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VIRTUAL OFFICE FAQWhat is a Virtual Office? What is a Virtual Office?Virtual Offices can offer everything an actual office provides without leasing or renting the actual office space. An address and telephone answering service is utilised to give the impression of actual occupancy in a building with the concept of only 'virtually' being there. There are varying degrees of 'Virtual Office', ranging from a simple mailing address or 'messaging' service to addresses in some of the most prestigious locations worldwide, with incoming calls being answered in a company name and the facility to transfer these calls anywhere globally. How will a Virtual Office benefit me?Virtual Offices provide an instant, flexible and cost effective solution to companies needing a professional image. They offer a fast, effective way to break into a new international market or a quick easy fix to a short-term sales/marketing campaign. A professional image now plays a pivotal role in commerce; a Virtual Office is an easy way to project this. Who uses Virtual Offices?Anyone from home workers needing a professional representation, to Blue Chip Multinationals breaking into a new emerging market. Companies with sales offices looking for a regional or international address and companies conducting market surveys that need a short-term representative office use Virtual Offices. How much is a Virtual Office?With so many varying degrees of service and location, there is not one price that covers 100s of different operators. A simple PO Box from the Post Office can cost as little as £5.00 per month whilst a full postal address with mail forwarding and professional call answering and transferring in London, Mayfair can be £275.00 per month. For budgetary purposes an average virtual office in the UK will be about £100.00 per month for telephone answering + fax + mail forwarding. Do I get a better Service if I pay more for a Virtual Office?There are 100s of virtual office companies providing an array of different services all at varying degrees of quality. Paying more does not necessarily guarantee a high quality service e.g. Mayfair business addresses carry a heavy premium by the very nature of where they are, however, that premium does not always guarantee the call answering to be done efficiently. When taking a Virtual Office we recommend asking the following questions to make sure you’re getting the best quality and value service: 1. How many clients does the company have – Too many clients may mean that service levels drop due to high call volumes not be answered quickly enough. 2. Ratio of switchboard operator to client – This ratio needs to be low so calls are answered quickly. 3. Average employment time of switchboard operator – This is important as a switchboard operator will get to know your clients and vice a versa giving you a better representation. Obviously past employment is no guarantee for future employment. 4. Nationality of switchboard operator – Do the switchboard operators have English as a first language. Poor message taking and call transferring could give your company a poor impression. If English is not a first language, ask to test the service to make sure you are happy with the quality of switchboard operator. Can I have my own signage?It is possible but the majority of operators will not allow you to have your own signage up in their main reception. Please talk to one of our advisers about which operators allow this service. Contact us on 0800 085 50 50 or virtuals@easyoffices.com to discuss your requirements in greater detail. What is the minimum contract term?3 months. You’ll obviously be in a stronger negotiating position the longer you can commit to a contract for (normally a 12 month agreement will get you the best deal). Do I need a deposit?Yes. This will typically be between 1-2 months of your Virtual Office licence fee. The deposit is refunded once your account has been settled. How much notice period do I need to cancel my agreement?This varies but typically between 1-2 months. You will need to write to the operator to terminate the service. Are there any extra charges in addition to the monthly fee?Apart from the monthly licence fee you will also need to budget for call transfers, fax handling and mail forwarding. There will be a different tariff from each operator. One of our advisers will be able to have specific tariffs emailed to you. Please contact us on 0800 085 50 50 or virtuals@easyoffices.com How quickly does it take to set up a Virtual Office?The service can be set up the same day as a deposit is paid. Most companies will however, ask for 24hrs to fully set up the service. Can I meet Clients at my Virtual Office?Yes, however you will need a Virtual Office company that has a physical presence. Some companies are call centres where you will not be able to meet clients. How are my calls answered?Your calls will be answered in your company name and then either diverted to your landline or mobile. Should you be out of the office your calls will be diverted to your personalised voicemail. Some companies can also SMS you when you have a message waiting on your voicemail. How often can I get my post?Your post can either be collected from the Virtual Office or can be forwarded on. This can be done on a daily or weekly basis. You can also decide if you’d like your post forwarded by normal, special delivery or courier. Please note, each operator offers a varying degree of service and therefore the above is a general example. One of our advisers will be able to advise you on specific details. Please contact us on 0800 085 50 50 or virtuals@easyoffices.com to discuss your requirements in greater detail. Can I have large packages delivered to the Virtual Office?Most business post will have to be small enough to fit into a pigeon hole. You will need to discuss with the Virtual Office operator if they will allow large deliveries. It is however unlikely you will be able to have regular large deliveries to your address. Can I use a Virtual Office as a Registered Company Address?In theory you can, but it is up to the operator of the building whether they will allow you to use the location as a registered address. This is primarily due to fraudulent companies setting up businesses. What is a registered office?It is the address of a company to which Companies House letters and reminders will be sent. The registered office can be anywhere in England and Wales (or Scotland if your company is registered there). The registered office must always be an effective address for delivering documents to the company, and to avoid delays it is important that all correspondence sent to this address is dealt with promptly. If a company changes its registered office address after incorporation, the new address must be notified to Companies House. Note: Some companies may not allow you to use their address and facility as a registered company address. Please check with the Virtual Office operator if you are going to use the facility for this reason. What is a valid registered address?Companies House uses the Post Office address file to verify addresses; so, to avoid delays, please ensure that your proposed registered office address is recognised by the Post Office and always give the correct postcode on forms sent for registration. Can I upgrade to physical office space?Yes. There are some companies that offer Virtual Offices which are just ‘call centres’, these companies will not be able to offer you physical office space. However, most companies we deal with do have office space to rent. What happens when I need physical office space?The transition into physical space is very easy. As your phone/fax numbers stay the same all that needs to be adjusted is where the calls are transferred. Your Virtual Office licence will be terminated and a new office licence will be issued. Note: If you are going to take office space in the future, make sure you find out the rates of the offices before taking the Virtual Office. This way you’ll be able to budget for the future office expense. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive the Virtual Office, the more expensive the office space will be. We thoroughly recommend talking to one of our advisers about your current and future requirements. We can advise you on which companies offer the best value Virtual Offices coupled with the best value office space. Please contact us on 0800 085 50 50 or virtuals@easyoffices.com to discuss your requirements in greater detail. Are there meeting rooms I can hire by the hour/day?This depends on the company offering the Virtual Office service. Most companies we deal with have meeting rooms to hire. Being a Virtual Office client you will normally receive preferential rates on the hiring of meeting rooms. Can I hire offices by the hour/day?This depends on the company offering the Virtual Office service. Most companies we deal with have short term offices or hot desks to hire. |
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