By Rieva Lesonsky

photo momWith summer coming up, my business partners (all moms) are talking a lot about their child-care needs and how to handle them while still juggling the demands of business. That got me thinking about entrepreneurs and their family/work issues. The topic is on the mind of President Obama, too; the White House is hosting a forum on workplace flexibility today.

I’ve been doing some work with Regus, the world’s biggest provider of furnished and equipped offices and other work solutions, and their business model is all about flexibility. Here are some trends Regus is seeing:

  • More entrepreneurs are starting their own businesses after being laid off and are seeking flexible workplace solutions.
  • More companies are letting employees work from home–or from Regus office centers.
  • More businesspeople are seeking alternative spaces to work on the road, using Regus’ Businessworld membership program, which provides access to fully furnished offices worldwide.

Having worked in a couple of different office locations since launching my business two years ago, I can attest that setting up your own office is a hassle. You’ve got to deal with phones, Internet, equipment and physically moving your furnishings from one place to another–not to mention negotiating leases. A solution like Regus can be a great alternative.

But you don’t have to be launching a formal office to benefit from Regus’ services. One of the most useful options Regus offers is its Virtual Offices. If you’re a home-based business owner, you probably know you don’t want your home address “out there” as your business address. Nor do you want to use a P.O. box (that just gets no respect and makes you look small-time). A Regus Virtual Office starts as low as $50 a month and gives you access to a physical mailing address, phone number and receptionist, including meeting spaces when needed, office support and mail solutions.

You can find out more about Regus’ range of solutions for small business at the Regus Web site.