Working remotely has gotten incredibly popular over the last couple of years. It started with the now common work-from-home scheme in 2020, but as the months fly by, people are getting more creative about where they work.
Some prefer pretty cafés; others even head to the beach and work on their laptops while sitting in the sand! Thanks to technologies like lightning-speed internet and collaborative apps, so many companies are able to give their employees the freedom to work wherever they want while still staying connected.
Having a virtual office makes that even easier. A physical office may be nice, but not being tied down to one is even better. Your employees will love you for it too, since it gives them all the more reason to work wherever they please! But how do you go about choosing a virtual office in the first place?
Today, Circle Hub is going to talk you through the virtual office essentials you need to put on your checklist when hunting for the best option out there. After going through all these virtual office essentials, you might even get a better idea of whether it’s a good next step for your growing business!
What is a Virtual Office, and Why is it Getting so Popular?
A virtual office basically gives your company a physical business address without you having to move all your operations there.
That means you don’t have to spend so much on overhead costs for renting out an office for you and your employees, but will still be able to attach a prestigious address to your website and calling cards. It’s awesome for local startups and small businesses who want to start operating right away but don’t have the money for leasing an office.
But the bigger benefit of having a virtual office is that your employees can work wherever they wish.
One employee could be working while on a one-month backpacking trip abroad, while another takes meetings at their countryside home. No matter where your employees work, your company’s business address will still be the same, thanks to your virtual office.
Why We Think the Virtual Office Trend is Here to Stay
Although the circumstances that normalized the work-from-home arrangement a couple of years back weren’t pleasant, no one can deny how much people love being able to work anywhere. Experts believe that the return to traditional, full-time office work is basically dead, and that remote work is where it’s at.
A virtual office has many benefits for a business, but it’s all the more relevant today in a society wherein working remotely is the new culture for employees. If you’re not tied down to a traditional physical office, you can work at home, spend time with your kids, travel the world, and still earn a living.
Another reason why we think virtual offices are here to stay is that there are already technologies in place to make it possible. More and more coworking apps and collaborative tools launch each day to make employees more productive, alone or as a team. They also help keep everyone connected, even when they’re not working in the same room.
Lastly, virtual offices have a great impact on the environment. Employees don’t need to commute to work, which means less road pollution. You’ll be lessening your company’s carbon footprint while getting on with the times!
But not all virtual offices offer the same features and amenities. Some only give you a business address, but others have a more useful package with other virtual office essentials you’ll need in the long run.
Not sure how to choose the right one? Here are seven virtual office essentials to look out for:
1. A Professional Mailing Address
Perhaps the most important of the virtual office essentials to look for is a professional mailing address. Instead of having to declare your residential home address or tiny apartment as your place of business, you can use Circle Hub’s esteemed, professional office address as your own.
This does several things. First, it gives your business an air of prestige and status. Some people have a hard time choosing a location for their business, but you don’t have to stress over it if you have a virtual office. Holding your virtual office at Circle Hub allows you to list your address down in the heart of business-savvy California—one of the best places to run a business.
This builds your image as a company. As soon as potential clients read this address on a calling card, you’ll definitely make an excellent first impression. You’ll instantaneously give off the vibe of a legitimate, reputable business, even if your brand is still small and young.
But this address isn’t just for show. The Circle Hub virtual office can also handle your mail. You can have bills and other business correspondences sent to us at your business address, which we will then send to you. If you’re far away, we can even send it to you digitally.
Putting down a business address that’s different from your home address is also a great way to create boundaries between your work and private life. No more dealing with piles of work mail and packages delivered to your doorstep every day while you’re spending time with your family!
2. A Business Phone Number With a Virtual Receptionist to Take Calls
Another of the top virtual office essentials is a business phone number. Instead of taking every single work-related call on your personal phone line, you can send out the number that comes with your virtual office package. That way, you can focus on all your heavier work tasks without being bothered by tons of calls on the daily.
You can even have a receptionist on-site at the virtual office address to pick up your calls and transfer them to you. This receptionist might even take note of any messages your customers or clients leave for you and send them out digitally via email.
3. A Place to Grow Your Professional Network
When you think of virtual office essentials, the things that come to mind are probably just the features that come with the service package you avail. But if you get a virtual office package with a coworking space like at Circle Hub, there are tons of other perks that you’ll realize actually are virtual office essentials, too.
One of these is having access to a place swarming with like-minded professionals that you can network with. If you’d like to meet new people, you can always come to the virtual office in person and check out our common areas, aka “hot spots.”
Hot desking has plenty of benefits to offer. But one of the most important is being able to work around other people that you can network with. This is something you’re free to do if your virtual office is in Circle Hub.
There are many types of people you can meet when you’re in a coworking space. You’ll meet potential clients, collaborators, or even a few freelance talents you might want to hire for your business. A coworking community can also broaden your network of professional contacts for future projects.
4. Meeting Rooms for When Your Team Needs to Work Together
The beauty of working remotely and having a virtual office lies in the technology we use to make it work. There are programs for video meetings, cloud services for sharing data, and even simple email for quick correspondence. But once in a while, it’s good to see your teammates in person, too.
Sure, working from home is convenient for almost everyone. But experts believe that having meetings is important for flourishing relationships with colleagues — and that leads to great teamwork and more productivity later on.
Face-to-face meetings are always ideal for strengthening a team’s bond. Sadly, this is something that’s not always possible if you only run a virtual office and have no physical space to hold these gatherings.
But here’s the good news. If you have a virtual office at Circle Hub, you’ll have access to our many conference rooms whenever you want!
Our glass-enclosed meeting rooms can fit anywhere from 4-12 people. They also come complete with equipment like a flat-screen TV, high-speed internet, a whiteboard, and more.
So, when you have an important meeting to hold with your team or a big presentation to a high-profile client, you can book a meeting room at Circle Hub to make the best impression. This is just one of the many benefits of meeting rooms!
5. A 24/7 Workspace You Can Go to Whenever You Want
Working from home is always fun and freeing. But sometimes, you or your employees might feel a bout of cabin fever. So, one of the virtual office essentials you should look for is 24/7 access to a physical workspace.
Coworking is the way forward for remote workers who want to be social, at least for a day or two. When you hold your virtual office at Circle Hub, we also give you access to our workspaces 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What’s great about 24/7 access to the spaces is that you can be flexible with when you come in and work there. There’s no pressure to go during the usual 9-5 grind. Instead, you go only when it’s convenient. You and your team can come in and work there in person whenever you feel like it — even at odd hours!
You’ll also enjoy all the other amenities Circle Hub’s locations have to offer. Some of these include high-speed WiFi, printing services, complimentary refreshments, break rooms, and even a fitness center.
6. An Event Space for the Occasional Socials Night or Workshop
Although your employees work remotely, there may come a time when you want to gather them all together for an event. This could be a fun socials night among colleagues or even a learning workshop to hone their skills even more.
When you hold your virtual office at Circle Hub, you also get access to our event space, which is excellent for those. The 1,500-square-foot space in our Ventura location can hold up to 170 guests — perfect for large-scale events. The event space is perfect for any occasion, from brand launches, parties, seminars, roadshows, and more!
7. A Price Point and Terms That Make it all Worth it
Just because a virtual office costs way less than a traditional one doesn’t mean you shouldn’t find the best deal for the service you choose. Make sure you’re getting a virtual office that’s cost-efficient and affordable enough for your business.
Circle Hub’s virtual office services include an address, phone number, mail handling, and access to terrific workspaces. But the best part is that our rates won’t break the bank. Plus, the longer the package you choose to avail, the cheaper the costs will turn out per month.
At Circle Hub, you can get a 3-month, 6-month, or full-year plan. These short- and medium-term plans are perfect for those who don’t know if they’re ready to commit to the same business address for years, and just want to try it out for a while.
Conclusion
Now that the culture of spending eight hours a day in a crummy office building is slowly dying, virtual offices are likely to be the new way of working for small businesses.
Any business will get tons of advantages from the virtual office essentials we listed above. You get everything from getting a prestigious mailing address and receptionist to having the chance to network among like-minded people (if the virtual office is in a coworking space, like that of Circle Hub!).
When picking out a virtual office for your business, always think about the needs of your company and its employees. What is it you want most — the prestige? Employee satisfaction? Growing your company’s network? Remember to be on the lookout for the virtual office essentials you and your business will get the most out of.
Interested in what the Circle Hub virtual office has to offer? Click here to book a tour of one of our locations!