Saving Money By Using A Virtual Office

By Author: Simeon Howard
Total Articles: 4762
Comment this article

A virtual office is a unique concept made possible by the advances in technology. Nowadays you can connect with clients and suppliers at the click of a button online. This means that you no longer need to physically occupy an expensive office suite. You can work from practically anywhere in the world. This could be your home, your garage, a coffee shop on the corner or a small tucked away office space in the affordable side of town. But if you still want to retain your corporate image and that prestigious office address, then having a virtual office is certainly the most cost effective way to do it.

How does having a Virtual Office benefit your Business Image?

Much of business networking is about creating a successful corporate image. A virtual office allows you to occupy a prestigious address, have your telephone calls professionally answered and your mail forwarded. In every way you are operating your business from that address, except that you aren't physically present. Your corporate image is maintained and even elevated. Small one man businesses can appear to be much larger than they really are. You can ...
... also have offices in more than one country or on more than one continent. A virtual office also provides business people with a great amount of flexibility without having to worry about being deskbound to answer calls and queries.

What is involved in setting up a Physical Office Space?

Setting up a physical office space is not quite as simple as it seems. There are significant requirements, legalities and facilities logistics. Firstly most corporate lease agreements are quite lengthy. At minimum they are for a year but often the standard is for three to five years. That can be a big commitment for small and medium sized businesses. Then there is the matter of access and security. Sometimes an additional fee needs to be paid for this. You need to make sure that your office space has sufficient ventilation, electric outlets and telephone plugs. You will also need to activate the phone service. If you will have several people in the office you will need a switchboard so that calls can be routed. Then depending on your type of business you will need desks, chairs, filing cabinets, computers, printers and any needed specialized equipment. Ensuring that computers are networked and that all systems are operating often requires a technical expert to come in. Once you add all these small things up you will see that your startup and monthly overheads have just increased significantly, and you haven't even included staff salaries yet.

What is the Difference with a Virtual Office?

The virtual office setup gives you many of the benefits of having a physical office, yet at a fraction of the cost. How this works is that you rent an address in an office building, usually one with a prestigious inner city business address. You can use this address on your stationary, website and business cards. A basic virtual office package will include a telephone answering and mail forwarding service. By using this service you will have saved yourself the cost of a receptionist. In addition you have also saved on phone rental, phone equipment and a switchboard, which usually come at quite a large expense. Because you do not physically occupy the space there is no need for desks, computers and other office furniture. There is also no need for computer networking or other electrical installations. You will save yourself the expense of commissioning a technician. A virtual office has no signage, yet another expense you have saved on. Even after considering the office extras there is still the significant savings on actual rental. A virtual office rental comes at a fraction of the cost of a physical office rental. Most virtual office rental agencies do not require a lengthy lease agreement either. You sign up for a monthly subscription and can at anytime for any reason you choose, cancel the subscription with just one month's notice.

For a small or medium sized business the cost saving benefits are tremendous. By reducing your monthly overhead you free up your cash flow, allowing you to put more funds into the growth of the business itself. This makes for a much healthier business and significantly reduces the stress of you as the business owner. The concept of a virtual office uses technology to consolidate the needs of various businesses. It then offers professional services tailored to your business that not only enhances your corporate image but also meets your needs by providing you with a prestigious address at a significant savings.
About Author:
At YourCityOffice.com our virtual office technology makes us unique, by integrating Bespoke Software developed by Open Design Systems, the groups Graphic