When you're just starting in business, the costs of setting up and maintaining a physical office space can be prohibitive. But there's a great solution that can help you keep your overheads low while still providing you with a professional image: rent a virtual office.

In this article, the team at workspace365 has provided some tips for those new to a virtual office rental in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

What is a Virtual Office?

A virtual office is a service offering members to access an office from any location with an internet connection. It is a work arrangement becoming more popular across the world with modern businesses, as it enables employees to telecommute, work from home, or even do their job whilst on the road, without being tied to a physical address. 

At workspace365, our Go Virtual Office Plans provide a professional business address and phone number in prime locations across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Members also receive access to a selection of additional services, including day office usage, mail handling & phone answering services, and even invitations to networking events.

Why Invest in a Virtual Office?

In today's competitive landscape, more and more organisations are turning to virtual offices to save money and increase efficiency while still receiving many of the same benefits as a traditional office.

Some of the leading reasons to invest in a virtual office include:

• Greater Affordability: You won't have to worry about the cost of renting or maintaining an office, furnishing it, or even paying for utilities. This can free up significant money to reinvest in your business.
• Enhanced Operations: A virtual office can help you streamline your business operations with access to a world-class team of professionals who can handle tasks such as call answering, mail handling, and wider administrative work. 
• Increased Flexibility: There is no need to be restricted by the 9 to 5 work hours when you rent virtual offices. Team members can operate in the hours best suited to their schedule, all while still meeting agreed KPIs.
• Improved Scalability: With a virtual office, businesses can easily scale up or down depending on their needs. This is perfect for those needing to adapt to changing circumstances, without moving to larger or smaller office spaces based on employee size.

Steps to Get Started with a Virtual Office Rental

1. Update Your Business Plan

Any successful business owner or manager knows the importance of having a sound plan to direct your ongoing operations. This covers everything from your revenue streams to the cost of sales, your operating expenses, and how you conduct your business. Naturally, this will need updating if switching to a virtual office, including:

• Staffing requirements: Source talent worldwide, balancing full-time/part-time employees with contractors and freelancers.
• Resources: The programs, software and technology needed to operate a virtual office.
• Operating schedules: Outline staff availability and when they will operate to understand capacity throughout the weeks or months.

2. Introduce New Office Addresses & Phone Systems 

Integrate your new mailing address and phone number. With a professional team handling the mail at a professional address, as well as answering your phones to free up more time with your team, it is essential to introduce them quickly and clearly to all of your clients, suppliers, partners and more. 

3. Establish Your Remote Working Arrangements

• Working Hours: What hours will your team members be available? This is especially important when working across multiple time zones for collaboration and meeting deadlines.
• Key Performance Indicators: When you aren’t in the same physical office, visibility of progress and productivity can waver. Set performance metrics to gauge the work of teams and help them stay directed towards success.
• Encourage (Virtual) Team Building Opportunities: It’s no secret that teams who are friendly and have a solid rapport work better together. Just because you’re online, you can still encourage team-building opportunities, such as virtual hangouts & collaboration sessions.

4. Set Up the Right Tools & Equipment

Many tools are available today to facilitate operating online, from project management systems to video conferencing software. Not everyone will be immediately familiar with this technology, so it is imperative that you set up the right tools for your teams to do their jobs effectively whilst also providing training and support so they can become familiar with new software or programs. 

It is also important to elevate your security, backup and recovery solutions. With so much of your business being conducted online, your sensitive data is more exposed to external threats, and should any malfunction or human error impair your virtual tools, you could see significant disruption in your ongoing operations. As such, measures should be in place to protect your systems (such as introducing two-factor authentication with all employees) and platforms that can back up and recover critical information, should the primary source prove unavailable.

Get Started with a Virtual Office Rental with workspace365 Today

Ready to rent virtual offices for your organisation? Find out more about the potential benefits today by contacting us at workspace365.