Targeting an International Image

CEO SUITE, a chain of business centers in Asia has recently caused a ripple in the serviced office industry with the opening of its sixth center in Beijing, China, just 8 years into operation.

Owned and founded by Mee Kim, a Korean who married an Indonesian Chinese and has now found a home in Jakarta, CEO SUITE built strategies, created opportunities, and established branding amidst economic lows, bombs and riots in the city of Jakarta. Starting with 2 centers in Jakarta, first in the Jakarta Stock Exchange Building, following shortly in Wisma GKBI, CEO SUITE owes today’s success to its founder’s determination to overcome all odds.

Rapid in its expansion of its network, CEO SUITE today has a clientele of no less than 500 clients throughout all its centers in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai. “Next year, we add Beijing to the Group. And our target is in Asia,” says Maya Kandou, General Manager of CEO SUITE.

With selection of top-notch locations as part of its business strategies, each CEO SUITE center is located only in the prime estate of each city’s central business districts. Drawing many international and multinational companies, CEO SUITE Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai are located at the infamous Raffles Place, KLCC and HuaiHai Road respectively.

OPPORTUNITY Rental rates for office suites at CEO SUITE vary from US$800 to US$3,000. With this level of flexibility in terms of costs, it signifies huge business potentials for companies big and small. In both good and bad times, the flexibility includes both expansion and downsizing plans with bigger or smaller office suites at CEO SUITE. In addition, CEO SUITE provides a whole range of other services with clients’ requirements in mind. “We are not just an office suite provider, we aim to incorporate as many services as our clients can suggest! Our focus is to help our clients to focus”, explains Maya.

With 50 suites at each CEO center at the Jakarta Stock Exchange Building and Wisma GKBI, the possibilities for different types of offices remain unlimited for clients. With configurations designed to fit from 1 to 20 persons, each office suite is fully furnished with business facilities such as ISDN phone lines, digital phone system and high speed internet access.

And for those who require even lower commitment than a physical office, “our virtual clients need only pay for a business address, and call-answering services via a dedicated phone number,” explains Maya. With rent per month starting from US$60, each subscriber is assured of a prestigious business address, and professional business handling for all their calls and business transactions. With as little as 3 months’ rent, and without further renovation costs and utilities deposits, business owners can almost own and start their business immediately.

“There are indeed many of such serviced-office operators these days providing similar services, but it requires good management skills to operate it successfully,” enlightens Maya.

“All year round, our occupancy hovers around 90% in both CEO SUITE centers in the JSX building and at Wisma GKBI. We have had some slow times at our JSX center since the bomb but business has since picked up,” provides Maya. And as for the number of virtual offices one can have, “the sky is the limit for us!”

VALUE International as a Group, each CEO SUITE is however a local entity in each international city. This gives each center the competitive advantages in terms of operational costs – creating value, and building trust between CEO SUITE and its clients. “Assurances are constantly provided to our clients,” explains Maya, “we are honest with our capabilities and our limitations, thus eliminating delay time for them.” It is the provision of personal touches that we are aiming towards. And at the end of the day, we will do everything to ensure that our clients are happy.

Apr 26, 2013