In the world of startups and small businesses, there's perhaps no business more virtual than a social media consultancy. That's why this business is a perfect candidate for a virtual office. Not only is it possible to run a social media consultancy from a virtual office, a virtual office can even enhance your business and provide more benefits than a traditional office. Here's what you need to know about running a social media consultancy from a virtual office.
The Right Location
First of all, a virtual office puts your business where it needs to be. Many companies simply can't afford a high-profile downtown location for their office, and end up either located far away from their clients or
Working from home. But instead of compromising on location, a virtual office allows you to hold that prominent downtown address, without having to pay the same price as your neighbors. That way, you can meet with clients in your virtual office's meeting rooms and even make use of the virtual office's workspaces, all without having to pay full price for your rental. Think about how impressed your clients will be when you take them into a modern, fully equipped office building for their consultancy session, rather than meeting them at the nearest coffee shop.
The Tools You Need
A virtual office also provides you with the tools you need to get the job done right. With any traditional office rental, all you get is the space and you need to fill it with tools, like workstations, phones, computers, Wi-Fi connections, and so on. Additionally, it's up to you to hire a receptionist, IT consultants, administrative assistants, and any other necessary staff. Your virtual office rental, on the other hand, comes with all the tools you need, so you don't have to worry about purchasing your own tech products or hiring additional staff.
The Offline Connection
In an almost ironic sense, virtual offices can serve as great places to make offline connections. Many startups will find their first few clients through offline connections like word of mouth. When you arrive at your new virtual office, you're certain to run into some of your virtual "neighbors" and interact with all sorts of new people. While leveraging social media and other online forms of communication are great ways to make connections with people around the world, nothing beats a good old-fashioned handshake when it comes to networking.
The Credibility Factor
These days, it's pretty easy to set up a social media startup. With the right skills and the right tools, you can set up your consultancy firm anywhere - even in your living room. So, what sets you apart from the hundreds or thousands of other firms out there competing for the same business? A big factor is credibility. And a major factor in establishing credibility is location. A business card with a prestigious downtown address printed on it says a lot more than a business card with nothing but your home address or a PO Box. These days, the competition can be steep, so anything you can do to set yourself apart is worth the investment.
Sure, you could run your whole social media consultancy from home or from a regular office, but you'd be missing out on all of the advantages that come with virtual offices. Renting a virtual office space will put you in the same league as other forward-thinking entrepreneurs who are on the cutting edge of the business world. And if your business is social media, that's the kind of league you'll want to be in.