Expand Your World With A Virtual Office

If you are one of the estimated 70 percent of start-ups that begin with a home office, let me introduce you to the latest trend in entrepreneurial habitats: The virtual office.

The virtual office is basically a low-cost means of preserving the benefits of a home office with a whole new layer of support services from the traditional office business center, sometimes referred to as executive suites. With virtual office capabilities, if you want to work more efficiently you don’t have to leave home.

You already know the benefits of your home office: the short commute, working in your pajamas, being there when the kids come home from school, putting in extra hours without having to leave the house, being able to balance your business and family life.

When the Home is a Hindrance
Of course, you have to deal with the downside as well: dogs barking or the doorbell ringing when you are on the phone with a client, missing the UPS driver because you’re meeting a client, and the constant temptation to quickly mow the lawn or throw in another load of laundry or chat with a neighbor who stops by. Or how about having to meet at the local coffee shop or some public place every time you need to have a client or staff meeting? There has got to be a better than way than having to contend with the noise of the beans grinding, people ordering and the comings and goings of coffee shop customers.

I have worked with start-up businesses as OffiCenter clients for more than 25 years. I can tell you that home office entrepreneurs have more day-to-day challenges that they need to face to make it all work. And not only that -  most of the time they are on their own. Owning your business is a 24/7 obligation. You have to work. It never stops. You bring it home, take it on vacation, or wherever you go.

The new businesses I consult with all struggle with these issues. They reach a point where their home office environment is holding them back.

Launching a business is about making smart choices. Moving into an office or office business center would certainly solve much of the problem, but would the benefit offset the added cost? The increased cost for many is too much. They choose to stick it out at home.

Weighing the Benefits
A common mistake made in calculating benefit is to merely rely on numbers. Sometimes more expensive is better and the least expensive is worse. But you will only know for sure if you also take into account the intangibles. In this economy, right now, value is universal. We all like to buy exactly what we need and pass on the things we don’t.

For example, working in an office environment without all the distractions should make you more efficient. It’s tough to put a dollar value on that. Logically, if you were more efficient, you would make more money. You can also say that if you were more efficient, you would be happier and less stressed. Getting more done at the office might mean having more time with family. What if less stress and more family time cost more? What is that worth? What is the development of your business image worth? How do your clients perceive you and your work attitude? You get the idea.

The virtual office trend is emerging precisely because entrepreneurs see a home office as more than a cost savings strategy. Today’s work model is really about freedom, lifestyle, and choice. Before, there were hardly any choices. Now you can have an entire selection of global options. You really can work virtually anywhere under the sun.

Blending Home and Virtual Office
The virtual office has emerged as a hot trend because it offers a hybrid solution to home office challenges. I’ve been running OffiCenters office business centers since 1981 and have worked with a lot of start-up businesses. We began offering virtual office services after hearing more and more people tell us about supplementing their home office challenges.

We already had the infrastructure in place to serve our on-site clients. Now, we are able leverage those physical amenities along with robust technical and electronic solutions to really counter the weaknesses of the home office. It really is amazing to see people blossom and grow in this business model. I often hear people say they didn’t realize there were so many resources and options.

Adding virtual office capabilities means you can have a mailbox service, a phone with live answering, access to a conference rooms and furnished offices. You can even use an office for as little as 30 minutes. Your name is listed in the building directory. You can use our location for shipping and receiving. We even have curbside mail pick-up. Call ahead and we’ll hand the mail off as you drive up. Much of this would not have been possible in years past because of technical and financial obstacles.

The image of the home office has changed. Now the SOHO (small office/home office) business owner is touted as smart, savvy, and green. It really is the wave of the future. Also, the perception of working at home as changed. It is no longer a "less than" image.

Another reason virtual office plans are catching fire is because they are a great value. You’re looking at a 30-day commitment and you only pay for what you need. Today, value is a driving factor in any business decision.

Support Services
The backbone of virtual office services is live answering. People aren’t impressed by the automated phone tree options: A recorded greeting followed by a menu of buttons to push. Live answering is having a rebirth that’s very retro right now. It’s also interactive. The receptionist will deal with it, whether answering basic questions, scheduling appointments or just being friendly.

We have people to manage your mail and correspondence. If you’re waiting for a check and are out of town, you get called if it doesn’t arrive and you can react. There is someone at “your” office every day to accept mail and packages or to help with PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets or big projects.

Virtual plans also include actual access to our physical space. That means that you can meet with clients in a private setting rather a public place where you never know what you might encounter during the course of your meeting. When you come in, the receptionist will greet you by name and you’ll know your way around. Your client will see it as "your" office.

If you need three days without the interruptions of home to complete a big project, you can use our office where we have copiers, printers and support staff if needed. We have people who come in one afternoon a week to keep from getting behind. It’s also a touch-down space for when you’re between appointments and home is too far away.

Interacting with other businesses is a big advantage of being part of the business center environment. It’s like a community. There is a synergy. You’re at the copier or getting coffee and you start talking to an-other business owner. You find solutions to problems; someone to bounce ideas off to share leads with. It’s amazing what can happen. You get support as well as referrals.

With virtual office options, you won’t have to be a one-man band. As you grow your business, keep in mind that you now have very powerful options to make you more responsive to customers, project a larger image, preserve your sanity and leverage all the advantages of your home office.

NBM
Lori Spiess, owner of Virtual OffiCenters as well as OffiCenters in the Minneapolis area, is a long time Office Business Center Professional, who has provided office solutions to thousands of small businesses for over 25 years. She is a past president of the Office Business Centers Association International and has been a speaker and trainer for the Office Business Center Industry world-wide. Lori has a home in Minnesota and Arizona and is a lifelong advocate of working virtually anywhere under the sun. She can be reached at: lspiess@officenters.com or at (612) 373-7070. www.virtualofficenters.com.

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