Virtual Reality in the Workplace

Problem

An address for your business is essential. Direct mail, professionalism and credibility rely heavily on being able to supply a physical address for your business.

An increasing number of companies are now running from home, and more than ever, penny-wise business owners are cutting operating expenses and eliminating unnecessary fixed costs.

Rent, leases, bills and insurance are all additional costs to a business that are increasingly being sought to cut-out.

In addition to this, many people who work from home are simply not comfortable with supplying their home address over the internet to everyone. Travelling workers, for example sales people, need a fixed address by which to direct all mail and further enquiries.

Solution

A virtual office is a combination of off-site communication and address services that allow businesses to reduce traditional office costs. Providing a physical office address adds magnificently to the professionalism of your business. Many home-workers only supply their email address – having a physical address increases credibility, and customers are reassured that they know where to find a company if needs be.

Virtual offices can suit any type of business. Traders working from home, freelance workers and even global companies are increasingly using virtual office services. Most virtual office companies offer additional tailored services to match individual needs.

Why?

Businesses use virtual offices for a variety of reasons, each company using services that are applicable to their needs.

One of the most prominent uses of a virtual office is that of a mail redirection service. The virtual office address will have mail boxes to receive any incoming mail or packages. This can the be forwarded on to a desired address.

Another commonly used service is a phone answering service. Businesses do not want to miss calls from prospective customers. People are much more likely to respond to a human voice than a standard answering machine.

In fact, many people simply put down the phone when put through to an answering machine, and the customer is lost.

A human voice maintains your business’s image and reassures customers that your company is legitimate, accessible and that their call is important.

Virtual office receptionists can forward phone calls, discourage cold callers and even take telephone orders to help bring in new business.

These services are at a fraction of the price of a normal receptionist or secretary.

Perception counts for a lot in the success of a business. Having phone calls answered by a receptionist will give the feeling of a ‘larger’ company than perhaps it actually is. Showing customers that the company is so busy that a receptionist needs to be hired will lead customers to believing the business is greater and more professionally run that they initially thought.

Enrolling the services of a virtual office is often on a ‘pay as you use’ basis. This is extremely cost effective for a new start-up business. This is of particular use for physical meetings. Many virtual offices provide meeting or conference room facilities for sporadic use.

Paying a month rent for a single meeting is financially damaging to a company. Therefore, being able to use a virtual office address as a one-off, or occasional, physical business place, is a substantial cost-effective solution.

The idea that businesses don’t feel tied down to contracts, and there being no long-term commitment is attractive to many businesses – in particular start-up businesses who cannot afford initial set-up costs while their business is taking off.

Many brand new business ventures’ often don’t take off the ground or simply take a change of direction. Registering with a virtual office company is a fantastic option when starting out a new venture. Initial costs of rent etc are covered by the virtual office, giving business owners more time, and finance, to concentrate on more important aspects of the business.

Who?

As previously mentioned, a large selection of companies, regardless of size, are enrolling in the use of virtual offices. But here is a basic list of common virtual office users:

• Home-based entrepreneurs
• Accountants
• Attorneys
• Law Firms
• Mobile salespeople
• Trades (Home service industry: roofers, electrical, plumb, landscape, construction, repair/remodel, etc)
• Doctors/Dentists
• Therapists
• Business consultants
• Mediators/conflict resolution
• Frequent travellers/foreign companies
• Chambers of Commerce
• Senior management
• Real estate
• Mortgage Companies
• Stock brokers/financial planners
• Collections agencies
• Networking groups
• Trainers/instructors
• Incubators