Time=Money: Video Conferencing saves you Both

Video Conferencing Group

From the rise of Youtube to the era of the Instagram vertical video, it’s hard to deny that video in general has become cheaper and more accessible. The technology has already been in place for remote video conferencing for years. But poor video quality and hard-to-hear audio made them fall out of favor.

In the modern business sphere, information has to be shared and traded immediately. Which is great if you’re sitting across from your team mate, but if your company is large enough to have offices in different parts of the world, then it might get more difficult.

Of course, E-mail has it’s uses. However, just like any piece of written work; “context is key”, and the message can be lost in translation. Nothing beat face-to-face communications, but it’s not always practical, or even possible to sit in the same room.

To be able to share the entire context of your vital business information, the solution is video conferencing.

Additionally, video conferencing allows for the reading of body language, share thoughts, ideas and information while allowing you to read your audience to ensure they’re receiving the information in the intended manner. It’s a tremendous tool for training purposes and makes remote working a breeze.

However, it’s not as simple as setting up a Skype account and letting everyone have the address. First of all, Skype is not very secure, and if you have information that you want to keep private, that may not be the best option.

And of course, being a free option, it’s likely to be monetized in other ways. Nothing is more embarrassing than meeting with a new client, and having an Ad pop up during your presentation.

Also, while the video quality is usually ok, it’s not reliable, and while that might be fine if you’re just chatting with a team mate, it’s not good enough if you’re speaking to a client, or giving a large board presentation.

So not only do you want to have video conferencing available, but you also need it to be private, and be clear and crisp.

The Rostie Group can provide for all of your video conferencing solutions!  Our rooms have video conferencing equipment that is secure and easy to use. And in case of trouble, we have on-site tech support ready to make sure you have the best experience.

Give it a try today! 

 

The Oxford Way

Back in September 2017, Oxford Properties conducted a customer satisfaction and loyalty survey. Many clients took the time to let Oxford know whether they were meeting or exceeding service expectations. To celebrate the fantastic results Oxford have created a visual representation of this commitment via “The Oxford Way” video:

We love being part of WaterPark Place!

Here’s some events they’ve held in the building over the past year:

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Click here for more information on how you can become part of the Oxford community.

The Scoop is out for April!

Stay in touch with the waterfront work community this Spring! Grab lunch from the newly renovated Sobey’s on Queens Quay, then take advantage of our complimentary helmet and bike locks to take a trip down the Waterfront trail using Toronto’s Bike Share system. The Rostie Group would like to welcome ioFabric, The Northern Coast and The Staffing Exchange to the waterfront work community; we are looking forward to a Spring and Summer full of exciting events and winning baseball games! Go Jays Go!

Build your brand awareness in Toronto with a Lunch ‘n’ Learn and Rise & Shine Breakfast!

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Build your brand awareness and gain new clients in Toronto! The Rostie Group at 20 Bay Street, WaterPark Place wants to help your business succeed in Toronto with the right exposure. Lunch ‘n’ Learns and Rise & Shine Breakfasts are a very popular and promising method for educating business professionals and attracting new clients to your company. At The Rostie Group, we offer modern and professional boardrooms and training rooms to host the seminar – at no cost to your company! With over 100 clients, and a social media and digital marketing platform that reaches more than 10,000 people – your Lunch ‘n’ Learn or Rise & Shine Breakfast is guaranteed to pull a promising audience.

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Elaine Newman, CEO of Global Learning, Lunch ‘n’ Learn 2015

In one hour you have the chance to engage and educate potential clients, business partners, and Toronto’s financial district on the inner workings of your business.

Business methods, challenges, successes and failures all make for relevant presentation starters. People want to to know the story behind your startup and how they can partner with you to create a promising future for all business in Toronto.

Whether you are heading up a tech company, the next big bank, or making it as an entrepreneur, a Lunch ‘n’Learn or Breakfast Seminar is the best way to get your brand, your business and your name out in Toronto.

Take a look at some of the insightful and inspiring Lunch ‘n’Learns and Rise & Shine Breakfast Seminars that have been hosted at The Rostie Group:
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https://www.rostiegroup.com/blog/free-rise-and-shine-breakfast-seminar-july-8th-800am/

https://www.rostiegroup.com/blog/free-lunch-n-learn-with-davis-martindale-accounting/

https://www.rostiegroup.com/blog/lunch-n-learn-retrospect/

https://www.rostiegroup.com/blog/content-marketing-lunch-n-learn-by-marketingcopilot/

Do not miss this opportunity to make your brand a household name and gain valuable exposure to Toronto businesses!

Call today to book your free Lunch ‘n’ Learn or Rise & Shine Breakfast in Toronto!

1-800-648-1840              info@rostiegroup.com

 

Waterfront Suite – Corner Lake View @ WaterPark Place with Five Private Offices & Multi-Use Space

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The Rostie Group provides more than just office space. When you become a part of our waterfront work community, your team is set up for support, growth and success.

WaterPark Place is the newest and hottest building in Toronto’s Financial South Core. Fully renovated, the prestigious 20 Bay Street address is home to more than a few big names in the industry. At The Rostie Group, professionally trained staff are here to ensure your productivity is the main priority.

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Our Reception team will greet and provide all your clients with the best in customer care. The Meetings Manager is here to handle all your meeting needs; from interviews to training sessions and evening events we have an array of meeting rooms that are available for your use.

Our Community Coordinator plans in-house events for every occasion – Social Fridays, Chili Cook-offs, Holiday Festivities – and is there to support and brighten the overall morale of the centre. The Rostie Group lounge encourages positive interaction between all tenants, fostering new friendships and business colleagues.

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When you are ready to hit the gym with your new found friends, TriFit has outfitted 20 Bay St, with an up-scale gym experience right in the building! Exclusive to WaterPark Place tenants only for $35/month – this brand new amenity includes group fitness classes, spinning, state of the art weight training machines with lockers and showers. TriFit gym ensures your team can take a well needed workout break without leaving the work community!

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Need a last minute computer hooked up? Looking for some troubleshooting help? We have an onsite IT team here to ensure all your technical needs are taken care of immediately. Because lets get serious – the Internet is everything these days! The Rostie Group prides itself on being a flexible and customizable work community. Configure your new team space to reflect your company’s values! Bean bag chairs and basketball hoops or leather chairs with mahogany desks – customize your space for your team with our help.

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If you have ever worked on a beach before, you know that having an amazing view can be awe-inspiring and get those creative juices flowing. The views from Team Space 103 are expansive, overlooking the recently completed Waterfront renewal, mentioned by The New York Times as one of the top places to explore in Toronto (which has been ranked 7th best city to visit in 2016!). This summer will be humming with excitement right outside your new workspace. You can commute on your bike along the shore, have a picnic lunch in the gardens by the waterfront and catch a Blue Jays game after work, with the Rogers centre and Union station a 5 minute walk away. The diverse and liveliest parts of the city are at your fingertips!

Come and see for yourself what Toronto’s thriving South Core has to offer. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

The Scoop is Out for March!

Spring is in the air…almost! Before the snow melts, make sure you check out the Sugar Shack on the Waterfront’s Sugar Beach March 12th-13th! The Waterfront also has tons of activities for March Break, including Kids Camps.

St. Patricks Day is also just around the corner, be sure to head to the Miller Tavern for some amazing specials and a Guinness or two!

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/camps/marchbreak/

http://www.dayofhappiness.net/

http://www.sugarshackto.ca/

http://towaterfrontfest.com/

http://www.themiller.ca/Bay/main.html

 

 

Throwback Thursday to the 90’s!

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Do you remember the 90’s?

If you know what Seinfeld, VCR’s, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, flip phones, Tamagotchi’s or Beanie Babies are, then most likely you lived through the 90’s.

In 1991…

This is what the Apple logo looked like 

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The Motorola had a wicked antenna

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Brad Pitt finally got his big break in one of that year’s biggest hits: Thelma & Louise

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The release of Nirvana’s Nevermind signified the start of the Grunge era that would dominate the music scene up to the mid-90’s (We all know what the cover looks like)

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The Internet is made available for unrestricted commercial use and the number of computers on the net reaches 1 million (today there are 3.17 billion people online)

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1991 is when The Rostie Group was founded to provide businesses and start-ups with the option of smaller, more manageable space. There were 2 locations, one near the Pearson airport as well as downtown Toronto.

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Shared workspaces were called ‘hot desks’ instead of ‘coworking’ and boardrooms looked like this:

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Believe it or not, The Rostie Group prices were higher in 1991 than they are today!

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This marketing poster was the first advertisement for The Rostie Group. We still have the same view, and the same phone number. Pretty sure that guy does not work here anymore though.

The Rostie Group office spaces now start at $350. The ‘Corporate Identity Plan’ is now a ‘Virtual Office’ for remote workers and plans are only $69!

Since it is Throwback Thursday, here is one more of The Rostie Group 90’s Reception, one from the 2000’s and finally from today!

There are still friendly fish tanks around the centre, but we have gotten rid of those amazing white leather couches and dark wood. Are the 90’s back in style yet?!

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http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1991.html

http://www.statista.com/statistics/273018/number-of-internet-users-worldwide/

 

 

This is our Waterfront

Welcome to our Waterfront work community!

We love being a part of Toronto’s vibrant and fun Waterfront.

From June 19-21, 2015 the Redpath Waterfront Festival helped launch Toronto’s newly revitalized waterfront with 5 Events in 4 Parks over 3 Days along 2 Kilometres, making it 1 Giant Party!
Events included Party on the Promenade, DANCE Pan American Style, DockDogs & Ultimutts, Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival and Sweetness Pride Beach Party.

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The promenade never looked so good!

We are looking forward to 2016!

Millennials – Challenges in the Workforce

 

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Everyone knows that the millennial workforce thrives on coworking, coffee and flexibility in their chosen career path(s). There is even a study called NextGen to support this! “Where Generation X values control over work, development opportunities and pay satisfaction, Millennials are driven by the more social needs of flexibility, appreciation and team collaboration” (PwC, 2014). Many millennials identify their work habits as multifaceted; calling themselves entrepreneurs, tech-pros, freelancers and bartenders all at once. A one track career path is seen as boring or lacking in opportunity these days. Life-work is connected now more than ever, and everyone wants a personal experience, and to work for a brand that represents them (think Coca-Cola’s name bottles).

The challenge is this:

How can I merge my personal goals with my career and income generating goals?

You could take the advice ‘follow your passion and the money will come’. Well what if your passion is watching full seasons of ‘Friends’ on Netflix, with no breaks, all week long?

Or follow the trend right now and become an insta-famous tech startup! Maybe move to Silicon Valley, wear awesome Chive t-shirts and have a man-bun.

It works for these guys —-> https://www.pinterest.com/explore/man-bun/

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Ultimately you should start by envisioning and outlining what you expect in a job – any job! Salary, type of coworkers and boss (if any), environment (office, home, coworking space, the jungle or the beach) and specifics of what you will actually be doing!!

Just saying “I want to start a business” won’t start the business. Usually taking action and getting out into the world is better than spending hours planning and talking about what you are going to do.

Millennials are not ‘lazy’ or too ‘entitled’. Most millennials, like any other generation, want to work hard; they just want to work hard at something that they believe in. Young people have tons of great ideas, sometimes it is just hard to know where to start.

A good place to start is with a virtual office and coworking membership.

You get the best of every world with these packages.

A professional business address will give you an edge in any field – especially when writing to potential investors/donors/funding opportunities.

Also it will save time and money – all your mail and packages are collected for you and arranged nicely for pick up or delivery! No more waiting around for deliveries or worrying about cheques being lost in the mail. You won’t need to hire a receptionist or assistant either!

Coworking and coworking spaces are in generous supply around the world today. Providing an alternative to busy coffee shops; like-minded individuals and teams can bounce ideas off of one another or work quietly without the restrictions of a coffee shop or distractions of home.

Before signing up to any ol’ space on the block, explore your options! Be sure to make a list of what you envision your coworking experience to be.

Is free coffee important?

Can you have a dedicated, personalized space with a locked filing cabinet?

Is there 24/7 access?

You may have a day job and want to work on your other ventures by night!

What about when you have guests, coworkers or potential investors stopping by…is there meeting room space available on the fly?

tech_news2Does the technology and digital tools available meet your needs?

There are a variety of workspace cultures available. Be sure the one you choose aligns with your goals and expectations in your career and personal life.

Coworking and Virtual Office Memberships – http://www.torontomeetings.com/cowork.htm

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Team Space Office – Move-In Ready

Join the Waterfront work community today!

20 Bay St, WaterPark Place, on the 11th floor has everything your business is looking for!

You will be minutes from Union station, connected by the PATH – Toronto’s indoor pedestrian walkway that connects the downtown core.

Fully furnished and customizable team space to suit your business, with Wireless Internet and phones included.

You have 24/7 secure access to your space; including the Rostie Kitchen and Lounge, reception and mail services, fax/copier/printer services and use of meeting room space.

Save on overhead costs with flexible terms.

Cleaning, lights, AC, security and more all included.

NEW – On-site WaterPark Athletics Centre – for tenant use only!

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Book your tour today!

info@rostiegroup.com                        416-214-1840                1-800-648-1840