Virtual Office: The Rise of Accidental Entrepreneurs

Desperate times often call for desperate measures, however don’t tell, what the New York Times, calls “accidental entrepreneurs, unintended entrepreneurs or forced entrepreneurs.”

 

During this Great Recession, many business professionals have lost their jobs leaving them no choice but to look for an alternative way of earning a paycheck. Most have set out, pounding the pavement in search of another office position. However, after months of searching some turn hobbies into a profession.

 

According to the most recent Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by the Kauffman Foundation an average, 320 Americans out of 100,000 form a business each month. The foundation found that the patterns “provide some early evidence that ‘necessity’ entrepreneurship is increasing and ‘opportunity’ entrepreneurship is decreasing.”

 

San Francisco-native Lisa Marie Grillos, after losing her full-time contract position with Williams-Sonoma as a production manager, with her brother Hernan Barangan started Hambone Designs. The new start-up company makes bicycle bags that hold things like keys, wallets and cell phones.

 

“You have the time — why not focus your energy on something, rather than just trolling Craigslist and sitting and watching TV?” Grillos said. “It’s really taking matters in my own hands.”

 

The siblings built their Web site and opened a virtual shop on Etsy.com, an online marketplace, and frequented San Francisco street fairs. According to the New York Times, the pair, between their online marketing and the street fairs, have sold 70 bags, which retail for $20 to $40.

 

“We have been talking about mass producing, but we’re not there yet,” Grillos says. “It is a whole other thing, approaching stores and having the inventory.”

 

For the brother and sister pair, they had luck starting their small business, however owning a small- or medium-sized business can be overwhelming at times. With Phone.com’s (News - Alert) Virtual Office, businesses can extend their customer base and not bust their wallets during this Great Recession.

 

Livingston, N.J.-based Phone.com provides U.S. customers many advantages with its Virtual Office.

 

“The virtual office professional small business phone solution requires no hardware and you don’t have to switch phone providers for a full list of features, greetings, menus and communications tools,” said Rabban.

 

SMBs will be able to project a big business image – with out a big business cost. With a Phone.com virtual office, monthly phone and fax costs will remain low while your business enjoys features previously beyond a typical small business budget.

 

“The first month is 100 percent free, and activation is instant once you register for the free trial,” Rabban said.

 

A virtual office can easily customize any SMBs call handling situation with features including:

 

• Continue use of your existing mobile and land line.
• A local number, toll-free number, or keep your existing number.
• Ability to give out one office number.
• Instantly build a customized corporate phone system.
• Provide ROI at a low price point

• Improved office productivity, efficiency and sales rates.
• Enjoy around-the-clock phone support with representatives in the United States

 

To learn more about this exiting product visit Phone.com’s Web site or check out their channel, Virtual Office, on TMCnet.