Fledgling tech founders who’ve never heard the term “virtual office”
may construe the word as an online game that’s super boring (ie: brewing
coffee and filing reports with other co-workers via digital avatars).
But this would be a mistake.
Virtual offices are useful tools to help bootstrapping startups with
limited capital (as well as international businesses without actual
boots on the ground) get the utility of a real office, without paying a
premium or worrying about management. Having a virtual office also
prevents managers from having to direct potential clients to mom’s
dining room table – where the action may really be happening. These
services usually provide a city center mailing address and a live
receptionist who can be reached via telephone. The receptionist can
relay calls to your mobile or simply take a message.
When considering Jakarta’s traffic problem and weighing it against
your startup’s need for agility and growth on a budget, a virtual office
may be one route to consider. In no particular order, here are five
virtual offices in Jakarta that can help your new venture represent
itself in Indonesia.
GreenHub
While GreenHub has serviced offices in Kuningan on the outskirts of
Jakarta’s Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), its virtual office
is located on the 38th floor of Tower A in Kota Kasablanka, with access
to Sudirman and HR Rasuna Said. Greenhub’s services include a dedicated
business address, a daily mail alert via email, a phone number, and a
lounge with workstations and meeting rooms.
The Executive Centre
The Executive Centre has three spaces in Jakarta. The first is at One
Pacific Place in SCBD, and the other two are in Sampoerna Strategic
Square on Sudirman. Packages and options range from a “business address
only” option at Rp 550,000 (US$45) per month to a “virtual office plus”
at Rp 1.05 million (US$86) and the “ultimate virtual office” package” at
Rp 2.34 million (US$191).
Marquee
Marquee Executive Offices has nine locations spread out across the
greater Jakarta area, including the Mayapada Tower on Sudirman, the
Cyber Building on HR Rasuna Said, and Sovereign Plaza on TB Simatupang.
It has six packages for virtual office space, with various combinations
of instant communications, in-house client services, and drive through
mail collection. Prices range from Rp 500,000 (US$41) to Rp 2 million
(US$163) per month.
CEO Suite
The CEO Suite brand name exists all across Asia, but in Jakarta, its
three addresses are at One Pacific Place, the Jakarta Stock Exchange,
and the Wisma GKBI building on Sudirman. CEO Suite offers entrepreneurs a
30-trial to test out a virtual office, and the company has three
options. The cheapest one is Rp 5.6 million (US$457) for 12 months and
the most expensive one comes in at Rp 11.2 million (US$913). CEO Suite
offers a variety of services, including instant message notifications
via email, a bilingual answering service, and seven days per month of
private physical office space.
vOffice
vOffice has addresses in Jakarta and Surabaya, and offers three
separate options. Its silver package costs Rp 5 million a year (US$
434.78), and includes a business address, mail notifications, a
forwarding service, and a meeting room. vOffice’s platinum package (the
most expensive one) costs Rp 10.56 million per year (US$ 918.26).
[UPDATE 10/20/14: The vOffice entry above has been updated to show its most current prices.]
Image of animated office via Flickr user ClearTel office; image of CEO Suite via office-indonesia.com.
