Do you need a full-time office?
Running a small business doesn’t necessarily mean having a dedicated office. As an entrepreneur or sole trader, your days can look different each week – working from home one day, travelling to customers or working remotely the next.
Practical challenges can include managing calls, receiving deliveries and post, meeting clients, and finding somewhere to focus when you need it.
You might not need a permanent office space, but there are other services that can help support your business without the expense and commitment of renting dedicated premises.
A professional point of contact
If you run your business from home, you may not want your residential address to be used for business correspondence.
A virtual office can provide a separate business mailing address, giving you somewhere to receive post without needing to rent a physical office.
It’s a cost-effective way to keep your business and home correspondence separate, while maintaining a professional point of contact. With options for mail forwarding and scanning, you can also keep on top of your business correspondence without needing to be physically based in an office.
Find out more about our virtual office services.
When you need somewhere to work or meet
Although working from home offers flexibility, it isn’t always the ideal setting for meeting clients.
Meeting room hire can provide somewhere to meet customers, discuss projects or hold consultations in a professional environment.
There may also be times when you simply need a change of scenery.
We understand that working from home comes with its distractions – whether that’s kids, pets or the games console! Sometimes you just need somewhere quiet to catch up on admin or concentrate on a project.
Coworking offers an alternative without needing your own office.
If you occasionally need a dedicated workspace, a day office can provide a private space for those days when you need to really focus.
It’s a cost-effective way to enjoy the benefits of a private office without committing to a longer-term lease.
What could your workspace look like?
There are certainly no “one-size-fits-all” approaches to running a business, and the same applies to your workplace. What works for someone running a consultancy-based business from home will be very different to what a mobile tradesperson or growing entrepreneur needs.
The Home-Based Consultant
If you provide professional services from home, you may not need an office every day. But what happens when you need to meet a client face to face? Or if you’d rather not use your home address for business correspondence?
Services to consider:
• Business mailing address
• Meeting room hire
The Mobile Tradesperson
If your work takes you out and about, answering every single phone call can be virtually impossible. Having someone answer calls on your behalf means you can focus on the job in hand, whilst giving your customers a reliable point of contact. A separate business address can be useful too, to take care of your incoming mail.
Services to consider:
• Full virtual office (telephone answering and mailing address)
The Growing Entrepreneur
Perhaps you’re starting a business from home, but you are beginning to feel like you need more space to reach your full potential. Whether it’s somewhere to get your head down and concentrate, a place to meet clients from time-to-time, or spending time working alongside other professionals – having access to a separate workspace can make a real difference. Having the option to choose services as you need, offers a great and cost-effective way to work.
Services to consider:
• Day offices
• Coworking
• Meeting rooms
Your business changes. Your workspace can too.
We know that your business requirements aren’t necessarily going to stay the same forever. Having the flexibility to start with one service and add further support as your business develops can be valuable in getting your small business off the ground and creating a professional impression.
The benefit of having access to different workspace options is that you can choose the services that make sense for your business, when you need them. You might start with a mailing address and telephone answering service, then make use of coworking, day offices or meeting rooms as the need arises.
The right support for your business
