The term ‘virtual office services’ makes it sound as though you’ll be setting up your business inside some kind of virtual reality world. Although virtual office services are definitely exciting, they aren’t quite that futuristic!
A virtual office service is essentially a function of your business that you don’t run in-house; instead, you outsource it to a third party person or company. They are a great way for SMEs to get more out of their budgets and gain more time to focus on the things that are really important.
Let’s take a look at three of the most commonly used virtual office services.
Virtual office
Virtual offices are used by startups everywhere to allow them to access some of the benefits of having an office location when it’s more cost-efficient for them to work at home or from a cafe.
Some of the benefits offered by virtual offices are:
- Use of a city center business address which you can use for mail and other correspondence. Your mail can then be forwarded to you at your home. This helps to protect the privacy of your home address and helps you to appear more professional.
- A business answering service that can be forwarded to your personal devices. Again, this protects your privacy and helps you to maintain an image of professionalism.
- Discounted use of business meeting rooms.
- Generally much more affordable than renting your own offices or a co-working space.
Virtual offices are also very flexible. So, you can use them as much or as little as you need, scaling the level of service you use up and down depending on your requirements. Payment terms are also often quite flexible, as they have been designed around startups and entrepreneurs who might struggle with rigid, fixed-term contracts.
Virtual receptionist
Virtual receptionists are highly trained professionals who can answer and screen your calls, ensuring that you only take the calls that are relevant to you. This frees your time to focus on the aspects of your business that are most important to you.
Unlike a full-time receptionist, virtual receptionist contracts are generally quite flexible, so you can have them work as much or as little as your current needs dictate.
Virtual receptionists not only save you time, but they can improve your image too. When you are speaking with other businesses, you will appear much more professional if the phone isn’t answered directly by the CEO. Similarly, it will help you to present a better image to customers and ensure that you never miss important calls.
If you are wondering what are useful virtual services for your business, then check out this helpful guide from Virtual HQ.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants take on any tasks that a PA might take on. They can answer your calls, write your emails, or help to organize your calendar. They might communicate with other people on your behalf and help you to schedule meetings. As with other virtual office functions, VA’s can save you time, improve productivity, and help you to appear more professional. It’s been estimated that a virtual assistant could reduce your operating costs by as much as 78%.