If you have your own business and work alone, or with a very small staff, you might occasionally feel the need for some extra help – maybe someone to answer phone calls for you or take messages when you’re not available. After all, needing to stop what you’re doing every time the phone rings can be a hassle and disrupt your workflow. But hiring an extra person for those tasks is impractical, especially if you don’t have major call volume, and your business might not be able to afford the expense.

If that describes your situation, we have the perfect solution: a virtual office. A virtual office is like a part-time office rental, providing you with only the services you require on an as-needed basis. These services can be minimal or comprehensive, depending on what your business needs.

For example, you can pay just for a virtual address – this service allows you to use an office building as the official address for your company, so you can put it on your business cards and receive packages and mail there. Or you could go as far as renting private office space in the building on a part-time basis, so you have a place to get some work done or meet with clients/business associates.

One of the most beneficial features of a virtual office is a virtual receptionist. A virtual receptionist functions just like someone you’d hire yourself: they will answer your calls, take messages, and can connect people to you, even if you’re not in the same building. And although the receptionist is working for you, they are still employed by the virtual office owners: so they are vetted and paid by them. You get all the benefits of a receptionist with none of the red tape.

Don’t force yourself to act as your own answering service. Invest in virtual office services, so you can be free to focus on completing important tasks and growing your business.