Lockdown Entrepreneurs Spearhead Virtual Office Surge
Oberoi Business Hub in Derby’s Pride Park reports a steady surge in demand for virtual office support – particularly from start up businesses launched during this and previous national lockdowns.
Founder and managing director Kavita Oberoi explained that 90% of recent new enquiries had been from start up businesses who were keen to create the right first impression for their new ventures but did not yet require physical office space.
Oberoi Business Hub provides businesses with a prestigious office address in Pride Park to help start-ups raise their brand perception and visibility backed by practical support such as post and parcel handling as well as hot desk and meeting room facilities available for hire.
Mrs Oberoi said: “One of the more positive impacts of the pandemic has been that an increasing number of entrepreneurial people have identified a gap in the market to forge ahead with their new business plans.
“The current economic uncertainty and lockdown rules means that most of these entrepreneurs are starting out by working from home and do not want to advertise this address on marketing materials.
“In addition, the nature of business start-ups is that the owner is delivering the product or service directly to customers and is out and about throughout the working day – making deliveries of parcels and urgent correspondence to an empty house a real issue.
“A manned virtual office where our team handle post and parcels on their behalf as well as the options for physical desk and meeting room facilities available on a flexible basis therefore provides an efficient and cost effective option in the short term.
“We then support businesses with additional support as they themselves grow including serviced offices and call management services.”
Amongst the businesses who are now part of the Oberoi Business Hub community is OMEETO – an innovative commercial property marketing company set up six months ago by well known property agent Chris Wright.
Mr Wright has developed a blended commercial property marketing agency for both sellers and landlords with enhanced online marketing.
This includes virtual tours and two different service packages - one enabling owners to meet occupiers for fast and effective physical viewings and fee savings for the client.
He explained: “Having worked in commercial property for over 20 years, I saw a gap in the market and that the time was right last summer to set up my own business that embraces the technology available to update the industry and change the way we present commercial property information.
“The restrictions placed on buyers and sellers during the pandemic was therefore a catalyst for me to set up my own company.
“I want to ensure that buyers and tenants are able to access all the relevant property data on my website and to view a property at the earliest opportunity by accessing high quality virtual walk-through tours and a drone image of the surrounding area before visiting in person.
“I was particularly keen for my business to be launched with a premium business address that also gave me the flexibility to have a physical presence required for working away from home and to meet with clients on a flexible basis.
“Having a virtual office has therefore as a toe in the water and the first step to then moving the business full time to Oberoi Business Hub.”
For more information about Oberoi Business Hub visit https://www.oberoibusinesshub.co.uk/ and for Omeeto, visit https://www.omeeto.co.uk/.