subject: How can a virtual office help your company save money? [print this page] As a freelance worker or sole trader, you might be perfectly happy working from your home and carrying out all of your business from a spare room, but for some companies, this isn't an option. Many companies need to keep up appearances in order to look professional to their clients and customers. In these cases, companies need an office space but, if it is only for one or two staff, then not spending too much money on it should be a priority. There are obviously several ways to achieve this balance between what's professional and what's practical, but one option which has been gaining popularity in recent years is the virtual office.
In its most basic form, a virtual office is little more than an address which has been rented by a business in order to maintain a respectable and recognised city centre image to its customers. In some cases this will only be a managed post box, where mail will be delivered to, but in other cases a virtual office can include so much more.
For a set monthly fee, a virtual office could include a telephone call forwarding system to a number of your choice so, for the same reason, a company can be perceived as being based in a more respectable area code than they actually are. In addition to this, an answering service can be included and all mail can be forwarded on or arranged for regular collection.
One of the most interesting features of a virtual office though, is the ability to rent meeting space by the hour. Small companies can really struggle to look professional face-to-face no matter how slick their online presence may be, but meeting in upmarket and central offices can give the impression that a company is larger and more successful than it necessarily is.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for a small company to consider investing in a virtual office though is the room that it would give them to grow. Not only could a virtual office literally help take care of administrative tasks like answering phone calls, photocopying documents and handling printing projects, but it could also give a company the chance to grow at a far quicker rate. If clients and potential clients are under the impression a company is already established and successful, then they will be more likely to not only trust and use that company, but also give it significant projects to handle rather than testing the water at first.
Technically, your office would still be wherever you actually work, whether it's in your living room or the nearest coffee chain branch, but, as far as your customers are concerned, you're hard at work in a busy, central office with many staff members. Companies can even setup many virtual offices in Birmingham, London, Edinburgh or any location they need to have a presence.
How can a virtual office help your company save money?
By: Paul Buchanan
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