A Better Virtual – USA Virtual Offices

DENVER—These days it seems like everyone is getting in on the virtual office game. The latest to enter the fray is an unlikely suspect: AskAnAlly.com.

AskAnAlly.com provides free online advice from a psychologist. Now, it’s selling virtual offices to experts in a variety of fields. Within these virtual offices, experts can answer questions, advertise their services, sell products and maintain a blog. OK, so it’s not your typical virtual office. But it’s an interesting twist on the theme and demonstrates just how mainstream the virtual office concept is becoming.

“When I began Ask An Ally, my intention was to make therapy accessible to everyone,” says founder and president Dr. Jane Ginsberg. “As we move forward, I realize that there is a need for this same kind of access to professionals in all realms of society. My vision expanded and we have now created the infrastructure for a virtual office building.”

When visitors ‘arrive’ at the virtual building, they will be able to enter the virtual offices of experts in a variety of fields. Ask An Ally hopes to attract authorities from a wide range of industries. From plumbers to pediatricians, firemen to financiers, customers will be able to seek advice, ask questions, and participate in other activities that are provided by each individual office. Ask An Ally hopes to become a one-stop-shop where customers can get reliable answers quickly, easily and securely—and virtually.

“This is a unique chance for someone to grow their business for relatively little work and cost. They will be able to reach new customers and become a go-to expert in their field,” says Cori Knol, Ask An Ally’s marketing director. “Whether they already have an established business or are just starting up, this is a fantastic opportunity to become a part of a growing community.”

MESA, ARIZ.—Looking for some virtual office technologies to help you work more productively? Virtual Office Global just released a web-based platform known as VOPortal.com. The technology offers you e-mail, scheduling, contacts, file storage and management, along with team or third-party sharing. It even integrates social media.

“You no longer have to choose between the convenience and ease of use with on-the-go access to your e-mail and documents, and the security or privacy of your sensitive and vital data,” says Justin Patrick,  president of Virtual Office Global.

Patrick promised that the collaboration platform is not only be easy to use—it’s also powerful. The VO Portal offers simple sharing and integration at the enterprise level for businesses, while also allowing small groups and individual users to tap into enterprise level productivity at a consumer price.

Here’s a look under the hood:

E-mail, contacts, calendar, team sharing, social media and user files are all in one simple, secure solution. With large profile support, the size of the user’s account will never affect performance.

VO Portal works online, offline or via any mobile device or computer. You can get secure access to all of your information from any Internet-connected device. You can also get organized with Conversation Views, folders, Tags, and lightning-fast search options that are simple to use. VO Portal promises to never read, review, share, mine or otherwise access or sell user information.

So if you are working from a virtual office and you are looking for some technology to help your team effectively collaborate all from one portal, Virtual Office Portal could be the solution for you.

Aren’t sure? Try it for 30 days for free. And let us know what you think!

SALT LAKE CITY—Despite the momentum behind virtual offices, many still need to be educated on the benefits of virtual office space and related business communications technologies. Enter Davinci Virtual Office Solutions.

Davinci Virtual has rolled out a series of new educational videos on various aspects of virtual offices. The goal of this interactive series of virtual office videos is to educate mobile workers and entrepreneurs on the benefits of virtual office solutions.

Davinci is taking the “how it works” approach with videos that offer a look at product features. The videos are hosted on the company’s Web site and on its YouTube channel. Davinci Virtual knows from which it speaks. The company offers more than 1,000 virtual office locations around the world, as well as business communications services, like virtual receptionists, web conferencing and live chat.

“Thousands of entrepreneurs and professionals already succeed every single day by using our business address, meeting space and live receptionist services,” said Bill Grodnik, CEO of Davinci Virtual. “We have made it our mission to educate the market place on the advantages of virtual offices. Our new video content represents just another timely tool to create awareness—especially when you consider that YouTube is now the world’s second largest search engine.”

The virtual office industry should thank Davinci Virtual for its investment in educating the industry on the benefits of virtual offices for start-ups, small businesses, mid-sized companies and large enterprises alike. These are well-produced videos that serve the entire virtual office industry well.

BOCA RATON—Women are making their mark on the business world in 2012. Some, like Meg Whitman, are doing it from the CEO seat. Others are doing it from high places in the U.S. government. Still others are doing it from small businesses.

In fact, Forbes magazine is reporting that women are starting small businesses at 1.5 times the national average. Women now own 29 percent of all small businesses. We’ve come a long way, baby!

Now, let’s drill down into some additional numbers. The Small Business Administration reports 52 percent of small businesses are home-based—and a majority of these are owned by women.  That’s where virtual offices come in.

What’s also cool is that virtual offices are helping some of these women follow their passion. Opus Virtual Office just revealed that 42 percent of its clients are women-owned companies—and that percentage is growing.

“Opus provides its clients with the finest virtual office solution available anywhere, and is perfect for women business owners,” says Yori Galel, CEO of Opus Virtual Offices. “Privacy, security, a first-class corporate image, and technology to make a busy day run smoothly are what women entrepreneurs say is important to them and Opus delivers.”

Opus says many small business owners don’t actually need physical office space. Opus ticked off a list of women-owned businesses that don’t necessary need traditional office space: consultant, lawyer, career coach, designer, wedding planner, freelance writer, gourmet chef, painter or electrician. The point: any specialist can operate a sophisticated business from home without revealing her personal address or phone number.

Opus Virtual Offices is making a name for itself by helping small business owners make a name for themselves with virtual office technologies. Virtual office providers offer an impressive corporate address that women can use on Web sites, business cards and other forms of contact. This protects the home address, while dedicated business phone and fax numbers protect the home office and cell numbers. Privacy and security are two hallmarks of virtual office space that women appreciate. And for less than $100 a month, virtual offices also make good financial sense.

ATLANTA—You read a lot about virtual receptionists these days—and with good reason. Virtual receptionists and live answering services can be a major boon for small and large companies alike who need an extra set of hands—and a pleasant voice—on the phones.

VoiceNation is bragging about its success in the virtual receptionist space—or should I say its client’s success. VoiceNation is pointing to The Coffee Project as a success story with its virtual receptionist service. The Coffee Project is an e-commerce business that lets coffee lovers buy their caffeinated brew day and night. But that also means providing customer support 24/7.

“Picking up the phone and speaking to a real human is still a very important aspect of customer service in this virtual environment,” explains James Vaughn, owner of The Coffee Project. “A responsive human voice, at any time of the day or night, is probably the best way to foster trust that a company cares about its customers and cares to offer as many ways to communicate as possible.”

Indeed, the telephone customer service is often the customer’s first impression after visiting The Coffee Project website. Vaughn needed the ability to simply manage incoming calls through an online dashboard and have them forwarded to assistants located in different parts of the country depending on the time of day. Others times Vaughn wanted to take calls himself. Still other times he wanted VoiceNation’s live receptionists to man the phones.

With VoiceNation, he has that flexibility. He also has the ability to log telephone orders online, collect customer data, and direct all messages to the appropriate party via e-mail.

“We’ve used other services in the past. However, VoiceNation had the best pricing with more features, which, we could access completely online,” Vaughn says. “Because we’re an internet-based business, being able to manage everything online is an important tool. VoiceNation helps keep my company professional and responsive.”

BOCA RATON—We’ve all come to understand that virtual office space includes services like a premier business address, a phone number, package receipt and a lobby greeter.

But what if you don’t need all of those bells and whistles? What if you just want a phone number (and a professional to answer calls) to keep your personal line or cell phone private?

Opus Virtual Offices has you covered with its new Phone Only Program. With the Phone Only Program, you can tap into sophisticated communications technology and live receptionist services without the corporate address—and for a lower cost.

Indeed, Opus just rolled out its new $79 a month service just for people in that category. What’s more, Opus is waiving the $100 set up fee on its newly-minted Phone Only program. Altogether, that equals a $120 savings on the first month of service and an ongoing savings of $20 a month for the Phone Only Program. (Hint: Enter the promo code PO1 when you make your order.)

“While Opus VO is best known as a complete virtual office solution including a corporate address so a business doesn’t require a physical office, our Phone Only option is just as valuable for those clients that already have a corporate address,” says Yori Galel, CEO of Opus Virtual Offices.

“It provides the same state of the art telecommunications and live receptionist services of our complete program for the nominal fee of only $79 a month, and right now new clients get an additional $100 in savings with a promotion that can’t be beat.”

Of course, you can still opt for the total virtual office package—or upgrade at any time. The total virtual office package includes voicemail and fax converting to e-mail, premium call transferring, a premium business address, plus all the benefits of the Phone Only Program.

SALT LAKE CITY—Davinci Virtual Office Solutions just flipped the Internet switch on a brand new virtual office Web site. It’s a completely different look and feel for the leading virtual office solutions provider.

For starters, it’s more colorful. Beyond the red and white that marked the first web site the new virtual office website has plenty of green and blue. But that’s just the dressing. The meat of the new virtual office Web site is the 1,000 virtual office locations that are now easier than ever to search with an all-new navigation system.

Davinci Virtual’s new site, which took 10 months to custom build using the most advanced programming and technologies on the market, also features interactive videos and feature-rich descriptions that streamline the virtual office decision-making process.

“Our prospects and customers have been asking for an easier and more interactive online experience,” says Bill Grodnik, CEO of Davinci Virtual. “We have listened and now have launched the new flagship site of the virtual office industry. Our dominant market presence clearly is a testament to our Internet properties and comprehensive online marketing efforts.”

One of Davinci Virtual’s sayings is “first impressions count.” Well, Davinci is making a good first impression with its new social media-friendly Web site, which includes live chat services, a home page slide show and a daily blog.

This is one of the best-looking virtual office Web sites on the market—it’s certainly the most extensive. Davinci offers more than 850 virtual office locations including virtual offices in New York, virtual offices in Los Angeles, virtual offices in around the world, as well as live receptionist services and various other virtual office technologies.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—In a deal that shows how the virtual office industry and executive office suites industry cross paths, TelAssistant business phone services recently hooked up with Virtual Office Advantage in a deal that sees one offering services to the customers of another.

TelAssistant business phone services if offering its services to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota e-suites provider. Essentially, the executive office suites provider is tapping into TelAssistant staff and technology to augment service to its clients.

TelAssistant is a professional call answering service that screens calls, takes messages, and forwards messages. You might call it a step above a virtual PBX, but still a service that virtual office users and mobile workers would appreciate. And it’s the perfect amenity in an executive office suite that doesn’t want to hire staff in-house.

TelAssistant specialists are custom trained to meet the specific needs of a business in much the same way an in-house employee is briefed on every customer. TelAssistant offers its phone answering services at the Sioux Falls location, along with the many other amenities that Virtual Office Advantage offers.

That’s the story of TelAssistant. Now, let’s see how it intersects with Virtual Office Advantage.

Virtual Office Advantage is a professional office space that promises plenty of perks for small businesses and non-profits. Virtual Office Advantage also boasts office space, conference rooms, shared offices and a secure working environment—at only a fraction of the cost of traditional office space.

Even if you don’t use Virtual Office Advantage, you can still use TelAssist services. TelAssist offers live receptionist, a local telephone number, small business answering, order processing, Web chat, appointing taking and much more.

PORTLAND—Ruby Receptionists is known as one of the most creative virtual receptionist firms on the market. Now, the remote receptionist company is getting innovative with a new online word-of-mouth referral program.

Dubbed Ruby Refer-a-Friend Program, the initiative aims to generate leads from would-be virtual receptionist customers from its passionate client base. That means if you get your virtual receptionist services from Ruby, you can become a brand ambassador and get rewarded for your efforts.

Here’s how the Ruby Refer-a-Friend Program works: Ruby has set up online tools to empower existing customers to extend a special offer to their referral networks. If a customer’s friend signs up for service, the standard $95 setup fee is waived. The referring customer gets a $50 Visa gift card. Not a bad deal!

“Throughout Ruby’s history, we’ve been grateful that so many of our clients have chosen to spread the word about Ruby through personal referrals and their social media networks,” said Kevin Gillam, director of marketing for Ruby. “Now, we’ve streamlined that process and made it so much easier for our clients—they can refer their friends to Ruby with just a few clicks, and we have the capability to automatically track and reward referrals efficiently and accurately.”

The new virtual receptionist referral program lets customers recommend Ruby to business associates, friends and families using an e-mail message, blog post, Twitter “tweet,” Facebook status update or personalized URL (PURL) and landing page.

And check this out. Virtual receptionist clients can even add their own testimonial that will appear when friends visit the custom Refer-a-Friend landing page.

In order to generate referrals, Ruby clients only need to log into the mobile-friendly Member Services Area of virtual receptionist provider’s website, click on the Refer-a-Friend button and follow the instructions. Virtual receptionist customers with iPhones can also click on the new “Refer” tab on Ruby’s updated iPhone app.

How serious is Ruby about its virtual receptionist referral program? The company built its own customized referral software to drive it. All you have to do is start referring. It will, of course, be interesting to see how well the virtual receptionist program works. Right now, Ruby provides live virtual receptionist services to 1,700 businesses and entrepreneurs in 49 states.

TORONTO—Need a virtual assistant in Toronto? Looking for some virtual office support to free you up for your more important tasks? Crucial Virtual Office Services wants to help.

Crucial Virtual Office Services bills itself as the 21st Century way to obtain vital daily office and administrative services at a fraction of the cost of hiring traditional admins. Of course, that’s what they all say.

What makes Crucial Virtual Office Services different? That’s what we set out to find.

Crucial Virtual Office Services has much the same marketing message as its international counterparts. For example, they trumpet the pain of struggling with  the ceaseless onslaught of paperwork and scheduling that stands in the way of growing the business.  What’s more, Crucial Virtual Office Services touts itself as a convenient, effective and cost-efficient way to have the important office and administrative help you need without the need to furnish office space and technology for a full-time staff member.

From what we can tell, there is no huge differentiator between Crucial Virtual Office Services and other solo virtual assistants—except maybe her level of experience.

Although companies with teams of virtual assistants are becoming popular, Crucial Virtual Office Services is manned by Karen Stevenson. It’s unclear whether she has any help, but she does offer plenty of experience—14 years to be exact.

Stevenson has an educational background in Office Administration, certification as an Executive Administrative Assistant and in IT support. Her experience runs through many different industries, including a public power utility, engineering, public relations, medical, computer technology property management, international container shipping, and government agencies.

All in all, Stevenson looks like a well-rounded virtual assistant—and provides a model for what you may want to look for in your own virtual assistant. Experience really counts for a lot. There are so many virtual assistants getting into the business these days with little or no experience. I’ve had nightmares where I’ve almost lost customers because of a virtual assistant who claimed to have relevant experience but didn’t. So be sure to check resumes—and references—whether you opt for a company that provides virtual assistants or a solo virtual assistant.