Do You Need a Virtual Address?

Have you ever had this experience? You visit a website with a product or service that you really want. You search, but you can’t find a physical address. Are you a little worried or suspicious that the company might not be legit? That’s a common reaction. If you are a digital marketer of any kind, that’s not the reaction you want from potential clients. A virtual address could be just what you need.

It’s much better than using no address or your home address. Using your home address for your business is not a good practice for a couple of reasons:

1. A residential address is just not professional
2. You are sharing private information about yourself to strangers on the Internet.

What Is a Virtual Address and What are the Benefits?

A virtual address is an address at a commercial brick and mortar location where you rent a virtual office. Merris Business Center is just such a place, located in Bentwood TN.

Having your mail delivered to a virtual office address provides these benefits:

• credibility for your business
• privacy
• safety
• convenience

Other benefits available at Merris Business Center, include:

• a prestigious address in Brentwood TN
• phone answering service
• a virtual receptionist
• short-term office space
• meeting rooms, and more.

And think of all the things in your business that a mailing address of this kind benefits: websites, business cards, collaboration and agreements. And, of course, it’s a secure place to receive products and mail.

Merris Business Center Has It All

Give us a call at 615-933-5100 to learn more about the virtual office Brentwood digital marketers use in Middle Tennessee.  Short-term rental contracts and lower costs make our virtual office programs particularly attractive to start-ups. Prices vary depending on the level of service that you need.

Are You Searching for a Virtual Office Space in Nashville TN?

When searching for virtual office space Nashville or “virtual office Brentwood TN,” you will certainly discover the Merris Business Center. Merris Business Center, in the heart of Brentwood, TN, has an impressive mailing address.

Merris Business Center also provides daily and short-term office rentals, conference rooms, and meeting rooms. So, you can work at your virtual office address when you need to, to meet clients, for example. So, if you need more information about the best virtual office space Nashville has to offer, give us a call at 615-933-5100.

Why Are People Searching for Virtual Offices in Nashville?

The simple answer is population increase plus COVID-19. In 2017, the population of the Nashville metro area was growing by 83 people a day. Every year since, the Nashville metro area population increased by more than 2% a year, even in 2020, despite COVID-19.  With increased population came increased businesses, which created a demand for more office space.

Then, COVID-19 hit in 2020, and people traded working in an office with working at home. With the normalization of working from home, many business owners decide to continue working at home. Although there are advantages to working at home, many people still needed the “appearance” of working from a traditional office. So the demand for virtual office space increased.

How Do You Work in a Virtual Office?

The term “virtual office space” might imply that you must wear a virtual reality headset to work in one. Of course, that’s not the case. A virtual office space is just as real as a traditional office space.

The difference is that a virtual office has a real address that you can use, but you don’t actually have to work at that address. You can work anywhere while enjoying other office-related perks, such as a business mailing address and a phone answering service.

Remote Offices Nashville

If Covid-19 has taught us anything as a nation, it’s that working from home works! For many, working from home is almost ideal. The only problem might be that you don’t want to “look like” you are working from home. Therefore, to solve this problem, you might do a Google search for “remote offices Nashville” or “virtual office Nashville.”

All the Advantage of a “Real” Office

A Google search for virtual offices in Nashville would most definitely have a link to MERRIS Business Center. And we can help solve your problem. By renting a Virtual Office from us, you can continue to work from home in your remote office, but have the advantages of a “real” office:

• Even though you would not have a physical office here, your company name would appear on our building directory listing.
• Your business would have a professional business address where you could receive mail. You could pick up your mail at our location, or we could forward it to you.
• You could also leave items here for clients to pick up and let clients drop off items for you to pick up. We are that full support for you.
• Additionally, we could assign you one of our phone numbers that you could use and publish. You would have a friendly receptionist to answer your calls and handle them as you instruct.  You could forward your existing number here, or we could forward the calls directly to you.

Having a “Real” Office Just When You Need It

Even though you would not have an actual office, you would be able to meet with your clients at your virtual business address. All you would have to do is schedule a Day Office or a Meeting Room for the number of days that you need.

MERRIS Business Center Ends the Search for “Remote Offices Nashville”

Give us a call at 615-933-5100 to learn more about how we can tailor a virtual office program to meet your needs. Prices vary depending on the level of service that you need. But, rest assured, the price is a fraction of the cost of a full-time office.

How to Escape from Working from Home during COVID-19

Are you working from home during COVID-19? Well then, right about now you are probably just about ready to go crazy working from home. Because, as your new office space, your home has endless distractions:

• the “To Do” list
• the dog barking
• the kids
• the TV blaring
• the laundry piling up

Working before Covid-19

Before COVID-19, were you “setting up shop” in a coworking space? Are you afraid that getting back to the shared workspace might not be a good idea? Working in close contact with lots of different people who just drop in probably isn’t really a good alternative right now. So, what can you do to simultaneously keep working, keep your sanity, and stay healthy?

A Good Alternative to Working from Home during COVID-19

So what’s the alternative? The answer might be renting a private office in a business center like Merris Business Center in Brentwood, TN. Business centers offer spaces that are more appropriate for social distancing. Learn more about Merris Business Center’s day offices and meeting rooms that are available during COVID-19.

Many times coworking spaces have individual offices to rent like business centers. But they are typically more expensive than renting from a business center. Additionally, they usually are not full-service offices. And finally, you could end up paying for more time than you actually use via membership fees. (Many coworking spaces sell memberships, which only gives you a discount on your hourly rate. If you don’t use enough hours, your total discount doesn’t cover the cost of the membership, and you end up actually paying more per hour.)

Merris Business Center Has Office Space Available Now

Merris Business Center is a full-service center that offers office suites, individual offices, meeting rooms, and virtual offices. You can rent by the day or by the month, and there is never a long-term contract. No membership fees or hidden costs. Being locally owned and operated, Merris Business Center is easy to work with and eager to accommodate customers’ needs.

Returning to the Workplace after COVID-19

Tennessee state government recommends COVID-19 protocols for all businesses in Tennessee to reopen safely. However, some businesses may find returning to the workplace difficult because their workplace is too small. They may not be able to meet the state guidelines for social distancing. For example, you may have a conference room that can no longer accommodate the same number of people at a distance of 6 feet.  The same is true for training rooms or break rooms. Another problem could be the close proximity of work stations or office cubicles.

What to Do If Returning to the Workplace Isn’t Possible

If your workplace just doesn’t meet the requirements, consider the many solutions that Merris Business Center in Brentwood offers. You can:

• rent furnished offices by the day with no long-term commitment.
• access high-speed internet.
• use the large conference rooms or training rooms.
• use the break-room and kitchen area.
• take advantage of administrative support, such as phone answering.

Another benefit of using temporary space at Merris Business Center is that we take care of all the extra cleaning. And we also provide the signage on COVID-19 health policies. Our receptionist can also screen visitors and vendors.

You can easily make the transition from Merris back to your location when returning to the workplace is possible. It’s all very simple.

Merris Business Center Offers Virtual Offices Too

If you are searching for the best virtual office Nashville has to offer, you need to check out the Merris Business Center. Merris Business Center has a prestigious address right in the heart of Brentwood, TN, on Maryland Way.

Our full-service virtual offices deliver all the services of a full-time office without the “full-time” price. And we specialize in tailoring our services to meet your needs. Prices range from $69 to $250 per month, depending on the services you choose. Give us a call today for a quote.

The Growing Need for Virtual Offices in Nashville

Why is there a growing need for Virtual Offices in Nashville and its surrounding areas? Because Nashville is among the top 15 US cities for start-ups. And startups are prime candidates for needing virtual offices. According to the Inc. Surge Cities index, Music City ranks 11^th on list.

What Makes Nashville a Hot Bed for Start-ups?

Several factors make Nashville a fertile seed bed for entrepreneurs and start-ups. First, Tennessee government and private companies have a vision to make Tennessee the most friendly state in the nation for start-ups.  They are working in tandem to offer entrepreneurs what they need to succeed in Nashville.

Second, the ongoing population explosion that the Nashville area is experiencing means that the area needs more providers of more services and more products. And that means Nashville needs more commercial spaces, more industrial spaces, and more office spaces. When there are needs like this, many times it is start-up businesses that fill them.

Third, Nashville is also a center of higher learning—home to Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb, and Middle Tennessee State, to name a few. Many new start-ups hatch in the minds of university students. If you research the last ten years of startups in Nashville, you will see that many of them have had university student founders.

Filling the Need for Virtual Offices

MERRIS Business Center is one of the private companies that is filling the growing need for Virtual Offices in Nashville. Short-term rental contracts and lower costs make our virtual offices particularly attractive to start-ups. And our virtual offices have the full support of the staff. This allows you to eliminate some of the daily tasks that consume your time.

Located in the prestigious area of Brentwood, MERRIS Business Center also offers full-service, furnished and unfurnished executive office suites. Call us for more information.

Business Virtual Office vs. a Home Office

These days, both self-employed and corporate employees are working from home as well as from a business virtual office. The practice of working away from the “corporate offices” started in the late 1980’s, and, like anything new, had its skeptics. Statistics show that employers had nothing to fear. People who work from home accomplish as much or more than employees who work at the corporate offices. Entrepreneurs also can now work from home without the fear that potential new clients will not take them seriously.

But. . .

There are still a few problems for some self-employed professionals who work from home. These professionals would benefit from blending their home office with a virtual office. If you fall into this category, click the link to learn more about the virtual office Nashville offers at the Merris Business Center.

Do You Need a Business Virtual Office?

You are a good candidate for a virtual office if several of the following apply:

• Your children or your barking dog can be heard in the background when you are on a business call.
• Too many of your phone calls go to message because you are in the middle of “family matters.”
• You don’t really have a quiet and private place in your home to meet with clients.
• You don’t have a private, quiet room in your home that is large enough to serve as a conference room for meeting with several people at once.
• You don’t have a good parking area for clients.
• You are restricted from having clients come to your home by your HOA or city/county zoning codes.
• Your home is not centrally located or convenient for clients.

The Best of Both Worlds

If you live in the southern part of greater Nashville, the Merris Business Center is the perfect place to find office space in Brentwood TN. There you can have:

• an assigned telephone number and voicemail box included
• a receptionist to answer calls and take messages
• a professional business address with mail service
• access to day offices and meeting rooms with WiFi
• unlimited coffee service
• ample free parking

This Successful Entrepreneur Touts the Benefits of a Virtual Office When Starting a New Business

Williamson County is a fantastic place for new start-ups. The Nashville area alone is home to more than 1.9 million people and has over 40,000 businesses. Williamson County is consistently one of the nation’s fastest growing counties.

So, you’re in a business-friendly area of the country, and you have a great idea for a business. That’s a good beginning. But hold on! Before you quit your job to start your own business, take some advice from someone who has done it successfully.

Building Your Business in Your Spare Time

Sarah Blakely, the genius behind Spanx, advises you to make sure you are passionate about what you want to do or sell. She advises you to get up early in the morning and work on your business before you start your “day job.” Work on it in the evenings after work, at lunch time, and on the weekends.

Establishing Credibility

So, if you are passionately working on your new business idea, what’s next? Establish credibility. Find ways to present a professional, established look while you are still employed full time.

Here are a few easy ways to give your new business a professional look while still employed:

• Get a business address and business phone number by renting a Virtual Office in Nashville.
• Publish a website.
• Get a Google Business Page listing.

The Virtual Office Solution

Merris Business Center offers Virtual Offices in Brentwood TN. With a prestigious location and a full-support staff, you can be “open for business” even when you are still at your full-time job. Learn more about the services we offer with a Virtual Office.

And once you quit your job, you may want to trade in your Virtual Office for a real office. Merris Business Center also offers furnished and unfurnished office space in Brentwood, TN, as well as short-term executive office suites with a corporate setting and support staff.

Some Final Advice

Bill Gates, of Microsoft fame, points out that while success may feel better than failure, failures teach you the most and give you the best opportunities to grow. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Learn from them.

Starting a Business With a Virtual Office in Williamson County

Many times, new businesses in Williamson County and Middle Tennessee start right in the home. However, to have a more professional look, many of these businesses are opting for virtual offices in Nashville, TN.

If you rented a Virtual Office at Merris Business Center, you would have a dedicated phone number that can be answered with your business name and a physical address where you could receive mail and packages. You also get a prestigious Brentwood address to use for your business cards, on your website, in brochures, and so on! Plus, as you grow Merris Business Center also has you covered with office space in Brentwood, TN.

It’s good to establish a home base, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

First Things First

What about a name? You need to be sure that the name you come up with doesn’t infringe on someone else’s name that is already in use in Tennessee.  So, check name availability with the Tennessee Department of State first.

Next, decide if the business will be a proprietorship, LLC, corporation, etc. Getting advice from an attorney or tax consultant is wise. Your business’s legal structure will determine your taxes, liability, and ownership succession.

Start at the Top and Work Down

Begin meeting all legal requirements at the state level, then at the county level, and finally at the city level. To do business in Tennessee, you have to obtain an EIN (Employer Identification Number) even if you don’t plan to have employees. And you have to register the business with the Tennessee Department of State. If you will be collecting sales tax in your business, you also need to apply for a sales tax number.

All businesses anywhere in Williamson County need to apply for a Business License (except for doctors, lawyers, banks, and insurances companies, which have their own licensing requirements to meet).  If you are in the city limits of a city, you may also need to obtain additional permits or licenses.

For more detailed information, visit the websites of the Tennessee Department of State and the Williamson County government website.

More About Merris Business Center

Along with virtual offices, Merris Business Center provides executive office suites for rent in Brentwood, TN serving businesses from all over Greater Nashville. To learn more give us a call at 615-933-5100.

Putting the Customer First

A Marketing Sherpa Customer Satisfaction Study polled over 2,400 customers. And they found that buyers consider a company to be a customer-first company, if the company:

• consistently provides a good experience
• is easy to work with – online, in person, and on the phone

Here are some ways that you can make your company more “customer first.”

Providing a Good Experience

Treating customers with kindness and fairness will go a long way toward providing a good experience. Other important factors include:

• well-trained employees who care about the welfare of your business as well as your customers.
• a place of business that is clean, well-decorated, and comfortable.
• customer comforts like free coffee.

Being Easy to Work With

Being easy to work with means that your company is accessible. Let’s examine ways to be accessible in each category:

Online:

• Have a website that provides good information, is user-friendly, and contains contact info.
• Extend your online presence by being listing on Yelp, Facebook, etc.

In Person:

• Be “open for business” during normal business hours on normal business days.
• Meet with customers in a space that is appropriate -not in a local restaurants with free Wi-Fi.

On the Phone:

• Employ a live person to answer the phone.
• If a customer has to leave a message, return the call promptly.

Merris Business Center Can Provide Customer-First Benefits

Merris Business Center in Brentwood, TN provides long and short-term office space in Brentwood, TN. Plus we offer day offices, and virtual offices. We provide many benefits that will put your customer’s first. These include:

• Professional Receptionist
• Mail and Shipping Services
• Meeting Rooms
• Furnished and Unfurnished Offices
• Secure Wi-Fi
• Ample Free Parking
• Prestigious Mailing Address

Learn more about our prime location and services.