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Now scores of companies are thinking flexible and virtual, in all kinds of fields -- from virtual assistants (check out Delegate Solutions), to corporate executives (see EPOCH). The troubled economy has been a boon to businesses like these, which can offer part-time employment to displaced workers and deliver lower cost services to clients.
I recently spoke with Jaime Klein about Inspire Human Resources, the business she started after leaving a human resources position at American Express. Klein took a leave of absence when her twins were born and when the time came to go back to work, she realized that she wanted more flexibility than even a company she said was extremely flex-friendly would ever be able to provide. That was the beginning of Inspire Human Resources, her company which now has a team of 11 consultants who live between Boston and Washington, DC and are available to work on projects that fit their schedules.
As soon as I got off the phone with Klein, she sent me an email with the names of over a dozen other women-founded firms, like Secretary in Israel, which offers virtual assistants, and Mavens and Moguls, a marketing and branding firm, that operate in a similar fashion. Visit these company web sites and you'll usually find a section telling the story of why the founder left behind the traditional world of her field to build something more nimble and cost-effective. A great example is this “how we operate," page on the site of Metal Creative, a virtual advertising firm, which begins with the line, “So what do you call an agency with no office space, no salaried employees, no company car, and a conference ‘room’ at the local Starbucks?”
Lower costs to clients. Low overhead. Transparency. Flexibility for workers. I expect to continue running into businesses like this, and while women might be pioneers, men will no doubt want the same kinds of options. What do you think?
