For the 2011 holiday season, MPS Executive Suites held its Annual Holiday Celebration on Friday, December 9^th. Karline and the MPS Team look forward to this event every year as a way of saying “thank you” to our clients, suppliers, colleagues and friends.

Each year, the buzz amongst our staff starts early. Team members bounce ideas off one another to see what goodies they should bake or cook. As the people who know us and work with us can attest, each of us truly cares about the great relationships we have built. The entire team looks forward to hosting this big celebration and to spending time chatting with the people we work with every day, as well as catching up with those who we see less often.

This year, we were thrilled to have over 70 guests! One might think that over the years, attendance might dwindle a little bit. But happily, our party seems to be a popular one and the staff couldn’t be more proud of this!

Once again, we had many interesting and thoughtful door prizes donated – a big thank you goes to the following companies and people for helping us make the celebration even more cheery:

-  Better Life Immigration Consultants Inc. (Sunny Yee)

-  FDI Financial Diagnostics Inc. (Bryan Dar Santos)

-  Eng2 Ventures (Ray & Yvonne Eng)

-  Anne & Charlie Szalai

-  Jua Shilander, Illustrator & Designer

-  TPMG – The Property Management Group

-  MPS Executive Suites

We would also like to gratefully acknowledge all the hard work and help behind the scenes from Karline’s family and friends, Clara, Kathy, Karen and Harley.  Without all of this help, our staff, and especially Karline, would not have had the chance to socialize with guests and enjoy the party as much as we all did.

For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity to attend this year’s celebration, we sincerely hope you will be able to make it to next year’s party.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to the success of MPS Executive Suites throughout our 30 years in business! On behalf of Karline and all of the staff at MPS Executive Suites, we hope you have a very happy holiday season and a prosperous and joyful year in 2012!

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When I was interviewed for an administrative assistant position with MPS Executive Suites in March 2011, I spoke at length with the other staff members about the kind of working environment I could expect to encounter as a part of the MPS Team. Two things stood out from those discussions: There would be a very steep learning curve, and I would feel like I have become part of a family.

Well, I can tell you honestly that even though I had been warned about that steep learning curve, I was still quite surprised at the amount of detailed information and number of procedures I would need to quickly learn – and master – as an administrative assistant representing over 60 different companies in a business centre. So far, my time here has been a great and exciting challenge, and I have grown a lot as an individual.

In a business centre environment, having a solid team of support is crucial to each team members’ success. The other staff members have taken the time to patiently teach me practically everything they know, and to ensure that I have the essential details needed to complete my assignments accurately and with confidence. Karline Mark-Eng, our General Manager, oversees a diversely skilled group of individuals. She guides us through our daily surprises as well as our ongoing projects effectively, so that we are always closely watching each other and able to support one another when help is needed.

As promised, I do feel like part of the family. I have only been here at MPS Executive Suites for a few months, and although I still have mountains of training and refining ahead of me (that big learning curve I was warned about), I can look back now to the beginning of my training and see that I have come a loooonnnnnng way! Every day, there is something new to learn and an experience to grow from. Each staff person has been there to help me along the way, and I have become a proud member of this wonderful team.

When I attended the MPS Executive Suites 30th Anniversary Party on June 3rd, I was struck by the weight of all that had been accomplished by Karline and her staff over the years. There were many, many clients and suppliers in attendance who have been working with MPS for years and decades. These are ongoing working relationships, forged long ago, that have remained strong. I think these successful and long term relationships must be due to the caring attitude of Karline and all the MPS employees, all of whom are also long term employees.

As a team, the MPS staff is a dedicated bunch. We encourage each other to keep improving and learning, and it’s immediately apparent in our discussions how much we all value and care about our clients and suppliers, and each other. It is truly a pleasure to be here at MPS Executive Suites – learning from the best, in an exciting service industry, working with interesting businesses and people.

I’m looking forward to mastering even more details and procedures, and to building even closer working relationships here at MPS with my coworkers, our suppliers and our clients.

When Karline Mark-Eng, owner of MPS Executive Suites, stood up to give her speech at our company’s 30th anniversary celebration held on June 3^rd, 2011, one of the first things she mentioned was the old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” She said, “In my case, this couldn’t be more true. I have been blessed with having so many mentors and supporters in my life – and I’m still learning and growing, wondering what I’ll be when I finally grow up!”

Looking around the room at the party revellers, listening to the stories of our clients, suppliers, family and friends, I was filled with appreciation, knowing that these people are the very reason for the ongoing success of MPS Executive Suites.

Karline described the history of her life as a business owner. She spoke about the challenges of growing the business from a small secretarial service into what the business has become today, a thriving office business centre that provides a wide range of services to meet the needs of its ever growing and incredibly diverse clientele.

There were a few very special guests at the party, who Karline revealed to be great influences in her life. Karline started with Mr. Ellingham, her 6th Grade teacher, who came all the way from the Sunshine Coast to be here for this important occasion.

Karline said of Mr. E., “He had such a fun and interesting method of teaching, often using examples and stories to relate to the lesson at hand to make things easier to learn and remember. I seemed to have adopted his style, since I can never give instructions without long explanations and stories as to why I want things done a certain way . . . which I’m sure drives my team crazy at times!” A few of us staff members knowingly chuckled at this comment. Although it’s true, all the staff agree that without this trait, Karline would not be the great manager that she is. Thanks, Mr. E.!

Next, Karline spoke about “the woman behind it all”, the founder of “My Private Secretary” (the name that we now shorten to “MPS” Executive Suites) and Karline’s business mentor ever since: Diana Gray. Without Diana, Karline, the “little receptionist that could”, may never have turned into the successful entrepreneur she is today. Karline explained that Diana always has a positive outlook and gives her just what she needs from time to time – nudging, prodding, pushing and sometimes even shoving! Diana is usually right! There was great applause when Karline announced that this anniversary also marks Diana’s 30^th year as a business entrepreneur. Congratulations, Diana, on all your accomplishments!

Also sharing in this special celebration, were Karline’s parents. Her father, who owned and operated two restaurants back in his early years, had given Karline some excellent advice that has stayed with her since she first purchased the business in 1989. Karline shared her dad’s simple, but obviously effective advice with everyone: “Always treat your customers fairly, be sure to pay your suppliers on time, and appreciate your staff with all your heart.”

Karline explained during her speech that her parents have always been supportive about her business decisions. During our full office expansion and renovation, which was a painful and protracted experience for Karline and the staff, as well as our tenant clients, there were many who questioned Karline’s decision to expand. Karline’s dad remained positive and supportive, and provided a much needed sounding board for her during this difficult time.

Karline also thanked the other rocks of support in her life:  Her husband who has stood by her and has helped tremendously during her most challenging times; her two sons who have shared their “mom-preneur” with MPS their whole lives; and sisters Clara and Kathy, who catered the party with the most amazing food – this was definitely a highlight of the event! – and assisted in all the preparations, clean-up and everything in between to ensure that all the guests had a great time and enough to eat and drink. Clara designed and created most of the menu, and Kathy helped manage the party planning aspects, including door prize shopping and wrapping. Everyone marveled at Clara’s creations, especially the beef tenderloin, and the lucky winners of the door prizes will know first-hand what a superb job Kathy did with those!

The supportive staff, clients and suppliers were also given a special and heartfelt acknowledgment by Karline. It is a real tribute to MPS that so many of these people have been a part of its success for so long. MPS Executive Suites has been built on these longstanding relationships, which Karline and the MPS staff are proud to say are the backbone of our success. It was truly an honour to be able to say “thank you” to everyone present.

While the MPS Executive Suites 30^th Anniversary Celebration had all the elements of a party, including cake, balloons, an elaborate menu and even a life-sized Stanley Cup cut-out and M&Ms stamped with a special message, the event held an understated emotional tone. Throughout this momentous occasion, there has been a true feeling of pride in looking back on 30 years.

All of us greatly appreciate the relationships we have built with our suppliers and clients, most of which go back many, many years. We all enjoy being a part of each client’s business, in whatever unique capacity they need us. Thanks again to all our clients, suppliers, family and friends. We would be nothing without all of you!

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3:30pm – 7:00pm

MPS EXECUTIVE SUITES

#720 – 999 West Broadway, Vancouver

Please join us for a fun-filled event to celebrate 30 years in business!

Read our story!

Please RSVP in person, by phone at 604-732-3877, or by email to: offices@officespacevancouver.com

Everyone in attendance will have their name entered to win one of many door prizes. If you or your company would like to donate a door prize, please be sure to attach your business card and/or company brochure so that we can acknowledge your generosity.

Thank you so much for all your business and support. It’s been a fun 30 years, and we would not have been able to do it without you — our valued friends, clients and suppliers! We’ve had a blast, and are looking forward to working with you for many, many, MANY more years to come!

In its first decade, the company moved twice, expanded into shared office rentals and changed ownership to its present owner, Karline Mark-Eng, one of the company’s original employees.

Today that business is a full-floor office centre complete with high definition videoconferencing equipment, virtual telephone answering software, a data-minded printer-photocopier and administrative assistants to handle old fashioned things like typing!

The story of how it went from offering mere typing services, to increasing the productivity of over 500 businesses, is one you’ll have to ask Karline about, if you can catch her.

However, we can tell you this:  30 years ago was before fax machines were found in offices. Imagine the look on people’s faces when a piece of paper could travel to another place without leaving the room!  So e-mail and Internet were unimaginable at that time.

Despite the changes in communication technology, the most memorable shift in the company’s history was the ultimate full-floor expansion and renovation in 2009.   Renos are never easy, but the staff pulled together and the end result was a beautiful Vancouver-class business centre.

At MPS Executive Suites, every client is different, and no day is the same as another. Yet everyone gets served promptly and the job is always done, regardless of specification!  The

four words to describe the last 30 years would thus be: “Never a dull moment!”

This year, MPS Executive Suites (that’s what the name morphed into), celebrated its 30^th birthday.  It was almost in secret – the special day was enjoyed intimately with staff and clients who got a surprise piece of cake as they walked in the door.  Diana Gray, the aspiring businesswoman described above, arrived with balloons and flowers to congratulate the centre she launched way back on April 1, 1981.

For those who missed it, not to worry, because the big celebration splash will be on June 3.  And yes, there will be food, balloons and merry-makers to celebrate the success of this dynamic and thriving business!

As you’ll see from our photos below, the event was sparkling with office cheer.  The staff members who spend the rest of the year making our clients’ business run smoothly were as usual, working smoothly as a team, ready at any moment to serve up a glass of cabernet sauvignon, wisk away an empty plate, replenish a glass of sparkling apple-pomegranate juice, … or anything else needing to be done for our very valued guests.

Gourmet treats in the boardroom varied from delightful prawns and smoked salmon with new and unique sauces and dips, such as the lemon and capers cream cheese spread, the apple curry cheese dish, and the honey-mustard dipping sauce for the cocktail sausages.  Of course, no party would be complete without dessert, which is why (amongst other sweet goodies) a bright red “Season’s Greetings” chocolate yule log cake was also present!  Thanks to Clara, Karen, Deserae, Laura and Bonnie for adding to the food table with their delicious homemade treats.

Aside from the excitement of making new friends, networking and enjoying each other’s company, the final highlight was the drawing of many prizes!   In addition to MPS’ own door prizes,  special thanks goes to our clients who also graciously donated prizes:  Dennis & Fenella Sung from DS Communications Group, Sunny Yee from Better Life Immigration Consultants, Anne & Charlie Szalai, Ray & Yvonne Eng from Eng2Ventures, and Monika Tsang. Congratulations to the lucky winners of gift baskets, bottles of wine, decorative serving dishes and platters, silk scarves, picture coasters, neck massager, etc., and all the rest!

We look forward to another year of more than just ‘doing business’ with you all!  On behalf of the MPS Team, thank you for being such an important part of our business!  We wish everyone a warm and happy holiday season, and all the best for 2011!

Below are some of our photos from the evening.  Click on a thumbnail to view the photos in a slideshow, or click “View with PicLens” to see the photos play automatically.  To view our library of over 85 photos, please click on the Flickr link here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57362835@N02/

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To help you along, we’ve identified two instances when a coffee shop works great, and two instances when it doesn’t.  Let’s start with times when it’s okay:

When meeting someone you know: If you know the person, the ‘first impressions’ risk is usually over and you are likely comfortable being transparent with each other.  At this point, even if it is business, it is nice to get out and enjoy a latte over a good chat.

When networking: Many people mistake networking for sales opportunities. You should only be trying to build a relationship so that you can refer business to each other down the road.  On your first visit, it’s best to be as non-intimidating as possible.  A coffee shop is good neutral ground for two business owners to take the time to learn more about a potential relationship.

Now, on to the times when you want to avoid the coffee shop and go with an hourly office or boardroom instead:

When making a sale to an executive: Chances are, when an executive wants to hear your pitch you’ll be doing it at their place, not yours.  However, there are times when the bigger business owner will take the time of day to see the caliber of your working environment.  Don’t take chances – a professional office will show that you’re capable and ready to make that big handshake.

When making a presentation: If you are meeting someone to present your product or service, or to teach them how to use something, coffee shops will only serve as a distraction with their loud music, crowded environments (can you imagine there being no table available?) and slow internet connections. Hourly boardrooms are specifically designed with the right equipment and services that a business would need, and the price is about the same as renting a community centre space or the amenities room in your apartment building.  In addition, your guests will be greeted by a professional ambiance, having a receptionist to speak with and an elegant waiting room to wait in.

The great thing about being a business owner is that you learn to make judgment calls based on your intuition and experience.  You will know when it’s right to use the coffee shop and when it’s not, and you will also learn how effective it can be to portray professionalism with a real office space.  Hourly office spaces mean that as a new business owner, you don’t need to make the huge lease investment to start.  You can take it slow, hour-by-hour, until the big handshake with the executive pays off.

The switch from a brick and mortar office setting to a virtual one, however, should be done with care.  The shock of the change can cause productivity and stability to suffer at first.

Assuming you’ve already decided that going virtual is going to be advantageous to your business (the cost savings, the environmental benefits, employee satisfaction, and so on), the following tips should be considered before you are completely freed from your roll-around chair and phone ear syndrome:

1.  Think about it. It sounds so simple you probably forgot to do this step.  Take a day or two to brainstorm what this shift will do to your business.  Consider the challenges as well as the benefits.  How will you overcome the side effects?  What will you do if you can’t get out of your office lease as soon as you thought you could?  Do all your employees even like the idea of working from home?  Will you be able to keep your existing phone numbers or will you need to print out new business cards?

2.  Start implementing flexibility. Before you take a leap into the deep end and close your doors to go virtual over night, start practicing a virtual lifestyle gradually. Schedule employees to work from home some days.  Get their personal phone lines ready so they can get used to the idea of their work following them all day.

3.  Shake off the boss. Ok, not completely, but this is really important.  Your employees are probably very used to having their boss around at all times. They need to get used to their independence, and they need to learn to make executive decisions based on the personality of their boss.  They also need to know how and when to get a hold of their boss in exceptional circumstances.  So stop coming to the office every day!

4.  Implement a “Results Only Work Environment”. This is a concept created by Best Buy, now being adopted by other organizations.  You will need to create a new mentality about how your employees meet their job demands.  If they can get their task done in four hours instead of eight, they get to go home early.  While in the last step employees had to learn to work without their boss, now the boss has to learn to work without the presence of employees around all the time.  Remember, in a virtual environment, your employees won’t be clocking in, and certainly won’t be tracked.  Now it’s about the work, not the time.

5.  Get ready for ‘techy’. Believe it or not, there are a myriad of technologies out there (often for free!) to help your business operations.  You may have been fine without them until now, but the virtual environment will demand them.  Start researching and implementing the new technologies right away.  It’s hard for office employees to chat using forums and project management software when they’ve spoken face-to-face for so long.  And it may be hard for you the business owner to give instructions using video conferencing software.  But without the practice, major communication hurdles will result, affecting your business success in the completely virtual environment.

6.  Establish a meeting spot. When you get rid of your office lease, you will still need a place to meet in-person from time to time.  This will help employee morale and motivation.  It will clarify goals and keep you bonded as a team.  It will also uphold your company image in front of old-fashioned thinkers who will only regard you if you have a physical office address.  Since it would be pointless to sign another lease that will bind you to a full-time office space, consider using an hourly-based office service where you can rent boardrooms and professional meeting rooms for only the time you need them.

Of course, as you do your research and take the advice of the above steps, you will discover more that needs to be considered before you quit your traditional office ‘cold turkey.’  Take 6 to 12 months to prepare for the change so there are no negative surprises.

The lesson learned is that there are times when video conferencing can be a lifesaver for businesses, and times when face-to-face contact is simply indispensable.  Here are a few examples where a face-to-face meeting, even if it involves travel, would best replace a video conference:

• When firing people, as in the example above.  Not taking the effort to show you care about an employee’s future by having an in-person office meeting would shed negative light on your company’s corporate culture.

• When discussing an employee review, especially when sensitive matters are brought up, such as poor performance or potential probationary periods.

• When brainstorming, since it can be hard to think of ideas and share notes and white board drawings digitally – even though the technologies do exist for that.  Socially speaking, it would be more effective in-person.

• When holding a conference or team training session that will last more than one session.  Tired eyes and distractions from the hallway footsteps can certainly be a drain on employees in a far away office.

On the other hand, video conferencing can be a great tool to use in the following situations:

• To hold a partnership or board meeting to discuss routine matters that the participants are already familiar with.

• To host a Webinar that will allow distant potential customers to get a ‘taste’ of what you offer as a business.

• To tune in to an event happening in another city that you or your employees won’t want to miss.  For example, a speech being given by a CEO or President of a large corporation at headquarters.

• To hold a short training session in multiple cities for your employees.  Something like an exciting rally to gear everyone up for the upcoming Christmas selling season would be appropriate, to encourage team unity and enforce a corporate vision across the country.

The great thing about video conferencing is that it doesn’t need to be something your office houses as part of company equipment.  Places that offer a video conferencing room are available for rent by the hour or day and can provide a great alternative to buying your own, or even renting, transporting and having to set up the equipment at your own office.

The trick, however, is to be socially and culturally conscious about this new technology as you are embracing it.  Although video conferencing can save your company a lot of expense in travel and time costs, it cannot replace the effect of real-life human interaction.  Like in the case of firing people through a screen, George Clooney’s character tried hard to convince his counterparts that real people have feelings.

Sending the message is one thing, but the way you send it is another, and can transmit a totally different meaning depending on what you are using.  For cases like this, be sure to book an office space and have a proper, in-person appointment to deliver the news.

The view just got brighter and better.  This new printer has all of the following high-tech features available to all account holders at the MPS business centre:

Ability to print or scan from a USB drive – the ultimate flexibility that a printer could offer has arrived.  You won’t need to load anything up on your computer first to send to the printer.  Just walk over, charge up the printer with your documents on memory and away you go.  What a lifesaver when the board meeting is waiting for you!

Both traditional office and professional graphic printing – with up to 600×600 dpi, and cost efficient colour printing technology, you can print a colour card for just $1 at MPS!  Your photos can be scanned as JPEG and TIFF and e-mailed to any address straight from the printer or even saved onto your USB Flash drive!

Large sheet printing capacity – the new printer will have a bypass tray that can handle up to 12 x 47 inches and 100 lb. cover paper!  Translated, that means posters and banners can be printed in-office.

Paper to digital processing – yes, we said paper to digital, not digital to paper.  The amazing new technology on the machine will allow you to convert your paper scan into one of several file types, including .PDF and .DOC so you can edit right on your computer without having the original digital file.

Colour touch screen – no more getting lost by pressing buttons that all seem to look the same without your glasses on!  With an 8.5-inch control panel you’ll be able to see those buttons ‘loud and clear.’

Scan to e-mail, network connection and all the ‘regulars’ – as usual, you’ll still be able to scan your documents as .PDF, .TIFF or .JPEG and send straight to any e-mail address from the printer.  You’ll also be able to connect to the printer on the office network and print wirelessly.  Ah yes, and it still does those regular ‘ol photocopies!

That ‘green’ feeling – luckily, as super-powered as the new machine is, it’s also Energy Star efficient.  To give some extra perks, there was no halogen used in the production of the equipment and the circuit board is 70 per cent lead free.

The new copier arrived on site over a month ago, and MPS tenants have enjoyed the seamless transition and have been commenting on how easy it is to use and understand . . . and the best part? . . . there are no rate increases with all the added features the new copier brings – just another little perk added on to the many benefits of joining MPS Executive Suites!