You want me to work in an invisible office? Not quite, virtual office describes a modern office solution that can be used individually and completely flexibly. The virtual office is mainly used for representative purposes.
You simply rent a prestigious business address in a top location and give your company an image boost due to its competitive advantages. But is this really worth it? Where can I rent a virtual office? And what are the advantages of using a virtual office?
Here's what you can expect today:
- What is a virtual office?
- Services of a virtual office
- Does a virtual office pay off?
- Pros and cons of a virtual business address
- Renting a virtual office - what should I look out for?
- The perfect outsourcing solution?
- Conclusion
What is a virtual office?
This refers to a virtual office address or a rented business address at which you do not work permanently. Thus, it is not a physical office space, but a flexible solution with representative benefits. The concept of the virtual office originated in the 90s. If you think of a mailbox address or mailbox company at this point, you are wrong. Behind the virtual office, offer are sometimes serious and absolutely presentable properties. And they are ideally located at equally presentable addresses. In addition, of course, professional employees can be employed there, who are always available for your customers. And all this without you having to be present in the office yourself.
So it is not that this is a sham address. Behind the virtual office are real contact persons and employees, who take over the tasks of office communication. But what is the use of the whole thing anyway? Should I really rent a business address? And isn't it much too expensive?
Prestigious appearance thanks to the virtual office
First and foremost, of course, the company benefits from a representative company address with your own company sign hanging on the door. Companies now have the option, for example, of having their mail managed there. This way, employees can be hired for the reception, who accept parcels or letters and inform the entrepreneur directly when certain shipments have arrived. This can also facilitate document management.
The advantage: For the customer, the company is always available, both by mail and by phone or even in person. Therefore, it is not necessarily an invisible office in that sense. A virtual assistant takes care of the postal service, i.e. digital mail forwarding, secretarial service, and telephone service. Depending on your needs and wishes.
Individual telephone number
If you want to rent an office address, you can also get an individual phone number at the same time. Either with or without included telephone service. This way, calls are answered by a professional employee and processed accordingly. According to your wishes, appointments are coordinated and important information is forwarded. This represents an enormous reduction in workload for the entrepreneur.
Services of a virtual office
The services you can use together with a virtual office can be either in the field of communication or by providing premises.
Reception and telephony
The secretarial service or telephone service can fill a complete employee within a company. Those who cannot provide this additionally could hand over this task to an external contact person. This person is consequently solely responsible for taking calls and processing them. A virtual assistant, on the other hand, works independently from their home office and serves your customers.
Call Center
The duties of a call center are similar in principle to those of a receptionist. However, a call center can provide a higher number of employees so that several calls can be handled at the same time.
Voicemail - electronic answering machine
It is understandable if you want to serve your customers on the phone yourself and do not want to delegate this task to a stranger. An electronic answering machine is cheaper in comparison and stores the calls and messages on it. However, the larger the number of calls, the more difficult it will be to serve them all quickly afterward.
Rent a virtual business address
The benefits of a reputable business address have already been explained. With a good address, you can leave a positive impression on your customers. With business partners, this can actually make a difference. They might choose your company for this very reason, which might not have happened with a different address. Virtual offices provide you with an address that you can use to your advantage.
Customer service by phone
What if only the really relevant and important calls are put through to you? This is also possible with external customer service. This form of telephone service takes the pressure off the company.
Digital poster extension
At this point, an external service provider opens your mail, scans it, and then uploads it to a cloud server. This way, all employees who need to access the relevant documents have everything in digital form. If you prefer to have your mail sent to you by post, you can also choose this form of forwarding. And you save yourself the daily paperwork and sorting of mail.
From receptionist to notary
It is also possible to employ a receptionist who receives customers directly and handles their requests. Thus, such a person could perform ID checks and hand out goods or documents on behalf, more than a virtual office help. A notary could also be on-site, as needed.
Is a virtual office worth it?
Do I really need a virtual business address and should I rent a virtual office for myself and my customers? These questions must, of course, be answered individually and of course, it is also a question of money. Start-ups and founders of new businesses usually do not have a fixed company headquarters with appropriate premises at the beginning. After all, it costs a lot of money to set up an office, rent it long-term, or renovate it. For this reason, this work is often put on the back burner. But especially during the start-up phase of a company, it is important how it presents itself. Receiving important business customers in a home office is usually not a serious option.
What's more, those who rent a virtual office could also save on the cost of a real office in the long term. Furnishings and equipment are already included in the virtual office and usually, the rooms are equipped in such a way that they appear serious and high-quality. Another advantage is permanent accessibility. Thus young founders save various calls on the private landline and can better separate professional and private life and thus maintain a good work-life balance.
Those who work abroad could also benefit from a virtual office. Often companies operating abroad have the problem of not appearing reputable. This does not happen with a rented business address. The constant accessibility and reliable organization looks serious to the customers and is crucial in many things. For example, when the customer is no longer deterred by a foreign number.
Advantages and disadvantages of a virtual business address
A virtual office service has some advantages, but there are also a few disadvantages. Each company should therefore think individually about whether renting a virtual office is worthwhile.
Advantages of the virtual office address
- Virtual office provides privacy protection
- Minimization of financial risk
- No need for own office search or office equipment/renovation
- Telephone and mail service included
- Secretarial services included
- Use of the premises for meetings or important appointments
- Serious appearance of the company guaranteed
- Constant availability for customers possible
- Lower costs for renting compared to owning an office
Disadvantages of a virtual company address
- Bad reputation due to confusion of letterbox companies/letterbox companies
- Virtual office staff might not represent the company adequately
Finding good staff is unfortunately never easy. Leaving the representation of your own company to complete strangers is not always a good idea - also in terms of reputation management. So companies have to deal with this and instruct the virtual office staff in detail. This could happen via briefings, or it could happen via conference calls. However, many providers now offer very professional staff, so you should first form your own opinion here. And: Due to the increasing demand of this office method, the acceptance in the business world is also growing. Fewer and fewer are lumping the virtual office together with a dubious mailbox company.
Renting a virtual office - what should I look out for?
If you want to rent a virtual office, you should look at the individual benefits of the providers and compare prices. Above all, make sure that the provider can offer a certain flexibility. This means that the contract period for the office is as flexible as possible and, at best, can be terminated at any time. This is an important point, especially for companies that are still in the start-up phase. After all, young founders do not yet know at this point how the company will develop.
Make sure that the provider offers both complete packages, but also variable costs. For example, some providers charge for secretarial and telephone services per 15 minutes. Here it would be better not to have to pay a flat rate but to pay according to usage. Good providers will provide an individual quote upon request. This should be tailored as closely as possible to the needs of the company. You yourself can find out about the different models in advance and find out the best offer before you sign a rental contract.
Of course, you should also take a look at the offer in general. The usual services can sometimes be supplemented by certain extras or special services. After all, the providers themselves also have to stand out from one another in order to survive on the market. Thus some offerers offer an additional Concierge service. For example, the concierge procures important tickets for an exclusive event or organizes catering for your event. It is also possible that he will reserve a table in an exclusive restaurant if you are planning a company dinner or business lunch.
The perfect outsourcing solution?
Definitely, because it is not for nothing that virtual offices are becoming more and more popular in the German business world. More and more, other and modern solutions of outsourcing of office services are added to the standard services. All this makes everyday office life easier. The advantage: You can concentrate more on the important things in your company. Without the tedious office tasks that cost time and require additional personnel. Many tasks can now be outsourced so that they can be completed quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Are you looking for an innovative and modern office solution? Then Virtual Office - the virtual office - could be a perfect solution. This way, even small companies without their own main office, get a prestigious business address and practical additional services. Depending on your needs, office services can be booked individually, which again creates space for the important things in the company. Virtual Office gives you maximum flexibility, prestige, and more time. If you compare properly, you can get the office solution even cheaper than it would be the case with an own office. Especially for young founders, this is an opportunity to make a professional appearance by becoming part of the virtual office community.
A virtual office service with a virtual business address enhances the overall corporate image. Modern meeting rooms support important business meetings. Anyone who wants to rent an address now has a wide choice. And not only in Germany, but also worldwide. All this has long since ceased to have anything to do with opening a letterbox company. Rather, the virtual office concept is now part of the business world.