An avatar sitting at a cartoon desk, a workspace in virtual reality, or simply working from home and connecting to your company online. Any number of images can come to mind when considering the term “Virtual Office.” So what is the deal with a “Virtual Office” and how can it help your business be successful? To put it simply, a Virtual Office is the illusion of an office complete with many of the benefits that come along with an office without some its downfalls.
An Address to Call Your Own
Having a fixed location for your office isn’t always the solution that will best fit your business. There’s the cost to consider, but there’s also the fact that perhaps staying put in one place isn’t how you like to work. Even if you like to move around, it’s still nice to have an address to list for your business and to have a place where you can have all your mail sent. And it doesn’t hurt if that address is in a prestigious area.
As James Caan explains it,“People often take things at face value, so image is hugely important. Things like your logo, website, premises and location are all part of the message you are sending to potential clients and customers.” He goes on to explain that when he first started his recruitment firm, he could only afford a former broom closet in a prominent area but that it was worth it to be at that address to make his “business appear established and successful” even though he couldn’t even host clients there because the office was too small. So with a Virtual Office (with the right company), you’re getting the reputable address without the trouble of having to potentially work out of a closet with no windows.
When Virtual Doesn’t Quite Cut It
The only problem with having an address but no office is where do you meet with clients? Meeting up at the local coffee shop isn’t always ideal when discussing potentially sensitive information or when trying to exude a sense of being established. For times like this, it’s nice if your Virtual Office provider has the option to book a conference room for a couple hours or even an office for the day. Or if your provider doesn’t have that option, it’s a good idea to know who to turn to when the need for some meeting space arises. With a location in the renowned Willis Tower in Chicago and four well-equipped locations across NYC, Work Better is a great solution for those times when having a virtual office isn’t quite enough.
Make an Immediate Impression with Good Phone Service
When customers call you, an impression is immediately made. Did the call go to voicemail because you’re busy working on a project? Was the call answered by a generic and completely unknowledgeable answering service? In either of these situations, an assumption and thus an impression is made. Conversely, if your business number is answered by someone who is professional, friendly, and knowledgeable, that too makes an impression. Your business once again exudes the sense of being established and successful. This is why a good Virtual Office will offer some level of phone service; whether that’s just a premium NYC number and automatic call forwarding or a professional receptionist who is knowledgeable about your company and answers your calls on your behalf. It’s an easy way to make a good impression without having to do anything at all.
It’s All About Trust
With good reason, people are on the lookout for scams and ripoffs. People are learning to be hyper-sensitive to potential clues that a business isn’t trustworthy and will take just about anything as a sign that you aren’t worth doing business with. And that’s where a lot of the value in a Virtual Office comes from. People see your address in a respectable area, meet you in a nice, professional conference room, and talk to ‘your’ friendly receptionist, and they perceive your business in a positive and trustworthy light.
So if your business is new and you’re working on building a reputation, you can essentially jump start that process with a Virtual Office. Or on the other hand, if your business is already established and successful, but you prefer to work from home and still want the image that comes along with an office, you can also achieve that with a Virtual Office. Regardless of your unique situation, a Virtual Office can go a long way towards helping you and your company to be successful.
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