The country, no longer an emerging market, is becoming the biggest economy in the world. The effects of Chinese investment and influence impact almost everywhere. Its diverse markets and corporate culture, which support innovation and technology, add to its attractiveness.

Additionally, Chinese consumers that are interested in luxury goods and Western philosophies provide an ideal opportunity for international businesses to be successful in China.

So, what is the best first step for conducting business in China?

A good place to start is with a virtual office in Hong Kong. Considered as one of the best cities to establish and run a business, Hong Kong is attractive to foreign companies for many reasons, including its strategic location, air and sea transportation facilities, simple tax system, and free trade policy. It also offers a productive workforce, stable economic and political environment, world-class infrastructure, an efficient legal system.

In addition to these factors, there are many benefits of a virtual office, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses. These all-encompassing workspace provide a local address and telephone number for those looking for a base location without the trouble of maintaining permanent office space. They are effective for growing business, while managing the costs associated with expansion.

And, because virtual offices do not belong to any one organization, co-working can be a valuable advantage. Meeting and socializing with other business professionals, particularly locals, is a great way to learn about China’s corporate culture and increase business contacts. Likely most important, since technology is an essential part of business, virtual offices provide access to network connections and skilled IT support experts.

Natasha Fang, Founder and CEO of Tolmao Group, a leading integrated marketing agency headquartered in Shanghai City, has used virtual offices to expand her business throughout Asia. As an entrepreneur, she regularly visits the workspace of CEO SUITE, which has locations throughout the country. Located in some of the most prestigious buildings, they offer all essential services she needs, from sourcing local business partners to legal, accounting, payroll, and IT, at reasonable rates.

Ms. Fang recently visited CEO SUITE’s new Hong Kong location and was extremely impressed. Housed inside K11 ATELIER’s new 66-story, seven-star hotel, serviced residence, and mixed-use commercial office tower, it displays a magnificent waterfront view of the iconic Victoria Harbor.

Moreover, she was fascinated with the revolutionary museum retail concept that blends elements of art, people, and nature. The Japanese architectural firm expressed simplicity in every detail to create a space that projects thoughtful depth. Promoting renewable and clean energy, the facility is pre-certified by LEED, the Leadership of Energy & Environmental Design. Making it even more appealing are the Hong Kong Art Museum, the Garden of Stars, and A Symphony of Lights, which can be easily accessed via direct access to the subway.

According to Ms. Fang, “Not only is the location convenient, touting the city’s captivating lifestyle and culture, but the workspace design is intriguing and the skyline and waterfront view is stunning. Together, it’s serviceable, enlightening, and inspiring – perfect for conducting business!”

International companies, regardless of size, that want to expand their business in Asia should consider Hong Kong and start with a virtual office. As a good first step, it allows them to cost-effectively explore the beauty, the culture, and the opportunities of the Chinese market before making a firm commitment.

The post Why Set Up Virtual Office in Hong Kong? appeared first on CEO SUITE.

Lotte Center – Hanoi; Singapore Land Tower – Singapore; LKG Tower – Manila; Athenee Tower – Bangkok; Menara Maxis, Axiata Tower & Q Sentral in Kuala Lumpur; LG Twin Towers in Beijing; Shanghai World Financial Center, Bank of Shanghai and HK New World Tower in Shanghai; and AXA Tower, One Pacific Place, Wisma GKBI, Sahid Sudirman Center and Indonesia Stock Exchange Tower in Jakarta.

CEO SUITE takes pride of its 20-year experience in providing prestigious business centres, serviced offices, co-working spaces, meeting rooms and virtual office solutions to entrepreneurs, small and medium scale companies, and even multinational corporations in Asia’s key cities.

This exclusive deal is offered to all Visa corporate or commercial cardholders in Asia Pacific from now until March 31, 2018.

To learn more or avail of this exclusive offer, please visit: www.ceosuite.com/visa-exclusive-deals or send us an email at [email protected].

The post CEO SUITE Launches Exclusive Deals for Visa Corporate Cardholders in Asia Pacific appeared first on CEO SUITE.

Feng shui can be laughed off as mere superstition in today’s highly advanced society, but Kim Mee, the founder and president of CEO Suite, believes that selecting the best place with this age-old art is the first step for successful business in Asia.

That is why it took more than five years for the firm to open its second location in Seoul, she said during an interview with The Investor at her office in downtown Seoul earlier this month.

“I believe Feng shui gives you the necessary energetic support to attract your wealth and fortune. That’s one of the decisive factors during the site selection process,” Kim said.

CEO Suite rents out fully-serviced offices, with most of its clients being multinational firms seeking entry into Asian countries. But unlike its peers, the firm also provides all sorts of administrative services, depending on the needs.

“We were able to survive in the red ocean because we focused on offering services that meet clients’ needs, unlike our rivals that only rent out space,” said Kim, who has 28 years of experience under her belt in the serviced office industry.

“While we worked on our unique market positioning, other industry players were sold to investors like private equity firms,” she noted.

Kim first launched the business in Indonesia in 1997. With its latest Seoul location at Parnas Tower in Gangnam that will open in September, CEO Suite now runs 19 business centers in nine Asian cities including Beijing, Hanoi, Shanghai, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Some of CEO Suite’s high-profile corporate clients include Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Samsung and POSCO.

One key to success was catering to changing client demands.

“Firms these days want to cover several Asian markets at the same time and seek a diversity of services from us, from manpower and tax reporting to even interior decoration,” Kim said.

Another strength CEO Suite has over powerful rivals such as London-based Regus lies in its customized approach.

“I believe there are customers who want to buy bread from small artisan bakers who ferment the dough and deal with the whole baking process, something a giant bakery chain cannot do,” Kim said.

For that reason, Kim has turned down an array of merger and acquisition offers. She doesn’t want to expand the firm’s business portfolio to other sectors.

“Several investors suggested launching a consulting firm for startups, boutique hotel or a luxury spa. Some wanted to invest in CEO Suite but I always said no, because then we can’t make decisions independently and chasing profit becomes the firm’s top priority,” Kim said.

Her latest decision to open a center at Parnas Tower, located in one of Seoul’s most expensive business districts, was in line with this long-term approach.

“If I had investors, they would say I’m crazy because I’m making a big bet on Seoul despite the sluggish market sentiment,” Kim said.

So far, her judgment has not failed her; all of the 19 centers are making profit. And the average occupancy rate for CEO Suite’s centers stands at 90 percent.

This year, CEO Suite’s combined revenue is expected to reach 45 billion won (US$40 million), led by its Chinese operations.

The firm is also beginning to see more opportunities in the Middle East, Mexico and African countries. “Africa and Middle East are regions where our potential customers find it hard to get business resources and information,” Kim said.

By: Park Han-na ([email protected])

기사원문 – http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20160830000790

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Leading Korean Entrepreneur and President of the finest provider of serviced offices, CEO SUITE, Ms. Mee Kim, is one of them. Just like other owners of South Korean firms, the serviced office business expert, Ms. Kim, has seen the potential of Vietnam as a business hub, by expanding the CEO SUITE network to Hanoi.

Starting June 1, 2016, the CEO SUITE Hanoi Lotte Center, will open its doors on the 29th floor of the East Tower of the stunning Lotte Center to Hanoi businesses – from entrepreneurs, small to medium-scale companies, to multi-national companies alike.

CEO SUITE offers world-class and elegantly designed executive office suites for short or long-term lease, fully-equipped meeting rooms with breathtaking views of the city, “five-star hotel” standard reception area, VIP business lounge, service area for document printing, scanning and photocopying; business café with pantry facilities; and high bandwidth Internet WIFI access and modern telephone system.

As a one-stop office solutions provider, CEO SUITE offers customized services for businesses of every size – these include business set-up requirements, virtual offices (use of a professional business address for company registration and branding); receptionist and secretarial services; accounting and finance services; HR and recruitment services; and I.T. support services. Executive office suite rentals are also on flexible terms whether it be in terms of size, period of rental or pricing.

The CEO SUITE Hanoi Lotte Center is the first business center of CEO SUITE in Vietnam in its total network. The Lotte Center is a prestigious landmark in Hanoi being the second tallest skyscraper in Vietnam and home to the international 5-star, Lotte Hotel. This iconic structure was designed by two award-winning companies: the Seattle-based Callison Architecture and London-based Benoy Architects.

To know more about CEO SUITE Hanoi Lotte Center, please visit: www.ceosuite.com or send an email to [email protected].

The post Vietnam and Korea Business Ties Intensify with CEO SUITE Hanoi Lotte Center Launch appeared first on CEO SUITE.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam known for its centuries-old architecture and rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. At its heart is the chaotic Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade.

The Lotte Center is a prestigious landmark in Hanoi being the second tallest skyscraper in Vietnam and home to the international 5-star, Lotte Hotel. This iconic structure was designed by two award-winning companies: the Seattle-based Callison Architecture and London-based Benoy Architects.

In terms of accessibility, the Lotte Center is strategically positioned in the middle of the bustling city of Hanoi where the old city converges with the new, making it an ideal one-stop location for business or pleasure.

CEO SUITE is located at the 29th level of the East Wing of the Lotte Tower offering world-class and elegantly designed executive office suites for short or long-term lease, fully-equipped meeting rooms with breathtaking views of the city, ‘five-star hotel’ standard reception area, VIP business lounge, service area for document printing, scanning and photocopying; business café with pantry facilities; and high bandwidth Internet WIFI access and modern telephone system.

As a one-stop office solutions provider, CEO SUITE offers customized services for businesses of every size – these include business set-up requirements, virtual offices (use of a professional business address for company registration and branding); receptionist and secretarial services; accounting and finance services; HR and recruitment services; and I.T. support services. Executive office suite rentals are also on flexible terms whether it be in terms of size, period of rental or pricing.

To know more about CEO SUITE Hanoi Lotte Center, please visit: www.ceosuite.com.

The post CEO SUITE Opens its First Location in Vietnam, Offering Premium Serviced Offices at Hanoi Lotte Center appeared first on CEO SUITE.

There are currently about 60,000 Koreans in Indonesia, arguably the largest number of people in a foreign community. But unlike many of her compatriots, Mee Kim has made her mark as she never could have done back in her home country. “Because I am a woman, I was never given the opportunity to develop on my own over there,” she told Tempo.

Her home is now Indonesia, which is also the base for her multi-national company, CEO SUITE GROUP, providing office space and services to 2,000 international companies in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul.

Kim took time off to be interviewed by Tempo contributor, Seulki Lee, to
whom she shared her trials and tribulations to get where she is now.

Excerpts:

What made you come to Indonesia in the first place?
Twenty four years ago, I was in Australia to work for the Australian company after I completed my Masters degree in Sydney. They assigned me to run their office in Bangkok, as a Country Manager. After 2 years, they sent me to Jakarta to open up the new branch here. Jakarta then was bubbling and I fell in love with its energy and the people in spite of the traffic and the pollution. The business was very successful and we had potential clients lining up. Foreign investors were pouring into the country, and they needed temporary office space along with the administrative support. In 1997, I left the company to set up my own Serviced Office at the Indonesia Stock Exchange Tower2.

How, as a Korean woman, did you have the courage to travel and work outside of Korea?
In Korea, back in 1985, advertising for job openings specified that the candidate should have completed military service. That meant only men were qualified. The job openings for women in Korean firms were very limited to secretarial positions or professionals such as lawyers, medical doctors. So, after I graduated from a university in Seoul, I had no other choice but working for a foreign company or bank. Citibank was my first job. Every day was a night mare, and I was the worst performer in my department because I was not a number person. My boss even tried to match me with someone, so I would get married and quit quietly.

In 1998, it was very difficult to get a passport in Korea if you wanted to go overseas. At that time people hardly knew about Australia and there were very few Korean students in Australia. But they offered lots of part time job opportunities and allowed the graduatse to apply for the permanent residence. I could support myself without burdening my parents. So I quit Citibank and applied for master course in Sydney. But I had to do it quietly, because my father is from Busan where people are very traditional. He would never allow me to go overseas and live alone. I only told my mother and did all the preparations on my own. I left in the middle of the night. That is how my journey started.

How did you first get into this ‘office service’ business?
When I was in Sydney, I worked as a part time interpreter, but the income was not enough, so I rented one-room unit, and fitted it out with second hand furniture from the Salvation Army. I sub-leased the only bedroom to my Thai friend and I stayed in the living room with a sofa-bed. I cleaned the unit, cooked for her and she paid me the monthly fee. It covered living expenses and the rent. That’s how I survived. It was like my first business start up.

When I finished the study, the job situation was not any better. I sent hundreds of CV’s, and managed to get a job in a medium sized Australia firm providing Serviced Office business which was known to few people. But it fascinated me instantly. Somehow it was very similar to how I rented my apartment and serviced my friend.

I heard your company, CEO SUITE is growing 30-40 percent every year. How did it start?
It required pretty big capital in order to win over my previous Australian company and other competitors. I had to use all my savings and got the loan out of my husband’s house and my father’s apartment. Our first center was open at the Indonesia Stock Exchange tower2. There was a Korean businessman who opened up the biggest Korean restaurant in the same building, nearly the same size of 1,500 square meters of space. Many Koreans living in Jakarta betted on who would go bankrupt first between him and myself. A month later, the IMF kicked off the biggest Asian crisis. Lots of foreign investors evacuated. The whole of my bank loan was in US dollars, which fluctuated 20 times from the initial value. The Korean restaurant went bankrupt within a year. I got pregnant and the whole country was in mass. Riots, fires, raping and reformation. It was like a war zone, and most of foreign investors ran away including my previous company.

But, the crisis became an opportunity for me. Out of desperation, I had the idea to manage those foreign clients who were too scared to stay in Jakarta. We offered them a one-stop support services in addition to existing facilities such as serviced offices, internet, meeting rooms. They could sit in their head office comfortably and whatever they wanted, one email or a call to us was enough.

We filed the tax reports for them, handled their clients, attended whatever meeting they need to, managed their staff, processed their payroll, anything that needed to keep their Indonesia business going. They usually came about once a month, checked things out, and then went back. There was a huge demand at that time, and I made good business. In less than two years after opening our 1st center, we opened the second branch (at Wisma GKBI). We just opened our 14th center at the AXA Mega Kuningan City. The other centers are located in 7 other Asian cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul. We have been growing fast and mostly serving multi-national companies. We are the only Serviced Office Group with a team of women professional who are experts in this industry, chalking up 10 to 20 years of experiences.

So, 90 percent of CEO SUITE’s employees are women. Is there a limitation in hiring women?
Admit the reality: The men are empowered, they are in charge. If I were them, I wouldn’t give women a chance. I would maintain my power in the game. If each of us (women) helps each other, eventually it will happen. And it’s already happening in Korea. Back then, the challenge for women was how to balance marriage, our parenting role and our careers.

Can you name three women executives in Indonesia who have impressed you?
Shinta Kamdani (Sintesa Group’s managing director), who is very active politically in addition to her business. I described her as a superwoman. She does a lot of CSR work. We work on the Angel Fund together, helping Indonesian women to run small businesses by giving them training and funding. Then there’s Svida Alisjahbanana, who heads the Femina Group of publications. She is a wonderful mother, wife and is a great businesswoman. There is also Noni, the vice president of the Blue Bird Group. In Indonesia, there are many superwoman. I still don’t know how they can do what they do. I think Indonesian women are very lucky, because we still get a lot of domestic help, while in America or in Korea, women have to take care of everything. Everybody asks me, where I will go next, and I answer Indonesia. In the old days, people sought for the American dream. For me it’s the Indonesian dream. Many Koreans, myself included, have managed to make big things possible here. It could not have happened in any other place.

The post Pursuing the Indonesian Dream appeared first on CEO SUITE.

KL’s Finest Serviced Offices

The evidence is mounting that Asia is the place to be for business for the foreseeable future, and Southeast Asia is particularly favoured in this assessment. So if you’re an expat keen to do business in one of Asia’s power centres – from Shanghai to Jakarta and Seoul to Kuala Lumpur – one practical decision that can make everything remarkably easier is a serviced office.

Almost 16 years ago, an entrepreneurial Korean named Mee Kim drew upon her own considerable experience of living and working abroad and started her first serviced office centre in Jakarta, wanting to take what she had learned from working in this industry and elevate it to a whole new level, making her serviced office centre much more than just a temporary office space to let. She envisioned a “one-stop service provider” concept that would cater to any and every demand of business, and do so efficiently and seamlessly.

Today, CEO SUITE centres can be found not only in Jakarta, but in Singapore, Beijing, Seoul, Manila, Shanghai, Bangkok, and of course right here in Kuala Lumpur, where the third and newest CEO SUITE centre in the city has recently opened on the 26th floor of Menara Maxis at KLCC, complementing the existing centre on the 36th floor.
“We want landmark, prestigious addresses for our clients,” Ms. Kim explained, “so we target the best and most iconic buildings in the cities in which we operate. In Kuala Lumpur, KLCC is the definitive business address, and not far behind is the KL Sentral area. We have serviced office centres in both these highly desirable locations.”
And it must be said, the offices are superlative in every measure.

State-of-the-art equipment, every business necessity and convenience you would expect in any world-class office – from high-quality colour copying to paper shredding to teleconferencing, CEO SUITE capably and seamlessly provides it all. But what sets this company apart is its human touch, the personal attention given to each and every client.

Additionally, all management staff are proven industry professionals, most with more than 10 years’ experience in their field of expertise. Ms. Kim also highlights the company’s ethos with regard to service: “CEO SUITE offers the level of service that expats expect. Many of our clients are top managers in multinational companies and have cultivated a certain level of expectation in their business environments. We aim to exceed that at every turn.”
In KL, CEO SUITE offers short- or long-term serviced executive offices at two centres in Menara Maxis and one centre at Quill 7 in KL Sentral. Each of these centres offers well-appointed offices with high-tech boardrooms and conference rooms, fully stocked lounges and common areas, high-speed WiFi, top-of-the-line telephony and video conferencing, CCTV security, and all the servicing that sets CEO SUITE apart, such as multilingual phone answering, custom-tailored secretarial and IT services, networking events, accounting services, company registration and work permit services, translation, seminar planning… in short, anything and everything today’s business executive could need or want. And thanks to CEO SUITE’s locations throughout Asia, a client in KL can utilise the facilities in those other markets, as well. What’s more, there’s no minimum contract, no arbitrary limit imposed on how the relationship is structured.

“It’s completely up to the client,” explains KL’s centre manager Grace Lee. “We work closely with our clients to create what is a largely a’ la carte custom plan for them, taking into account what they need and not adding on what they don’t.” The result? A list of satisfied CEO SUITE clients that reads like a who’s who of some of the world’s most successful blue-chip companies, including such global titans as Coca- Cola, Nike, ExxonMobil, Siemens, Samsung, and many more.

Taking a business into a new market, particularly in a foreign country, is an exercise fraught with opportunities for missteps, frustrations, and loss of focus on the business at hand. Setting up with a serviced office allows you to bypass all of that, particularly when the office is managed by a crack team of top-tier, multilingual
industry pros. That’s what you get at CEO SUITE.

“We aim to exceed our clients’ expectations,” Ms. Kim explained.
“We give our clients immediate access to the world’s most dynamic business markets with no downtime, no capital investment, and no start-up hassles. Ultimately, we just want to make it easier for people to succeed in business here in Asia.”

For more information on CEO SUITE’s prestigious serviced office centres, please visit www.ceosuite.com or email to [email protected].

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‘글로벌 서비스 오피스 비즈니스센터’의 대표 브랜드로 잘 알려진CEO SUITE의 김은미 대표. CEO SUITE는 싱가포르, 자카르타, 상하이, 마닐라, 방콕 등 아시아 8개국도시 12개 지점에서 총 600여 실에 이르는 다양한 크기의 사무실을 완비하고 100여명이 넘는 전문인력을 통해 맞춤형 경영 서비스를 제공하는 다국적 기업이다. 고급 인테리어와 최신 기기를 갖춘 다양한 크기의 사무 공간과 최첨단 통신 시설을 갖춘 원격화상회의실과 세미나실, 카페 등 편의 시설이 완비되어 글로벌 비즈니스맨들의 최적의 파트너 역할을 수행하고 있다. 이처럼 글로벌 서비스 오피스의 명품 브랜드로 알려진CEO SUITE가 몇 달 전 드디어 서울의 중심이자 비즈니스의 허브인 광화문 교보빌딩 15층에 오픈하여 화제가 되었는데 더욱더 놀라운 것은 이 다국적 기업의 대표가 한국 여성이라는 점이다. 인도네시아에 거주하고 있지만 출장이 잦은 김은미 대표는 서울로 출장을 나온김에 흔쾌히 패션 클래스 촬영해 응해주었다. 짧은 헤어와 상쾌한 웃음의 첫인상이 돋보이는 김 대표는 평상시 의상도 본인의 성격처럼 대담하면서도 심플한 스타일을 즐긴다. 휴고보스우먼도 평소 즐겨 입는 브랜드라며 의상을 찬찬히 둘러봤는데 아무래도 출장이 잦다 보니 실용적인 블랙 아이템이 가장 편하다고 얘기한다. 첫 번째 룩은 심플한 블랙 재킷과 원피스. 얼핏보면 무난한 스타일이지만 블랙 재킷의 경우 소매가 니트로 디자인되어 활동적인 비즈니스 우먼에게 이상적인 아이템이다. 짧은 블랙 색상이지만 다른 소재의 블랙 원피스를 매치해 단조로움을 피함과 동시에 세련미를 더했다. 여기에 볼드 네크리스와 반지로 포인트를 더해 밤까지 이어질 수 있는 모임이나 파티에도 재킷만 벗으면 얼마든지 파티웨어로 연출할 수 있어 전반적인 라이프스타일을 포괄하는 그녀만의 시그니처 룩을 잘 드러냈다.

두번째 룩의 스타일링은 촬영을 위해 장소를 이동, 교보빌딩 15층에 위치한CEO SUITE 서울지점 안 그녀의 사무실에서 이뤄졌다. 광화문 일대와 청와대까지 한눈에 들어오는 멋진뷰를 자랑하는 사무실 전경과 군더더기 없는 블랙의 깔끔한 팬츠 스타일링이 썩 잘 어울려 보였다. 턱시도 팬츠를 본떠 커머밴드를 허리 부분에 장식한 팬츠로 자칫 매니시해 보일 수도 있음을 감안해 상의는 여성스러운 스타일의 저지조재가 돋보이는 오프숄더 상의를 코디했다. 마지막으로 존재감이 큰 귀고리를 매치하여 심플한 스타일에 포인트를 주었다. 하루에 두 나라를 방문할 때도 있다는 김 대표에게 블랙 색상과 저지 소재의 아이템은 안전하면서도 실용적으로 자신을 표핸해주는 탁월한 선택으로 보인다.

올해 딱 50세라고 웃으며 말하는 김 대표는 중년 여성이라고는 믿기지 않을 정도로 멋진 몸매를 자랑한다. 특별한 자기 관리법이 있느냐는 질문에 “타이트한 옷을 입으려면 아무래도 몸매에 신경 써야지요”라고 웃으며 말하지만 가장 큰 비결은 균형있는 식단과 충분한 수면이라고 전한다. 다국적 기업의 CEO답게 행사나 파티가 잦아 그녀는 가끔 존재감이 큰 볼드 주얼리를 연출한다거나 레드 같은 강렬한 색상의 원피스나 드레스를 즐겨 입는다고 한다. 그래서 오늘 그녀의 소셜룩을 위해 그래픽 프린트가 돋보이는 타이트 레드 원피스를 제안했다.

<대한민국이 답하지 않거든 세상이 답하게 하라>라는 책의 저자인 그녀는 책에서 성공적인 해외 취업과 창업 그리고 자신의 비즈니스 노하우까지 공개해 주목을 받았다. 자신의 멘토는 ‘유진 피터슨’이라며 그의 성경 책은 거의 정독했을 정도로 종교 생활을 통해 삶의 위안과 평온을 찾는다는 그녀는 균형 있는 삶을 강조했다. 마지막으로 촬영한 컷은 에지 있는 오피스 룩과는 다르게 그녀의 정적인 라이프 스타일에 초점을 맞춰 좀 더 릴렉스한 느낌의 편안한 캐주얼 룩으로 연출해 보았다. 한쪽 어깨선의 꼬임 장식이 비대칭적인 디테일로 모던한 느낌을 강조한 그레이 니트 상의와 비슷한 톤온톤의 카키 데님 팬츠에 가을 분위기를 물씬 풍기는 패턴 스카프를 매치했다. CEO SUITE안의 카페에서 포즈를 취한 김 대표는 데님 팬츠가 처음엔 다소 어색하다고 했으나 중년 여성도 이처럼 멋지게 데님 팬츠를 소화할 수 있다는 것을 보여주었다. 특히 여성은 나이들수록 캐주얼 의상을 헐렁하게 입으려는 경향이 있는데 평상시 조금씩 자신의 몸에 딱 맞게 입으려고 노력한다면 김은미 대표처럼 체중 유지에도 도움이 될 것이다.

The post “For a Balanced Life” appeared first on CEO SUITE.

Setting up a company in a foreign country is a tough job ― from getting an office and recruiting workers to consulting local lawyers and getting a telephone line.

Such difficulties opened Mee Kim’s eyes to the potential for a one-stop business solution company, like her CEO Suite.

CEO Suite is a serviced office operator, offering offices and clerical appliances to businesspeople who need such facilities for any period of time ― hours, days or maybe months ― just as they would stay in hotels on business trips. But office rental is not the only service the company offers.

“When you plan to open a branch in a foreign city, you not only need an office but also have to do all the chores. You have to do everything from registration to employee recruitment, which take three to five months.

“This is where we come in. You check into one of our branches and we’ll get you an office, phone, secretary and name card in five minutes,” CEO Suite President Kim said.

”We also help you get legal advice, accounting services and the best connections in the new environment so that you can start your business right away,” she said.

The company now has 650 offices, sizes of which vary, in 12 cities in eight countries, including Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Manila and Bangkok. The latest one was set in Kyobo Building in downtown Seoul in March, with 45 offices and conference rooms.

“We are the only company offering tailored business service. If a customer calls CEO Suite, our team will deal with everything, from pickup at the airport and hotel booking to arranging meetings with local businesspeople. Our service helps customers do business in the most efficient way,” the 49-year-old said.

There are other companies providing serviced offices, but Kim said her 23-year experience in the industry and consequent network in various cities makes CEO Suite special.

She broke into the sector through Servcorp., an Australian company she joined after obtaining a master’s degree in Australia because “no Korean firm wanted to hire me.”

“I was stressed out from racial discrimination. At that time, the firm opened a Bangkok branch but totally failed because it didn’t understand the Asian market’s unique culture. I insisted on going there, pointing out to the management that as an Asian, I had a better approach to the market. Experiencing trials and errors, I learned a lot _ how to respect other culture, do business in a foreign market and manage staff. In one year, the Bangkok office became the No. 1 among the firm’s worldwide operations,” she said.

Kim married a Chinese businessman in Jakarta and started CEO Suite in the Indonesian capital where she had a strong network, and the country, with a big market and abundant resources, had huge potential for foreign investors.

“I started the business in Jakarta and expanded it mainly in Southeast Asia, because in Korea, it was and still is not easy for a woman and a medium-sized company operator to achieve big success,” she said.

Kim said in Australia, as an Asian and a woman, she was a total minority. “If it’s not easy to change society, you can instead find a market where you can be a majority, where you can do well. Knowing yourself and promoting plans according to the way you understand yourself is the key,” Kim said.

Regarding the Korean market, where it is still difficult to find serviced offices, she said the culture is very unique. Foreign investors usually work with local companies rather than set up new businesses on their own, whereas Korean firms prefer to own facilities and don’t want to share offices with others.

“But once they try services like ours, they’ll find them efficient and cost-saving. Korean firms like Samsung and SK began to use our Southeast Asian branches while multi-national firms used to be our customers in the past,” she said.

Kim, who spends half of the year on business trips, plans to spend more time in Korea than before along with the opening of the Korean branch.

She said she has received inquiries from international companies’ Japanese branches seeking refuge until the neighboring country recovers from the recent catastrophic earthquake, adding CEO Suite’s service is also suitable as such backup offices.

“We can offer any types of service customers want, from just office rental to one-stop business solution. We are a ‘buffer’ for customers who have to adapt themselves to a foreign environment,” she said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2011/04/139_85509.html

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