The virtual office concept first emerged in the 1990s as a popular workspace solution for businesses needing productive, professional environments. They are on-demand business locations with essential features and extras ideal for a small business, company, or start-up without a traditional office space.

The characteristics of a virtual office can depend on the provider and the location, but as standard, you should expect essential business services such as Wi-Fi, meeting room access, and call handling.

The 6 must-have features of a virtual office

1. Instant professional business address

An instant business address is a convenient and cost-effective solution for business owners who wish to professionalise their business or expand their presence in other locations.

It creates synchronicity between all parts of their business and can be used for client and colleague correspondence, company documents, business cards and online listings. 

Multiple business addresses can be purchased to expand your presence in more than 900 cities and attract more clients at the fraction of the cost of setting up an independent office. This is attractive to clients looking for services that operate in certain areas, because of local amenities or transport links.

2. On-demand meeting room access

A virtual office gives you access to meeting spaces, conference rooms, and creative breakout rooms for face-to-face meetings or video conferencing. These can be booked on the day for as long as you need with just a few clicks on our mobile app.

The working day can be hectic from start to finish, and the last thing you want is to waste time or keep clients waiting. These bookings can be the ideal solution if you’re in a pinch.

3. Call and mail handling

With our Virtual Office package, you can choose a regional or national business phone number and set up pay-as-you-use or unlimited calls, depending on your work style.

With our telephone answering service, we can take the pressure out of call answering and do it for you. You get a dedicated local telephone number, answered in your company name by our professional staff. You can choose how we direct your call: we can put it through to your mobile or divert it to voicemail if you’re busy.

When the post arrives, we will hold it at reception and forward it on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to your personal mailing address. Any urgent letters can be opened and scanned, and the contents emailed to you if required. 

4. Business services for your peace of mind

As well as virtual assistants on hand to help you throughout the day, you can also benefit from essential business services such as high-speed Wi-Fi, printing and scanning, a 24/7 reception team, and coffee bars to use when you need a break.

All of this is available to you as and when you need it, all on a flexible contract shaped around you.

5. Access to locations all around the city

A popular feature that is included in many of our packages is access to multiple locations. For people that travel frequently for work, and are never in the same place for too long, having access to hot desks or a Business Lounge is imperative.

Our Virtual Office Plus also offers the additional benefit of five days of private office or coworking access at any location, so you can host an important ad-hoc meeting or interview without any hassle.

6. Grow your network

Networking is a fantastic way to meet like-minded people and create new business connections. It can be hard to organise such events yourself, particularly as the world of work has shifted as a result of the pandemic. To make this easier for you, we offer networking sessions, virtual events and social opportunities throughout the year, so you can network as and when you want to.

Our virtual office services enable you to work wherever you need to be – close to clients, partners, suppliers, or home. We can help find the right workspace for you and your team and set you up with a tailored, flexible contract.