Richard Nissen is a British businessman and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Virtual Office Group, a company aimed at small businesses offering flexible business solutions from serviced offices to Virtual receptionist service, and Staunch & Flow, a successful Plumbing company.
Richard Nissen came up with the idea of setting up a business centre in Mayfair subsequent to business sojourns overseas in America and the Far East in the seventies where he was frustrated by the lack of secretarial assistance in his business dealings, or suitable professional environments in which to conduct private meetings. On his return to the UK in 1980, he established Business Space Ltd, superior serviced offices in prestigious Piccadilly to provide flexible business accommodation and support services to an expanding SME market. There were only three other contenders in the field at that time, all in Mayfair, one of which is still in business today. These were the first entrepreneurs to offer the “all-in-one” office space and support services at the same price.
Richard subsequently set up EEIG [European Economic Interest Group], a global office network, in Europe. In 1983, Richard also established and headed up the ABC (Association of Business Centres) in the UK which in 1989 was renamed the BCA (Business Centres Association) of the UK. The concept upon which the association was founded was to afford the industry with a forum through which anyone could cross-check clientele references and backgrounds, and collectively promote the industry (via advertising and promotions).
In 1992, in a similarly challenging economic climate, he pioneered and registered the “Virtual Office” telecommunications solution allowing non-resident city professionals to project a central London address and telephone prefix with a selection of reliable support services. In the same year Nissen co-founded what is known today as the ABCN (Alliance of Business Centres Network) to provide access to over 600 locations in over 42 countries worldwide. In 1996 the Group became a certified ISO 9001 company by the BVQi – the British arm of the prestigious global standardisation association in order to ensure premium service standards. It is believed that the VOG is the only serviced office provider internationally to be the holder of this coveted industry benchmark of excellence.
Richard has been a guest lecturer at the Cass Business School for the last decade where he presents the latest trends and findings relating to working patterns and how to manage and structure ‘virtual organisations’, i.e. making the most of new technology to enable flexible working.
www.voffice.com
