Voffice Founder's stories

Before founding Voffice, I was Territory Sales Manager in central region with nearly 10 years working for Exxon Mobil Corporation - a largest corporation in oil and gas in the world. In Viet Nam, the headquarter of the company based in center of Ho Chi Minh City. The company never thought to rental office but had has representative sales in central-which I was. In Hanoi, the initial rental companies have office at Hanoi Tower, and then to the end of 2007 the company did not hire more and the entire staff move to home to work. I

worked with my supervisors and colleagues in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Singapore or ect… through mobile phones, laptops, email, fax. I usually moved in all my assigned territories by car. My home is also the "office" where I did my paperwork as reports, sale contracts with customers, announced the investment promotion.... This is popularity practice of multi-national company; they called "Home Based Office" model.

The company has applied the "Home Based Office" model to the market outside the main market of them. Using of the model is quite successful in the business for failing to hire office, not cost of equipment, not administrative staff at the provinces. However “Home Based Office “model brought many weakness points and is "outdated" by the following actual stories that I had experienced during nearly 10 working years.

Virtual Office Vietnam ( Voffice) is founded by me will completely overcome the weakness points of the "Home Based Office” model. Voffice is one of few companies as the pioneer in Viet Nam and the first in central.

The first story :
Although I based in Da Nang city and worked in central provinces but my business cards record "Exxon Mobil (Vietnam) Co.Ltd, Diamond Plaza, 34 Lê Duẩn, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City; Tel: 08.8233250; Fax: 08.8233251 ..." . Customers looked at the business cards and often asked "Where we are contacting you in Danang? What are your telephone and fax numbers in Danang? " You are in Ho Chi Minh city, it is very far for me ” .I answered :" please call my mobile phone, I will come to you immediately " They continued to ask" Whom I contact If you go outside the cell phone network coverage ? I am a sales professional and skilled answer "you call any via mobile, please leave a message, a mobile phone is always to voice mailbox".
I knew my customer want to know our desk telephone numbers and reception staff speak of my going out the office, but really I did not dare to introduce the phone number at my home where Exxon Mobil company set "ref. office “in the central, because I were very concerned when customers call to encounter if unfortunately charwoman listen the calls that did not know what will happen to me. So I was not giving the phone number to new customers and the customers also.... good bye me! Because their feelings that it is inconvenience cooperating with a partner who based and live in too far ... in Ho Chi Minh City. Even though I often stayed in Da Nang, but I did not dare introduce me in Da Nang because they would ask the Danang address of company they would come and discuss with us. I couldn’t introduce my own home for them because my own home is not look like the office, it is in the deep alleys, there are many people at my home, and so I did not dare invite customers of Exxon Mobil come to the "office" to discuss or meeting. That was a headache!

The second story:
With job of territory sales manager, I really difficult to treat when customers want to make an appointment to meet directly to discuss a new business. Knowing my company has no place in Da Nang to receive guests, and so I always find ways to meet customers at their companies. Of course also can not be so long, so I was forced to invite them to café shop or small restaurant (Vietnamese calls Quán nhậu) in order to discuss with customers! That is the inconvenience and not professional but it is the only way I can do to maintain and develop the market in central.

The third story:
I was often being “tasting flavored" above two cases for a long time. However with the best efforts and professionalism, my customer lists was as long as I can, although I also lose a lot of customers for the above inconvenience .Some customers were "allergic" by the time first because they think I was stayed and live in HCMC it is very far from them. They were afraid that I didn’t serve timely.

One time, after meeting with a customer at café shop. This customer complained that our company does not I used to meet customers at cafe shop

have a place to meeting in Danang; he also called me “invisible homeless". Be pressure from him, I was being suddenly smart and popping out ideas, why not use distributors’ offices to meet our customers? I told to distributors, all of them welcomed ideas from me and they accepted immediately without having to think, they did not charge any fee for our company because they wanted to have good relationship with the sales representative. Moreover, I earned customers whom will be delivered back to them. I was very happy to write and send e-mail on notice "ideas" of this. Less than 2 minutes, my supervisor declined immediately and alerted that I never did that because distributors know the information of the company if I often work sitting in the their office. Moreover my supervisor did not want me and distributors having solid relationship. supervisor concerned I will be biased opinion when deciding something related to business with distributors

The fourth story
That's no way, I had to accept working under the "Home Based Office" model that the company has come up if I wanted to continue to exist for earning monthly salary.
This fourth story was back the first story is above, and then to the second story.... and to continue until I leave Exxon Mobil after nearly 10 years working to founding Voffice services.

The fifth story: The story of Voffice.
I leave Exxon Mobil after nearly 10 years of service, Voffice services have been come out into the market. I believe Voffice services will resolve all the difficult situations mentioned above. The purpose of Voffice is intended to help entrepreneurs in the north and the south who want be expanding markets in the central. Entrepreneurs are no longer worried about the cost of renting offices and other office expenses. Voffice also very relevant to young men who live and start up business in Danang city.
Besides providing to customers a nice address business at the center of Da Nang city, Voffice provides workstations at Voffice office to do your paperwork. Voffice supply a professional meeting room for discussing with your customers to avoid at café shop or restaurant like I did before. Virtual office services also provides other services as receptionist's phone jobs, cabinet records, mail, fax, even, can borrow virtual assistant, using of office equipments such as printers, fax machines, photo machines, telephone ... Instead of buying all office equipments and maintain monthly office expenses (rental office, salary for admin staff , electricity, water ...) Enterprises can use the services of Voffice with very cheap packages ranges from 50 to 120 usd per month, the enterprise does not need to rent office, do not need to purchase equipment at all. Enterprise will save a huge cost and much more dynamic.

'Today, the popularity of information technology, telecommunications has changed our working habit from face to face meeting to communicate via telephone and email, therefore, the investment in the physical office is a waste ". For start-up businesses or established businesses already have offices in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi or elsewhere do not necessarily having offices in Da Nang. I think Entrepreneurs need a warehouse, 2-3 sales and hire Voffice services is enough.

Called "virtual office" because entrepreneurs are not the owner of office but has the right to use the entire office to work , of course, need to sort calendar to avoid overlap hours , As such, can also call it is a "shared office". Whether such, the phrase "virtual office" is used more commonly. This service has been popularly used in developed countries like USA, UK, and Hong Kong, Singapore for recent 03 years. However, Voffice services are suitable for Viet Nam and enterprises in the north and the south that are intended to expand the market in the central provinces.

Voffice Images