Office Space Advice
Virtual Office Offers 12 Months Web Hosting Free
Published February 26th, 2009 by Jennifer LeClaire
It’s been said that it’s hard to compete with free. That’s what a virtual office group in Asia is betting on. Vision Group’s Singapore Virtual Office is offering 12 months of free Web hosting for free to all its clients. Could the free trend trickle its way West?
Singapore Virtual Office has a strong marketing hook. Vision Group clearly sees that the economic situation is dire and it’s trying to help entrepreneurs get a leg up in business by waiving the cost of Web hosting so they can invest it somewhere else instead – like maybe a monthly virtual office package from Vision Group?
Calculating the Value
Here’s how it works: When a customer signs up for a virtual office package they can take advantage of the hosting. Singapore Virtual Office pegs the value at $180. That includes 500MB of virtual space and 10GB of data transfer, along with unlimited e-mails, databases, domains and subdomains.
Of course, it’s possible to get a starter package from GoDaddy.com for about half that price. So the offer may be overinflated. Then again, the cost of doing business in Singapore aren’t exactly cheap so this may be right in line with the going rate.
In any case, the deal communicates that this virtual office provider cares. It’s a gracious offer that will help lower the start-up costs for virtual offices. It’s a good move because entrepreneurs who opt for virtual offices are already looking for solutions that keep overhead costs low. When they hear about this deal, it could be a difference maker.
Now here’s the other angle. Small business owners stateside looking to do business in Singapore can leverage this offer to set up a Web site and host it there in the native tongue. Singapore Virtual Office is based in the Singapore Central Business District, which offers clients to have a prestigious business address in Singapore but without incurring the huge overheads.
It’s Time to Negotiate
This is an ultra competitive move that ultimately doesn’t cost Singapore Virtual Office much if it has its own Web servers, which presumably it does. And U.S. virtual office providers – and serviced office providers for that matter – should take note of the offer.
Entrepreneurs should also take note of this offer. With so many virtual office providers flooding the market to compete for a piece of the revenue pie, we may see these types of offers stateside. You should look for them, ask about them, and even ask for them. Everything is negotiable, especially in a down economy.
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About the Author
Bill Brookshire February 26th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I like your point. I think small business owners should try negotiating with virtual office providers. I hear the wireless carriers are negotiating these days, and so are many other industries. Of course, virtual offices are low-cost to begin with so there may not be much wiggle room there. But it never hurts to ask.
Elizabeth Sanchez February 26th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Perceived value takes you a long way. It doesn’t really matter if this virtual office perk doesn’t cost the provider a thing. If it can save money for small businesses and generate new customers for the virtual office provider, it’s a win-win in this economy.
Maggie Correta February 27th, 2009 at 5:31 am
In this economy, it’s about getting creative. Virtual office providers do indeed provide a great value. When you start adding deals like free web hosting on top, it’s just one more reason to take advantage of these virtual office programs. It may not be an incentive if you already have a web host, but for start-ups, free web hosting is a welcomed perk.
Rob Zeus March 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 am
I can see serviced office providers that also have virtual offices using the virtual side as a loss leader, of sorts. Some may already do that. But if it’s a pure play virtual office, there’s only so many concessions they can offer and still make money. It would have to be a concession on some sort of perk, like the Web hosting.