smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

SMEs can enhance their professional appearance to prospective clients through utilising a virtual office space, according to business experts.

Call handling service provider Go Response says that while outsourcing does not necessarily save a SME money, it can help a start- up by providing it with flexibility when it comes to costs.

Geoff Kirby, spokesperson for the company, says small start-up SMEs do not want to look like an organisation who have just set up in business.

'They want to present a professional appearance to the outside world and being able to offer, for example a reception service, is a way of doing this,' he says.

A lot of SMEs are run from home and don't need an office but require 'a central point' from which to work, claims MR Kirby.

A virtual office is a term for shared office services, which can include business address, mail services, phone services, fax services, answering services, web-hosting services, and meeting and conference facilities.