It is fair to say that having any sort of physical building as the base of operations for your business could be quite expensive. Much more so in a city like London.
The inconveniences of physical buildings were felt even more intensely during the global pandemic of the last two years. Businesses were blindsided by it and could do nothing but wait for things to get better. Productivity was greatly diminished and in some cases outright stopped. This, however, only applied to operations that did not have the means to combat the global shutdown. Having a virtual office turned out to be a great solution, according to Hoxtonmix.
Virtual offices: basic overview
A virtual office is essentially a company’s base of operations online. They allow you as an employee or executive of some sort to carry out practically all the duties that your regular office building does. The only difference is that all these tasks are performed via an online platform that you rent.
Once rented, you can effectively work from anywhere in the city and provide the same services to customers or work at your designated position with no issue. Your typical virtual office usually offers certain services, including:
- The ability to place and receive video conference calls
- Multiple “halls” to hold a meeting
- A company’s contact information (phone number, email, and social accounts)
- A reception desk
- A designated postal address that comes with mail sorting capabilities
The mobile nature of a virtual office will keep productivity at a stable level, but beyond that it makes your company look all the more competent. This reason alone has made it a good idea for all businesses with the means to invest in a virtual office.
Setting up a virtual office
In case you are thinking about building a virtual office of your own, there is a process in place to achieve this. Here is an easy guide to help you set up your platform:
1. Figure out the necessities
When it comes to the offices, you will have to figure out what best serves the objective of your company. This may include the following:
- A business address for customer interaction;
- An employee support structure;
- A centralized telephone network.
2. Acquire a business address
This address is virtual, but it has to be of an existing physical place within London. This is to give your company an actual location and some legitimacy, as well as earn customer trust.
This is a must because a home address would reflect a serious lack of professionalism on the company’s part. Another major factor is that a home address is too risky to reveal to the public, so having a business address is simply a safer alternative.
3. Find an administrative assistant
This assistant is a business-savvy person who will help you with the more technical aspects of your business. They will help with overall productivity by organizing all the meetings, ensuring that employees have an optimal working environment, and seeing to it that tasks from all levels are completed.
4. Get all the necessary tools and tech
Because a virtual office is entirely online, all employees and members will need an assortment of devices to be able to work. All things from computers to mobile phones have to be fitted with the right software and then handed over to workers to keep the work streamlined.
5. Acquire a physical base of operations
This is for any face-to-face interactions with clients, customers, or partners that will inevitably occur. Some virtual office providers will give you the option to use their rooms or offices if they indeed have that capability. If not, that responsibility will fall on you.
Advantages
Because of the global pandemic, the popularity of virtual offices is increasing at a staggering rate. However, their advantages stretch out far beyond the reach of a global catastrophe. In fact, they can be quite useful and practical without having to be a last resort. The following are the main advantages of having a virtual office:
They make you appear professional
As mentioned earlier, customer trust is often earned through professionalism, which is needed by smaller businesses. Just the process of creating a virtual office forces you to be professional. One thing that helps you achieve this is the acquisition of a business address as well as company contacts.
They are relatively affordable
Getting a physical space for anything anywhere in the world can be taxing on your bank account, and in a city like London, this problem is far more pronounced. Renting a virtual office is more desirable because the cost of premises and maintenance is not in the equation.
They are flexible
Because a single place doesn’t tie you down, you can work from practically anywhere as long as you have the necessary equipment. As such, you can work beyond the allotted time in the comfort of your home. In the same vein, hours can be fitted around employees’ schedules to improve their working conditions and in turn improve the workflow.
Productivity is not limited
The time not spent on the commute can be spent working. Due to the flexibility virtual offices offer, productivity is improved significantly.
Final thoughts
Virtual offices in London are here to stay. They allow businesses to perform all duties without physically leaving the current location, as well as provide added mobility. Despite the number of benefits of having a virtual office, a physical base of operations will still be needed to help your business become even more legitimate.
For this reason, anyone advising you to acquire a virtual office should also advise you to find a physical building in due time, because there’s nothing wrong with having the best of both worlds.
