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The work environment has changed dramatically in the past two decades. Now, in an age of instant communication, cloud-based applications, and workplace versatility, the era of the traditional office culture has likely slowed down maybe even coming to an end.  Providers of virtual offices, executive suites and co-working spaces have effectively added new choices leaving behind the old-school office culture and even to some degree working strictly from home.  The new choices can be helpful for freelancers, entrepreneurs (often now called “Solopreneurs”), and employees of startup operations. Conversely, not often thought about, are those businesses looking to downsize their overhead.  The latter have “been there don that” with traditional office overhead and a standalone lease. They are often looking to cut operating expenses in order to bring home more profit margin.  In short order, there’s quite a bit to learn about engaging a virtual office, executive suite, or co-working space in light of all situations.

Looking back twenty years ago an individual looking to start a business, had to incorporate a year’s worth of operational costs into their business proposal and loan funding in order to ensure the business has ramped up enough in one year to sustain the lease and expenses associated with the operation. We’d often heard statistics like 50% of all start up businesses failed. The heavy overhead associated with the past model lent well to ensure that figure held true. Fast forward to today’s world of choices whereby startups have a fighting chance of success. The original “virtual office” emerged from a combination of technological innovation and the Information Age. When almost all of our work went “to the cloud,” we started to see that the office was becoming more mobile and transient.  

A virtual office is a model that provides communication, services, hourly office space rental and/or a physical address to receive mail or use on marketing collateral without providing dedicated office space with the overhead associated with it. The term “virtual office” includes the utilization of space, which can occur as a service; however, the concept includes many different professional services. The model has many actionable benefits including reducing the environmental impact of workers as well as removing the personal negatives of a daily commute. For startups and entrepreneurs, the model allows for a quick start up and/or a low-cost expansion with no long-term commitments. Users taking advantage of virtual services also eliminate the traditional burdens of health care, records, payroll, insurance, leases and rent to name a few.  The other benefit is the appearance of a larger operation than actually exists. With the appearance of a commercial A building, a reception staff, and formal meeting location, one looks as if they’ve been in business for a very long time with an established presence. 

Let’s look even closer at Virtual Office Services.  The most useful benefit provided by virtual office providers isn’t always the most obvious. Virtual offices provide a wide variety of services, which will be detailed below. However, the biggest benefit that companies like Office Alternatives, a local New Mexico provider with two locations, provides is local knowledge. By hiring locally, screened professionals trained for specific skills, the staff provided via virtual offices are able to provide local knowledge, geography and other vital information about amenities, logistics, and other vital elements of doing business in a particular location. The value added by these services can provide enormous efficiencies to a wide variety of businesses. 

Services provided by a Virtual Office provider may include: 

• Remote Telephone Reception: With a huge push for “live answer” telephone in a world tired of robots and phone trees, a virtual reception service provides a team of workers in an office environment working remotely via high-tech integrated soft phones to replace a traditional receptionist and to provide live answer phone service for your company . Studies have shown people are tired of voicemail and telephone trees. 85% of potential clients who get a voicemail instead of live answer, will take their business elsewhere (usually the next Google listing). A live answer service ensures the calls are answered and routed as you see fit – again, giving the “appearance” of a larger staff and operation than actually had.
• Professional Address and Virtual Mail : Engaging a virtual office provider allows businesses to access a high-profile address in the city for a fraction of the cost of renting a space in that location. A professional address is a matter of image, establishing a professional presence while alleviating the privacy and security concerns of working from a home office. Some businesses join a dual location virtual address program and advertise on their website they “have two locations in town.”A virtual mail package also ensure your packages and mail arrive safely and are managed by a professional staff. Often that staff can also provide additional “mediator” services whereby you can drop off items for YOUR clients to come pickup at that location and visa versa. 
• Business Meeting Space: The on-demand hourly or incremental use of conference rooms and offices for meetings, which can be rented at short notice or even for on-the-fly appointments, such as real estate closing, ensures you have an office when and where you need it.  Office Alternatives, for example, allows members to reserve and book rooms and meeting spaces by the hour online or by telephone at a moment’s notice.
• On-Site Amenities and Admin Billable Minutes: A full-service virtual office will provide many amenities including broadband Internet access, receptionist greetings, elegant lobby/waiting area and hot coffee free of charge. For a nominal fee, many providers a offer a variety of billable administrative services including copying and printing services, witness services, conference calling, projector rentals and more billable by the minute or in increments. This means that instead of hiring a full-time admin, you are outsourcing administrative time by the minute as your business needs it. 

What comes after the Virtual Office Experience?

Many members of virtual office services graduate to a onsite Executive Office Suite rental when the time is right for their business.  Modern workers—including executives, attorneys, consultants and solopreneurs find this “instant office” to be a low cost way to run their business. Executive Suites are physical offices that come fully equipped with services and amenities of a traditional office on an as-needed basis – with flexible access and no lease. Office Alternatives has offices in two locations (4801 Lang Ave NE, ste 110 and 6300 Riverside Plaza Dr NE ste 100).  Because start-ups often experience rapid growth and/or go out of business before a lease term’s end date, executive suites provide the flexible terms that such businesses need to accommodate unforeseen growth or the dissolution of a company.  

So what is co-working then? 

Many people wonder how virtual and executive offices compare to the newer buzz word “Co-Working.” Co-working involves an open-concept shared working environment, often a large college style room with open desks, cubes and tables encouraging sharing and networking between members. It’s build upon a laid-back share atmosphere versus a more traditional private space concept. 

Unlike a traditional office environment, those co-working members are not employed by the same organization. Co-working is very popular with high tech, freelancers, artists, independent contractors, or people who travel frequently. Occupants of co-working spaces are generally interested in the synergy that can be produced from working with people who value working in the same place alongside others. 

In short, whether its virtual office, virtual mail, telephone reception, full-service office space or co-working, it’s clear these choices can be a real asset to almost any kind of business model starting out, growing or even downsizing. These models expand and contract as your business moves forward over time. They provide resourceful and innovative options to the business and startup communities.  Office Alternatives, local to Albuquerque over 14 years, is here to provide any additional information to help small business grow and be successful.  

Christina Esterly, President and Sales Director, can be reached for questions or consultation at christina@officealternatives.com or 505-796-9600

As a small business owner, you’re constantly on the go and may not have a traditional brick and mortar office to work from or support services to help your business thrive.  You may just be starting out and navigating the crazy waters of business ownership by yourself. You’re working hard trying to create a professional image so that you can establish credibility and gain business. Don’t go it alone! This is where virtual office services and executive office suites can come in handy.

What type of virtual office is best for my business?

If your business is anchored at home, it’s important to know your options to present a big business image that disguises this. Virtual office providers, such as Office Alternatives, can provide several options for you that will help. First, a virtual mail package is a great way to start. It provides the use of a professional address, the building image and location address for your business without you having to lease an actual office onsite. You can use this address long-term and on all of your business’ marketing collateral including Google maps images, your website and Yelp. 

The Virtual mail package also receives your mail and packages at that address and a receptionist sorts and puts away your mail securely under lock and key until you’re able to pick it up or have it forwarded. Another feature is that you are able to have clients drop off and pickup packages or paperwork for a small fee in the professional lobby they think is YOUR OFFICE’S LOBBY. 

In addition you’re able to rent day office space or conference rooms by the hour as needed to conduct business, have meetings or just a quiet place to work. Meetings in this professional space make it “appear” you have an office and staff onsite when you actually don’t have employees or a lease. You can also have your name listed on the door directory to really pull off the image. These features give you the image of having a long time bigger established business on a small budget of $65+ per month. This is an affordable way to have a solid business infrastructure.

Perhaps your business is at the stage whereby you need an actual office to conduct business in. Wait, don’t lease one! Leases are long-term expensive commitments and also come with overhead. Virtual office providers are also Executive office suites providers. Rent a monthly onsite executive private offices usually inexpensive and all-inclusive as your business grows. Onsite offices at Office Alternatives have no lease required and come fully equipped with wifi, utilities, janitorial and more. Again, the receptionist up front is also your receptionist and appears like you have staff. 

Lastly, most providers offer some type of Virtual Phone Receptionist whether you work from home or have an onsite office. This means a local employee who pretends to be part of your business team, answer your business phone with a professional greeting, routes the calls according to your daily instructions and takes email or texted messages. This type of service really increases sales usually by 20% or more due to No more missed clients!

Taking advantage of additional virtual administrative services

Trying to do it all? Use your time wisely and outsource the mundane tedious tasks. Many virtual office spaces also offer a variety of support administrative services for business owners — some even have virtual assistants with direct business experience. Office Alternatives can bill you in 15 minute to 1 hour increments to get things done like mailchimp or constant contact, Excel updates, emails going out, client call backs and more!

If you think you could use some extra help with your business, ask about these additional services when vetting office space providers. 

In short, Call Office Alternatives today at 505-796-9600 to explore our many virtual and onsite offerings to help your business career thrive!

The #1 local Executive Office Suites and Virtual Office Service Providers in ABQ!

As a real estate agent, you’re constantly on the go. If you work with a brokerage, you likely have access to a commercial office space when you need to sit down and get some work done. Solo agents or those just starting out, don’t typically have the same luxury, which is where virtual office services can come in handy.

From virtual assistants who can help you get more done in less time, to the nuances of different virtual office spaces, here’s everything real estate agents need to know about working from a virtual office.

What type of virtual office is best for my real estate business?

If your business is anchored at home, it’s important to know your options to present a big business image that disguises this. Virtual office providers, such as Office Alternatives, can provide several options for you that will help. First, a virtual mail package is a great way to start. It provides the use of a professional address, the building image and location for your business without you having to lease an actual office onsite. The Virtual mail package also receives your mail and packages at that address and a receptionist sorts and puts away your mail until you’re able to pick it up or have it forwarded. Another features is that you are able to have clients drop off and pickup packages or paperwork for a small fee and you’re able to rent day office space or conference rooms that make it “appear” you have an office and staff onsite when you actually don’t have employees or a lease. You can also have your name listed on the door directory to really pull off the image. These features give you the image of having a long time bigger established business on a small budget of $60+ per month. 

Secondly a virtual office provider can also offer monthly onsite executive private offices usually inexpensive and all inclusive as your business grows. Onsite offices at Office Alternatives have no lease required and come fully equipped with wifi, utilities, janitorial and more. Again, the receptionist up front is also your receptionist and appears like you have staff. 

Lastly, most providers offer some type of Virtual phone receptionist whether you work from home or have an onsite office. This means a local employee who pretends to be part of your real estate team, answer your business phone with a professional greeting, routes the calls according to your daily instructions and takes email or texted messages. No more missed clients!

Taking advantage of additional virtual services

Many virtual office spaces also offer a variety of support administrative services for business owners — some even have virtual assistants with direct real estate experience. 

If you think you could use some extra help with your real estate business, ask about these additional services when vetting office space providers. One important thing to look out for is whether reception services are local or outsourced. As a real estate agent, if you hire a virtual receptionist to help take phone calls, using an assistant with local knowledge can make a huge difference.

In short, Call Office Alternatives today at 505-796-9600 to explore our many virtual and onsite offerings to help your real estate career thrive!

3 Services You Must Have If You Are Starting A Business or Moving Your Small Business As You Are Relocating To Albuquerque (ABQ), New Mexico

If you are moving to Albuquerque, and starting or moving a business, there are 3 services you must look into to provide your business Credibility and a professional image right out of the starting gate.

1. Secure a Professional Business Address for your business – As you relocate, you might be tempted two use your personal home address or a PO Box for your business. Don’t! Having your home address show up on your “My Google business listing” looks very unprofessional and what happens if you move again? Using a Virtual Mail service provider, such as Office Alternatives, provides you with not only a place to receive your business mail and packages, but also the use of a professional commercial grade building address for your business. PO boxes are not allowed on Google listings and also look very shady. So…providing a professional address for your business is crucial for your business credibility. For a small fee, you can also secure our second location and say that you have “two locations in Albuquerque” … thus providing a more established look and presence in the city. This is great for business just starting out whether brand new or as a relocated business.
2. Secure a professional answering service, and professional local business number for your business. Virtual Reception Service Can provide you a business phone number and a team of professionals had answer your business line Office Alternatives provides a business phone number and a monthly phone answering service package whereby we act as part of your team never indicating that we are an answering service. We answer and route your calls handling them as you direct us. Office Alternatives has professionally trained staff that can save SALES by answering calls that you would have missed. Also, this frees up your cell phone to remain private, thus providing you a business number that you can use long term. Our phone answering service packages are very affordable and have no commitments.
3. Use a professional space to meet clients. Office Alternatives rents day offices, conference rooms, training rooms and board rooms by the hour. As a member, you will always have a professional space to meet clients ……again looking more established and credible than those meeting someone in a coffee shop.

Call office alternatives today for a consultation on how we can help your business start or relocate to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Office Alternatives
505-796- 9600 or visit our website at www.officealternatives.com or email us at info@officealternatives.com

It’s a beautiful quiet thought right?

Something doesn’t feel right. It’s too quiet. Your cell phone hasn’t rung in at least two minutes. What’s going on? Oh wait, that’s because you’ve delegated all your call answering to a professional live receptionist service.

Go ahead and feel smug.

That’s what it feels like when a professional receptionist takes care of distractions.

In this guide, we’ve outlined 10 simple questions. If you answer ‘yes’ to at least one of them, it’s likely that you will benefit from a live receptionist service. Let’s get started.

 

How Do I Know I Need a Live Receptionist?

1. Are you losing sales or not connecting with prospects because you miss important calls?

   Unfortunately, for busy entrepreneurs this happens all too often. Live Receptionists can respond to inquiries quickly so that potential leads become paying clients in no time.

2. Do you frequently ignore or miss calls because you’re in meetings or otherwise preoccupied?
   Ignoring calls is one of the worst things a growing business can do, and leads to disgruntled clients and lost leads. Live Receptionists are trained to handle calls on your behalf when you’re too busy to get to the phone.
3. Do you get lots of calls from telemarketers, solicitors and robocallers?
   A Live Receptionist will handle time-wasting calls on your behalf. They can be blocked, diverted to voicemail or forwarded to another line, depending on how you want to deal with them.
4. Do you feel you don’t convey the right level of professionalism when answering calls?
   If you find yourself answering calls hastily but not necessarily in a professional manner, pass the responsibility onto a Live Receptionist. They are trained professionals who answer calls in your company name, on brand, every time.
5. Are you spending so much time answering your phone that it distracts you from other business priorities?
   This is a common problem for startups and entrepreneurs — and it’s one of the most common reasons why business owners sign up to a Live Receptionist service. Place your trust in a Live Receptionist who can handle that side of the business for you.
6. Are you frequently in your car or in another noisy area when you answer your phone?
   It’s a situation we all find ourselves in, and it’s far from ideal. Live Receptionists can dedicate their full attention to your clients and make sure nobody slips through the net.
7. Are you often multi-tasking when you answer the phone?
   Entrepreneurs wear multiple hats, and distractions are commonplace. But when clients don’t get your full attention, you place valuable relationships at risk. By delegating your calls to a Live receptionist, your clients receive a superior call experience that’s 100% focused on their needs.
8. Are you constantly deleting old messages because voicemail on your cell phone, landline or VoIP phone is full?
   If yes, then a Live Receptionist will make sure that every call is answered promptly and dealt with according to your instructions. If you don’t like listening to voicemail, your Live Receptionist can take messages and forward them to you for a small fee.
9. Do you dislike talking to people on the phone?
   Some people prefer emails and messages rather than speaking on the phone. Live Receptionists, on the other hand, take it all in their stride. Their telephone manner is second to none and they’ll take care of every call and handle it per your instructions — even if that means taking a message and emailing it to you.

   As you can see, there are many different ways a Live Receptionist service can support your business, and help you win back more of your valuable time.

   It’s our Office Alternatives’ mission to help you become more productive by saving time and working more flexibly. You can’t do that when you’re tied to a desk or a cell phone. So with our plans, you get affordable month to month service with no obligations. Our Live Receptionist service is a cost-effective and flexible way to support your business growth plans, every step of the way

Have a business plan – As the saying goes, if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Have a succinct and clear business plan which should include points such as sales forecasts, identification of competitors and an outline of how your money will be spent. Having a plan will not only enable you to monitor your business’s success but it will also prove useful when asking outsiders for funding. Conversely, don’t be beholden to the plan, we all know that the pace of change in any business is rapid so make sure you are able to adapt – the joy of entrepreneurship is often the ability to make decisions on the fly.

Home Office AND Virtual Office Services – In the early days of your business, cash flow is king, so forget about wasting precious resources on renting an office and all of the overhead involved with that idea. Save as much money as you can by setting up your base from home. Your accountant can ensure that part of your electricity bills and even part of your mortgage expenses are offset against your tax bill. Utilize a Virtual office provider for a Virtual mail package so you can use a professional class A or B building for your business’ official address and a place to receive mail and packages. Also these providers, such as Office Alternatives, offer other services to help your business appear larger and more established even when it’s brand new.

Keep track of your finances – Hopefully the money will be flowing in in no time. However, don’t get too carried away, always keep good track of your financial status. Do you have savings that can be invested, and will these be enough? If you don’t, approach potential investors and lenders early-on. Don’t rule out considering government-backed funding too. Investigate the many business incubator services that are on hand to advise you, and in some cases offer financial backing. Use a bookkeeper and/or Quickbooks online to ensure accurate complete books.

Don’t go it alone – Taking on the weight of a business all by yourself might be too much, especially if you have a family. Try and find a business partner who has the same goals as you, but with different skills and knowledge to you, then you’ll both complement each other. Join a networking group and make friends with other business owners.

Create a Buzz – If you don’t shout about your new business, who will? Make the most out of free tools such as social media to spread the word. Similarly, something as simple as asking your customers to tell their friends and family about you can have a big impact. Also, make sure to network – this doesn’t have to be at a specialist ‘networking event’ but in your day to day activities – just keep telling people about your service and you may find yourself talking to someone who knows someone or something of use!

Image is everything – A good business name, business cards and a professional website all contribute to how your business is perceived by the public. But don’t underestimate the power of the telephone number and reception service also. By setting up a separate local and/or national number such as an 800#, your business projects the image of being a bigger enterprise, with national reach. Office Alternatives’ Virtual Telephone Reception service can provide an affordable team that answers your business’ phone and greets each prospect and client with a professional live answer service again without actual overhead.

Grow in stages – Working from home has its downside. Barking dogs, ringing door bells, and screaming kids are a few. Consider taking up office space at a coworking facility or executive office suites rental company. For instance, Office Alternatives has a wifi coworking lounge at its West side locations that’s free with their Virtual mail package – super affordable way to have a quiet place to work. Or consider one of their fully loaded executive office suites at either location. Fully loaded with all of the amenities you need to office there.

Don’t give up – Learn from your mistakes and adapt accordingly. Be prepared to continue refining your business methods as you encounter new hurdles. No one successful ever launched with the finished product, so keep tweaking and adding. You’ll learn so much from your first few sales and customers to help you refine the way you do business and make things easier for you going forward. Overall keep motivated and don’t lose sight of why you started the business in the first place.

Save your business by lowering overhead – Downsizing your Office Space

Perhaps your lease is nearly up or you’re going to be breaking it, a Coworking or Executive Office Suites rental place is a great way to get all-inclusive office space without the overhead and long commitments. Executive office suites have everything you need available to you 24/7. This means you can scale back your overhead and save not only on lease space, but utilities, copier contracts, phones, receptionist headcount, internet and more. Some clients find that they can reduce operating expenses by $35-48,000 per year. That’s a great way to save your business.

Want to Get away from the house but play it safe?

Executive office suites and coworking places have onsite fully-loaded private office suites which are typically available 24/7 by the renters. The unlimited access would allow you to come and go on “off hours” to have a private place to work without distractions from kids and pets, but limit contact with others.

Moving your business to “work from home” for good without giving up the image you have a good-sized operation

Many virtual office providers, such as Office Alternatives, provide virtual services that make it look like you work from a Class A office building with your own staff even if you are a one-man or woman show. If you had to downsize your staff, and find it to be quite overwhelming, a company like ours, can provide virtual services giving your business a professional address, so you have the use of it on your website and you My Google Business listing as well as all of your marketing collateral. It also gives your business continuity so even if you move residences several times over the decade, your business address listing is always the same. Your business obtains a safe place to receive mail and packages that you can check whenever you feel like 24/7. And when you need office space, you can rent hourly offices and conference rooms at a fraction of the non-member pricing. Many virtual offices also provide reception service for your business as well as light administrative help by the hour.

Give up keeping up with your phone

Let the professionals of Office Alternatives’ Virtual Receptionists team, our PROS team, answer your business line with a quick forward 1, 2, 3 to the number we assign you. Our team will answer your business calls so you are freed up to work without distractions. We’ll handle your calls how you instruct us, screening them, routing important calls and even taking emailed messages. This avoids missed sales altogether and the frustration that is growing because companies are not answering with a live person these days. Clients are frustrated with long wait times, unreturned calls and emails. Office Alternatives can also handle your calendar bookings/appointments and light administrative work making it easier to downsize your staff and save operational costs. This means more money in your pocket as you try to save your business and begin the daunting tasks of growing. Easy peasy – it’s as if you gained a full-time 8-5pm receptionist but don’t have to pay a salary or manage them

Nonprofit organizations are unique in that any profits are designated for reinvestment in the organization’s cause. This model creates a long list of challenges, and nonprofits must have a creative approach for sustainable success.

Virtual Office and Shared office space providers such as Office Alternatives present a perfect opportunity for nonprofits to tackle those challenges by cutting overhead costs, increasing operational efficiency, and making a bigger impact on their chosen mission. Here’s how a virtual office is a perfect fit for your organization.

Lower Costs

The most significant challenge that nonprofits face is a lack of funding, and they must maintain disciplined budgets to account for this challenge. Rising Commercial Iffice leasing rates have left them with limited choices for nonprofit office space. A virtual office provides organizations a cost-effective solution without sacrificing location, capabilities, or reputation.

Office Alternatives offers professional office space with modern amenities, including a Class A building, tasteful reception and lobby area, premium telecommunications systems, meeting rooms, and more. And perhaps most importantly for nonprofits, Office Alternatives services are on-demand, which means you only pay for what you need, when you need it.

Organizational Infrastructure

It’s a common misconception that all nonprofit employees are volunteers. Most nonprofit organizations hire full-time employees, but strained resources and even federal regulations limit how much and how many employees are paid. This puts tremendous stress on the infrastructure of a nonprofit organization, forcing individuals to fill multiple roles.

Office Alternatives offers administrative assistant services that provide professional, reliable assistance without the costs and scrutiny of hiring a full-time employee. Our receptionists answer calls, managing schedules, and connecting donors and clients with the appropriate contacts at your organization.

Boost Professional Image and Credibility

There are plenty of myths and skepticism surrounding nonprofits, and the perception of many organizations operating in good faith suffers from the misdeeds of a few bad apples.

Working with Office Alternatives is a savvy way of combating this unfortunate perception. Organizations can build trust with potential donors or clients by inviting them to face-to-face meetings in a reserved meeting room, board room, day office or training suite. Our professional spaces and staff will help alleviate any fears they may have, and you can show them that your organization is a reliable outfit that’s invested in making a positive impact.

Get In the Action

Nonprofit employees and volunteers are usually drawn to the field out of a sense of duty. That duty usually includes getting out of the office and into the action, where they can help people directly.

Office Alternatives services give organizational leaders the opportunity to get off the phone and reconnect with their original inspiration. Our phone answering professionals are not randomly assigned placeholders. They are trained extensions of your team that you can rely on while you get back to the work you truly care for.

Meetings are designed to produce results, but without the proper meeting venue, you’re likely to fall short of those results. Virtual office meeting rooms establish a professional, cooperative environment that is most conducive to a successful meeting for all parties involved.

Scheduling a meeting might seem like a simple task. You find an open time for both parties, put it on the calendar, and off you go. But every meeting has context, and schedulers should take that context into consideration. Location, time, invitees, room size, technology — all of these details work together to create an appropriate setting for a meeting. Renting a meeting room at a virtual office company, such as Office Alternatives, is an easy and affordable way to check all of the boxes — creating a neutral environment for all parties. Here are a few scenarios when a meeting venue matters.

Trying to Win or Conduct Business

The goal of a professional meeting with a prospective client is to win business. A meeting room at a professional office allows both parties to assess one another from a neutral point of view. There’s no worry about privacy. There’s no worry about finding a seat or an outlet, nor the awkward moment when both parties wonder “who is going to pay.” For the price of two lattes, you can rent an hourly space and cover all bases.

Negotiations

Conducting a negotiation meeting is meant to satisfy the objectives of all parties involved. The meeting venue is extremely important if both sides are to reach a deal. Any complications could derail a session and even put a final agreement in jeopardy. A virtual office meeting room provides a neutral setting where both parties can establish expectations and operate in good faith, avoiding any “home-court advantage” for either side.

Depositions

Attorneys often find virtual office services helpful, including meeting rooms for depositions. A deposition is a formal part of a legal trial where witnesses give oral statements under oath, but do so outside of the court room. Finding a neutral environment for these meetings is crucial as witnesses must be comfortable if they are to provide as much information as possible. The information presented in these meetings is of the utmost importance and potentially guides an attorney’s legal strategy. A neutral meeting room offers the best environment to ensure a deposition is accurate and thorough. Office Alternatives even offers witnessing services at a small fee.

Remote Employees Basecamp

Virtual office meeting rooms can be a valuable asset for remote employees. In the case that these employees need to meet face-to-face with a teammate or client, a meeting room environment is often preferable to a home office or public space. Virtual office meeting rooms from Office Alternatives are located in the Albuquerque’s best locations and in professional buildings. Establishing a professional meeting environment can put both parties at ease and even improve the discourse.

Law firms have been seeing that the traditional private office structure, which has been the typical law office design for decades, seems to have run its course. Shared Executive or temporary office space, or coworking space, is allowing lawyers to operate a more lean and mobile operation with little overhead without sacrificing the corporate executive appearance.
There are many benefits shared or virtual office spaces can provide to your firm, such as:

Cost Savings

With more firms shifting towards a value-based work structure, office cost savings is becoming a huge factor in the law industry. Executive office space, rented month to month or even by the hour, allow for a huge reduction in overhead costs, such as the amenities needed for day to day work like reception, furniture, and wireless internet. At OA, these necessary amenities are included, along with a flowing supply of coffee to keep you energized through your workday.

Image

Many law firms are choosing a more mobile lifestyle. They often want to work from home or from any location. Having a membership at Office Alternatives allows them to still provide a class A professional image on a dime and “office when and where they want to.” Virtual Mail and Virtual Telephone packages afford the use of a professional business address in Journal Center and/or the West side as well as a live receptionist to answer the firm’s phone during busy business hours. The hourly rentals of conference rooms and day offices provide an executive environment to meet clients with high speed internet, a receptionist to greet the client, free coffee and other amenities for a low cost per hour. This enables you to book space only when needed yet still appear to have a pretty smooth operation going.

Security

A Virtual mail company such as Office Alternatives, provides a secure place to receive mail and packages as well as act as a drop-off hub for your clients dropping paperwork off or picking up something you’ve left for them. Some attorneys need to shield themselves from client access due to the types of law they cover. Meeting at OA means the clients do not have access to a home address or a brick and mortar building whereby they can blindside you with an unexpected turn up.

Low Overhead Offices

OA has fully loaded Executive office suites onsite month to month. This enables you to set up that law practice you’ve always wanted without the overhead thus maintaining more income in your pocket. With a live receptionist to greet your onsite clients, there’s no need to hire your own thus saving $35k per year or more. Add a Virtual Telephone Reception package and now your law firm never misses a phone call. Of course high speed wifi, coffee, janitorial, utilities, and pest control are all included keeping your costs only to one month to month OA bill.