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Top 5 Benefits of Virtual Offices

Did you know that here at officebroker.com, we don't just help you find a physical office. You can also find an excellent range of virtual offices, right here!

Be green - go virtual!

Virtual offices have been around for many years, but we're finding that now, more business people are switching on to the virtual benefits than ever before. With the economy still struggling despite some scattered signs of improvement, companies are being forced to cut costs from many angles. And as a result, the workplace is changing in order to help businesses survive.

For some, the need for a physical working environment can be replaced by a virtual office, a remote connection, and a few mobile gadgets. It's not as daunting as it seems - and you'll be surprised at the number of benefits a virtual office can give you.

So to get you started, here are five top reasons to go virtual, and how you can use them to boost your business success. If you want to discuss this further, or get help choosing a virtual office, get in touch with our team for free expert advice.

1) Save time and money

A virtual office is a much cheaper alternative to a serviced office or executive suite. Many virtual workers choose to stay at home and convert their spare room or a corner of the living room into a make-shift office, thus cutting out the additional monthly rent of a leased office. You may increase your home heating and electricity bills slightly, but this will be considerably lower than the cost of office rents, rates, and commuting expenses. Plus, if you have a little mobile technology - such as a cell phone and a laptop with wireless broadband - you can always pop into your local Starbucks for free internet connection. It will only cost you a coffee or two!

2) Improve your image and impress your clients

If you're running a business from home, or you use a small cheap office in a not-so-desirable area, you can use someone else's business address to boost your company image. One of the great things about a virtual office is that you have the option to get a prime business address, for a small monthly fee. Your mail will be sent there, where it will be handled and then forwarded to your home address. You'll also have the option to book meeting rooms and conference facilities at a discounted rate. So your clients never need to know that you work out of your spare room!

3) Delegate your admin tasks

Virtual offices usually give you the opportunity to hand over your light admin duties to a secretary, as part of your monthly virtual fee. This will save you loads of time - and also means you won't have to pay someone else to do it.

4) Boost employee morale

Allowing your employees to work from home can be a huge morale booster. It signals a degree of trust, and allows them to cut out the cost of travelling to the office, as well as saving money on work clothing. They will also appreciate the added flexibility so they can arrange day-to-day necessities, like picking up their children from school, going to the dentist and servicing the car. If you're worried about how to stay in touch with your home-working employees, a few carefully chosen technologies can help - most of which are free or operate on low monthly costs. Try these out for size:

• Instant Messenger - a tool that is downloaded and installed on each PC. You can have instant conversations with your staff to find out what they're up to. You can even send files across to each other and have conversations with multiple people. Best of all, it's free! Try MSN Messenger from Microsoft, or Google Talk.
• Skype - a great free tool for calls, video conferences and instant messaging over the internet. And because it's based online, you can use it all over the world.
• Google sites - another freebie. Use it to create an intranet site for your staff to post notices, events, documents, and company updates. It's password protected too, so you get to control who accesses the information.

5) Cut out the commute - and save the environment!

Working from home will save you and your company regular commuting costs to the office. It can also cut down on stress levels - no more traffic jams! - which gives you extra time to organize your working day, take the kids to school, or simply enjoy an extra hour in bed. What's more, reducing your commute to work will help cut down on harmful emissions which damage the environment. So be green - and go virtual!

For more details, and for help finding a virtual office in your ideal location, speak to one of our friendly consultants for expert help and advice.