Over the past year the office space industry, OfficeFinder included, has seen a significant increase in the number of businesses looking for  virtual office space. Estimates are anywhere from  30% to 50% more than during the same period last year. Much of it is believed to be related to the economy. In particular, both businesses looking to save money and unemployed professionals setting up their own low ovewrhead home based business. A virtual office allows a business the opportunity to cut costs while maintaining a profession business image at a prestigious business address. While no office space is actually rented, most programs do allow virtual office clients to rent office or conference rooms on an as needed basis for a discounted price. The price range for a virtual office is usually between $60 and $300 perr month depending on the services used and the market.

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In the first of this series we discussed the use of a virtual office to help a home office business look big. Virtual offices provide a professional point of contact through which your clients and business associates view your business.

In this article we will discuss a couple of other ideas that can help a small business look larger and help create a more professional presentation to outsiders. 

Get a Website

One of the greatest tools available to all business is that of having a website. In today’s environment it is very difficult to take any business seriously without a professional looking websites.  I know one of the first things I do when checking out a potential business associate or client is to go to their website.  If it looks good, has solid information about them, I am more confident that I am dealing with a substantive firm.  If it looks like it was put together using a template or is a one page wonder, I become skeptical and in many cases won’t go to the next step in developing a business relationship.

Small basic websites are cheap.  There is no excuse for not having a good one.  If you do not know where to go to get one developed, try elance.com to find a multitude of both local and offshore web developers. Even after finding a developer, you will still need to put some time into making sure the information you provide them about your company is accurate and complete, but it is worth the effort.

Your website should have at least 5 sections:

• The home page with your unique selling proposition clearly stated with a call to action
• An about us page to tell your story
• A contact us page to tell visitors to contact you with a contact form
• A product and services page describing your specific products and services and
• A site map page so that your visitors can see your whole site in one place.

Of course, you can do more, but if you have at least these 5 sections and a professional design, your image will be that of a serious player in your marketplace.

A Big Phone System for a Small Business

Another great tool that small businesses can use is the use of a virtual phone system.  For under $20.00 per month you can turn your phone system into one that sounds and acts like a large office. These systems include:

A Local Telephone number in the city and country of your choice (subject to availability)
Auto Attendant

2 extensions (addition extension available at $9.99 / month)
Day-n-Night Greetings
Dial by Name Directory
Follow Me
Your own On-Hold Message
Call Routing
Call Screening
Live Call Transfer
Voice Mail
Voice messages delivered to your email
Fax Receiving
Fax messages delivered to your email
Send “Talking E-mails”

To find out more, check out the American Voice Mail site.

Just because you are a home based business doesn’t mean you are not serious about your business.  These tips help to show outsiders that that is the case.

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Find a Virtual Office

You have your own small business and you are home based. Are you concerned about your image? Do you tell your clients that you work from home? The typical answers are yes and no, respectively. If that sounds like you, what can you do to enhance your image while still being able to enjoy the ability to run your business from home?

Probably one of the easiest and least costly is to sign up for a virtual office. A virtual office is just what it sounds like, virtual.  You won’t really have a permanent office, but you can use the prestigious address of the provider as your own. You will also be able to have access, on an as needed basis, to conference rooms or even a day office on a pay as you go basis. Not only that, but you can also use their  administrative staff to do work for you and only have to pay for the time you use and not have to file any tax forms or provide any other employment related paperwork.

Virtual Offices offer an A La Carte Menu of services. You can get their staff to do your work, have them answer and forward your phone calls and they can collect and even forward your mail. The typical provider has all of the office equipment you could ever need and you can use it, once again, on an as need basis which will allow you to avoid big capital outlay to purchase yourself.

If you have a home based business and want to look big, a virtual office is your answer.

For more information on Home Officing, read The Home Office from Hell Cure.

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