May 15th, 2017
Are you just starting up your own company but can’t yet afford to buy or rent an office? Or are you based at home, but discovering the drawbacks of not having a separate business address? Or does the nature of your work mean you are constantly on the move? If any of these apply, virtual office packages might be the answer.
Virtual offices allow SME owners and employees to work from any location. This type of working arrangement has become more feasible due to modern technology such as laptops and mobile phones. This means you could work from home, for example, but have an official work address elsewhere with some facilities attached, such as a delivery area or a telephone answering service, depending on what you want.
Basepoint Business Centres are not only one of the UK’s leading serviced office suppliers, but we also provide a range of virtual office packages. So what are the potential benefits for you and your business?
Creating a Professional Image: One of the major advantages of a virtual office is that it gives you a professional address, immediately making you appear much more established and reliable than a home-based business. Clients can contact you and arrange meetings with you in a professional setting, rather than having to visit you at home or meet in coffee shops.
If you would like to have the prestige of a well-known business address, but are currently based at home, in a remote location which few people have heard of, then a virtual office arrangement can also initially prove cheaper than moving into office space.
Offering Flexibility: If you are someone who is constantly on the move, such as a plumber or painter and decorator, or even an IT specialist, virtual offices can help provide the administrative back-up while you are out working. It is easier to work flexibly if you know that clients can contact you and leave messages for you at any time. This flexibility could extend to moving in to your own physical office as and when you decide, while still keeping your original business telephone number.
Staying Safe and Secure: Programmes like Google Earth mean everyone can see pictures of your home. So if your home address is also your business address, you may be targeted by criminals, particularly if you go on holiday. Serviced offices provide you with an ‘official’ business address which is also secure and means everyone dealing with you doesn’t need to know your home address.
Phone Backup: Virtual offices can give you a business number which is displayed in place of your own home or mobile number, with calls being rerouted and an answering service also being provided. This enables you to separate home life from work more easily.
Basepoint Business Centres offer a range of virtual office packages from all our centres, in locations including Crawley, Evesham, Southampton and Swindon. The Starter option allows you to have a professional business address, as well as having your mail collected. The Virtual Office Plus package offers you a phone and fax number on top of that, while the Pro option provides a telephone answering service and free access to MiBase, Basepoint’s round-the-clock professional business support service.
All options include use of centres’ breakout areas and invitations to all networking events, as well as being part of a business community. As well as meeting clients in breakout areas and using the centres’ wi-fi, you can also arrange to hire a serviced meeting room for professional meeting rooms.
If and when you decide the time is right to change over from a virtual arrangement to renting office space, you can move into managed offices at one of Basepoint’s affordable office centres, and you won’t need to change your address or phone number.
