Technology has transformed the way we do business. Organisations with a global footprint can collaborate across continents. SMEs are able to enter markets through their digital channel. Start-ups can scale up in a way they might once have only dreamed of. Many business owners are questioning the need for costly business sites, especially when client time is largely taking place online.

A virtual office offers a whole range of benefits to business owners – from providing a prestigious business address to saving you money when you’re looking to expand. As more businesses opt-out of traditional offices, a virtual office space offers a cost-effective solution for flexible working and can boost employee morale.

The top 3 advantages of virtual offices

So, why should you consider ditching your brick-and-mortar office in favour of a virtual one? In this article, we’ll look at the three key benefits of a virtual office space.

1. A virtual office offers a prestigious business address

With a virtual office space, you’ll enjoy many of the advantages of a prestigious business address, with few of the downsides. They provide a great opportunity to have a physical address at sites that are important to your business. Having an address and an office phone number at a leading location makes it easier for your business to project an image of professionalism and credibility. Choosing a physical address associated with your specific industry and target market enables your business to appear established, relevant and sizeable.

Opting out of the traditional office space can also be a cost-effective solution for small businesses. It allows you to save on overheads such as administration, infrastructure and maintenance. These savings can then be passed on to the customer – or reinvested into the expansion of the business.

Many virtual office spaces give businesses the added benefit of access to conference rooms, without the long-term commitment of expensive leases.

2. A virtual office allows your workforce to operate remotely

An increasingly important benefit of a virtual office is the opportunity it presents for remote working. This allows businesses to embrace and adapt to the changing patterns of the modern workplace. Studies have shown that allowing employees to work remotely leads to increased flexibility and autonomy – and increased productivity. Working from home cuts out commute time and improves work-life balance, which are both important factors in maintaining workforce morale.

Not to mention the opportunity it gives you to access and attract new, and different, talent. In the past, employers have been restricted by their location when it comes to hiring. A business with a virtual office has almost unlimited scope to attract the best candidate for the role – no matter where they are physically based.

Many virtual office spaces offer meeting rooms when you need to bring remote teams together, and conference rooms can be used for in-person client meetings. These collaborative spaces have also been shown to improve productivity.

3. A virtual office space allows you to expand your business

A key advantage of a virtual office is that it reduces risk when expanding your business. When looking to test out a new region, you can do so without committing to larger office sites.  Instead, you can establish a mailing address in a new territory while still working from your original location – or remotely.

Having a regional presence and physical address at which to receive mail and phone calls can expand your customer base. It also minimises your long-term commitments and expensive overheads.

Opening a virtual office also offers an effective and affordable way for businesses to expand into new international locations without incurring the costs of travel. 

RELATED: Can flexispace help with global expansion?

Businesses across the world are choosing to operate from a virtual office, and it’s not hard to see why. You get a prestigious business address while cutting costs and providing a better service to the customers you want to reach.

Still not sure if you should make the switch to a virtual office? We think they’re the perfect solution for efficient and modern businesses. However, if you need more convincing, we’ve written an article about the businesses that benefit most from virtual offices.

Who uses a virtual office?