Should I get a Virtual Office Address?

As more people find employment in non-traditional work settings, the idea of establishing a virtual office address has become more common. There are several advantages to this type of arrangement, especially in terms of organization and cultivating customer confidence.

Virtual offices are usually defined as one of two work settings. In one concept, a virtual office is defined as a business setting where there is a physical central office location, but employees have no permanent physical office where they work. Instead, they occupy workstations set up with computers, telephones and other equipment for the day, migrating to another station the next workday.

The second idea about a virtual office has to do with employees who work in a total virtual environment. They often work on the go with the use of cell phones, laptops equipped with wireless connections, and a communications network that provides all the functionality of any bricks and mortar office. Over time, this concept of working in a virtual environment has become more predominant.

With either scenario, there are very good reasons to get a virtual office address. One of the more important reasons has to do with sending and receiving postal mailings. Having a virtual office address set up at a local mailing location simply looks more professional than using a post office box, which may provide a leg up on the competition. Even though you do all your work in a virtual environment, there is still that apparently physical address that implies stability and permanency to existing and prospective customers.

Setting a virtual office address also allows you to have a secure physical location where your mail can be held while you are out of town. In addition, your address provider may offer personalized services, such as watching for and forwarding any mailings received from specified clients. The virtual office location also makes it possible for courier services to safely deliver pouches and packages when you are out of town, something that is not possible with a post office box.

Virtual office addresses also can come in handy when establishing vendor accounts. Many vendors require more than a post office box; they want to have what appears to be a physical address. If you don’t have a brick and mortar office and work exclusively by in a virtual office space, your virtual address makes it easier to establish accounts with different vendors and thus receive the equipment or support services you need to conduct your business.

Today, all sorts of companies are making use of the virtual office concept. Start-up businesses that are primarily Internet based, as well as established companies that view telecommuting as a great way to keep operational, find the virtual address to be a great asset. A virtual office address creates the right image, inspires confidence in customers and vendors, and also supplies a practical location to send and receive mail. If you earn your living working outside a brick and mortar office, setting up a virtual office address is simply a smart move.