Good provider of Virtual Office services needed
Good provider of Virtual Office services needed
Author
Discussion

Light n Hairy

Original Poster:

529 posts

218 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
In setting up a small laboratory/ bio-analysis service company with some colleagues, we are not yet big enough to rent an office space or have an office admin person yet, so we are looking to rent such a service.

We will need to have:
- a correspondence address, preferably in central london
- a landline number that gets answered in the company name (and then messages taken and relayed to us).

There are a lot of these bods on the internet. Any experiences with such things that you have, or can you recommend us one? I am not sure of the cost/ budget at all, but obviously the lower the better, as long as it is reliable.


Light n Hairy

Original Poster:

529 posts

218 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
Anyone?


Mods- if I may, I will move this to a busier sub-forum in an hour if no joy from this one?


Pot Bellied Fool

2,264 posts

268 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
Not sure how definate the London address has to be but up North smile a chap I know runs Wirral Virtual Offices and they do some cracking deals on Virtual Offices.

Wing Commander

2,220 posts

263 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
I use AllDayPa and have done for approximately 3 years with big success. They just quietly get on with what I want them to do, and provide a reliable service which is very important to me.

They can do london address for post and also the call and message taking/forwarding.

If you want to discuss it in more detail, please feel free to PM me. Also, if you do decide to go with them, again please drop me a PM as I can refer you so we both benefit from a little bit of account credit from them.

Light n Hairy

Original Poster:

529 posts

218 months

Wednesday 25th June 2014
quotequote all
Thanks both. Will look up and come back to you if I go for either


LooneyTunes

9,515 posts

189 months

Thursday 26th June 2014
quotequote all
Just a suggestion: get a VOIP phone line and then direct the number to whichever virtual office provider you choose.

Yes it will cost you ~1p/min for calls BUT the number is then yours and you can move easily as you wish. Set up correctly, you can also dial out from them from other locations so you end up with something that looks a bit more real.

Otherwise you effectively find yourselves getting locked in to a specific provider (all your clients have the number, its on your website, etc...)

Light n Hairy

Original Poster:

529 posts

218 months

Sunday 29th June 2014
quotequote all
LooneyTunes said:
Just a suggestion: get a VOIP phone line and then direct the number to whichever virtual office provider you choose.

Yes it will cost you ~1p/min for calls BUT the number is then yours and you can move easily as you wish. Set up correctly, you can also dial out from them from other locations so you end up with something that looks a bit more real.

Otherwise you effectively find yourselves getting locked in to a specific provider (all your clients have the number, its on your website, etc...)
What is VOIP?

This is intriguing. I think we need it badly.

I will hoof about the net to find out myself, and likely fail. I will come back to this thread if I dont get an answer quick.

You lot >stares at everyone< will be sorry if I dont have an answer to my question waiting for me here, resting on a silk cushion, when I get back!



LooneyTunes

9,515 posts

189 months

Sunday 29th June 2014
quotequote all
VOIP is "voice over IP". Basically you send the call to any landline number you chose and/or an internet connected phone (physical or software).

I currently use soho66.co.uk for my lines but the good ones are much of a muchness. You generally get all sorts of useful stuff like out of hours routing options, voicemails sent as mp3s etc.

Added advantage is you get to chose your number (which needed not reflect where you actually are).