There has been a strong drive toward telecommuting in recent years, with more and more companies, consultants and service providers choosing to operate a significant portion of their business activities remotely. Doing can save a company tremendous amounts of money, in terms of office space expenses, administrative costs and travel expenses.
And, truth be told, the benefits of telecommuting go beyond bottom-line considerations. The ability to carry out even a portion of their daily tasks and assignments from home allows employees to spend less time on the road and more time doing the things they enjoy or spending time with their families. Higher employee morale is great for them, but it’s also good for the company. Productivity, efficiency and overall output are likely to increase. As any business operator can attest, profitability hinges on employee morale and productivity.
However, taking your company down the path to telecommuting is not as simple as taking the plunge into cyberspace. What many business operators are finding is that their customers are still likely to put more faith in a business that has – at bare minimum – a felt presence in the brick-and-mortar world. Something about knowing where to find a service provider when we need them makes us more comfortable about doing business with them.
This is where virtual offices of the type offered by Regus UK division come into play. These are essentially a brick-and-mortar façade that give your business the credibility that goes with having an address, a local phone number and a team of receptionists on call to handle queries and take messages. It projects reliability, trustworthiness and credibility.
Capitalising on Brick-and-mortar Credibility
In so many words, moving away from the brick-and-mortar paradigm toward a wired-in virtual office saves the average business some serious money. However, the trade-offs can be significant, especially if customers and clients get the feeling that you’re now running your operation out of your garage or basement. For all the money you save, the loss of face could cost your business more than it can afford.
In this sense, a virtual office is like a brick-and-mortar patch that holds your telecommuting business together. A respective virtual office package should offer the following perks and benefits:
- A physical address in a prestigious business district that you can put on your letterhead
- A local phone number that a team of administrative assistance are on hand to answer; they read from your script, take messages and direct calls when necessary
- A monthly allotment of days during which you can go to the physical office to make use of the business and office facilities
- Access to an international network of business lounges and facilities
In so many words, a virtual office takes your telecommuting enterprises – which could survive on its own without dedicated office space – and creates the appearance of having a full operation on-site at an enviable location. Assuming clients and customers rarely make office calls, then you and your team can make the most of modern communications capability and do most of your collaboration via e-mail, teleconferencing, etc.
But from your clients’ and customers’ perspective, you’ll be doing all of this from a downtown business district. You can even invite clients in for a consultation if required. You’re reaping the savings of remote operation, but you accomplish this without sacrificing your company’s image and credibility.
About the Author:
Established in 1989, Regus UK is a workspace provider for small businesses and large corporations around the world. It also specializes in mail forwarding services across various businesses in United Kingdom.
