Virtual Offices - Page

5 attributes you need to launch a successful solo venture

Going into self-employment is a popular option in the UK. As of July 2023, there were around 4.24 million self-employed workers in the United Kingdom, having grown from a low of just 3.2 million in December 2000, to a peak of over five million ...

Oct 30th 2023

Tell-tale signs you’re dealing with a client from hell

Need some help recognising nightmare clients? Follow our advice to survive ghastly and ghoulish client behaviour this Halloween… They’re unclear when briefing you on a task When you’re asked to start a new job for a client, it’s vital ...

Oct 17th 2023

Are you sabotaging your own career development?

Five ways we might self-sabotage our career and how best to avoid them. Never have employees been as empowered as they are today. Career opportunities are there in abundance thanks to the global skills shortage, and if you are in any doubt about ...

Sep 11th 2023

A digital nomad’s guide to work benefits

Working for yourself can be a daunting prospect, especially when you consider all the work benefits you won’t be getting. But digital nomads don’t have to miss out – read on for more… When you decide to work for yourself, you might be concerned ...

Aug 29th 2023

Why businesses move to new offices

Where we work has a huge impact on how we work. Our workspace is instrumental to our productivity, our wellbeing, recruitment, business reputation, staff loyalty and retention, and so much more. There are numerous reasons for relocating ...

Aug 14th 2023

Famous phone calls: President Nixon telephones the moon

When you are running your own business, it can be stressful having to answer the phone to every incoming call, especially as you are unlikely to know the level of importance of each call. The worry that you may miss a business-changing phone call ...

Jul 11th 2023

Top tips for writing business emails

In a time where business culture has become increasingly more casual, from what we wear to go to work, to how we address our colleagues, is it possible that we have lost the art of writing a professional business email? To combat this, we have come ...

Jun 26th 2023

Famous phone calls: By royal appointment

We know it can be difficult to answer all your incoming business calls, especially when companies experience such high volumes of spam and sales calls. How can you know which phone call is important and which isn’t? You can’t – ...

Jun 06th 2023

Spotlight on Paddington: 5 Merchant Square

Paddington has a rich history of trade, industry and innovation which continues today with ground-breaking construction and transport projects. A destination neighbourhood, Paddington’s waterside regeneration project has seen the ...

May 30th 2023

To hot desk or not to hot desk: a freelancer’s dilemma

For and against hot-desking, we look at both sides of arguments… A permanent desk at a coworking space or at a client’s office has its benefits, however, hot-desking, from a managed space or a coffee shop also has its perks. There are a number ...

May 22nd 2023

The black box approach to personal development

Personal development is important in every company. All employees should have access to development opportunities to help them grow both professionally and as individuals. Indeed, for many people, particularly young staff keen to build ...

May 16th 2023

Famous phone calls: The first ever telephone call

When the phone rings, you can never be sure whether you will be picking up a call to someone trying to sell you a printer or to an important client with an urgent requirement. That’s why it is so important to pick up the phone – a phone call could ...

May 03rd 2023

The recipe for entrepreneurial success

Want to know the key to entrepreneurial success? Who better to learn from than successful entrepreneurs! So, what is entrepreneurial success? IGI Global defines entrepreneurial success as “the individual entrepreneur’s ...

Mar 06th 2023

How to renaissance your résumé

You may not be aware, and why would you be, that the first CV in documented history was written by someone we would now regard as needing no introduction – the grand master himself, Leonardo Da Vinci. If you are on the look out for a new role ...

Feb 27th 2023

New email habits to save you hours every week

Our email inbox is the to-do list that anyone can add to indiscriminately, and just when we think we’re on top of our emails, another round come pouring in. Bad email habits may well be hampering our productivity levels so perhaps the time ...

Jan 09th 2023

How to hit the ground running in 2023

The new year is the perfect time to reflect on who you are and what you want to achieve, on both a personal and professional level. Here are our top tips on how to start the year as you mean to go on. Your new year’s resolutions may already be ...

Oct 26th 2022

The top 10 passive-aggressive phrases you might be using in emails

Written communication can be open to misinterpretation and as we continue to work remotely some of the time, our tendency to send emails over engaging in face-to-face conversation is potentially placing us at risk of miscommunication. Remote ...

Apr 11th 2022

Working from home: The real expense

Many people have been working from home since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Despite restrictions having been lifted, a government survey in January revealed 36% of UK residents were continuing to work from home, rather ...

Mar 29th 2022

Three indicators that you’re working too much

Working from home has heralded longer working hours for many, but overworking can lead to health problems and loss of productivity. In a salaried role, earnings are for the job you do within the required hours of work and not the numbers of hours ...

Mar 21st 2022

Fake it until you make it: why a virtual office is great for digital nomads

Don’t have a proper office address? Don’t worry! If you’re a digital nomad, faking an office is easier than ever. Being a digital nomad can be great for exploring the world, but can be tricky if you’re trying to present a professional front. A ...

Mar 08th 2022

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working is here to stay but what is hybrid working? Hybrid working existed long before COVID-19 sent us all home in March 2020, but in a post-pandemic era it has been adopted as normal practice for many businesses. Employers who were previously ...

Aug 22nd 2021

Manchester takes top spot as the UK’s most entrepreneurial city

In what was an extraordinarily challenging year for businesses, entrepreneurs the length and breadth of the UK fought back with a 59% increase in company registrations in 2020. Instant Offices have analysed Companies House data together ...

Jul 15th 2021

The billion-pound digital nomad

In 2019 techpreneur Johnny Boufarhat launched Hopin, an online conference-hosting platform. Starting out with just six employees, he now employs more than 650 people. Of Lebanese origin, Boufarhat, who was born and raised in Australia ...

Jul 14th 2021

The evolution of the office as a place to work

As lockdown restrictions ease and people start to return to their offices we look at the evolution of the workplace. It’s easy to think of the office as a modern invention but the word ‘office’ derives from a coming together ...

Apr 30th 2021

How can my freelance business benefit from a virtual office?

If you’re unsure whether your next office should be virtual, our list of business benefits should help make up your mind. Build your business by making the right impression, saving costs on a physical workspace and getting help with call answering. ...

Mar 01st 2021

How to be an indispensable freelancer

All businesses desire to establish mutually beneficial, long-standing relationships with clients, and its no different for freelancers. The gig-economy has skyrocketed during the pandemic with huge numbers of workers turning to freelancing, ...

Dec 01st 2020

How a virtual office can benefit a freelance business

If you are considering signing up for a virtual office, here five business benefits which could help you make up your mind. Creating the right impression with a prestigious virtual business address is easier and more affordable than you might ...

Sep 22nd 2020

Freelancer myths dispelled

Freelancing is an increasingly popular career choice, but there are still certain myths surrounding what being a digital nomad really is. Here are some of the common misconceptions and how to thwart them. Freelancers are likely to be reminded, ...

Apr 29th 2020

What a remote workforce can learn from freelancers

As office workers have no choice but to work from home, we ask what we can all learn from freelancers? Freelancers set the standards of remote working long before it became the norm. Here we look at the qualities they’ve mastered, which can help ...

Jan 17th 2014

9-5 ‘no more by 2020’

The traditional 9-5 working day will be a thing of the past by 2020, a new study has predicted. Research conducted by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) surveyed 750 business leaders on their thoughts on how office culture is likely to ...

Jan 15th 2014

Top 5 free software packages for business

When it comes to running a company, we’re all-too-aware that money doesn’t grow on trees. With that in mind, savvy business leaders are always looking for ways of operating where they don’t have to splash the cash. Whether ...

Sep 19th 2013

Top 5 ways to work more affordably

Small business owners may feel like they’re forever paying money out, but not getting much back in return. Of course, we all know that in order to grow, investing in your firm is an absolute necessity, but there are ways you can enhance ...

Sep 09th 2013

Cloud computing to take SMEs to the next level

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are finally able to compete on a level playing field with larger corporations thanks to cloud computing, say industry experts. According to communications experts Node4, more opportunities are ...

Aug 02nd 2013

How SMEs can present a professional image

Getting ahead in the current economic climate is difficult for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But one thing that may be holding some back is a weak professional image. A survey by O2 Business suggests that SMEs are losing out ...

Jul 24th 2013

How to make a business pitch

In this age of austerity, more and more people are starting up their own business. Coming up with an idea, having a unique selling point then fleshing it all out with a comprehensive business plan are all essential to the survival and growth of ...

Apr 09th 2013

Technology allows us to work anywhere anytime

Over one billion people will work remotely by 2015 meaning the use of mobile technology for business is more important now than ever before. That is according to International Data Corporation, which predicts that 37.2 per cent of the entire ...

Apr 02nd 2013

Employees can benefit from weight loss incentives

Employees who need an incentive to lose weight may perform even better when they are competing as part of a group. Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School compared two incentives among workers in shared offices – ...

Jan 31st 2013

Virtual offices offer many benefits for small firms

Virtual offices offer small businesses a number of benefits. In the current economic climate, companies are always looking to reduce their overheads, but at the same time they do not want to compromise customer service and this is why this ...

Jan 23rd 2013

Virtual offices ‘give firms a professional front’

Having a professional front to a business is essential if it is to get off the ground. Firms will find it easier to attract new clients and retain existing ones if they use a virtual office, as this means they have a front of house reception team ...

Jan 11th 2013

Firms can benefit from going virtual and moving online

There has never been a better time to move business operations online, it has been claimed. Writing for Business 2 Community, Leiden Johnson said increased competition for web-based services means low prices for web hosting, cloud applications, ...

Dec 28th 2012

Virtual offices help access new markets affordably

An increasing number of entrepreneurs are investing in offices which come with no physical space, it has been claimed. Writing for Bizcommunity.com, Lewis Edward explained that these virtual offices – essentially hosted services ...

Dec 14th 2012

Virtual offices a major asset for small firms

The number of businesses using virtual offices has increased significantly in recent years, as companies have looked to operate more flexibly. But what exactly are the benefits? Why is it that some companies are ditching the traditional ...

Dec 07th 2012

Traditional office becoming a thing of the past

New research has revealed that the traditional office may be fast becoming a thing of the past thanks to the development of remote technology. The findings, which were commissioned by Polycom, showed that the utilisation of video conferencing ...

Nov 30th 2012

Use business address services to build company profile

It is not always easy for small businesses to stand out from the crowd, particularly when they are run with modest resources and constrained budgets. As such, the importance of making a great first impression with potential clients, partners ...

Nov 23rd 2012

Advances in IT making virtual offices a reality

An increasing number of businesses are capitalising on recent advances in technology to set up virtual offices, it has been claimed. According to corporate gifts provider 4imprint, the ability to work virtually is becoming “a more ...

Nov 14th 2012

Make a great impression with a virtual office

Attracting new customers and clients is never easy in a tough economic environment. And even with the UK economy now back in positive territory, companies remain up against it as they compete for business. Businesses need to ensure they make ...

Oct 11th 2012

Businesses can add prestige with virtual offices

In the ever-more connected world of business, there are no longer any physical constraints to small businesses trading across a wide geographic area. Traditionally, companies have only been able to do businesses where they have had a shop, ...

Sep 21st 2012

Virtual offices ‘help preserve company budgets’

Using a virtual office can help deliver the savings needed to cast the employment net far and wide, it has been claimed. Writing for NM Business Weekly, Hunter Riley explained that small companies can benefit greatly from not having a bricks-and-mortar ...

Sep 18th 2012

Virtual offices ‘becoming more common in business’

With the internet now ubiquitous, and employees able to work from home as easily as from the office, an increasing number of businesses are changing the way they operate. No longer do employees have to spend time and money commuting into the ...

Aug 30th 2012

Virtual offices ‘support business growth’

The use of virtual offices has helped one entrepreneur extend his business across Canada, it has been reported. Speaking to the Globe and Mail, Darryl Anderson, owner of Wave Point Consulting, said the use of such facilities has provided the ...

Jul 11th 2012

Reduce costs using virtual offices

In difficult economic times, companies need to make savings wherever possible. The more efficiently they can operate, the larger the profit margins businesses can potentially achieve. But finding ways to reduce outgoings can be difficult ...

Jul 02nd 2012

Outsourcing ‘offers many benefits to UK businesses’

Outsourcing services to a third-party specialist can offer major benefits to UK companies, it has been suggested. John Ellis, managing director at Nexus Vehicle Rental, commented that outsourcing is “a cost-effective and time-efficient ...