Why Women Entrepreneurs Choose Virtual Office Space

Today there are more than 12 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., a nearly 3000 percent increase since the early 1970s. These enterprises help power the American economy, creating more than 9 million jobs and generating more than $3 trillion in revenue. In a recent national survey, a remarkable 71 percent of women small-business owners reported being profitable.

The odds are high, though, that they didn’t start out that way. As anyone who’s ever looked into starting their own business knows, the beginning is often the hardest, particularly when it comes to finances. Every penny must be accounted for, any financial advantage explored.

If you’re a newly minted woman entrepreneur, you might be working from home. Running your business out of your house or apartment might seem like an obvious cash saver, but going with a reputable, high-quality, virtual office space solutions provider can actually pay dividends in the long run. Let’s explore why.

Options, options, options

Sure, right now your business may consist of just you and a laptop, if that changes in two months and you suddenly need an executive conference room for 10 for a full morning, you’re going to need more than your dining room table and a box of donuts. At Metro Offices, you can reserve a fully appointed, smartly furnished collaboration space or training room in or around DC for whatever size meets your needs, and at whichever location (we have nine) is most convenient for you. With reasonable hourly rates and a 24/7 online booking system, we’re sure to have you covered for that last-minute presentation to one of your first big prospects.

Grow-with-you flexibility

Maybe you started a home-based business because you, like many women, are the primary family caregiver and have your children at home with you. While it’s certainly possible to both look after your kids and work in another, professional capacity, it’s far from easy. A good virtual offices provider will be able to offer you business support so you have a little less on your plate. Right now, maybe that means phone services, having our professionally trained staff answer your business line the same way a receptionist would in a traditional office-lease set-up. Or maybe it means mail collection, a lobby listing and drop-in access to any of our locations — for those precious hours or days each month your partner is home and able to watch the kids or you have family visiting who are able to babysit. As your children grow, your needs will change. Our support can grow with you.

The power of the address

Imagine being able to put an established DC or Washington-area address under your name and title on your new business card — even if you don’t have a private office at that address. In addition to helping protect your privacy, having a highly sought-after business-district address simply looks more professional than your home address on your business card. You can bet at least one of the people to whom you dole out those cards each day looks your address up online. So make a good first impression and make one of our prime addresses yours.

Productivity: Upped 

You might think you’re going to be the most productive you’ve ever been now that you’re your own boss, but — and this is especially true if you have and are caring for small children — those distractions can really add up at home. “Coworkers [surveyed in a study] reported that having a community to work in helps them create structures and discipline that motivates them,” reads a Harvard Business Review piece on the benefits of coworking. “Thus, paradoxically, some limited form of structure enables an optimal degree of control for independent workers.” Coworkers routinely self-report being more productive than they were at home or elsewhere alone. Perhaps it’s the ‘alone together’ camaraderie, perhaps it’s the always-available coffee, tea, and water. Whatever it is, when it comes to productivity, coworking has solitude beat by a mile.

Are you a woman entrepreneur with a home-based business? Let Metro Offices take some of that work off your plate. Browse our nine locations today!

Kathlene Buchanan

As the founder of Metro Offices, she has championed workspace innovation since 1989, inspired by the creativity and drive of their 30,000+ clients. Woman-owned and locally focused, the company tailors its spaces to meet the unique needs of every business.

tags: coworking | dc remote workers | entrepreneur | private office | startup | virtual office space | washington dc workspace