Why is the virtual office trend so strong?

The virtual office is a response to the changing requirements of the modern world of work. Since Office Club was founded over ten years ago, we have seen a significant increase in the number of companies interested in the benefits of a virtual office. In recent years in particular, digitalisation has prompted many companies to redefine the way they work. The coronavirus pandemic has also contributed to companies having to rethink their working models and make them more flexible.

What exactly does the term ‘virtual office’ mean?

Virtual office concepts can be a supplement to the existing routine of attending the office in person or can be implemented as an exclusive remote solution. More and more companies are using virtual office services to work only in the digital space, also known as the ‘zero office’. This development is particularly apparent among start-ups, freelancers and smaller companies, as they are often unwilling or unable to bear the costs of a physical office, especially in sought-after city centre locations. In this sense, the virtual office is an efficient way of utilising office services and allowing entrepreneurs to concentrate on their core business without having any outlay for high rents, ancillary costs, furnishings and maintenance.

Office Club’s virtual office, for example, is an all-round package for companies of all sizes. In addition to renting virtual offices, we offer extra services such as telephone answering, mail forwarding and meeting room bookings. In combination with a rented business address, our virtual office thus functions as a fully-fledged company headquarters.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of virtual offices?

The biggest advantages of a virtual office are cost efficiency and flexibility. Many modern companies, particularly in the IT, e-commerce and services sectors, work digitally by their very nature and no longer require a physical presence. All business is conducted online, which often makes a traditional office space superfluous. The concept of a virtual office is also appealing to smaller companies that have recognised that the small number of employees they have prefer to work from home anyway, meaning that their existing offices are usually deserted. Even if a company needs physical premises, for occasional meetings or workshops for example, it can be more cost-effective to rent them as and when required rather than having premises permanently available.

Of course, there are also challenges – when a new company decides to work exclusively in a virtual office, for example: employee loyalty to the company may not be as strong as in firms that offer a mixture of remote and on-site working.

Which business models are particularly suited to the virtual office?

Virtual office solutions are an attractive option not only for self-employed people such as journalists, lawyers and consultants, but also for companies of all sizes: the flexibility and scalability of a virtual office offers individuals and companies the opportunity to react quickly to changes in the business environment. The product can be easily scaled – with Office Club, for example, through the simple addition of flexible workstations, private offices or conference rooms.

For international companies, virtual offices also offer the opportunity to establish a presence in a number of countries or cities quickly and easily without having to invest in physical office space. They are also playing an increasingly important role in terms of talent acquisition for (branch) offices that operate in combination with virtual offices and coworking spaces or business centres: the opportunity to work remotely is a key factor for many employees when choosing a job. Companies that offer flexible working models often have an advantage in the competition for the best brains.

Last but not least, a virtual office protects privacy by allowing entrepreneurs to use a business address without having to disclose their personal home address – this is particularly important in the content creator/influencer customer segment.