When An Office Just Makes Sense

Most small/micro businesses will start from a home office or temporary office space due to the risks associated with getting a new business idea off the ground. This approach makes sense to manage the downside risk in case the business doesn’t take shape as expected. However, as I have outlined in a previous post there are certainly some limitations to working out of a workspace which is somewhat cobbled together. At some point, the benefits of having a workspace which frees you (and your team) up mentally to be as productive as possible far outweigh any risks involved. However, the $64,000 question is when should you make the jump to a dedicated office space for your business?

When The Team Grows

Managing a growing team from your home office can be a real challenge. Unless you live in a kid-free house with multiple spare bedrooms, it is unlikely that your home office will support any more than a single employee on a flexible basis. In this scenario, you also need to consider how comfortable you are having employees coming into your home and how comfortable an employee will be with this arrangement. The other option for a growing team is to have employees work from their own houses, but then you open up a range of issues involved with managing remote teams. A growing team needs cohesion in a central location which supports the way it works and can scale with its growth.

When The Distractions Become Too Much

Even if your business is still a ‘one man band’ the distractions associated with working from home can become overwhelming. In the home office distractions are everywhere – that load of washing that needs to be hung out, the midday news on TV, checking the mail as soon as the postman has been – they’re all things which somehow become urgent when working from home. One of the underrated roles of an effective workspace is to put you in an environment which is conducive to actually getting things done – distraction free.

How Do People See Your Business?

One of the most common catalysts for seeking a dedicated workspace presence is when a business needs to start portraying a more professional image to it’s clients. Whether it is the need to have a CBD address rather than using your PO Box as a business address or having access to meeting rooms for client meetings, there are a number of facets of a business’ operations can drive the need for an office space. How people perceive a business is critically important to its success and that alone can justify the move to a dedicated office space.

The Dollars Start Rolling In

The most common reason for starting or running a business from a home office is to manage the financial risk of things not going to plan and having obligations associated with a dedicated office space. Once the business reaches a point where it is financially stable, the benefits of having a dedicated office space for your business well and truly outweigh the cost of operating the space. However even as the business reaches this tipping point, there are options such as Virtual Office or Flexible WorkSpaces which can provide many of the benefits of a dedicated office space, without the cost. Selecting the right location will also enable you to grow without changing your address.

So as your firm grows it is more a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ an office space will be of benefit to the operations. Like so many things in life, it can seem like there is no ‘right time’ to make the jump into a dedicated office space, however if the move is managed correctly the benefits can be substantial, and almost instantaneous.

What were some of the things which you thought about when considering the move into an office space for your business?

When you are ready to have a chat regarding an office in the Adelaide CBD, give us a call on (08) 7071 7071.

What Is A Virtual Office & What Are The Benefits?

Don Will, Managing Director of Wilkin Group, Adelaide

In today’s fast-moving business world, a ‘brick and mortar office’ may longer be the best solution for many professionals or small firms.  The ‘Virtual Office concept’ is being adopted By an increasing number of smart operators. And your ‘Virtual Office’ can be whatever you need it to be.

People using a Virtual Office (VO) generally will fit into one or more of these categories

  • working from home, but needing a professional image for themselves.
  • spending much of their time travelling between clients, and hence would rarely be in a permanent office.
  • start-up businesses which in time will require a permanent office, but seeking to contain costs as they get established.
  • busy people who would prefer someone else to professionally answer their business calls, and simply send a message what is required (enabling priorities to be adhered to), or
  • interstate firms seeking to convey the image of a branch in more than one location.

Whilst most providers of Virtual Office (VO) products simply offer an address, or phone answering, or meeting room, Wilkin Group have launched the new generation of VOs, with many standard packages, and also tailor-made VO solutions for a wide array or businesses. Flexibility and client satisfaction are Wilkin Group’s second names!

The most usual package requirement is the ‘Address & Phone package’ which is discounted from the individual Address and Phone offerings. And you even have options to reflect how many calls you receive each month.  For one low monthly fee, the image of your operation to the outside world is one of success and professional – a CBD location, and personal reception staff.

You have a convenient location to meet people in Adelaide as and when required, with an image that this is where you spend much of your working time. Not only does Wilkin office meetings spaces (ten in total ranging from 4 persons to 20 persons), we have ‘Hot Offices’ and ‘Hot Desks’ for use by our virtual clients. Hot Offices convey a different feel for certain occasions than a meeting room, offer privacy and appear as your permanent office.  Sometimes people just require a desk to work at for some hours, or some days, a month. Fast internet is needed, but not the privacy afforded by an individual office. This is when the ‘Hot Desk’ is the best solution, with a significantly lower cost. Again, you specify what you need, and we offer the VO solution.

The most obvious benefit of having a VO is saving money – you only pay for the service you require. And as your needs change, simply let us know and we design a new package.   No expensive rent to pay, nor cost of furnishing a business premise. This makes it ideal for startup businesses and entrepreneurs.

We believe that flexibility is an equally important benefit. In fact, research shows that millennials —who are now the country’s largest generation in the workforce— rank flexibility as one of their chief priorities when seeking a career and actually say they would be more productive with increased flexibility. VO options mean that certain employees can work mainly from home, but have an ’office in the city’ when it is required. Lots of long commuting hours are thus eliminated, and generally productivity increases when people just have to concentrate on the essentials of their business.

Lastly, it’s actually better for people’s health. The University of Sydney’s School of Public Health released a study showing that sitting at your desk for more than 11 hours a day increased a person’s risk of death by more than 40 per cent in the next three years regardless of other physical activity. Who would have thought that a VO solution is better for your health as well.

Wilkin Group can be contacted on (08) 7071 7071 if you wish to discuss your VO needs to improve your business.  And with special offers for the month of August 2018 there is not a better time.

A Different Way To Present Your Business To The World

The cloud is such a crucial source of stability in this day and age, as a dependable place to store our treasured family photos, important work emails and life-saving phone backups. So why not consider the security of also keeping your office ‘in a cloud’ by utilizing a virtual office?

One of the greatest joys of being an entrepreneur or business owner is the opportunity to create a dream lifestyle as you see fit. A virtual office allows you to be a digital nomad, managing your business from a prestigious shared commercial office while also travelling or working remotely from anywhere in the world. For someone with big dreams or a patent-worthy idea, why waste your time answering endless phone calls, keeping track of messages or even spending the time to hire a professional secretary when the Wilkin Group’s team of experts can cover all of this for you and more?

Skip the startup costs of establishing a physical office in a premium CBD location can offer you the opportunity to grow your business while still providing the presence and impression your clients expect. Wilkin Group’s meeting spaces can be tailored for any event, whether it’s a larger meeting, product promotion or seminar or just a private appointment. No matter what the event, an appropriate environment will be yours.  We also cover catering, technology and other equipment so you can focus just on your business.

Businesses today have so many pressures and stresses, whether they are a new business starting up, or an established one seeking to expand, Wilkin Group allows you to dedicate all your energy to providing the best service possible and creating a favourable impression with your clients. It is committed to accelerating your business, starting with address packages from just $89 a month, and phone answering from $115 per month.

Give us a call on 08 7071 7071 or email us at info@wilkingroup.com.au to see how we can help boost your business today.

PS, until the end of August we have a special offer for new virtual clients.  Too good to miss out on.

How Small Business Can Get Benefit From Virtual Office

There are a multitude of reasons why a Virtual Office VO solution can be the perfect fit for your small business, startup or entrepreneurial enterprise. Quite simply your VO provider becomes your place of business, but you only pay for the services you require. You don’t need to pay for a full time office suite if that is not what you require.

Benefits include

  • A VO saves money on leasing a physical space which you don’t require
  • A prestigious business address for mail deliveries, and to hold meetings as required.
  • Your e-commerce website shows a physical address without you needing to be there.
  • Full time receptionist  representing your firm during business hours.
  • Phone call answering in your business name, irrespective of what you are doing.  (Research shows that a local landline creates more confidence and trust into the reputability of your business.)
  • Professional printing, faxing etc when you need it.
  • Work where you want to – at home, in the car or a part-time office.
  • Helps you maintain your marketing identity and presence, which prevents blurring the line between your home and professional life, and Prevents privacy issues due to not having to release your personal number or address.
  • You have a comprehensive team of administrators, receptionists and managers who take care of managing the office, allowing the business to focus its energy its providing its services to its customers.
  • Streamlines efficiency, maximizes productivity and improves profit margins.
  • Ability to display multi business locations to create the impression of a growing presence without having to set up an office at each new location.
  • Ideal for travelling sales teams to meet with each other or prospective clients but not yet needing a permanent space.

The Wilkin Group has a flexible slate of virtual offices packages whether you simply need a business address and mail receiving, secretary services, conference room access and much more. Contact us today on 08 7071 7071 or email us at info@wilkingroup.com.au to find the perfect solution to take your business to the next level.

PS, until the end of August we have a special offer for new virtual clients. Too good to miss out on.  Call us on  08 7071 7071 today!!!

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