What Is a Virtual Office, and Why Do I Need It?

What is a virtual office? That is a great question. A virtual office can mean different things to different people.

Investopedia defines the term as, “A virtual office gives businesses a physical address and office-related services without the overhead of a long lease and administrative staff. With a virtual office, employees can work from anywhere but still have things like a mailing address, phone answering services, meeting rooms, and videoconferencing. 

What we see throughout our network of over 70 locations across the US is businesspeople spending more time getting things done, less time commuting. Startup companies are gaining rapid credibility when they hold their meetings in professional business environments instead of in coffee shops. 

Do virtual offices work? 

For many people, the answer is yes. 

Virtual office services from national providers like Office Evolution are becoming increasingly popular by allowing businesses to rent popular services like coworking spaces, conference room rentals, and phone answering, on-demand, the same way they buy most of their software.

The website How Stuff Works makes the case that Virtual Offices do work for businesses in these five scenarios:

1. Are you starting your own business and need to save cash?
2. Do you want to test the sometimes-turbulent waters of the business world first before you sign a lease for office space or get a mortgage for a building?
3. Does your business lend itself well to operating in a virtual environment?
4. Are your employees willing to work from their homes, cars, or other moving targets?
5. Or do you simply think the environmental benefits are reason enough to consider a virtual workspace? 

How much does a virtual office cost?

For as little as $99*/month, you can become a member of a working community that provides you with:

• a professional, comfortable workspace that is available to you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week
• Wi-Fi and ethernet access
• the use of conference rooms and meeting spaces
• a community of professionals who are either in your shoes or who have been
• a cheery receptionist who greets and impresses your clients
• complimentary beverages, including tea and coffee

If it helps you and your business climb to the next level, $99* is a very smart and doable expense. Our Professional Plan, starting at $179*/month, gives you everything listed above plus our business mailing address plan, so instead of your business address being in a residential neighborhood and exposing more about your personal life than you should, your business address at Office Evolution provides credibility and shows your business is conducted in a professional place.

What are the advantages of a virtual office?

American Express published an article titled, “The 7 Key Benefits of Virtual Offices”, which listed the key benefits of using a Virtual Office as:

1. No commute time.
2. Employees are easily more active.
3. Flexibility means using fewer vacation days.
4. Access to worldwide talent.
5. Less overhead.
6. Save money on technology.
7. Productivity increases.

Why do I need a virtual office?

What a great question. If you work in a large company that needs people together in one location to get work accomplished, you probably do not. 

But if you’re like an ever increasing number of people in the US workforce who work in a business where technology truly allows you to work from anywhere, a virtual office offers a strong alternative to a traditional office environment.

Here is a sampling of the MANY types of businesspeople who find Office Evolution Virtual Offices empower them to do more, make more, and spend less time commuting: 

• Professional Services: CPAs, Lawyers, Financial Planners, Consultants, Marketing Professionals, who occasionally need to have client meetings, and need a professional business address to represent their business.
• Startups: Companies from 1 to 30 employees, many of whom are remote, who need to stay lean while in rapid growth mode, renting a training room periodically, or renting a conference room for code sprints or other critical business events when they need to bring the team together in one place.    
• Coffee Shop Upgraders: Businesspeople who have grown weary of the noise and lack of privacy that the local barista providers them.
• Collaborators: People who spend much of their time working remotely or solo, but occasionally need a place to come in and collaborate with other, complementary businesses in one of our Coworking spaces.