A virtual office is a concept that has really taken off in the last decade. A virtual office is a facility that is ideal for anyone who works from home and provides the amenities an office would provide remotely. This allows you to avoid the high costs of renting an office space for yourself while still gaining the benefits from one.
A virtual office can offer several helpful services for small business owners and these are just a few of them:
- A postal address in the city centre assigned to your business. This means that you don't have to have post coming to your home address and it provides a more professional view of your business from the outside. As will as this they will handle, organise and forward the post to you.
- A phone number (for a small fee) for your business which will forward calls to your mobile phone. Again giving the outward impression of professionalism for your business.
- Receptionist services (for an additional fee) such as call answering which will allow you to be more productive during your working day as it will filter calls.
- Video conferencing
- Access to meeting rooms (for a small fee) so that when you want to meet with a client you can show how professional you are.
A virtual office can be a wonderful resource to use when you are a small business owner or entrepreneur and will give you much more scope to grow and develop without the costs of a rental office weighing you down.
When you are building your business from home it is incredibly important for you to make a step towards establishing a physical space but a lot of the time you might not want to make the commitment until you are sure you have made it.
Even if you are working in an office already but you are starting to find it to be a strain for you in terms of cost and time, making the switch to a virtual office might be the best course of action to allow you to thrive and feel free as an entrepreneur.
So why should you consider a virtual office for your business this year?
There are lots of reasons to choose a virtual office over a physical address, and we want to share some of those with you now.
Professionalism
As we have mentioned above, the key benefit of changing to a virtual address service when you work from home is the aspect of professionalism in the eye of the customer.
As a business owner you want to put your best foot forward and it is important for you to show to your audience that you are legitimate and you have the facilities to provide them with amazing products or services. By gaining a business postal address as well as a business phone number, you will put out a better first impression to those around you and as a result you are likely to get more business out of it. It gives the impression that you are a well established business and you are trustworthy.
Affordability
The main concern to consider as a small business owner is always the cost of running your venture. Renting an office space is incredibly expense and there are a myriad of costs such as electric bills, appliances, equipment, and small items like stationery to purchase and pay for when you have rented a space. Having an office can work for some people but when you are at the start of your career it is not always the best idea. Renting a virtual office service is much cheaper and it will allow you to save your money to use for other purposes.
Flexibility
Who wants to fight traffic to get into the office at 9am in the morning? No one. Having a virtual office instead of a physical one means that you aren’t tied to a single location and you also don’t have to worry about getting to the office for a certain time and leaving at a certain time. You can instead get up in the morning and start work straight sash in the comfort of your own home and work at your own pace.
Productivity
Productivity is something important to consider as a small business owner, particularly if you are working alone. To be productive it is important to avoid distractions and things such as answering phone calls, going through post, and commuting can take time away from your working day. A virtual office is a wonderful tool to allow you to avoid these distractions and get on with the important tasks you need to achieve.
A great thing about a virtual office is that you have the ability to find a place to work that suits you. You don’t need to stay at home all day if you always get distracted by household tasks. You have the ability to head out to a cafe or a restaurant and work there where you will be able to work without distraction from others and you will be able to be more productive as a result.
Agility
When in the process of building a small business, one of the key things to consider is the people you hire to work for you. Hiring new employees for your business is always a great step in the right direction but it can take a lot of time to find the right people in your area who can commute to your office.
This is why a virtual office can be a key factor in the building of your business because you will be able to hire people from anywhere. It not only allows you to widen your recruitment pool, but it means that you will likely find someone who is perfect for the job.
Whether you work from home or already in an office, it is important for you to consider the benefits of a virtual office this year. Take into account your current situation and see whether this is something that will fit it with your life this year and beyond.
