Why a virtual office makes business sense?
In the time of digital disruption that we live in, how businesses operate is evolving rather rapidly. Companies can no longer afford geographic boundaries and physical infrastructure constraints affect their speed of operational responses. Inevitably, the work landscape is also changing in the country; thanks to the demographic dividend that India enjoys, we are seeing the emergence of a young, entrepreneurial workforce as well. The growth in the concept of virtual offices must therefore be viewed in this particular context.
Even though it is fairly obvious to anyone who has closely evaluated the benefits of having a virtual office, there are still some naysayers who continue to remain attached to the view that a business cannot operate well without a physical office. We feel it is important to allay some of those concerns and explain the need for and benefits of a virtual office.
Then there are those who ask why a virtual office in a commercial complex or business centre is necessary, when renting a PO Box would suffice? Or, would it not be better for someone to provide a residential address as his/her business address. The fact is that both of these objections can be cleared right away. A virtual office provider like Empire Business Centre goes beyond providing a means for letters to be delivered; the true benefits lie elsewhere, as we list them down later in the article. Secondly, even though we are witnessing shifts in mindset, the fact is that the idea of a “home-based business” in India still does not get the kind of respect that they may get in the West.
Who is a virtual office appropriate for?
Contrary to popular perception, a virtual office is not only for solopreneurs or sole proprietors, though that category of businesses is a great fit for the idea of a virtual office. Businesses of all sizes and shapes can take advantage of such an office.
A virtual office is a low-cost means to enter a different city. For example, if you are a Delhi or Kolkata based business that wants to enter or even explore the Mumbai market, you can do that easily with a virtual office address at one of our Empire Business Centres in either Andheri or Lower Parel.
These are also great for people that don’t require to be physically present at the same place at the same time i.e. co-location is not a pre-requisite. The business can thus take advantage of a flexi-workforce and save not only on office costs, but also on actual manpower costs, recruitment costs and so forth.
Even for bigger businesses, it might be cheaper for a person to travel by air once or twice in a month to meet prospects or clients in Mumbai, than to have a physical office set-up in Mumbai. You can offer your sales agents/ affiliates a virtual office address in Mumbai.
The advantages of a virtual office
As you can imagine, one of the biggest benefits of a virtual office is enormous cost savings. This is especially true in a city like Mumbai real estate prices- and consequently office rentals- are as high as in some of the world’s leading cities.
Beyond the cost-savings, there is the flexibility to scale up and opt for additional services and enjoy the facilities. While it is becoming common to have a business meeting at a Starbucks or Café Coffee Day outlet, it doesn’t beat the value of having a serious professional/ business meeting in a proper meeting room in a business centre or its lounge. It just feels right!
An often-overlooked aspect is the potential increased business opportunity with a virtual office. For example, apart from the intangible value of perception from a professional business address, there are more tangible online marketing benefits of having a virtual office in Mumbai, especially if you are trying to attract customers from the city. This is increasingly so with a bias towards local results in mainstream search engines and the proliferation of local-focused portals.
Tips to choose a good virtual office service
Once you are convinced about the benefits to decide to opt for one, let’s talk about some key factors to points.
Don’t go only by the price of the virtual office package. Factor in the prestige of the location and the signal it sends out to the prospects and clients you will be engaging with.
Check out the additional benefits/ perks with the virtual office package you are being offered, and the incremental cost per perk.
Check out the address and the facilities yourself, to the extent possible. Understand the pricing model, lock-in period, etc.
Interested in getting a virtual office address in Mumbai? Contact us now for details. Let’s help get your Mumbai office up & running!