subject: Traditional Or Virtual Office Space, What's Best For Your Business? [print this page] Looking for a new office space to rent? There are various types of options available for your business and here I look at two of those options.
There is a huge contrast in styles between virtual and traditional lease office space but in comparing the two differing types of set up, it is very obvious that both could suit different types of company. In fact, it is even conceivable that both types of rental would suit the same company at different stages of its development. This is quite often the case.
Virtual working consists of having all the same elements of a normal room with all the benefits, but not necessarily in the same physical room. As an example, a virtual environment may provide a receptionist in the package, but there's every chance that she might work in a different building. He or she is able to take calls from enquirers and deal with the mail effectively but does not need to be actually sitting outside the room. This is a very economical way of running the business and in many cases is an excellent and natural progression from working at home.
Your personal assistant in the traditional, physical world becomes your virtual assistant in a contemporary, virtual online reality. This person might carry out their work from from a central reception location or from home, answering the phones, booking appointments and dealing with requests. This is also a very economical way of conducting the business. An additional and important cost saving aspect of this type of set up is that there is no commuting involved, which is good for the pocket an the environment.
A virtual address could also be just an address in a large building which has been rented. This may belong to a home-based business and is a very good way of presenting a corporate image while the business is still quite small and in its formative years. It is also a convenient way to send and receive letters. This keeps the actual address, which may be a private home address still private.
It can be seen that both the traditional working environment and the virtual office have their place in the business world. In its early years a small business may make heavy use of virtual space in order to project an image which is professional. Then later they may consolidate into an actual building. Whichever option you think may be best for your business, look carefully at all the pros and cons, also taking the current economical climate into consideration which may impact your budget and your choice.
