In the initial stages as a new company is being built, a dilemma occurs. There’s the need to project a professional image but there are also many calls on the company’s limited resources. How can the company create the right impression, be located at a prestigious address that speaks volumes for its credibility as a corporation of standing without the means to make it happen?
The answer: by investing in a virtual office plan. This will enable the company to get all the tools required for a successful business set-up. For a flat fee, the company can get a business phone number, a receptionist to answer phone calls, a corporate business address, a place to meet clients and, for an additional charge, the use of a well-equipped conference room. It’s like having a full-fledged office without actually having one. The company can look at all the services and facilities available and choose the most cost-effective option according to its needs.
There are many intangibles when it comes to creating a professional corporate image. Clients look at the office and location and make a judgement. They evaluate the experience and efficiency of the team. They assess the services and facilities available. They take in the ambience. All these factors add up to create an impression.
There are many types of companies and individuals for whom a virtual office package is the ideal answer. A start-up needs to be credit as well as business worthy. Working from a makeshift office at home or a coffee house does not spell professionalism. But a good business address, having an office in a business centre with modern facilities, a support team of experienced professionals … all this makes a difference. Or take a company that is expanding across the country. It needs to feel the pulse of the market before investing in branch offices. Taking a virtual office package allows it to have a presence in other cities as if by remote control. The same applies to the new breed of self-employed people. They have the flexibility to work from anywhere they like and yet ‘touch down’ at a virtual office for official meetings, to respond to phone calls and messages received on their behalf. They get the best of both worlds.
The business centre also profits because precious real estate can be used to service more clients if they opt for a virtual office. Its membership can include many more clients than the centre is able to accommodate because a good percentage have virtual offices which do not require them to be physically present in the centre. So optimum use is made of the space available.
People who opt for the virtual office plan find their needs are being met at a price they can afford. They get a modern, professional image. And they are likely to have a good success ratio. While the office is virtual, the success in most cases is real.