Private business owners can often feel under pressure to try and boost business and development whilst simultaneously trying to find new measures to reduce overheads. One of the main issues is that development is directionally proportionate to overheads and it can be very difficult to expand one aspect without directly having a negative impact on the other.

One such method to try and cut costs is to look into virtual office services. If you have never heard of virtual offices in the past, here is a quick run through on the services that you can obtain.

A postal address for your business located in a desirable area – for example, London Mayfair.
Obviously a virtual address is of no use if you require clients and customers to visit your business premises. However, if your business is operated completely remotely from the user (for example, online) then a virtual address can help represent your business to be something more established.

Mail forwarding services

A virtual postal address is completely reliant on mail forwarding services. All of the business cards, publicity material (flyers, website) for your business, and email signatures can all contain your new remote address in London. However, without mail forwarding to your actual address, you wouldn’t be receiving many new business opportunities! Any mail sent to the virtual London address can be sent next day to your actual business or home address to be looked through at your convenience. Alternatively, trained staff can look through your customer mail and deal with certain queries.

Phone answering service and call forwarding

Another method of cost saving is by adopting phone answering services rather than a full-time receptionist. A phone answering service can be provided in conjunction with your virtual office and often by the same organisation. The phone number provided on all of your business stationary can be representative of the area in which your elected virtual business address is- for example, a ‘020’ area code for London. This adds to the prestige a London addressed business holds whilst simultaneously providing your business with call monitoring and message taking facilities.

Having a business which is seemingly located in an area of prestige can really add to the amount of interest and custom that you can expect to obtain. Image is everything. So if your business is reliant on sales from online, from email marketing and from phone calls, a London based virtual address can really enhance your business reputation.

Many business owners which operate from their home reach a point when they must make a decision. To continue to grow and develop, is a full time business property required? Is running the business from home sufficient or is it damaging potential sales? Do you have the finances to take the gamble on committing to a monthly business property rental? Are your profits sufficient to cover the monthly outlay? Will they increase substantially for the continued justification of renting a business property?

By looking for virtual office services, the questions posed need not be immediately addressed. For a low cost monthly fee your business can still continue to operate as it always has done – but with the added benefits that a London based address can bring.