Going virtual has lots of advantages - lower fixed costs, the flexibility to expand (or contract) rapidly when demand changes, and fewer geographical restrictions. We look at the options: serviced workspaces, outsourced tasks, virtual comms and full outsourcing of the back office.

The idea of virtual offices and services has flourished in the internet age. Before that, they were hidden behind PO box addresses - which were associated with competition entries, milk bottle top collections and products you didn’t need, but felt strangely drawn to, rather than serious businesses. It's now a normal concept for growing, modern businesses to work in this organic way. Indeed, we talk to lots of consultancies who work out of serviced workspaces or are fully decentralised with no permanent base.

So how else can you go virtual, apart from your office, or lack of one? The benefits are significant for a growing consultancy firm, with the reduction in fixed costs - very helpful during slower periods. This is complemented by a scalable resource pool when it's really needed, perhaps during a marketing or recruitment campaign. Then there's the "best tool for the job" advantage of having specialists available on-demand instead of getting your salaried support staff to moonlight in areas they are less suited to. Perhaps management guru Peter Drucker put it best when he said: “Do what you do best and outsource the rest!”.

Here are some of the things we have seen work particularly well as outsourced services:

Benefits from bookkeeping

Most people outsource the infrequent part of their accounting (like annual returns and tax computations), but why not do the same with regular tasks like bookkeeping, invoices and pay runs? Maximising founder efficiency, getting it right first time, avoiding late fees and having an up to date cash position far outweigh the  cost per month. Talk to your accountant or check out the specialists.

METIS PICKS: http://www.pwc-myfinancepartner.co.uk/ - top end PwC capabilities at an affordable price.

Valuable VA’s

A PA can feel like an expensive luxury - they require a full-time salary, plus sickness and holiday cover, and you may not have enough work to sustain them, especially when you’re at the earlier stages. On the other hand, it pays to have the human touch when scheduling time with a client and a PA can make your firm seem bigger and more professional. Plus, your team might have complex travel schedules or group events to co-ordinate, which are troublesome and time-sapping to do yourself online. The answer might be a virtual assistant (VA). VAs are like PAs, but they work remotely and you only pay for what you use. They give your senior team the personal support and professional image they need without the overheads, and there will always be cover available. With a professional phone system (see below), your clients will never know the difference.

METIS PICKS: Making Headpsace - you’ll wonder how you coped without them.

Phones for professionals

The days of having to pay for a switchboard unit and a bunch of telephone lines are over. Virtual phone systems that run over broadband are fantastic for giving you and your team the flexibility to look like a large business operating from one location, when in reality you’re here, there and everywhere. You can purchase a block of numbers for any location (say Birmingham), and then either route them to mobiles or have them ring Voice Over IP (VOIP) handsets. You can even take your handsets abroad or to other work locations, and the calls will still look like they’re coming from Birmingham, or wherever you choose. You can also allocate numbers to your VA to increase the impression of them being part of an in-house team. And should you change office, just plug your handsets into the network at the new location and you’re good to go.

METIS PICKS: http://soho66.co.uk/ - award winning virtual phone system provider.

Hiring heavy hitters

Sometimes you just have to find that needle-in-a-haystack person who has the credibility, seniority and specialist skills you need to win or lead a job for a key client or prospect. They don’t need to be on your books permanently, but finding and outsourcing a proposal or delivery role to that key person can retool the credentials of your business and allow your existing team to access new skills. Specialists exist to find you these rare people.

METIS PICKS: https://www.talmix.com/ for top-end rare talent.

Tiny tasks too

One possible advantage of having an admin person on the payroll means they can help with random jobs like re-keying data or doing research tasks that might only take a few hours and don’t require the specific skills of a professional Associate Consultant. But again, the virtual world can do this better, for less. Enter the "out worker" platforms that get tasks done with efficiency, and often at a low cost. They provide highly skilled specialists in any task you care to name, available globally to handle your needs, whether that’s research, data entry, design or analysis.

METIS PICKS: https://www.upwork.com/  or https://www.mturk.com/, two sources for cheap specialist skills.

Outsource all in one

What if you're thinking that you really need outsourced management to manage the outsourcing? Then look no further than the recent phenomenon of one-stop-shop companies to cover many of these areas. Legal, accounting, HR, marketing and admin all rolled into one seamless, on-demand team that you only pay for when you need it. Total peace of mind for a small premium.

METIS PICKS:http://www.blueacorns.co.uk/our-services - the place from which great things grow.