Gone are the days when you had to own a luxury office to be considered successful. In today’s economy when business and lifestyles are becoming so increasingly transient, our office solutions have become so much more varied and flexible.
We’ve gone from owning office blocks to leasing to sub-letting to serviced offices right through to virtual offices where physical office space is not actually even visible. In my opinion, this is simply an organic response to our changing needs and environment in today’s society.
While an office space is still and will probably always be considered a central mechanic for larger business corporations, the serviced and virtual office environments offer smaller businesses a lower risk, more cost effective and economical solution.
What is a Virtual Office
In many ways, a virtual office environment is similar to that of a serviced office, just without the full-time office space. It allows businesses operating from home, out of town or even in another office to access services such as a professional telephone-answering service, a central business district mailing address and a suite of boardroom and meeting room facilities.
It simply resolves wasting any unnecessary space and does not require such a big financial commitment – perfect for those just starting out, working from home or on the road or for those who are often out of the office.
Advantages of Working with a Virtual Office
Some providers can offer a fully integrated communications network which gives you a cost-effective communication solution and online real time access to their services and facilities worldwide. These smarter virtual offices give you the infrastructure of a multinational company so you can compete in any market, at a very low cost.
It is a very reliable and seamless service which has helped a vast number of businesses grow and develop into successful operations. Some business operators use it simply as a platform for launch and to support growth, others use it as permanent base to avoid all the hassle, time and stress that an owned office space can often bring.
A virtual office environment keeps outgoing costs to a minimum while enabling businesses to expand into new markets quickly. Businesses can take advantage of short-term agreements, which can be appealing during tough economic times, as is access to established offices in good locations without spending money on fit-outs.
Working from a Serviced Office
Similarly, the serviced office solution is a hassle-free solution for businesses operating with anything from one to 10 staff. Employers don’t need to worry about office furnishings, keeping the office space clean or indeed what IT infrastructure to implement.
In a serviced office environment, employers are quite simply given a professional fully managed office suite, prestigious corporate location, dedicated receptionist and access to meeting room facilities and the very best IT infrastructure. In essence, business operators become more time-rich as they don’t have to focus their attention on anything other than simply running and growing their own business.
The Run Down
I would argue that we no longer need a luxury office space to generate business leads, nor is there any need for a business to be limited to just one office location. In fact, in some cases this can actually jeopardise business opportunities as people are increasingly expected to conduct business seamlessly around the globe. Serviced offices and indeed virtual offices provide a great level of flexibility depending on your business needs.
Ultimately, I would argue for smaller businesses, not having an office is the new flashy office!
Have you used a Virtual Office?
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