Office Space Advice
The risk of telecommuting or working from home
Published November 26th, 2008 by Mike Sullivan
I’ve been thinking a lot about working from home these days, partially because I have a virtual company – the people I work with are scattered across the globe – and I need to figure out ways to work more efficiently. One of the things I’m doing is getting a virtual office. This will allow me to have someone answer the phone when I need to focus on what I’m doing, it will give me a recognized business address and when I need to have a place to get away and work or have a meeting, I can stop by there and be assured I’ll have everything I need. Starbucks and the library are nice, but it’s good to have a nice, professional office space environment or meeting room to ensure there is access to internet connections, phones and other office amenities.
I also found an interesting article on Tech Republic which I thought might be helpful to those who are considering starting a home-based business or thinking about asking the boss if they can telecommute. It really addresses the idea of focus and eliminating distractions.
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About the Author
Elizabeth Sanchez November 26th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Hey, Mike – good for you. Now you can let us know about your selection process in choosing a virtual office provider. What requirements did you have? Were all the players fairly equal? Was the pricing fairly standardized? What did you ultimately base your decision on when you chose your virtual office. I am guessing location of the meeting rooms played a large role.
Mike Sullivan November 26th, 2008 at 10:23 am
My criteria were pretty straightforward. First was location and services offered. I wanted an office with a good business address in a city where I’d be doing a lot of business and would need office space, meeting rooms and someone to answer my phone when necessary. Second, I know that the cost of virtual offices vary widely, and low cost is not always an indication of low quality. Some virtual office services can be $200-$300 per month; I found mine for $99 per month. Third, I wanted to talk to the virtual receptionists who would be answering the phone, so I called several times over a two day period to see how they responded to different requests. And also to see how often they actually answered the phone. One reputable company didn’t answer the phone but let it go to voicemail despite 4 or 5 separate phone calls.
Now, one of these days I’ll live in an area, just maybe, where there will be an executive office convenient to my home so I can move my company there. Until then, the virtual office will serve me well.
Lisa November 27th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Great thinking to actually call and experience the receptionist services first hand. Another way of securing an occasional meeting room is to talk with local hotels. Many of them are able to provide a nice conference room with great amenities (and refreshments).
Melanie Jones November 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Looks like location, location and location are the primary factors even with virtual offices. There is something to be said for a prominent street address. I once relocated from a major metropolitan city to a rural city in a southern state for a period of time. During that period I did not rent an office in Birmingham, Alabama. Instead, I kept a virtual office address in Atlanta, Ga. It just offered a better perception for my business, especially since the move was only for about a year.
Maggie Correta December 1st, 2008 at 7:59 am
I like this inside peak at virtual office selection. It’s very practical and demonstrates that you can’t just take a brand name for granted. The brand of virtual offices is only as good as the people who staff it. Mike makes a good point as well…executive office suites aren’t available in every city. Virtual offices can bridge the gap, introduce folks to the concept, and maybe open new markets. If a serviced office provider sees a market that’s looking to its virtual office services in high numbers, it could be time to expand there with a physical presence.
Rob Zeus December 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 am
I think Mike is our guinea pig, LOL. He’s going to try out virtual offices for the masses who haven’t yet fully understood the benefits of this serviced office feature. I look forward to his chronicles on this… the good, bad and ugly of how virtual offices really work. $99 sounds like a great deal. I’m interested to also hear from others who are using this virtual office concept. I might even try it myself.
Marcus Hester December 4th, 2008 at 8:05 am
The great aspect about virtual offices is you don’t have to be in Seattle, Detroit or New York to take advantage of this serviced office feature. It’s virtual. This takes office rentals to the next level because it offers you the ultimate in flexibility no matter where you go. Even road warriors need a virtual office address to call their corporate home.
brandonrichards December 10th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
For me I’ve been using GrandCentral for a proxy to my private phone line. Pretty nice.