My -- office@home.com business

By Zatni Arbi

"An office without the office." That is what the U.K.-based Base4Business, a virtual office operator, calls itself. What in the world does it mean? The following articles will help you understand the concept and will virtually take you there.

JAKARTA (JP): First of all, thanks to advanced aviation and telecommunications technologies, the world is now a global market.

There is no question about it. No matter where you are, you can always work and do business with clients and customers from any part of the world.

And just wait until we have supersonic passenger aircraft -- sort of a successor to the aging Concords -- for you may find people attending a meeting in Melbourne and then another in San Francisco, in the same day!

Clearly, businesspeople who travel so much to cover the global market do not need a permanent office with huge rental and maintenance costs.

All they need is an instant office where they can drop by and work for just a couple of hours and then move on, much like a launchpad. Although most of the four and five-star hotels have business centers, these globe-trotters usually need much more than just photocopy and fax services.

They most likely need to maintain their local presence, regardless of where they are. They need a virtual office.

A virtual office, or "an office without the office", as coined by Base4Business, is not a novel concept. It was around long before we had cell phones and e-mail. However, do not be misled into thinking that their tenants are representatives of foreign companies only.

Local entrepreneurs who work from their homes may also need the services of a virtual office, particularly in cultures where image is paramount.

In places like Singapore and Hong Kong, people may not really care whether your business address shows that your office is in a warehouse or in Suntec City.

In Jakarta, on the other hand, people tend to treat you with more respect and trust if your business address is in Kuningan or Jl. Sudirman.

One of the key benefits of a virtual office is the possibility of using the provider's high-profile address on your letterhead and business card.

Your business telephone number would also be that of Jakarta's prestigious Golden Triangle area, the 57x-xxxx numbers. If you projected yourself as a big and established company, you could approach prospective customers with more confidence.

However, the benefits of a virtual office are not limited to image projection only. More than that, a virtual office allows you to maintain a smooth flow of communication with your clients.

They can call your local number, and the call will be answered by one of the virtual office's receptionists in your company's name and in the manner that you wish. If you happen to be on the other end of the planet, the call will be diverted to your cell phone.

This may force you to wake up in the middle of the night, but at least you are just as efficient as you would be if you were in the room next to the reception. Clearly, telecommunications should be on top of everyone's priority.

As Indonesia is on the road to economic recovery -- despite the never-ending political turmoil -- Jakarta is home to a growing number of virtual office operators.

Unknown to many of us, these companies have been doing very well. The Jakarta Executive Centre, for example, claims that it had 100 percent occupancy last year.

Understandably, Jakarta's virtual office operators, such as The Executive Center and the Jakarta American Club, compete with each other in terms of the technologies, the range and quality of service as well as the facilities that they can provide.

As presentations and meetings are a core activity in business, a comfortable and private meeting room with a complete set of presentation equipment is a must.

In most cases, the virtual offices provide more than one impeccably-appointed meeting room, so that tenants will not have to queue for their turn. However, they have to sign up in advance, and pay for the use of the meeting room if it was not included in their contract.

In other countries where telecommunications infrastructure is far more advanced, video conferencing facilities are also available in virtual offices.

PCs and Macs with LCD monitors will also be available, and there may even be staff members who can give short training sessions on how to use them.

A virtual office can be leased for even just a month. This is a major benefit to traveling businesspeople and small businessmen. And since everything is already available, they can start working immediately after signing the contract.

And do not forget the highly professional service that these virtual offices offer. Virtual office providers compete to provide the best service possible, besides the best location, rates and facilities.

In addition to the secretarial support, tenants can ask their virtual office staff to arrange their travel requirements, catering needs and even flower delivery.

However, don't confuse "Virtual Office" with "Serviced Office". "A virtual office is not the same as a serviced office, although they have a lot in common," explained Viera Djawahir, manager of The Jakarta Executive Centre.

"When a tenant rents our office space to use as his permanent office, he is using our serviced office. He will be working there most of the time, unlike a virtual office tenant."

Needless to say, leasing a virtual office or serviced office will be advantageous to a small start-up company wanting to make a good impression; a foreign enterprise wishing to enter a new market; or businesspeople who are always on the move.

As for the cost, the old adage still holds true: You get what you pay for.