We often get asked when businesses should consider taking their first full time office space. The short answer is no two businesses are the same. By that we mean it’s usually determined by the growth of the business.

One thing however that isn’t determined by business growth is the immediate need to enhance the first impression created by your business.

So what are the main benefits of a virtual office? Firstly, let’s just take a moment to explain what a virtual office actually is.

An Introduction to a virtual office

Simply put a virtual office is a business address without a full time office space. You can use the business address on your business marketing to enhance how people see your company. Virtual offices can often include call answering and mail forwarding services.

Virtual office services vary widely from location to location so it’s always best to ask about the benefits of each one before you decide.

Here are the top benefits of a virtual office:

A Business Card that turns heads

What should be on your business card? It’s a valid question as there are now many things to consider. It’s not just telephone numbers and email addresses these days. Social media names are now included along with your website and even hashtags that help people find your business.

One of the most important pieces of information to include has to be your business address. It’s now easier than ever to find and even see your business address using Google maps. So what does it say about your business when a residential street appears?

Never miss another business call again

When you are busy developing your business and constantly on the go it’s not always possible to get to every telephone call, especially if you are on another call. So how can you stop this problem having an impact on your business?

Call answering services are a simple way to ensure you never miss another call again. So how does this work? Well it’s quite simple really. Serviced office business centres have receptionists answering calls to their office clients. This service is simply extended to businesses with a virtual office.

A place to call home

So you don’t have a full time office at your business address. That’s not a problem when you want to meet important new clients. You can book and use a meeting room at the location. So nobody will ever know you don’t have an office in the building.

Some locations have developed incredible communal workspaces which can be used either through a monthly membership or on a pay-as-you-go basis. These options provide a great deal of flexibility and allow you to control what you spend at a fraction of the cost of a full time office.

So to round up…

A virtual office provides a great deal of flexibility and value for any start-up. Providing a professional business image, it will be the first proper business address you will have. And the power of a great address should never be under estimated.

Find out more about virtual offices by giving one of our consultants a call today on 020 3031 8563.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Great Business first impressions with a Virtual Office appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

However, one of the biggest problems facing today’s entrepreneurs are the many distractions that can impact productivity and effectiveness during the crucial early stages of a new business.

According to Guy Clapperton writing for Forbes, many entrepreneurs and home workers face three major obstacles, which are adequate technology, over working and isolation. All making an impact on a person’s ability to work effectively.

Now, we are not advocating every new business owner takes a full time office to overcome these problems, but what we can do is highlight the many options that are available that could help improve productivity and at the same time, drastically improve the image of your business and new brand.

Co-working is the new Home Working

One of the easiest and most accessible solutions without breaking the bank in the early stages of any new business is a Co-working membership. Earlier this year we featured WeWork and their extraordinary rise in the UK. With new locations opening in 2016, they provide affordable membership options that solves two of the main disadvantages of home working. Firstly, it removes the problem with home Wi-Fi speeds. These locations have invested thousands of pounds in the latest technology to ensure all their members stay connected. The second problem they solve is the sense of isolation. WeWork provide networking and useful seminars every month as part of their membership. It’s a great way to get involved and meet other like-minded business owners with the same problems you have.

Bumping up the Company Image when you Need to

One of the easiest solutions to the old problem of meeting clients somewhere respectable and not just Starbucks, is meeting rooms. There is such a wide choice on offer everywhere that it’s easy to find a quick and easy solution to meet clients and business partners.

Meeting rooms are not as expensive as you might think. Most can be booked by the hour or day at very competitive rates and usually with short notice. So there really are quick and affordable options at every new business owner’s immediate disposal.

When a Home Office Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

Did you ever stop to think how your home address would look on your business cards? You’ve worked hard to establish your new brand and created opportunities to build your business at the same time as working from the end of your bed. But will your clients and customers spot you don’t have a proper place of work? Possibly.

Business image is an important part of the process of establishing brand loyalty. A good business address can really help to set you apart from your competition. Great locations also don’t cost the earth when you take a virtual office.

So what is a virtual office? Well it’s simply an office without the office. A virtual office provides all the visible aspects of having a full time office but without the space itself. Simply put its using a business address and call answering service to provide a professional outward appearance.

These services allow you to put the business address on your business card and website, creating the illusion that you have office space in the building, with your calls answered by a receptionist so you never have to miss another call or take a nuisance sales call.

Get the Balance Right

These three very flexible solutions can also be used together to create something that works for you. That could be an initial Co-working membership and the use of meeting rooms when you need them. Or continue to work from home using a virtual office address and use meeting rooms as and when you need to meet clients.

Whatever you decide the most important thing is to make sure you take in to account the cost of these services and the benefit they will bring to your new business. The obvious solution to carry on as you are may be why 50% of new businesses fail in the first couple of years according to Theo Paphitis.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Entrepreneurs Can Escape their Home Office Prisons appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

The benefits of home working are well documented but it’s also easy to see why lots of people find home working a challenge. With the television and the kitchen beckoning it’s easy to succumb to distractions. It’s also difficult to tune out to the usual family noise and maintain a closed door policy in the home that allows you to get on with work.

It’s fair to say the move to an office outside the home will add to your commute but it will allow your business to be seen in a whole new light. Just having a prestigious address creates a credible impression for future customers and clients, and gives you a great place to meet them.

Making Your Commute Longer

A great way to get started is to look at what location is right for you and how it impacts on the commute for you and your team.  We looked at Location in our blog “Office Location, Office Location, Office Location”.  So take a look at our location tips to make sure the decisions you make are the right ones.

What’s Available

These days there is a wide choice open to you when you make the bold leap out of your home office. Flexibility is now a popular feature with providers offering flexible short term agreements with many not requiring a deposit. This means your initial outlay can be quite low. With Serviced Offices the term “easy in and easy out” is often applied to demonstrate the relative flexibilty and speed to both get started and potentially move on later.

What to do first

We all use sites like Compare the Market, Go Compare or even Hotels.com to make choosing the product or service we need as easy as possible. Selecting the right office space should be no different. An independent workspace broker like us can provide impartial advice and a quick reference opportunity to shortlist the ideal locations for your business. That way you get to see the entire market in one place. We provide an easy search portal that works on any device and allows you to shortlist possible solutions.

Here are the options you could consider and a brief outline of each one:

Co-working

The recent explosion in Co-working places has been a great advantage to small business owners trapped in their home office but are not quite ready for a full-time office of their own.

So how do they work? Essentially, Co-working is a large communal workspace, usually well designed and very comfortable. They often provide access to meeting rooms and private offices and generally have a membership rate which can be added to for other services.

Each location has great Wi-Fi and the opportunity to network with like-minded business owners, which is a far cry from the isolation and domestic distractions home workers often experience.

We have put together several great Co-working options for you to give you an idea of what is available:

Corsham Street, London N1 

Westland Place, London N1

Rivington Street, London, EC2A 

Virtual Offices

When is an office not an office? When it’s a virtual one! A Virtual Office is a quick and simple way to get a great business address and enhance your company’s profile without the cost outlay of a full-time office.

This option is ideal if you need to work on the move as it’s very easy to find a meeting room to use for important company meetings using our service.  A Virtual Office also allows you to control your initial outlay as set-up costs are significantly lower than a full-time office.

Here are some popular business addresses that provide virtual office solutions in the City of London:

No1 Poultry, London, EC2R

Royal Exchange, London, EC3V

Lombard Street, London, EC3V

Serviced Offices

A serviced Office comes in all shapes and sizes and there are a lot of considerations to take in to account when you start your search. One of the best advantages of a Serviced Office is the flexibility they provide. You can literally move straight in and the space can grow with you. With low set-up costs and transparent terms, each location will provide outstanding internet connectivity that will be faster and more reliable than your home Wi-Fi.

With Location as perhaps the most important consideration, its vital you consider not just transport links. Your office should also be close to your clients. Earlier this year we also talked about the 20 best locations for office space which you can read here.

The sheer choice of options can be a little overwhelming even if you have a very specific search area. So keep in mind that our experienced team can guide you through this veritable minefield of options.

Here are some great examples of Serviced Offices which offer outstanding interiors, great service and an amazing first impression for your clients:

Russell Square, London, WC1B

Stratton Street, London, W1

Colmore Circus, Queensway, Birmingham, B4

For a more detailed outline all you need to do is get in touch and talk to a member of our team. Simply call 020 3031 8563 or visit www.loc8commercial.com

The post When is the right time to take your first Serviced Office? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Perhaps the biggest single decision you have to make is “location”. That old saying when buying a new home, “Location, Location, Location” applies to your choice of office space as well.

The London office market is very varied with different parts of the capital being renowned for their levels of one type of business. For example, Shoreditch is known for creative businesses, Canary Wharf is known as a hub for UK and international banks, whilst the City of London is known for legal and financial services. Mayfair is famous for hedge funds and embassies but this is changing as business services companies move in.

The top ten London locations to consider are:

• Bank – This is a popular area of the City of London
• Mayfair – In particular the area around Berkeley Square
• Shoreditch – Creative businesses abound
• Kings Cross – With the new development near the station attracting the likes of Google
• Canary Wharf – With a range of office options and good transport links
• Borough – With the development around the Shard and near London Bridge
• Liverpool Street – With a number of new buildings opening in 2016 and 2017
• Covent Garden – A popular central location with excellent transport links
• Aldgate – On the City fringe, this area benefits from significant ongoing investment
• Paddington – Recent infrastructure investment has seen this area surge in popularity

Since the financial downturn the lines between areas of London have become a little blurred. Tech companies have moved in to the area now known as Silicon Roundabout near Old Street which has in turn revitalised the area. The London Bridge and Borough High Street area has lost it’s down market image thanks to the Shard development which has in turn led to a multi-million pound investment in London Bridge Station.

So with all this choice and so many potential areas to chose from, we think it’s important to take the following in to consideration when planning the location of your new virtual or serviced office in London:

• Pay attention to the other types of businesses around you
• How easy is the address to find? A well known location can help a great deal
• What types of different transport links are available?
• Is the location appropriate to your brand image?
• What local amenities are close by? Is there a cafe on-site?
• Does the location offer meeting rooms to hire by the day?

So as we have said, it’s all about location! It should be at the top of your office wish list so that your business gets the maximum benefit from your investment in new office space.

And remember the best advice about potential new locations is impartial advice. We’ve built up an enviable knowledge of the various locations open to you and our service is certainly impartial.

Start your search today.

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

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