Virtual offices can offer numerous benefits for companies of all size and scope, but digital entrepreneurs are uniquely benefiting from virtual offices. In this article, we’ll discuss how virtual offices are inspiring innovation in digital entrepreneurship and helping these enterprising companies get ahead of the competition.
What is Digital Entrepreneurship?
Digital entrepreneurship continues to be on the rise, and statistics are hard to find because there are, indeed, so many digital entrepreneurs out there. A digital entrepreneur isn’t just someone who uses digital tools to succeed in their business, instead, a digital entrepreneur’s products and services exist entirely in the digital space.
In fact, e-commerce isn’t specific enough. While e-commerce means leveraging the digital space to sell products or services, it doesn’t require the entrepreneur to sell these products and services solely online, and it certainly doesn’t require that these products and services be in digital form. To further break it down, we’ve got to take a closer look.
Digital entrepreneurship entrails the creation of digital products and services. These goods are marketed and delivered entirely online, and they are also supported completely in the digital space. There is no tangible good involved. For example, ebooks, downloadable software, web hosting, membership websites, and online courses are all included in the realm of digital entrepreneurship.
What is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office is a space, typically within a larger space that leases out offices, leveraged by entrepreneurs who need a physical location. The reasons for needing a physical location vary, but the end result is that companies can grow when they use a virtual office.
A local virtual office service provider like VirtualOffice.Melbourne typically offers a number of services beneficial to local companies, such as receptionist services, a dedicated office space, a physical address, and a number of admin services.
In a world where digital entrepreneurs have the benefit of working from anywhere they want, how could a virtual office be of benefit to them?
What Roles Do Virtual Offices Play in Digital Entrepreneurship?
Well, if you are a digital entrepreneur, you might actually crave a little interaction, and you might wish that you had a more social office space. The basis of having a virtual office is having a place where you can go and get work done, and you’re essentially surrounded by others who are in the same boat.
A virtual office can help you network with other entrepreneurs, and you get the social interaction you miss. Plus, working outside of your normal routine can even help you increase your focus.
When a digital entrepreneur uses a virtual office, they give their online business a physical presence. This is helpful when connecting with prospects and clients who are weary of doing business with digital companies. Customers want to be assured that they are working with a legitimate company, and having a physical presence with a real location that they can even visit if they choose is a huge benefit. If your client would like to have a conference, you can invite them to your virtual office.
As part of this physical presence, digital entrepreneurs using virtual offices have phone numbers tethered to that address, and that also helps build credibility and trust.
Digital entrepreneurs often find that they outgrow themselves too quickly. This can happen as part of doing business in a global market where targeted marketing draws in prospects faster than brick and mortar entrepreneurship. Perhaps this is a good problem, but it’s still a problem that a virtual office can help a digital entrepreneur overcome.
While the digital entrepreneur works on developing further products and services and marketing the company, the virtual office assures that communications are handled. In addition, virtual offices offer more than just receptionist services. In fact, digital entrepreneurs find that virtual offices adeptly handle e-mails and faxes, conduct appointment coordination and scheduling, and manage meetings.This administrative support gives digital entrepreneurs even more time to focus on making money.
Virtual offices also provide digital entrepreneurs with a heightened customer service experiences. Customers receive faster communications, and when issues are resolved quickly, digital entrepreneurs earn customer satisfaction. Virtual offices are helping digital entrepreneurs gain clients who come back time and time again.
Of course, virtual offices help digital entrepreneurs in other ways. For instance, most virtual office staff can assist in marketing. This helps increase image branding, which further strengthens the company. Virtual office staff can also help post ads and even offer social media management. This, in combination with everything else we’ve discussed, provides a full-service customer service and marketing management platform for digital entrepreneurs who would otherwise be left to either juggle everything on their own or expand to a more brick and mortar presence.
This sort of expansion typically drives up overhead, which defeats much of the purpose when it comes to the choice of digital entrepreneurship. Digital entrepreneurs enjoy low overhead because they are creating digital products and services that eliminate the costs associated with retail and manufacturing. Virtual offices also fit perfectly into this goal. A virtual office is cheaper than leasing or building an exclusive space, and the services included would cost much, much more if on-site staff were hired and trained.
Digital Entrepreneurs and Virtual Offices: A Match Made in Heaven
While virtual offices are used by corporations and small businesses alike, digital entrepreneurs are in a position to perhaps benefit the most by leveraging virtual offices. A virtual office can help keep a digital entrepreneur’s overhead as low as possible while providing the well-rounded support they need to keep their company thriving.
If you are a digital entrepreneur, then you know how important it is to focus on creating and doing. A virtual office can help you have more time available to create the products and services that keep money coming in.