Work From Home With A Virtual Office
Whether you worked from home before the pandemic or not, maintaining a professional image is extremely important. One of the most effective resources for new start-up business owners who work from home is a virtual office service. It provides all of the benefits you would expect to receive from a physical office space, including enhanced brand image and easy client communication, but the costs are significantly lower. You also don’t have the hassle of all the administrative work that comes with renting an office space!
What is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office is a remote B2B service that provides a range of administrative services to businesses, on an ad-hoc basis when the need arises. This includes the following:
- A permanent business address for limited companies, sole traders, freelancers and self-employed individuals.
- Mail handling and forwarding services.
- A unique business telephone number and fax number.
- Telephone answering and forwarding.
The best thing about virtual office packages is that they are available on flexible terms, and are therefore a practical solution for a variety of business owners. Whether you work out in the field but need a permanent address, or if you work from home, a virtual office can really help to establish a local presence.
Benefits of a Virtual Office
A virtual office can be a valuable tool for any size business, no matter how long you have been running for. Here are some of the key benefits of having a virtual office whilst working from home:
Prestigious business address
Just because you are working from home, it doesn’t mean that the outside world needs to know that. By having a virtual office you will look a lot more professional and this will help to build a credible reputation. First impressions are everything, and if your business cards or website has your personal address listed, you might not appeal to the right target audience.
Grow your local presence
Establishing a local business presence is extremely difficult if you don’t have a permanent base within the specific area. An ideal way to grow your business within a location you want to have clients in is by having a virtual office there. Not only will this help your online presence (on search engines), it allows you to test out new markets without having to put down money for rent and deposits.
Maximise productivity
During lockdown, we have all experienced the difficulties associated with working from home – particularly when it comes to external distractions. Some people are great at setting boundaries and are self-disciplined enough to ignore these distractions. One of the best ways to maximise productivity is by limiting the interruptions that take you away from your work. Phone calls are the biggest interference, because you feel compelled to answer them just in case your client needs something urgently.
Imagine if you could continue working without these distractions though? That is where a telephone answering service comes into play. With a professional team of receptionists available to answer your calls, this will leave you with so much more time to focus on the job at hand.
Personal privacy
If possible it is always best to avoid using your personal address for business purposes. This is particularly true with information that will be on display on Companies House for everyone to see. Protect your privacy by using a virtual office address instead. It also looks a lot more professional from a business point of view.
What Businesses Use Virtual Offices?
We have already touched on a few of the common businesses that use virtual offices. However, there are still lots more, including:
- Small company owners who work from home offices
- Contractors who base themselves at their clients’ premises
- Tradespeople who work remotely
- Business owners who travel frequently
- People who operate field-based businesses
- Businesses based in less desirable locations which could affect their reputation
Whether your business fits into any of these categories, or if you simply need some additional help with services such as telephone answering and mail forwarding, contact the team at Venture Offices today. We can help you choose the right virtual office package for your business.
