Are you an upstate lawyer yearning for a New York City presence? There may be significant benefits in acquiring a Midtown Manhattan virtual office.
Upstate New York is an anomaly for some people. Some people detest the thought of living in the area while others find it to be a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.
With such cities as Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, and “indigenous” foods like buffalo wings, half moon cookies, and chicken riggies, upstate New York has made a name for itself as a great place to live.
Although loving the place you live in is important, it doesn’t mean that it will make your law firm appear more credible and acquiring a Midtown Manhattan virtual office may be the right move for your practice without having to move your entire life downstate.
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office is a rental arrangement where attorneys can pay a low monthly fee (typically starting at under $100 month) to rent the use of a premium commercial address and have access to office space and conference rooms on an as-needed basis. Virtual offices are frequently used by solo attorneys and small law firms who work from one place (out of town or from a home office) but want a premium commercial office address in a different location.
Success can be reached with a Midtown Manhattan virtual office for three reasons.
1. You can keep your Upstate New York life with a Midtown Manhattan virtual office.
Living upstate and working in New York City can be rough. Think about the financial executives working for big companies that do this. Their lives and schedules are so rigid that it can make a person crazy.
For the solo attorney or small firm, it can be even crazier and Midtown Manhattan virtual office takes out the rigidness and replaces it with flexibility.
Your upstate lifestyle no longer has to be sacrificed just to boost your career.
Using a Midtown Manhattan virtual office makes it easy for an attorney to sit in their luxurious upstate home and work on his or her legal documents for a closing next Thursday in the city.
Virtual offices provide that “on demand” professional service when you and your practice needs it. For instance, conference rooms may be worked into the deal, but other perks like mail service is common, and even designated workspace for when you really need to buckle down and get work done.
2. You can boost your credibility with a Midtown Manhattan virtual office.
New York City for many is seen as the epicenter of the world because it is full of so many different industries. Many large corporations like CBS, Comcast, Estee Lauder, and Macy’s are either based here or have set up branch offices here because they know the value in having a New York City presence.
It may not be right, but an upstate attorney is often seen as less credible because they do not have that “Manhattan” association. Especially for a solo attorney, you want to have that connection to Manhattan so your position is respected by both clients and other attorneys. Not having a Manhattan presence can really have an impact on what you can charge and it may even cause you to lose clients.
Professional identity is key in selling and getting the most out of your services. A Midtown Manhattan virtual office can really change the scope of your career and give you access to clients you never knew existed. Having your upstate presence no longer has to be a hindrance.
Living upstate may be socially cool and no big deal to the average person, but acquiring a Midtown Manhattan office address enhances your business credibility.
3. A Midtown Manhattan virtual office provides economic viability.
Put simply, referrals are the bread and butter of a solo practice. It’s looked at as easy money and the basis of a strong legal career.
Virtual offices need to be considered an investment at all times no matter the cost. You get what you pay for and the more you pay attention to this, the more likely you will have access to a healthy network of referral potential.
Law Firm Suites clients exchange on average $2,000,000 a year in legal business a year. Many of those come directly from the virtual office community.
In addition to referrals, a virtual office with a robust community of attorneys can help you gather hundreds of dollars in lost billable hours trying to solve pesky practice issues. You know . . . the ones that can take hours to figure out on your own, but can be resolved in a three minute conversation with a lawyer who has dealt with the issue before?
The thing with a legal community is that favors are often repaid and even if the favor is answers to a legal question, the attorney knows that next time, it could be them in your position. Lawyers are a resource in a virtual office community.
