Paypal offers clients an easy and efficient method of paying instead of cheque/cash or Direct Debit.

Through the secure Paypal site, we can currently invoice clients through PayPal which they in return can pay by Credit/Debit Card.

A company based in America approached us about Virtual Office last week and after a couple of conversations it became clear that a bank transfer may be difficult. Thankfully they suggested Paypal and expressed how easy and SECURE it was. From there it became clear that this is the new way to pay for services going forward, especially for our foreign clients.

A Virtual Office aids companies based outside Ireland to create a presence in the Irish or more specifically the Galway market with minimal cost. Mail forwarding starting at €30 per month and personalised call answering at €60, businesses can open new markets effectively and cost efficiently.

Discounts on Virtual Offices apply when signing up for a year.

Frequently I am asked “what is a virtual office?” and “What are the benefits of a virtual office to my Company?”

Quite simply a virtual office provides clients with a professional business presence without having the burden of rent/rates/leases/ common utility bills. By using either of our business addresses in prime commercial locations and or phone/ fax services, companies can project the image of having a city centre office or receptionist, without the large costs attached.

How does the business address work?

By using either of Gray Office Park addresses, clients can take advantage of the prime business locations within Galway City: Galway Retail Park & Parkmore. Each morning, mail is processed by the receptionists and then clients are made aware when post has arrived.
- Do I have to reside in Galway or Ireland to use this service?
No, our virtual office services are for both domestic and internationally clients. This service enables clients to present a national or global image at a fraction of the cost.

How can I receive my mail?

As we try and tailor to each customer there are a couple of options. Firstly mail can be forwarded on a daily/ weekly basis. Secondly, the client has the option to collect their mail in either location Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 p.m. Also some clients ask can we open their mail, scan the enclosed and then send it via email, this service can also be provided. We pride ourselves on being flexible and try to adapt to a new way once suggested.

What is entailed in the call answering service?

Gray Office Park provides clients with their own dedicated Galway telephone number. Each number is programmed into our high-end Alcatel Lucent phone system with the client’s company name. All calls to this number are answered by the team of receptionists in the company’s name. A general excuse is given why you can’t answer take the call e.g. you are in a meeting, you are out of the office, you are with a client. From there, we take a message and forwarded to you via email. We also encourage clients to give us some information about the company, so we can give the perception we work solely for your company and we can help with general enquiries. The reception is open from 9 am – 1 pm and 2pm – 5:30 pm Monday to Friday.

Voicemail is also provided when the reception is closed and all messages are email promptly once reception is open.

Are there meeting room facilities?

In each location there a meeting room facilities equipped with high speed broadband, plasma tv and canteen facilities. Our meeting rooms can be hired on an hourly/ daily basis at €10 per hour (ex Vat)

What are the rates for the services?

For the mail collection the price is €30 + Vat per month, discounted rates when signing up for a year

For the personalised call answering the cost is €60 + Vat per month, discounts when signing 1 year contract

The combined package is €90 (+ vat) per month. The above prices are extremely competitive when comparing to hiring a receptionist or renting an office in Galway City.

For more information please contact:

info@grayofficepark.com or Rachael@grayofficepark.com or call 091 511 400

Packages starting from €5.95 per month, Sleepless provides the best encryption on the market at extremely competitive prices.

Sleepless.ie creates peace of mind for customers as Sleepless’s software takes care of all their data through scheduled online backups which occur daily/ weekly or monthly- the customer decides.

Sleepless also provides clients with excellent customer service and pride them selves on providing solutions to all companies.

Sleepless initially backs-up all data to their primary data centre and is then replicated to their disaster recovery site. Therefore no matter what happens,  SLEEPLESS HAS YOUR BACK!!

For more information please go to www.sleepless.ie or contact our information desk on: 091 511 411

In order to move forward you need to BACK UP

Very simply through on line data backup, companies can rest assured that all there data stored on their computer/ servers is backed up on to the ‘Cloud’. One such Cloud company in Galway is Sleepless. Sleepless operates out of its own state of the art data centre, fully managed by Sleepless staff.

Therefore, in the eventuality that something disastrous may happen to a company’s computers/ servers e.g. fire/ flooding/ theft/ damaged etc.. all the companies chosen files are backed up on to a Server in another location, waiting to re-installed. Therefore no loss of data should occur if online data backups are taking place and business can proceed as normal. If

Backups take place daily and are scheduled, which means that there is no work to be on the clients side and no more remembering to back-up on to a tape or an external hard-drive. Therefore, taking such responsibility off ones shoulders. Daily reports are sent to the client, showing if the back-up was successful and these reports are also sent to the team in Sleepless who monitor the software.

Sleepless Online Back-up can be bought online or for bigger companies we can come on site and help and aid with the install. Sleepless tries to make the installation and whole experience as easy as possible.

For more info: WWW.SLEEPLESS.IE or call: 091 511444

IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU NEED TO BACK UP!!

Hot Desking enables companies to work out of an office complex without the monthly lease agreements. Changing the way we rent!!

Gray Office Park aims to provide flexibility to all clients, so when you need a desk we can provide one which is equipped with high speed broadband, telephone connection, reception services, boardroom facilities, photocopying facilities etc. We thrive to provide the best service available.

Hot Desking suits all types of business’s : start ups, small/ medium companies and  branch offices of multi nationals.

Hot Desking can be charged monthly/ daily/ weekly, which ever suits the client and their needs. As many of us find that there are weeks where we don’t need an office as the nature of the business is out on the road. But when it is needed, its needed.

See the link below for more info

http://www.grayofficepark.com/index.php/services/hotdesking/

Or Alternatively

Contact Rachael on 091 511 400 for more information or click through to the enquiry page to request more information.

Thanks

Rachael

In sport, the objective is simple: win the championship and beat the competition by being the best.

The better the team perform, the more reward their club and they enjoy. Everyone is working toward the same goal and share of the spoils. This is the crux of setting up a good bonus scheme for your leadership team.

In business, where you are free to set your own objectives and it is not always clear who you are up against, setting out a framework is much harder than in sport. If the business and its employees are not in sync, you end up rowing out of alignment and the boat goes around in circles.

Here are my top tips for designing a good bonus scheme for senior management.

Set SMART company and individual objectives:

They should be:

Specific: eg Open New York office, not open new office somewhere — too vague.

Measurable: eg First sale in new office by Jun 31, 2011 — ie quantify it.

Achievable: eg Open New York office by Mar 31, 2011, not by next Friday — ie tough but doable.

Realistic: Apply judgment; can this really be done or are we setting the company up to fail?

Timely: Set a clear timeframe to achieve the objective.

Instil consistency into the scheme:

Every member of the leadership team should have the same company objectives. There should be no more than a handful of clear objectives for the company and for each individual. The individual objectives should tie in to the company objectives, ie if the individual achieves his or her objectives, then collectively the company will achieve its objectives.

Be transparent:

The scheme should be published to the members and it should be made clear the team must deliver the company objectives as a priority and all individual objectives are designed to help achieve this as well as develop the individual.

Pay out quarterly, not annually:

Objectives do not have to be reviewed quarterly but cash flow permitting, they should be paid out quarterly. The prospect of a quarterly bonus is far more motivating than having to wait for it once a year.

Communicate results:

It is vital to keep the team informed on whether results have been achieved or not. Celebrate the wins and work as a team to fix problems when they arrive.

Map roles to job levels to determine size of payout:

For example, the CEO could be designated level A, director level B, senior manager level C etc. For each level set a percentage of salary payout. Level A could be 30pc, B 25pc etc. Although different skill sets command different salaries, most people accept a percentage payout based on their level of seniority as fair.

Weight the payout more to the company objective, not the individual:

For example, if the individual hits his/her objectives but the company achieves none, then I would recommend only paying out 25pc of the bonus as this gives the clear message you are part of a team and if the team collectively fails, you do not get the 75pc payout allocated to the company objective despite achieving individual success.

David Bloom is co-founder of and chief executive of FD Unlimited. If you would like a simple Excel template to help set out your bonus scheme and/or a Word template to document your scheme, please email support@financegofer.com

- David Bloom

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/business/small-business/matching-individual-goals-to-company-objectives-crux-of-successful-bonus-plan-2444705.html

The winners of the awards, in association with the Irish Independent, Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, will go on to compete with the winners from the other provinces for the national title and individual category title at the all-island final in April.

A total of 390 businesses from the North and the Republic entered this year’s awards, which aim to recognise and reward business success, regardless of business offering, service or location.

Companies were judged on a variety of merits, including financial performance, company milestones and achievements, future strategy and development of innovative products and services.

Medical device company Aerosurgical won the Innovation and Emerging Technology Award for its ‘AeroSurge’ platform, which delivers therapeutics into the abdominal cavity of patients during surgery to combat post-surgical complications such as pain and adhesions.

Mayo’s Major Equipment International claimed the International Business Award.

The company manufactures and exports a range of grass cutting, slurry handling and site equipment.

The gong for Social Entrepreneurship went to the West of Ireland Alzheimer Foundation, while the winner in the Start-Up Business category was Galway’s Irish Ambulance Training Institute.

Heaney Meats Catering won the Family Run Business award. Jennings, O’Donovan & Partners from Sligo came out on top in the Green business category. It operates in renewable energy, efficient energy use and environmental consultancy and services.

The Agriculture, Food & Drink Award went to Roscommon’s Gilligan Meats which provides meat products from their own stock.

The new Service Business Award was won by the Galway Clinic, which aims to improve cancer care services in the west.

The national winner will get a comprehensive package including an executive education programme at Harvard Business School, €50,000 worth of advertising space in the Irish Independent and a one-year membership of the Institute of Directors.

- Peter Flanagan

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/the-wests-awake-with-bright-business-achievers-2538994.html

There has been an overwhelming response to Monday’s announcement of 105 new jobs at HP Galway, with over a hundred applications already received by the multi-national company. The new highly-skilled jobs will be located at HP’s existing base in Ballybrit and successful applicants will work on two multi-year projects in the company’s cloud infrastructure and services business.

The news comes as a huge boost to the local economy, coming on the back of 100 new jobs at US company Genband announced earlier this month. It is understood that Galway beat off competition from a number of other cities, including those in the US, for the jobs and it was the wealth of qualified applicants in the area that proved the deciding factor.

Speaking to the Galway Independent this week, Managing Director of HP Galway Ltd Mark Gantley said that recruitment is already well underway and the company is delighted with the standard of applicants.

“When they looked into potential locations, they saw that having a core team existing in Galway and the ability to hire people in at a reasonable cost with IDA support meant that Galway was a very strong candidate and that’s what actually pushed it over the line essentially.”

“One of the conditions of the whole project being approved was that we would have the initial tranche of people very quickly. Sometime you see jobs announcements of 100 jobs that will be three years to fill, whereas in this situation, we will have to fill between 75 and 80 pretty much immediately. The pipeline of resumes is flowing already and we have well over 100 resumés at this stage,” he said.

The positions on offer range from entry level and architect IT to engineering positions from graduate to PHD level. The announcement further cements Galway’s position as a desired location for multi-nationals and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation said it was a very positive indication of things to come.

“HP has chosen Galway for these highly strategic and knowledge-based roles in a move that reinforces our global reputation for high-end research and development activity. The investment shows that we can compete for highly skilled jobs in the information technology sector as we forge ahead with efforts to make Ireland Europe’s innovation hub.”

Senator Niall Ó Brolcháin, who is also a trained software and system specialist, said Galway is in a great position to take advantage of opportunities in this emerging sector.

“The software industry is a bright spot in our economy at the moment. I would very much encourage young people going to college to consider computer software and engineering as options, as Ireland is still a world leader in the high-tech industry sector.

“The recession is tough, but there are always positives to go with every negative. I believe that over the coming years we can anticipate more companies establishing operations here, particularly in the high-tech and green-tech sectors, and I look forward to welcoming further jobs announcements in the future.”

The Green Party Senator added that the immediate recruitment for these positions would provide hope for many families in the run-up to Christmas.

“The news that recruitment for many of these jobs will begin immediately is particularly welcome at this time of economic uncertainty, and I believe it will provide hope to many families in Galway this Christmas. Despite our current economic troubles, inward investment has been continuing and, as these investments show, Galway is a highly desirable location for multinational engineering and information technology firms.”

The Green Party Senator added that the immediate recruitment for these positions would provide hope for many families in the run-up to Christmas.

“The news that recruitment for many of these jobs will begin immediately is particularly welcome at this time of economic uncertainty, and I believe it will provide hope to many families in Galway this Christmas. Despite our current economic troubles, inward investment has been continuing and, as these investments show, Galway is a highly desirable location for multinational engineering and information technology firms.”

 Written by Marie Madden   

Link: http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/jobs-rush/

This article has been brought to you by Gray Office Park, Serviced Office Complex Galway.

 When Frank Hannigan needed to raise a first round of financing for his software start-up earlier this year, he didn’t want to waste time with endless calls and meetings with potential investors. “Every day you spend selling equity in your business is a day you are not selling the output of your business,” he says.

His solution? A note to 700 of his contacts on the business-networking site LinkedIn.

The message, which he hashed out with company founder Gerard Hartnett, was simple. Goshido, an Irish outfit that makes project-management software delivered over the Internet, was looking for 10 investors to pony up €25,000 (about $35,000) apiece. In return, they would each get a 2% share in the company.

Within a couple of days of sending the note through LinkedIn’s email service, Mr. Hannigan had 200-plus responses that ranged from requests for meetings or conference calls to lists of questions and quite a few messages that said, “No thanks, but I’ll pass it on.”

It’s Who You Know

Software engineer Dave Concannon, of Berkeley, Calif., was one of the people who got Mr. Hannigan’s note. “At first, I wondered if it was legitimate, since I had never seen anything like it before,” says Mr. Concannon, who knew Mr. Hannigan through previous consulting jobs. “Once I realized it was real, it seemed like a good idea.”

Mr. Concannon thought the company targeted an underserved niche in the project-management field and had a good team in place. What sealed the deal, though, was a perusal of Mr. Hannigan’s other LinkedIn contacts. “He’s connected to a high level of company owners, v.p.-level executives and entrepreneurs,” Mr. Concannon says. “If it was good enough for them, I wasn’t going to pass it up.”

Ron Immink of Dublin, chief executive of a consulting firm and founder of SmallBusinessCan.com, an online portal for small companies, was also won over by Mr. Hannigan’s approach. Not only did he decide to invest, but he also plans on doing his next round of funding through LinkedIn. “It has a transparency to it,” Mr Immink says. “You can see who the promoters are connected to, and start-ups are all about people and team.”

The final tally? Eight days after the note went out, all 10 of the investor spots were filled.

“I was completely blown away by the response,” says Mr. Hannigan. The company raised the roughly $350,000 it needed, and Enterprise Ireland, a government agency dedicated to fostering emerging companies, matched the funds.

Nothing Personal

Matthew Cowan, co-founder and managing director of Bridgescale Partners, a venture-capital firm in Menlo Park, Calif., says that he isn’t at all surprised by a small company taking this type of novel approach for its seed round of funding. “It’s very telling of what’s possible today. There is tremendous efficiency in applying social networking to a business context,” Mr. Cowan says. “It would have taken them six months [to do the same thing] in the old world.”

But Mr. Cowan isn’t ready to embrace this approach just yet. “The accessibility of start-up investment opportunities through social networking may be a great temptation for many,” he says, “but it may well mask the attendant risks, and many will lose 100% of their capital, because however you find them, start-ups are still risky bets.”

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704141104575587930815328888.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicity_Lightbody