Make it a standard rule for your company to have computers shut down at the end of the day to save energy. You should also set the computers on sleep whenever people are out on their breaks. These little contributions can help cumulatively in the fight for energy conservation.

Have your ventilation systems checked. Office spaces in Makati normally have a maintenance staff that supports the entire building. Having an efficient ventilation system saves energy and makes sure that the air indoors remains clean.

If you’ve just found an office for rent in Makati and plan on redesigning it, make sure you use paint products that have no volatile organic compounds. These products can produce toxic chemicals that can cause complications for your employees. Carpets can contain toxic ingredients too. Make sure the ones you’re using are environmentally friendly and safe.

Recycle old paper by using them as scratch. Don’t just throw away an entire box of letterheads because you’ve already changed your company logo. You can also donate some of the unused paper to schools and charity organizations. On that note, recycle everything. You can do away with disposable cups and use regular glasses and mugs. You can also use a water dispenser as opposed to supplying your employees with boxes full of bottled water.

Everybody has to do their part in saving the environment. With the current issues on global warming and climate crisis, every citizen of the world should be aware of every little thing they can do to help slow down the process. The idea of trying to help the environment while at work will also resonate well with your clients and employees, getting their respect and trust.

There are many foreign-owned multinational companies doing business in the Philippines. Many of them rent Makati office space. In fact, the biggest foreign companies that do business here prefer to get commercial office space in Makati. There are many prime office buildings located here, and setting up shop isn’t impossible by any stretch of the imagination. There are just a few things to prepare, however, before making that all-important move.

Foreigners who establish business in the Philippines have a lot of documents and requirements to fulfill. The Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Securities and Exchange Commission are some of the government entities that a business should be registered with, especially one that’s foreign-owned. Business owners who want to rent an office in Makati will also have to register and apply for a business permit from the local city government. These documents ensure that a company is meeting standards set by the government.

In addition to this, foreign businessmen wanting to do business from a commercial office space in Makati will have to secure other documents if they plan on constructing their own building complex. Approval from the Makati City Engineering Department and Health Department will be required. Foreign companies planning to buy land and have their own building should be at least 60% owned by Filipinos, so this requirement also must be prepared for in this case.

Typically, Makati office space is located in high-rise buildings, especially in the central business district, where most of the prime office real estate can be found. Depending on what kind of business you are in, one can find an office in Makati that can actually save money for a company in the long run. IT companies, for example, have the possibility of tax breaks from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Seven buildings in the CBD have been given an IT Zone status, which means that they can enjoy multiple tax holidays and other incentives not normally available in other areas.

Because the area is one of the busiest in the country, foreigners should expect slow-moving traffic because of the influx of people who commute and work in the area. Anywhere you go in the central business district, you’re bound to see people walking the sidewalks and vehicles going by. This is especially true during rush hour, when most employees are on their way to work. If your business is located in an office in Makati, then you might want to consider getting an apartment or a condo unit close by.

A Makati office space is a great place to start a business. There are more than 60,000 businesses in the city, and some of those represent the biggest names in multinational business. A foreign-owned business in the Philippines will be at home right here, not just because of all the advantages, but because of the good company that they will inevitably find themselves in.

Outsourcing is a business strategy that most businesses today are considering. Large corporations in the United States and in Europe have begun outsourcing to the Philippines as part of their business strategies.

Doing business in the Philippines is different from doing business in the United States and other countries, where business transactions are usually done in a very quick and straightforward manner. This difference in how business is conducted primarily lies in the difference between cultures. Conducting business in the Philippines begins with establishing a professional friendship by exchanging good-natured remarks. After this, your company’s business in the Philippines is absolutely in for a great journey.

Commonly, companies outsourcing to the Philippines are business processing outsourcing companies that set up their call center in Makati or other parts of Metro Manila that are suitable for business operations. These companies do not only set up call centers in Makati and other places but also provide many other back-office services.

Outsourcing to the Philippines has its many benefits. Since the country is the third largest English speaking country in the world, hiring employees with a good grasp of the English language is easy, particularly for companies who want to set up a call center in Makati and other locations such as Pasig or Quezon City.

The lower rates of employees with good backgrounds in computer operations also benefit companies through savings in costs associated with salary. Additionally, the Philippines also has many software firms that provide quality service to any company wishing to set up their business in the country. Local governments also provide incentives to foreign firms in the form of tax breaks as a way of attracting more foreign companies to invest.

The emergence of call centers in Makati has caused many cities to revamp their status in order to become more conducive and suitable for call center companies to bring their businesses to the Philippines. Because of this, call centers are no longer concentrated in Makati but in other locations as well within Metro Manila and other regions such as Cebu and Baguio.

Conducting business in the Philippines is a good idea that many foreign businesses can benefit from. The culture of business in the Philippines may be different from other countries but certainly, the quality of work is above the set standards and the opportunities of expanding are extremely great.

Outsourcing has become a recent business trend that is proving to be very lucrative especially when outsourced to the right country. These outsourced processes now include search engine optimization, and many companies have chosen to open up an office in Makati, the business center of the Philippines.

Outsourcing was originally and exclusively done in the manufacturing sector. Companies realized that by setting up their manufacturing plants in the same country where they get their raw materials, and where labor is less expensive, they could cut on cost. This started in the 1980s with American businesses outsourcing their manufacturing operations to countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Canada.

The technological boom of the 1990s shifted the focus of outsourcing away from the manufacturing sector and onto the IT sector. Companies in countries like the U.S. saw that the advantages of outsourcing manufacturing processes also applied to their IT processes like software development and data entry. The first contact centers were opened in countries like the Philippines, and these business process outsourcing (BPO) companies offered voice services such as sales and customer support for their Western clients. Outsourcing proved very beneficial, not only could they cut cost but as a result, they could focus their attention and resources on more core aspects of their business.

The second wave of outsourcing came into the country starting in the early 2000s. Outsourced processes now include non-voice service. Among these processes, search engine optimization (SEO) is emerging. Search engine optimization is the improvement of a webpage’s ranking on a search engine like Google or Yahoo. This is to increase a website’s visibility online, which is vital for companies that maintain their own websites. This is done by methods such as link building and content writing.

In the Philippines, SEO is becoming a fast-rising trend. The skills needed in SEO, like proficiency in English and knowledge in IT, can be found in the country’s labor force, a large number of whom are already working in BPOs.

Most SEO outsourcing companies in the country have an office in Makati, the Philippines’ center of industry. Setting up an SEO company is very easy here, because the city’s infrastructure is essentially geared towards commerce and most of the country’s labor force converges here to work. Many employees see Makati as a city where there are many opportunities for career growth.

An infrastructure focused on business and access to skilled laborers make SEO outsourcing a profitable and worthwhile business in the Philippines. This is an industry with huge potential and a bright future that any businessman or investor should consider.

One of the many important business milestones that the past decade has brought the Philippines has been the growth of the outsourcing industry in the country. A call center in Makati has become the symbol for the revitalization of the Philippine economy, with the outsourcing industry being called the “sunshine industry” because even in tough economic times, the BPO (business process outsourcing) sector has given jobs to hundreds of thousands of skilled local workers.

Many would agree that in the late part of the 90s, the call center industry reshaped the economic landscape of the Philippines. In those days, many of the pioneer outsourcing companies would set up an office in Makati to enjoy the yet untapped rich resource available here: the local workforce. Starting with companies like eTelecare, Sykes, and Convergys, a number of foreign investors set up their operations by leasing office space in an existing commercial building. They would then bring in their equipment, which was easy to set up and use since telecommunications infrastructure in the country is relatively affordable.

Those investors came to realize the now taken-for-granted advantage that local workers had over other workers in different countries. Local workers are very fluent with English and are already immersed in Western culture. Being that the country was previously colonized by the United States and before that for 300 years was a colony of the Spanish empire, speaking in English and foreign cultures were already a staple in the lives of the average citizen. The language barrier and culture clash were key obstacles foreign investors had in outsourcing to other countries like India and China, and seeing the local pool of talent and working environment was a revelation.

From then on it only got better. Fast forward to the 2000s, and call centers started mushrooming in the country, even in the major cities of provinces outside the Metro Manila area, like in Dagupan and Cebu City. Careers in IT, which were once the go-to career choice for many young graduates, are now foregone in favor of jobs in the outsourcing industry, where the pay and benefits are far better. In the past, foreign companies would lease out office space in existing buildings. Now, big multinational companies would develop and construct their own office buildings, with companies like HSBC and JP Morgan Chase having buildings built to house their outsourcing operations in the country.

It was estimated that in 2006, more than 160,000 people were employed in the BPO sector. Now, that number has gone up to almost a million. Outsourcing to the Philippines is proving to be a lucrative business, and the “sunshine industry” shows no signs of slowing down.

You already know the trend. The demand for SEO outsourcing is steadily increasing, and you believe that you perform equally or even better than some of those already in existence. Starting your own SEO firm is not as hard as you think, but surpassing the planning or start-up stage can sometimes be the most difficult task.

Build your portfolio

When potential clients seek services from SEO outsourcing businesses, they usually make their decision based on a company’s profile or portfolio. If you haven’t done any formal SEO work yet, a good starting point would be to start your own blog where you can practice and showcase your output based on what you already know. Another option is to do pro-bono work for reputable charities that may need SEO services. In this way, you can get referrals and show potential clients your work.

Get an office

There are many freelance SEO consultants on the internet that do their work at home. This is not actually a bad thing, but can sometimes be a disadvantage. A big company would most likely prefer to outsource their SEO needs to a firm with a Makati office rather than an individual that works from own home.

If you’re looking to start an SEO outsourcing business in the Philippines, keep in mind that having a good location is definitely a huge advantage. Think about it. A formal conference with potential clients in your Makati office seems more professional instead of meeting them on coffee shops and fancy restaurants, or through video conferencing. There’s also the possibility of landing clients from business offices located within the building or area.

What you need to put up an SEO outsourcing business office

Besides having a strategically located office and an attractive company portfolio, you’ll also need a few other things to get started on your SEO outsourcing business. Start by making a detailed and realistic business plan. Determine your capital, and set specific goals for your company. Also make sure to gather all the necessary permits you’ll need for the business. It is equally important to keep informed of all the latest developments related to SEO outsourcing so that you can strategically gain an edge from your competitions.

Create a checklist

In order to monitor your progress, make a short checklist of the things that you’ve accomplished and what else needs to be done. Always keep an open mind in learning new things about the business. Remember that an effective SEO campaign does not entirely rely on complicated search-engine algorithms and theories; it is also about experimentation and analysis.

If you are a businessman looking for an office for rent in Makati but don’t want to shell out huge amounts of money on a long-term lease contract, then having a managed office space might be the ideal set-up. Managed office space, often referred to as serviced office space, is a good stepping stone when starting a business in the Philippines. These are office environments that are managed by another company, allowing you to rent a single office that suits your needs within their buildings.

The term “executive suites” is also another name for a managed office. These office spaces are available in cities all over the U.S. and overseas. They are also called “shared office space” or “temporary office space”, but don’t let these terms throw you. Executive suites are not expensive CEO type of corporate offices. Nor does “shared office space” mean you have to share an office with another business.

Also, the name “temporary office space” doesn’t have to mean temporary. It can be as permanent as you like. Rental plans are so flexible you can arrange their use for a day, week, month or even a year if necessary.

But the best part of renting a managed office is the look of success you get without the expense. For example, you don’t have to buy any furniture. It’s all there waiting for you when you walk into your managed office. There is no need to hire extra staff. A professional receptionist will greet your visitors and answer your telephone when you are out of the office.

From the viewpoint of a prospective customer, you will have the look of an established and successful business, rather than a rickety, run of the mill office of a struggling start-up. It is possible that a boring, cluttered, or sterile office space lacking in style and the modern touches of a professional designer may cause top-notch potential clients to rethink doing business with you altogether. Remember, first impressions really do mean a lot when attracting new business.

So consider a managed office space especially if you are starting up your business in the Philippines. After all, the message which one should present is that of a successful business. Having a managed office will give you that professional look and service while allowing you to conduct your business in style and as well as attract new clients and potential customers.

Intimidated by the idea of investing on a call center in Makati? Don’t be. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Do your research

Before emptying your pockets investing in an office for a call center in Makati, it is vital that you plan carefully and do lots of research. Start off by surfing the internet for ideas. You’ll be surprised with the numerous references you’ll come across. It would also be wise to talk to a friend or colleague that has experience in operating a call center business in the Philippines. Gather information on all the necessary permits and certificates that you’ll need to operate a legitimate company.

Types of call center businesses in the Philippines

The next step in your research involves familiarizing yourself with the different types of call centers. Generally, there are four kinds of call center businesses in the Philippines. In-house call centers are those who cater only to the needs of their company alone. An example of this would be a hotel reservations office in Makati, solely dedicated to a particular hotel group. Another type of call center is one that provides client relations to other companies, which is commonly known as outsourcing. There are also outbound call centers, whose line of work is usually grounded in but not limited to telemarketing. Finally, there are inbound call centers which receive incoming communications from customers.

Make a business plan

Once you’ve made a decision on what kind of services you’ll be focusing on, it’s time to make a complete and detailed business plan. The industry of the call center in Makati owes much of its success to a carefully crafted business plan. Formulate a realistic goal, both short and long term. Decide what strategy and methods you’ll be using in order to ensure product quality, employee and customer satisfaction. Identify your company’s financial and manpower needs, as well as logistics.

Find a good location

Selecting a strategic location is crucial if you want your call center business in the Philippines to succeed. Makati is still the best site to put up a call center. There are hundreds of offices to choose from, depending on your business needs and interests. A practical investor might want to consider a serviced office to avoid the hassles of managing the work place. Whatever the case, a call center in Makati can be built to succeed, mainly due to the city’s business-friendly environment. You can use all this to your company’s advantage when you decide to build a call center in the Philippines.

Subleasing is a good thing. Businesses can move into a decent commercial office space when they choose to sublease rather than getting an exclusive lease. For most part, the disadvantage of subleasing is in logistics. What part of that Makati office are you allowed to use? What parts of the property are off-limits?

There are also legal disadvantages especially if you run into trouble with your sublessor’s landlord. Worse, things can get difficult if you will end up not mixing well with your sublessor. The biggest thing you need to remember before you sign a contract with your sublessor is to let an attorney review the contract. This minimizes your potential for legal problems and protects your right as a subtenant.

What are the disadvantages of subleasing?

1. Lease conditions that are not favorable can be passed to your sublease. For example, if a sublessor realizes that he was not able to negotiate a good deal with his landlord, he can sublease his unit and pass the fees to you and charge a higher rent on top of that. If you want to sublease or rent a Makati office, make sure that you review your sublease along with the original lease so you can determine whether or not the conditions are fair, or if your sublessor is just trying to weasel his way out of a bad deal.
2. You can lose your sublease if your sublessor defaults. If your sublessor fails to pay the unit’s bills and fees, you can end up losing your sublease. Worse, you can be evicted if your sublessor fails to pay his rent. To make sure this doesn’t happen, include a clause in your sublease that you have the right to get back the money you lose if your sublessor defaults on his payment.
3. You may have limited personalization options. Because you will be moving into an “owned” commercial office space, you won’t have the freedom to decorate and personalize your space.
4. You may be delaying your company’s independence. If you rent a Makati office that you cannot personalize, you may not be allowed to post signs and nameplates in and around your office. This will make you seem like a “small company” which is probably not something you want to be thought of. Ask if you can put up signs within the building that will point customers to your company. If you are not allowed to do so, you may want to look at other options.
5. Your company may be subject to maintenance delays. If you rent a Makati office space under a sublease, you may have problems whenever you need to get some maintenance work done because you will have to go to your sublessor first, instead of going directly to the building manager.

Generally, it is a good idea to sublease a commercial office space. The key to finding a great place to make sure that you and your sublessor agree on fair terms and conditions. Subleasing is a cheap and convenient way to get your business started in a business hub like Makati.

Besides having a good thing to sell, your Makati office should be something that can wow your future employees and clients. A good location and working environment can spell the difference between a successful venture and a stressful one. However, maintaining the office every day is not something that small or medium sized businesses can really manage. This is the reason why companies are all excited about serviced or managed office options. The popularity of managed offices has soared because they allow businesses to do what they need to do to without worrying about how the office looks like and if there is a fresh batch of paper towels in the pantry.

What are the benefits of having a managed office? One of the biggest reasons why businesses are now choosing to lease managed offices is because it gives them flexibility. Typical leases are for long stretches of time—usually 10 or 15 years—which is too much of a burden for certain companies. Getting tied with a contract for that long will mean that even if the space requirements of the company will change, they will have to incur additional costs for furnishing and expansion. They will also have to deal with administrative issues that may cause delays in the company’s growth.

If your office in Makati is serviced, you are able to get more space or lose extra space quickly and even on very short notice. This is good especially during the time your business pops and you are growing like crazy and you need more space quickly. This is also helpful when you realize that your business did not grow as much as you expected and you want to stop paying for the extra office space.

A managed office will also offer value services like furniture, cleaning services and refreshment facilities. That means that if companies get all-inclusive packages that some serviced offices offer, all they have to do is to move in. The building’s cleaners will take care of the maintenance and other janitorial duties. Businesses can focus more on getting more clients and pitching deals instead of housekeeping.

Having a Makati office is a good thing especially if you want to be more visible to prospective customers. However, taking on a typical lease may be too expensive or impractical for a small or medium sized business. Going for a serviced office with a more flexible lease is the way to go.