What Is a Virtual Office?
According to a government report from last year, there are 5.45 million small businesses in the UK – that is, companies with fewer than 49 employees.
Many of these small businesses have started and are staying at home. The pandemic has dramatically shifted how people and companies approach business. With more focus on sustainability, employee work-life balance and eager to be more innovative and empathetic, people are looking for a better way to operate.
A solution for new start-ups and smaller businesses is the virtual office.
Virtual offices provide a cost-effective and professional solution for businesses, freelancers, and startups. It is a flexible space that suits fast-growing businesses and people looking to promote a more professional presence.
Defining a Virtual Office
Despite the name, a virtual office is a real physical place. It’s an office space address that you can register to use, allowing you access to essential office services that much larger businesses take for granted.
This means that whilst you may work from home, your official business address will be this other space, presenting a more professional image whilst continuing to work in a way that suits you.
Services that we at Mersey Bank provide through our virtual office packages include:
- Business address: You gain access to a business address that can be used for registration, mailing and business activity purposes.
- Mail handling: You can have mail sent to, sorted, scanned and forwarded at your virtual office address.
- Phone answering: A virtual receptionist can take calls, forward them, take messages and pass them on.
How Do Virtual Offices Work?
Virtual offices are easy to find, acquire and use.
All you have to do is find a virtual office provider, like Mersey Bank, and decide on a virtual office package. You can get signed up and using the virtual within a day of deciding to do it.
Once you’ve done this, you can register your business with Companies House, using your new prestigious business address. With the team at Mersey Bank, you can organise your mail forwarding to a designated address. This will require an additional fee.
Beyond these administrative uses, a virtual office can be used for meetings. All you have to do is ring up, and if a space is available, then you can book a room to have a meeting.
Benefits of Using a Virtual Office
Solo practitioners, smaller businesses and those starting out are choosing to use a virtual office because there are many upsides to it. The main benefits of a virtual office include:
Professional Image
Immediately, you gain access to a more prestigious business address. This lends credibility to your brand and presents a more professional image of your company. You can move beyond using a home address and a mobile number, showing potential employees and clients that you are a serious enterprise.
Cost Effective
If you are going solo or just beginning to build your business, every penny counts. A virtual office provides a cost-effective solution to expansion. You don’t have to spend money to maintain an office space when you could do the same job in your bedroom. There are many virtual office packages at monthly rates, so you also don’t have to make a long-term commitment. This allows you to spend more money in places where it is needed.
Flexibility
More people are working remotely than ever. Virtual offices facilitate this desire for more flexibility. With this flexibility for your remote team, you can work with people all over the world—gaining access to a wider talent pool than if you operate in a single physical location.
More Conscious, More Productive
A virtual office allows you to be more conscious of your team and the wider world. Employee satisfaction can improve as your staff save time and money by not commuting as much or at all. This can lead to more productivity, and also, it cuts down on commuting, making your business more environmentally sustainable.
Is a Virtual Office Right for Your Business?
If you are a freelancer seeking to be more professional, a home business just getting started, a small business looking to grow, then a virtual office might be right for you.
Before you make any steps, you need to ask yourself what you need. Do you need to appear more professional, a space to potentially meet clients or want to offer a more flexible work environment for a growing team?
A virtual office can help with all these, supporting growth by being a stepping stone to getting a permanent base or allowing your home business to be more professional with a credible address and physical presence.
What is important is that you pick the path that is right for you, your employees and your business. There are many available rooms and options at Mersey Bank that can meet your needs.
Choose the Right Virtual Office Provider
A virtual office is a cost-effective, flexible and professional office space solution for many types of businesses.
At Mersey Bank, we can provide you with a reliable, professional business presence to help you grow in the modern working world. Contact us today to explore our virtual office packages and all the other services we provide. If you want to speak directly to someone, then call now at 0151 459 8102.
