Having your own company can be a privilege, a dream come true or a great chance to have a job that matches your interests. However, it is often associated with high costs and a wide range of responsibilities. More and more people set up sole proprietorships or startups, often self-employed are also many freelancers – usually copywriters, IT specialists, programmers and translators. Is it really necessary to have your own office to operate in the market and build a positive image of your brand? Or maybe a virtual office is enough?
What is a virtual office?
Despite its name, a virtual office is not some kind of an intangible entity that operates through a computer program – in such offices there are authentic rooms with desks, reception, office equipment, service and coffee machines. Such an office looks and is real and serves people who want their company to operate efficiently in the market.
Benefits of a virtual office
The benefits of virtual offices were first discovered by Americans in 1995, because that”s where the idea to share the address and provide services to sole proprietorships, freelancers or companies taking their first steps in business was born. Now, you can also benefit from a virtual office in Poland.
A prestigious address
Many start-up companies and freelancers work at home. However, they often don”t want to share their home address with clients or make it publicly available in the Internet. Sometimes the company”s headquarters is located far from the city center. A virtual office located in a modern office building in a large city usually has a prestigious address, with which customers associate modern technologies, fast elevators, air conditioning or reception at the entrance. Additionally, a permanent address is necessary not only for correspondence, but also when you want to set up a company profile on the Internet. A virtual business card cannot exist without an exact address.
Correspondence management
Virtual offices are staffed by real employees, including those who answer calls, send e-mails and keep their finger on the pulse. Thanks to them you can safely work outside your company”s headquarters and still get information about offers or official correspondence that has been received. You don”t even have to go to the office – you can use the help of an employee who scans the correspondence and sends its content to you by e-mail. It’s also a great solution for people who travel at work or vice versa – work while traveling. You can be abroad even for weeks and still know what’s going on in the company.
A place to work and negotiate with clients
Freelancers know particularly well how difficult it is to have conversations with clients if you don”t have some workspace. They often work in the bedroom, living room or kitchen, where children walk around and a pot of soup gurgles on the stove. You don’t negotiate businesses, offers or talk about new, interesting ideas neither in such conditions nor in a restaurant or cafe. A virtual office provides you with desks and conference rooms where you can make an appointment with clients or hold a professional business meeting for many people. Preparation of such a meeting in a modern office, where representatives of various industries work, looks much more professional than the meeting held in your own apartment.
A virtual office is also a great solution for those who don”t meet clients and do everything remotely. Many freelancers complain that they can’t work when their children are at home or when a neighbor renovates his apartment. There are also freelancers who feel tired at home and instead of working they do laundry, cleaning, washing or ironing, which affects their productivity and, of course, significantly reduces revenues. Going to the office is for many of them an interesting stepping stone and a motivation to dress elegantly and change the environment.
Establishing contacts
When we come to the virtual office, whether to work or just to receive mail, we meet people. In one place you can meet a programmer, an economist, an interior designer, a SEO specialist, a translator or a copywriter. This allows you to broaden your horizons, make new friends, pass on your business card, and tell about yourself and your business. Nothing works as well for business development as word-of-mouth marketing, and it is more effective when you have a lot of good contacts and connections.
Who can use a virtual office?
There are no restrictions on client specialization in any virtual office. As a matter of fact, anyone can opt for this form of service, even if the virtual office is located far from the client’s real headquarters. Freelancers, people who want to start a company and those who are already developing their businesses – all of them can enjoy the benefits of the virtual office. The virtual office is also a great solution for people who are constantly on the move, i.e. work while traveling. When you change countries of residence constantly, the company must be registered in one, selected country and must have one permanent address. Are you working from Bangkok today and go to Berlin tomorrow? It doesn”t matter, because your company”s headquarters is still located in a Polish virtual office. Virtual offices are also a great solution not only for such prestigious businesses as law and tax offices, but also for typical online ventures like stores or marketing agencies. The virtual address is also often used by training or recruitment companies whose activities first focus on creating materials or looking for job candidates and later require to hold a meeting in some conference room or at the desk.
What to pay attention to when choosing a virtual office?
When choosing a virtual office, it”s worth paying attention to the company”s structure and the experience of its employees. At CitySpace (a network of virtual offices in Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, Gdańsk and Wrocław) it is possible to enter the virtual office’s address as your company’s headquarters in the National Court Register and in business activity records. The office provides reception service and correspondence management, as well as rental of rooms and desks by the hour. It also guarantees a prestigious address and possibility of participation in internal events organized by CitySpace. This is a great option for all those who don’t want to rent an office permanently, but care about reliable service for their business.
