Our working times and habits are rapidly evolving in Ireland. Technology makes things that weren’t even fathomable 30 years ago totally possible today. Business owners and entrepreneurs are taking every advantage of technology when it comes to where they choose to do business from.
Paying huge money to rent an office space that’s not really required is becoming a thing of the past as more and more people are realising the benefits of using virtual offices.
If you’ve been dabbling in the idea of joining the thousands of business owners around Ireland that are using virtual office spaces, the following list of what type of companies would most benefit in this environment might help you to take the plunge.
Who should use a virtual office?
The good news is there are no limits to the types of businesses that can benefit from using a virtual office. All different-sized businesses, such as start-ups and small businesses to large companies and independent contractors from all kinds of industries, can use a virtual office.
That said; the core reasons why a small business owner and a large business owner might choose to use a virtual office will most likely differ.
A small start-up, for example, might use a virtual office as a means of saving money and availing of a call answering service, whilst a large multi-national corporation might use that same virtual office for the sole purpose of having a valid address in Ireland.
Why use a virtual office?
Cost efficiency
Renting a virtual office can be a very cost effective way of running your business on a tight budget. You don’t have to pay for renting a physical location and all the associated costs that go along with it.
You may even see lower costs in liability insurance and/or eliminate costs like renters insurance. Staff expenses may also cost less as you won’t be tied by demographics and you’ll have a much wider workforce to choose from.
Hire someone remotely that’s already skilled and experienced in the relevant area and your staff training costs will be zero. Remote employees are often happier and thus have a lower turnover rate as they can achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Improve your image
Location is still very important when doing business. Virtual offices can give small business owners a lifeline as some customers might shy away from doing business with a company that is home based or located in an area that isn’t familiar to them.
With a virtual office, you can choose to have your business listed in a prestigious area. This way when potential customers see your website or your business card, they will recognise the location and associate it with other successful businesses in that highly regarded area.
Increase your customer service performance
As a business grows, there is no way that one person can hold the fort and do everything. An expansion in business means more calls, which creates a need for those calls to be answered.
Rather than hiring a receptionist, why not avail of the receptionist services that are usually offered as part of a virtual office package? Your phone calls will be answered in the most professional way and all messages will be passed along to you so you won’t have to worry about conducting interviews, staff training or paying a wage. It’s that simple!
Technology has negated the need for renting expensive office space and extra staff, and businesses all over Ireland are reaping the rewards of it. Virtual offices are going to be around for the foreseeable future so don’t miss out on what could be your biggest opportunity to grow your bottom line.
