Virtual Office / Executive Office

[onlineharvest]

Has anyone had experience with these 'virtual' offices or executive offices. Share a space, but have private office area, shared board room, etc, some have secretary. Mail and address are at this location but you basically pay by the hour.

New startup so I'd like to keep rental space to a minimum in the beginning.
I plan to move into a traditional office space of my own at a later time, but for the first 1,2 or even 3 years where there can be not much traffic, I'm thinking these kinds of offices may be beneficial.

I also wonder at what point in terms of usage (hours per month), does this setup become more expensive that having an office space privately.
Any insight would be appreciated, especially with those who have run their business from this kind of office space.

[flafson]

You can easily find many places that rent a portion of their office space, makes it much cheaper this way.

[choclover]

We are actually in the process of moving from a private office to a virtual office. We were in a private office space in a heritage building where the rent was very reasonable when we took the space. However, now that we have made the space suitable for occupying through leasehold improvements (and our lease is up), our landlord really jacked our rent so we decided not to stay. Because we no longer have employees we decided to try out the virtual office because it is more of a pay per use situation and is expected to really save us money until such time as we can justify getting back into our own space. I would suggest really shopping around as I find the quality of space and services each "virtual office" offers can really vary.

[flafson]

So sad that owners jack up the lease like that. It's like they try to hold you hostage.

[nickia]

Do you have any employee right now? If not, you can work at home. Commuting to the office will take an unnecessary toll on you.

If yes, you can go to Kijiji and look for a small office that is not a VR. The VR solution is really expensive with unnecessary bells and whistles. The last quote I got was $500/month for 80sqft.

[choclover]

In Vancouver you can find virtual offices for under $100 per month and then pay per use for other services on an as-needed basis. I guess it really depends on what your needs are.

[onlineharvest]

We are actually in the process of moving from a private office to a virtual office. We were in a private office space in a heritage building where the rent was very reasonable when we took the space. However, now that we have made the space suitable for occupying through leasehold improvements (and our lease is up), our landlord really jacked our rent so we decided not to stay. Because we no longer have employees we decided to try out the virtual office because it is more of a pay per use situation and is expected to really save us money until such time as we can justify getting back into our own space. I would suggest really shopping around as I find the quality of space and services each "virtual office" offers can really vary.

Wow, what a crummy landlord. Taking advantage.

Thanks for the tip. I've only seen 1 'virtual office' nearby, but I'm sure there are others. The one closest has shared secretary, etc, while others look like a mere private space, and I would still need someone there to answer the phones.

I'd be interested to see how it turns out, seeing as you would have experienced both environments.

[onlineharvest]

Do you have any employee right now? If not, you can work at home. Commuting to the office will take an unnecessary toll on you.

If yes, you can go to Kijiji and look for a small office that is not a VR. The VR solution is really expensive with unnecessary bells and whistles. The last quote I got was $500/month for 80sqft.

I don't have any OFFICE employees but myself, and perhaps a family member who can be my secretary for the interim.
There are contracted/part-time employees out in the field.

I know I could setup at home, but I would like a more professional feel than a residential area. Also, I would need to train new hires, have meetings at the office, and clients may need to come by.

Because of those factors, I'd still like an office space.
The virtual office I found (looking for others), is a short 5 min drive from where I live. I can even reach it via 'side roads' when major roads are congested.

I've seen regular office space for that price! Yikes. If its closer to what the other posted said ($100/month), then OK. But at $500 for 80sqft, I can't justify that expense for so little room.
Even my own office space now in my house, in a spare bedroom, is 20x10. Can't imagine paying $500 for less than half this!

[WillyTheMan]

I did some quick search on Kijiji and found a few listing thats around $100-$200 price range.
Now, i am not sure what services it includes but it seems to come with all basics. I assume even with their 'additional' services such as fax, meeting rooms, it will end up no higher than $300 - only if you plan to use it.

[melanie89]

A virtual office could be a good solution if you simply need an address to post on your website, send mail to. If you need to actually use the office space from time to time then take a look at 'hot desking' - i've only just discovered this concept but it seems pretty interesting (learn more here http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarg...on/hot-desking). For more info on a virtual office see http://www.alldaypa.com/virtual-office

Does your address have to be local?

[melanie89]

Sorry, i posted the same link twice. Second link should be http://www.alldaypa.com/virtual-office

[WillyTheMan]

hot desking seems interesting, but if you just need a 'mailing address' - you can just rent a mailbox from postoffice etc.?
I think thats even cheaper?

[onlineharvest]

hot desking seems interesting, but if you just need a 'mailing address' - you can just rent a mailbox from postoffice etc.?
I think thats even cheaper?

A mail box is certainly one aspect, but there are other functions required - board room for new hire training, meetings with clients/customers, among other things. Normally, this type of business necessitates a regular office space, which I intend to occupy once revenue warrants it. However, in the interim, anywhere from 1-3 years, this virtual setup is probably the best bang for the buck.

Thanks

[onlineharvest]

Sorry, i posted the same link twice. Second link should be http://www.alldaypa.com/virtual-office

Thanks for the links, I'll have to check it out later this evening

[ebusinesstutor]

Years ago, I had dedicated office space, plus phones, large staff etc. It cost me 10K just to open the doors in the morning.

Now I work from home, do everything virtually and use freelancers to quickly ramp up to handle any size project. Very low fixed costs. I would be cautious about paying for office space unless you truly need it.

You can meet online virtually using services like AnyMeeting and can even set up an online workspace where your staff go to pick up projects, make reports and access materials.