Independent recruiters are choosing to use virtual offices as a London base for their businesses rather than have the expense of taking on the lease of an office space.

Data from serviced and virtual office provider Executive Offices Group (EOG) reveals that, in the last 12 months, a third more entrepreneurs and small business owners are opting for a prestigious Central London business address.

John Dover, chief executive at EOG, told Recruiter: “We have seen growth in our London virtual office uptake from the recruitment sector specifically, which historically has always been a good sector for EOG, accounting for around 10% of virtual office customers. In the past year this figure has grown to 15%, probably due to the fact that more and more people in the recruitment sector are setting up on their own.”

He adds: “The majority of EOG customers operate at the senior/executive search end of the market and need to present their businesses from an impressive, professional location.”

There are different options available. Some may choose to have a mailing address, others may use a hot desk and some may just opt for a phone answering service. Businesses can hire exclusive meeting rooms and office space for occasional use at a fraction of the permanent cost.
Denise Matthews, managing director of Diem Consultancy and also Independent Recruiting Group regional director for the South-East, has used virtual offices on and off for the past 15 years and has a wide range of experience with them. She told Recruiter: “The main benefit is really the cost; we can have a London address for a few hundred pounds a month instead of thousands.”

However, she cautions that some providers operate the back-office function for your business from large call centres, and the background noise and sometimes lack of knowledge makes it clear to clients that they are not part of your business. “Our best results for a virtual office have been with smaller providers who get to know our business, make the right responses and understand when something is urgent and react accordingly.”