Posts Tagged ‘virtual office services’

Using the services of a virtual assistant should help ensure you have a business.

Some say the measure of whether you have a business or a job is to test what happens when you are not there. If the answer is ‘nothing’ or ‘crisis’ then, chances are you have a job. Having a business means that as an entrepreneur your work continues and, indeed, thrives even when you are not there; phones are answered, post is opened, email gets a response – all services that a virtual office can supply at very cost effective fees. 

A Virtual Assistant can help you build a real business, not another job.

When you start a business you will most likely be a sole trader: This means you immediately become responsible for the admin, the HR, the bookkeeping and the IT system as well as whatever it is you set out as the purpose of the business.

The way to preserve your most valuable resource – time – is to delegate; delegating to a virtual assistant can be the salvation of your business; acting as your personal assistant, undertaking data entry and bookkeeping and helping you with office administration including answering the phone, opening post, dealing with email and despatching mail shots. If you don’t need someone in the office to greet visitors, but do want an enhanced company image without the cost of a full time receptionist, you should consider virtual receptionist services.

As a business you should put a real cost on your own time, doing so will soon reveal that hiring a virtual assistant helps to cut costs and increase your business efficiency. You don’t have to manage an employee, find them a desk, you don’t have to pay for sick and holiday leave and you don’t have to pay for any unproductive time linked to lunch, office politics or gossip.

How to choose a good Virtual Assistant.

You might want to consider the following tips:

• Check their qualifications, skills and experience, ask for references.
• Find out how long they have been in business.
• Compare the hourly rate with others, the most cost effective is not necessarily the cheapest – how much work can they do in an hour?
• Test their communication skills, how do they handle phone calls with you?
• If you are UK based and English-speaking, choose a virtual assistant with the quality of written and spoken English you need. If your customer base is non-English speaking, consider alternatives.

The benefits of a good Virtual Assistant.

The benefits of selecting a good virtual assistant and telephone answering service include;

• Giving the best first impression. Telephones going unanswered or to answer machine is not a good impression. Telephones answered by professionals can win you business.
• Appearing to be a larger business. A virtual telephone answering service can be a seamless interface with you; callers will conclude you are larger enough to employ a full time receptionist.
• Better message taking and follow up. If you work from home: Will your children take a good message for you? Will you ever get it? When you are on the road: Are you tempted to answer the phone when driving? Do you have a hands-free kit, but still can’t take a message?
• Reduce costs. Professional services done by a qualified expert will be much more cost-effective than doing it yourself. Consider how long it takes you to create a PowerPoint presentation or book flights and accommodation for a business trip; hiring someone who is an expert will be quicker and save you time and money.

To find out about the extensive Virtual Assistant Services at Hyde Park House including:

• Telephone answering service
• Postal collection
• Fax and photocopying facilities
• Full administrative and secretarial services
• Live answering and full reception support
• Bookkeeping services

…call Lynsey now on 0161 367 9000 or email lynsey@hydeparkhouse.co.uk. Hyde Park House, Tameside, Cheshire; offering virtual office services to the World as well as flexible terms on Office Space to Rent, convenient for Manchester, Stockport and just a short drive from Manchester Airport.

With David Cameron moving in to Number 10 and continued talks about national, and indeed international, debt needing to be controlled and reduced; the sound of the axe making bigger and deeper cuts is getting louder.

Over the coming months it seems that all Government Departments and Public Sector Operations are going to be examined under the microscope and squeezed to ensure there is no waste and that all services are being delivered cost effectively.

No one likes change, but this is an excellent opportunity to make some overdue changes to Public Sector operating systems that should not be wasted. Whilst it is normal to focus on the negative aspects of change when they are targeted to achieve a cost reduction; the benefits of outsourcing some administrative functions should not be overlooked.

The positive aspects of administrative services in the Public Sector being provided by Virtual Office Assistants are very similar to those available to the small business and the large private organisation; service can be improved, costs can be saved, flexibility is increased and the public are better served – a win, win, win, win!

Top Rate Virtual Office Services.

Making cost savings of £14 billion by 2013 is not going to be easy, but it is critical for the Public Sector to focus on best practise, improved service delivery and enhanced accountability, so experienced administration virtual office service teams are standing by ready to deliver a top rate service to the Public Sector.

Areas of administration that are commonly overmanned and poorly managed include:

• Routine and repetitive tasks such as payroll
• Dispatch of mail shots and brochures
• Database building and maintenance
• Telephone answering and message handling
• Appointment booking and reminders
• Handling of general email enquiries
• Opening and distribution of incoming post
• Making travel arrangements and booking accommodation

Many Public Sector department managers may already be wondering where to turn for help and advice on using virtual assistants in order that administration tasks can be managed and delivered remotely whilst also achieving an improvement in quality of service.

Lynsey Handley from the Virtual Assistant Services at Hyde Park House knows that success depends on three things: planning, commitment and communication. Call Lynsey now on 0161 367 9000 or email her to get the help and advice you need to achieve your budget cuts and deliver excellent:

• Live telephone answering services
• Post collection, opening and sorting
• Fax and photocopying services
• Full administrative and secretarial services
• Full reception support
• Bookkeeping services

Hyde Park House, Tameside, Cheshire; offering virtual office services to the Public Sector as well as flexible terms on Office Space to Rent, convenient for Manchester, Stockport and just a short drive from Manchester Airport.

At Hyde Park House the Virtual Reception and Assistant Services are provided by real people!

On Friday, 14th May we will be sorry to see one of our real virtual receptionists, Gill Ryan leave us for pastures new.  Gill has been a receptionist at Hyde Park House since 2001, during that time she has been a vital member of the Business Centre team providing a warm and professional welcome to the tenants and visitors of Hyde Park House. 

We all wish Gill and her family the very best of luck as they relocate to Cyprus!

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to Jenny Fox who will be taking over from Gill on Monday, 17th May.  Jenny is a highly experienced receptionist and personal assistant who will play an important role as ‘real life’ receptionist at Hyde Park House as well as being a member of the virtual office services team, providing pay as you go secretarial services such as;

• Live telephone call answering services
• Message and distribution
• Post collection, opening and sorting
• Mail-shot co-ordination
• Fax and photocopying services
• Full administrative, typing and secretarial services
• Full reception support
• Bookkeeping services

To benefit from Jenny and the whole Virtual Office Services Team’s expertise call Lynsey now on 0161 367 9000 or email lynsey@hydeparkhouse.co.uk.

Hyde Park House, Tameside, Cheshire; offering virtual office services to the World as well as flexible terms on Office Space to Rent, convenient for Manchester, Stockport and just a short drive from Manchester Airport.

The Civic Mayor of Tameside, Cllr John Sullivan and party visited a number of Hyde based businesses in March including three businesses in ‘one stop’ at the Hyde Park House Business Centre at Cartwright Street, Hyde.

Each year, the Mayor of Tameside, makes visits to employers in the Borough. The visits demonstrate the importance of these and similar employers to the local economy, and enable the companies to find out the range of support they may receive via the Council and its partner agencies.

Hyde Park House, opened in 1986, is owned and operated by Manchester and Northern Developments Ltd and has remained a family run office rental business with an outstanding reputation for its commitment to local business.  The centre is a thriving hub housing a wide range of businesses – each with an entrepreneurial and innovative approach including Ricta UK and the Mosaic Partnership and MG Copiers, whom the Civic Mayor had time to explore, all in half a day

The Civic Mayor was impressed with the range of facilities – “I am so pleased to have visited this centre and seen for myself the excellent business environment in the wonderful location of Hyde, although it is practically on my doorstep I was fascinated to find out the reach of some of the businesses located there – some servicing specialist international markets and others developing a loyal local customer base – the centre reflects everything positive about the Borough of Tameside, the willingness to be inventive, to strive and for businesses to  work together for mutual success.”

Hyde Park Business Centre offers flexible serviced office space from 150 – 7,000 sq ft including virtual office and e-space with full virtual assistant services: A prestigious address, virtual office services including telephone answering available on site and just a short distance from Manchester and Stockport, with access to the M60 motorway, the national rail network and Manchester Airport.

For details of the office space for lease and the range of flexible rental options, including e-Space with full virtual assistant services at Hyde Park House from just £99 a month, call Lynsey on 0161 367 9000 or email lynsey@hydeparkhouse.co.uk.