Why Virtual Offices Are On the Rise For 2016

Physical space is always going to be a huge point of debate for a start-up, with every savvy business owner looking to cut corners and save a few pennies. What makes the concept of the virtual office interesting is that it creates a network of employees without the need to contain them all geographically. With the number of freelance workers growing, it’s safe to say that the Virtual Office – with only a company web address – is the way forward for businesses.

For most of the 2000s the way to cut costs on space premiums as a business owner was to opt for a serviced office – a package deal of office space, furniture, equipment, tech, and maintenance. Although these still exist, for many small or new businesses they are just too expensive. A virtual office, by contrast, uses a cloud network to give employees access to shared programmes and data, with a web page being used as the office space, or shop front. Ideal among tech, e-commerce, and marketing companies in particular, the virtual office allows employees to work from home – or indeed, wherever they fancy.

Of course, the virtual office is not without its limitations. Organising meetings with clients and investors, for example, relies on having a welcoming, professional space in which to make an impression. While meeting at restaurants or cafés can be good, for really putting on a professional front, some virtual office services include the use of addresses. London Executive offices a company based in London, offer to match their business clients with executive London addresses for this very purpose, providing use of exquisite meeting rooms for company functions. Another interesting benefit of extra virtual office services is being able to maintain a work telephone number – London executive offices have a receptionist service, offering businesses a London phone number and mailing address, where staff then forward telephone calls and letters to staff. It’s a real bargain compared to the cost of an actual office in central London.

Overall, the flexibility of a virtual office services is the main pro. As your business grows, you can scale it up as necessary, merely adding on to your network of employees as you would in a serviced office. For employees it’s a great system too, as the free spirited don’t have to be chained to a desk all day, and can work while travelling; or those with kids can combine all the best parts of being in business while also being a stay at home parent. Tech wise, employees can manage their own devices, working with equipment they are comfortable with – just be sure to check out collaboration apps such as Google Docs, One Drive, and Skype, for seamless integration of your “office”.

Image courtesy of Affiliate 101