A virtual office is a set of business services that give you some of the benefits of traditional office space, even if you work from home or remotely.
For example, you’ll have a business address to give your clients, and a professional receptionist will answer calls in your company’s name.
Here we consider virtual office pros and cons for entrepreneurs in South Africa.
Pros of virtual offices
There are many pros of a virtual office, particularly when your business is young.
Much, much lower overheads
You save on office rental, as well as other expenses that aren’t included in the rental fee, such as office cleaning, office supplies and electricity.
Higher online visibility
Google favours businesses with a physical address, which will make your business more visible when people search for your services.
Flexible hiring
With no physical office, you can expand or shrink your team without worrying about space. New or temporary team members can work remotely or from home.
Professional appearance
Having a business address and dedicated landline with a receptionist gives your business a more professional first impression to clients.
Lower risk
If your business doesn’t thrive or ends up closing, you don’t have to worry about rental agreements or having wasted money on rent.
No missed calls
For entrepreneurs who drive a lot, you won’t miss important business calls because your phone will be answered for you.
Less time on the road
Working remotely eliminates the rush-hour commute. You can collect your business correspondence outside of peak traffic times.
Cons of virtual offices
The disadvantages of a virtual office are fewer than the benefits but they must be considered.
Fewer opportunities to network
Networking opportunities are limited when you don’t share a building or office space with other entrepreneurs or freelancers.
Working from home
Most entrepreneurs who use virtual offices work from home where there are distractions. This can mean being less productive, especially if you don’t have dedicated office space at home.
No meeting space for clients
If you don’t have an office, you may struggle for suitable space to have meetings with clients. Fortunately, some virtual office providers have meeting rooms that you can rent by the hour.
What does a virtual office at The Workspace include?
A virtual office at The Workspace offers SA entrepreneurs and freelancers the following business services:
- a professional business address
- a dedicated phone number
- calls answered in your company’s name
- messages taken by reception and forwarded by email
- discounted boardroom/meeting room rates.
At The Workspace, we also offer hourly or daily rental of meeting rooms and fully equipped boardrooms, for when you need to meet clients in person.
In addition to virtual offices, we offer affordable serviced offices and coworking spaces, with friendly reception, high-speed internet and a range of on-site business services. For more information or to book a tour of one of our branches, call us on 0861 250 259 or contact us online.
