There are a number of businesses that have been using virtual offices to help grow their companies and expand. Even before the COVID19 pandemic, some businesses were taking advantage of virtual services to save money on the small things so they could focus on the big things.
Three examples of businesses that have made virtual offices a success include:
Fire Engine RED
A software provider in the education sector, Fire Engine RED conduct their offices completely online. With virtual walking clubs and book clubs, they manage to keep the team connected and morale high whilst keeping communication at the centre of their strategy. Regular meetings and conference calls create a cohesive working environment and instead of spending money on office space, they are able to invest more in their business to better serve their clients.
Zapier
The web applications company has always been virtual from the very conception of the business. They chose a virtual way of life so that they could hire talent from all over the world without being restricted to finding local employees to fit the job roles they had. Although challenging, they started off slow and built it up over the years. Now they have a team that is spread out over several continents!
Mozilla
Although the company isn’t completely operated virtually, over 50% of their workforce work from home or in locations across the world. Virtual offices helped them set up in brilliant locations such as Toronto and San Francisco, assisting in helping them grow and expand. The way they handle training is inspired too, where each person is provided a ‘remote buddy’ that guides them through the process.
It’s isn’t a one size fits all approach when it comes to running a business using virtual services, you can tailor them in a way that best suits your way of working, your team and your clients. However, a virtual service is more than just reducing the need for spending money on physical office locations, it is also about providing the flexibility for a company instead of being tied down to a singular postcode.
It can make a smaller business feel a lot bigger, give room for quicker growth as well as help create a team of talent from all over the world rather than those that are local.
The types of professionals relying on virtual services to successfully run a business also includes:
Freelancers
The ultimate flexible way of working is to be freelance in your chosen industry, setting your own hours, rates, and more. Whilst working from home works for many, some freelancers opt for no-contract flexible office working spaces in order to run their business efficiently and to surround themselves with other freelancers, startups, and more.
Having a virtual office can give a freelancer the credibility they need to be taken seriously and get their foot in the door when it comes to business pitches. Having a London postcode, for example, can help you get in front of London businesses that you want to collaborate with or work for.
Having a virtual office can also mean that you have a professional facade with a receptionist taking your messages or scheduling appointments in your diary when you’re otherwise engaged with work or other clients. This way you won’t miss out on new business and you’ll be well organised and efficient at work.
Lawyers
A virtual office is perfect for lawyers who are constantly on the move from one courtroom to another. Sometimes you may require a professional space to conduct meetings or answer emails, which is where no-contract flexible working spaces can be detrimental for people in this field.
A virtual office can give you a professional ‘permanent office’ without the ties that traditional office spaces have including long term leases, expensive communal fees and more. Again you can take advantage of having a virtual receptionist managing your diary and calls, to make sure you don’t miss anything but that you don’t need to worry about being constantly available to clients at all times of the day providing a better work/life balance.
Startups
If you’re in the early stages of your business, a virtual office can really assist in saving costs and providing a professional look that is integral for a fledgling company. When meeting potential investors or applying for business loans, having a fixed virtual office address can help, as well as flexible office space to entertain clients or investors. It can also help you get set up as you can use one of our locations as a registered address for your business, with all of your business mail coming to your personal post box at our location.
Not-for-profits
As a not for profit you’ll already be trying to shave off costs and stay within the budgets you have set. A virtual office can not only save money and replace the expanse of having a permanent and set physical location, but it can also provide that flexibility for growing the business and extending its reach across the world.
In Summary
There is a long list of industries that could benefit from professional virtual services that can help you with your business goals. Whether that goal is to grow the business quickly, be able to handle a business expansion, provide flexibility in terms of location, provide a professional facade, or simply to save costs… you can tailor our virtual services into a package that works best for you.