There is often a misconception surrounding virtual offices, and that they are just a postal address for businesses who don’t want their home address to be visible online. Whilst this is one of the main benefits of a virtual office, there are many other advantages that they provide. Let’s have a look at this in further detail, and whether a virtual office in North East Lincolnshire could be right for your business.
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office is a service that provides all of the benefits you would expect from a commercial property, without having to fork out for the expensive overheads. You will still receive a virtual office address, telephone number (depending on the packages offered), administration services and access to meeting rooms. So in essence, you can run your business from the comfort of your own home, but still maintain a professional outlook.
Virtual offices have become a popular choice for freelancers, entrepreneurs and small start-ups over recent years. It gives business owners all of the benefits they would receive from a ‘bricks-and-mortar’ office, without costing them a fortune. Meaning that any profit they turn over can be put back into the business rather than rental costs.
Key benefits of a virtual office
Here are just a few of the benefits of having a virtual office in North East Lincolnshire:
1. Professional edge to your business
Home offices are convenient and will completely remove the need to commute to an office. However, it does look a little unprofessional if your home address is displayed on your website, and potential clients may not think you are a legitimate business. Also from a safety point of view, you don’t want your home address plastered all over the internet – that is why a virtual office address is a much better option.
2. Location
Choosing the location for your virtual office is really important. Is there a particular geographical area that you are wanting to expand your business into, and a physical presence would help with this? Or do you need somewhere you can host client meetings, so it needs to be easily accessible? It is also a great idea to research areas that your competitors are located in. There may be a reason they have chosen to be in a certain location.
3. Meeting facilities
One of the great benefits of having a virtual office is having a physical meeting space should you need it. They are a great place to hold meetings with your clients, and most have conference facilities should you require them too.
4. Budget
Budget is a really important consideration when you are looking to grow your business. Can you afford to rent a private office when you are just starting up? Or do you need to wait until you have some regular income before you can make that leap? A virtual office is a perfect middle ground. You can work from home, whilst appearing to work from a physical office. This will help to gain trust with your customers, and hopefully attract more work too.
5. Communication
Many virtual office packages also include a telephone answering service. This means that someone can take care of your phone calls and messages, leaving you with more time to focus on the day-to-day running of the business. Call forwarding and mail forwarding can also be looked after by a virtual office reception service.
6. Work-life balance
Most people will have realised during the pandemic that working from home is great, for the first month or so. Then once the novelty wears off and reality kicks in, it isn’t such an exciting prospect. By having a virtual office in North East Lincolnshire, you have a good middle ground. You have somewhere to go if you need to escape your house and distractions for a while, but if you work better at home you can work from there.
Finding the right virtual office
Whilst virtual offices tend to attract small start-up businesses and freelancers, they can actually also work well for larger corporations. Particularly with the shift to remote working, employees can work together and collaborate within a served virtual office.
If you are looking to benefit from a professional business set up, McCue House can provide you with a virtual office service in North East Lincolnshire. Contact us today to find out more, and we will run through our virtual office packages with you.