Virtual offices have existed for decades, and with the proliferation of wireless technology and the internet have become increasingly appealing for business owners around the world. There are many reasons to consider a virtual office as an alternative to leasing or purchasing traditional office space, particularly for business owners that work remotely or from home. If you understand what are the benefits of a virtual office, you can make a more informed choice for your business.
Below are some of the benefits associated with virtual offices:
Consider the costs commonly associated with leasing or purchasing office space and how quickly they can add up. In addition to the leasing or purchase expenses, you may also need to invest heavily in office equipment and furniture. Labour expenses can also add up quickly, from routine cleaning to occasional maintenance costs for plumbers and electricians, for example.
Virtual offices offer a cost-effective alternative that provides you with great functionality and flexibility without having to budget for the typically high costs of leasing or owning a physical office location.
Your daily commute can eat up a lot of your time and money. That time and money could be better spent providing value to your clients from the comfort of your home. The opportunity cost of commuting to a physical office can be burdensome, so consider a virtual office to reduce the need for commuting.
Not only can virtual offices yield significant cost savings in this regard but it’s also an environmentally-conscious alternative to commuting daily. The environmental factor is particularly noteworthy if you operate your business during normal daytime hours, where commuting during peak traffic hours can result in idling vehicles and increased air pollution. Taking yourself off the road network during these times helps reduce your environmental impact and also eliminates the headaches associated with long delays and traffic jams.
With the ubiquitousness of the internet, most routine tasks can be completed remotely. Whether you prefer to work from home or need to do some work at a cafe, virtual offices give you the flexibility of a physical office without needing to be present there.
Many virtual offices provide services such as virtual assistants and receptionists that can answer and forward calls to your business phone number, for example. This further adds flexibility since you don’t need to employ a full-time assistant or receptionist yet still reap the benefits of using your time more productively whilst letting these assistants handle routine tasks for you.
It should be clear as to why you’d want to keep your personal and business data separate. Mixing personal and business credit card purchases or accounting liabilities and assets can expose you and your family not only to breaches of privacy but can also lead to plenty of headaches later on. The same goes for your home address and your business address.
Virtual offices provide you with a virtual address that’s neither a PO Box nor the same as your residential home address, meaning that you can keep your personal and work life separated as they ought to be.
Ideally, you want your clients to perceive your business as being legitimate and trustworthy. Perceptions are easily swayed, however. Listing your home address on stationery, your website, or printed materials may come across as unprofessional and can hurt your reputation. Virtual addresses, local business phone lines, and the ability to rent out meeting spaces will help to boost your credibility and will make you appear far more professional to your clients.
Francesca's knowledge of the industry and business support is second to none. She's personally handpicked each one of our virtual office locations.
