Running a business can be an expensive endeavor, and having to fork over for a physical office space can really eat away at an already shrinking budget. Fortunately, with virtual offices becoming increasingly popular, businesses now have another option to turn to.
Wondering how a virtual office works and whether this would be the right move for you? Read on as Circle Hub explains the benefits of a virtual office, along with the essential features to seek out when looking for a virtual office for your business to use.
What is a Virtual Office?
If you’re not familiar with the concept, let’s quickly talk about what a virtual office actually is…
Simply put, a virtual office is a service that enables a business to operate without the need for a physical office space. It fits in perfectly with the flexible/hybrid working models that more and more people are adopting, providing all of the advantages of having a prestigious office address of your own but without the high costs.
The Benefits of a Virtual Office
How would a virtual office benefit your business? Let’s find out…
The Ability to Work From Wherever You Want
While a physical office space can be beneficial, many find it to be restricting. When you pay for an expensive lease, you’ll want to get your money’s worth, meaning that you’ll feel obligated to use that physical office space as much as possible, even if it isn’t often convenient.
With a virtual office, you won’t have this problem – you’ll be able to work from anywhere. You don’t even need to be in the same country as your virtual office. At the same time, your business will still have a ‘base’, even if you aren’t physically there!
Lower Overhead Costs
One of the biggest perks to signing up for a virtual office service is its low-cost nature. As we mentioned earlier, office leases can be expensive, especially if you’re looking for a space in a good part of town. Your business address can often make or break a client’s first impression of you, so you need this to be an address that they can trust.
With a virtual office, you’ll save big time on not having to pay for a pricey rental. At Circle Hub, for example, our virtual office service works out to just $70 a month if you sign up for an annual contract, or $80 if you go with a three-month contract. Either way, this is still a huge saving compared to what you’d have to pay for a physical office space.
Scalability
Another problem with leasing a physical office space is scalability. That office space will be a certain physical size, and this can’t be changed.
However, what happens if you experience a lot of success early on in the process and need to add more people to your team? This could see you paying for an additional office space. Likewise, the opposite could happen. Something could go wrong, leading to you needing to cut back and scale down for a while. With a physical office, you’ll then be stuck with extra space that you won’t be using, yet you’ll still be paying for it.
With a virtual office, scalability isn’t a problem. It doesn’t matter how big your company grows – a virtual office service will be able to accommodate this and cater to that growth.
A Sense of Professionalism
For many, the alternative to a physical office space is working from home. There’s no denying that this can be a big money-saver, but it doesn’t exactly give off the best impression of your business to prospective clients. Using your home address as your business address can seem unprofessional, making it harder for clients to trust and respect you.
With a virtual office, you can still work from home but you’ll also have a professional street address at your disposal. Find yourself a virtual office service that offers a prestigious address and this will immediately raise the profile of your business.
Safety
Another issue that arises when people use their home address as their business address is a compromise in safety. It’s never a good idea to splash all of your personal information online for the public to access, yet this is what will happen if your home address is your business address. From your website to your marketing material, your home address will suddenly be visible for all to see.
This then leaves you open to safety concerns. From identity theft to physical theft, once your details fall into the wrong hands, the results could be devastating.
With a virtual office, your home address will remain confidential. You’ll be able to run your business as a separate entity, keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.
More Eco-Friendly
With a virtual office, you won’t need to commute to a physical space each day. Not only is this a benefit in itself for you, but you’ll also be doing the environment a favor too.
Of course, this can have a positive impact on your business too. It will reduce your overall carbon footprint, which is something that’s appreciated by many consumers these days!
Essential Features to Look For in a Virtual Office
Considering giving a virtual office service a try? Here are some key features to look out for while perusing your options:
A Prestigious Professional Business Address
Just about every virtual office service will give you a physical address that you can use as your business address. However, not all of these physical locations will be in line with your brand.
If you’re hoping to make a good first impression on new clients, a prestigious professional address is what you need. A location that’s internationally recognizable would be even more beneficial.
Sign up for Circle Hub’s virtual office service and that’s exactly what you’ll receive. You’ll be able to use our professional California street address as your own, which will appeal to clients all around the globe.
Efficient Mail Handling and Forwarding
It goes without saying that your professional business address is where you’ll receive mail. However, if you’re using a virtual office service, how do you go about accessing mail?
This is where an efficient mail handling and forwarding system is important. Again, almost all virtual office services will ensure that you receive your mail, but how they do so and how long this takes can vary.
With Circle Hub, our virtual office mail handling process is always fast and convenient. When we receive mail for you, we’ll hold onto it and keep it safe until you’re able to collect it. If you aren’t able to collect it yourself, we can also forward it digitally to you. This enables you to stay on top of your mail even if you’re on the other side of the world!
Call Handling
For a startup or a small business, a call-handling service won’t be important. In fact, it could be a hindrance. After all, if your business receives an important call, there’s a good chance that you would want to take this yourself rather than allow someone else to do it.
However, if your business is well-established and the volume of calls that you’re receiving is interfering with your daily flow, a call-handling service can be helpful. This gives you access to your own virtual receptionist, who will manage your calls. They’ll either transfer calls directly to you or take messages that they’ll then pass on to you.
Meeting Rooms
As great as working remotely can be, there may be times when in-person meetings are needed. However, if you don’t have a physical office space, what do you do?
The good news is that some virtual office services will also give you access to physical meeting rooms. At Circle Hub, our conference rooms can be rented as and when needed. With just a two-hour minimum charge, they’re absolutely perfect for hosting a meeting or even just attending an important video call. With each room kitted out with a flat-screen TV and a whiteboard, they’re also ideal for occasional team brainstorming sessions.
A Virtual Office With Circle Hub
Although Circle Hub is primarily a coworking space, you don’t need to be a member of said space to make use of our virtual office service. However, if you want the full package, our virtual office service beautifully complements our coworking spaces.
Not only will you be able to use our physical address as your business address, but you’ll also be able to physically work there when needed. We have a variety of workspaces available for our members to choose from, most of which don’t require any advanced booking. You can simply drop in whenever you like, work for however long you need to, and then leave whenever you want. Our coworking spaces are open 24/7, meaning that you can really embrace flexibility when it comes to how you structure your workday.
Becoming a Circle Hub member also grants you access to our other amenities. High-speed WiFi, complimentary refreshments, relaxing common areas, an on-site gym, and a gaming room are just a few on the list! All of this, combined with our virtual office service, will enable you to run your business so smoothly.
Interested in finding out more about Circle Hub’s virtual office service or coworking spaces? Click here to contact us today!