The relatively new approach of the executive virtual office service is rapidly gaining in popularity as more and more individuals leave the traditional workplace in favor of home-based businesses. Business functions that can be outsourced to an independent contractor include, but are not limited to phone answering services, a remote business address, mail collection and distribution, fax, Web-hosting and physical meeting spaces. Think of using virtual office centers as renting commercial space, except that the rental expenses are divvied up among several renters so that no one business bears the full cost burden. There are a number of reasons and situations under which businesses typically use these services, including:

• Small or start-up businesses with no budget for commercial space rental.
• Businesses replacing post office boxes with a physical company address.
• Owners who want a physical address or phone number in a city where they wish to cultivate business.
• Companies that wish to bolster image by having a "branch" in an affluent or prestigious locale.
• Corporations that must downsize or close a campus but prefer to maintain a presence in that city.
• Experimental businesses that are in the product development and testing phase.
• Growing companies that aren't yet prepared to add staff or open a new branch.

In the past, fledgling or midsized companies such as these were at risk of falling through the cracks. Now, these businesses can set up virtual office centers that allow them to compete on a more level playing field with corporations many times their size.

She's on call around the clock, never tires, never misses a day and never misses an important call. United Answering's virtual office service provides a very real back-up virtual secretary with totally unreal capabilities. Ask us about how our Tel-Assistance services can keep you on top of incoming calls when the receptionist is out or overwhelmed.