Resources Required To Set Up Low Cost Virtual Offices

We all know the process of setting up a virtual office in Singapore from the perspective of a customer. One simply has to sign up with the virtual office service assistant and everything else will be approved through emails. Depending on what package is chosen, clients can gain access to their facilities as well. However, if you are the one who intends to become a virtual office service provider, there are certain resources and requirements you are to provide in order to succeed. Apart from legal obligations and procedures, here are some of the resources you should have ready to provide a good virtual office experience:

Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants can be considered the backbone of low cost virtual offices, since they essentially work to provide administrative services for clients. Make sure you have a team of experienced virtual assistants who are well trained and professional enough to be able to handle services like call forwarding, mail forwarding, and other essential services you are providing to the customers. One good method of acquiring a team of dedicated virtual office assistants would be to first designate roles to each different service you wish to provide. These will then better guide you in terms of figuring out what capabilities each virtual office assistant team should be able to meet.

  1. Collaboration/Communication Equipment

Communication between low cost virtual offices and their clients are good practices to enforce. In the process of setting up virtual offices in Singapore, make sure that you are able to use collaboration and communication tools to optimise productivity. For example, you will need data storage and spreadsheet features to organise the customer information of your clients or schedule meeting rooms and mark calendar dates for when certain procedures must be done. 

To begin with, conduct research on the software and equipment to be used during the virtual office processes. Most business corporations tend to look for traditionally popular software like Microsoft Office solutions. Therefore, investing and training others in the use of such tools would prove to be a worthwhile investment since it ensures that your low cost virtual office service can rely on software that is compatible to most businesses. Certain clients may rely on the use of specialised communication platforms as well as other technology equipment so do ensure that your virtual office assistants are clear and capable of relying on the required tools before proceeding to provide services.

  1. Professional Calendars

In order to efficiently handle administrative tasks on behalf of customers who signed up for low cost virtual office services, it is necessary to procure professional calendar tools to organise and consolidate essential data. For example: Google Calendar, where calendars can be set up for everyone or shared between employees and centralised. This is good for organising appointments, making note of who is on vacation and what numbers/actions to take for calls instead and more! Professional calendar tools can also be set up to send client email/sms reminders when they have pending events like meetings and other important occasions.

  1. Mailing Forwarding Process Planning

For low cost virtual offices that provide services like mail forwarding, it is essential to have a process set up. A secure storage space should be available to receive the client’s letters and packages while they are either stored for collection or to be mailed out in the near future. Whenever possible, do liaise with transport systems for smooth delivery processes.

  1. Meeting Resources

Depending on the services you are providing in your low cost virtual offices, some clients would request to rent out temporary meeting rooms or training rooms. If you are providing resources like these, make sure to ready the necessities. Some examples would be: Comfortable meeting room furniture, equipment for presentations like a projector screen and projectors, whiteboards, markers, refreshments and a small pantry area. Everything related to facilitating a smooth meeting should be available. Make sure to set up rules for renting the meeting spaces of your virtual offices as well as a scheduled system so your clients can check the meeting rooms for availability.

  1. Prime Locations

When establishing a low cost virtual office in Singapore, it is advisable to do so within areas that are reputable and prestigious. Locations close to official business districts or bustling areas are generally more encouraging compared to quieter areas. This is due to the fact that most business owners are more inclined to trust that the virtual office service provider is running a legitimate business if they are established in an area known for highly reputable corporate sectors. In fact, clients may also be driven to approach with the very same reason since it is essential for their addresses to be trusted in order to ensure that their business opportunities continue to grow. Some examples of areas that are more warmly received in Singapore include locations like Outram Park and Tanjong Pagar.

  1. Payment Options

Trustworthy yet flexible payment options should also be ready and functional before you begin providing virtual office service. This is due to the fact that every individual has different preferences when it comes to payment options and certain payment gateways may be inconveniencing. However, this does not necessarily mean you have to rely on numerous different options. Research into the ones that are most popularly used apart from cash, cheque and banking in. You will definitely notice that other corporations have their own preferred choices as well. To better cater to clients, you can also consider options like paypal.

Setting up a low cost virtual office requires careful planning. Refer to these examples to assist you in your consolidation of equipment and material you will need. One of the best recommended steps would be to first identify your key market audience and conduct research so as to better identify what their needs are. Catering to that while ensuring that prices are affordable would be your main area of concern when it comes to providing such services.  Additionally, it would also be advisable to research into legal requirements or obligations towards the process with the relevant authorities in your region or country before proceeding. Do take the time to safeguard both your interests, as well as the interests of your clients, by providing and drafting a satisfactory contract.