Virtual Office

Virtual office is a new concept to me, but imagine if you want to invest in a foreign country, but just don’t feel 100% confident about the economy or business that you’re in; I guess this is an ideal situation for someone like me that don’t like to take too much risk, but expect huge return, and still want to have some level of comfort. Assuming that I’ve decided to open a business in Thailand, I obviously don’t want to set up an office, imagine having to buy all the office supplies, hiring employees, and having to pay rent. There is no need to do all that because there is a company that provide virtual office service, Regus is a company that service over 70 countries, and Thailand is one of the countries. I checked to see if Laos was one, sadly no, but you never know in the near future, they might because the company is expanding, I’ll be sure to check back at a later time.

What is a Virtual office?

This is from Regus web site: Enjoy all the benefits of having a fully functioning office without moving from your present location, including priority access to our offices and meeting rooms worldwide when you’re on the road. Regus offers the following virtual office solutions to fit your needs:

• Prestigious business address – Choose from 950 world-class business addresses for use on your business cards, letterhead and marketing materials
• Mail collection and forwarding – Mail is collected, packages are signed for and sent to you according to your instructions
• Preferred rates on office supplies and couriers – Receive discounted rates on Staples, FedEx and more
• Access ready-to-use offices and meeting rooms – Work from any of our locations around the world at preferred rates
• On-demand administrative and technical support – Access to our administrative and technical IT support teams
• Incoming and outgoing faxes – Use our local fax number; we’ll collect and send faxes to you, wherever you are*
• A local phone number in any of our 400 cities – Provide a local phone number to all your contacts
• Personalized call answering – Professional receptionist answers your calls in your companys name according to your specifications
• Call redirecting – Specialized technology enables call redirection to your primary number*
• Voice mailbox – Remote setup and retrieval of your personal voicemail 24/7
• Lobby listing – Your company will be listed in the lobby along with all building tenants*
• 16 hours of private office time – Work from a professionally furnished and equipped office, in your location, for 16 hours a month**
• Starts at US$175/month

*Additional fees may apply

**Available by the day in 8-hour increments in most U.S. locations (not available in locations outside the U.S.)

Assuming that I have this virtual office set up in Thailand, and of course, the address of my new company on my business card would read:

How cool is that; imagine the look on my clients’ face when I handed them my business card, they probably think how in the world can I afford to rent that building because it is located in the heart of Bangkok at the lively and stylish All Seasons Place, Regus is in a well-established business district on the famous Wireless Road. Regus is situated near commercial centres and major embassies. Lumpini Park, bangkok’s largest oasis is just minutes away. This Regus centre is part of a 27 storey tower, one of three in a newly developed complex which includes the Conrad International Hotel. On the exclusive Wireless Road, a well established business district, the tower is diagonally opposite the American embassy compound.

Sounds too good to be true, but really, assuming that your client call, the secretary/receptionist will be able to answer everything about your company because technically speaking she is working for you, they’re a pro at this, but the only draw back is that you won’t know what s/he looks like. Worst scenario, assuming that my business is not doing too well, and I’ve decided to shut the door, then I just have to stop using their service, end of the story, no question ask.

If you’re interested in investing in a foreign country, check to see if Regus have service in that country. You never know, one day, I might just decide to pack my bag and go to Thailand or Laos. What do you think about this? Care to share your idea, please leave a comment here. Thanks.