The current UK recession is now officially the longest since records began. But instead of suffering the consequences, virtual offices seem to be showing stability against the decline - and have even shown a steady rise in interest over recent months.

Figures by serviced office specialist officebroker.com show that virtual office enquiries since the start of the year have followed a relatively consistent pattern. On entry into Q3, enquiry levels even started to rise, and have shown month-on-month progress throughout the quarter.

In fact, this culminated in September with the second highest enquiry figure of the year so far.

So what is the virtual office's secret to success?

Staying afloat, cutting costs, and finding effective ways to grow are generally at the heart of any organisation, especially during an economic decline. As one of the most expensive overheads in a business, workspace is often the first to be scrutinised - and for some, a physical office is simply unaffordable.

Therefore it's possible that some business owners have scaled down their workspace in favour of a virtual office, and have started to introduce remote methods of working for their employees.

Business mogul and star of Dragon's Den, Duncan Bannatyne, offers his words of wisdom by saying that businesses should avoid rushing into an office agreement until the venture is stable enough to support the extra cost.

"My advice to any entrepreneur would be to save money on premises and employees in the tough first few months of trading - start slowly and build up business steadily, rather than splashing out on all trappings of success without actually making a profit." (Source: The Telegraph)

In contrast to physical office space, the virtual office is a much cheaper alternative. It can provide a professional business address, mail and phone handling facility, and use of essential tools such as meeting rooms and conference equipment. This is the perfect way for smaller businesses to project a more professional image whilst keeping costs down.

The virtual office is also a popular solution for start-up ventures.

Ironically, research suggests that there has been a surge in start-up businesses during the recession, which has been brought about as a result of cutbacks in staff and increased redundancies. These individuals are taking advantage of reduced overheads to start a new business - and many are using their skills and experience to identify niche opportunities, and to strike out on their own.

For fledgling firms, a physical office is often too costly in the early stages of trading. But a virtual office can provide the professionalism needed to help build a more successful business image, which in turn helps to win over new clients and enable the venture to get off the ground.

The virtual office itself is a valuable tool for small businesses, and these figures by officebroker.com show that many firms are choosing to utilise the services of a virtual workplace to help their venture grow and succeed.

Interestingly, current research states that by 2011, almost a third of the working population will be relying on mobile communications to do their job. Analysts IDC expect that more than 50% of employees will be on the move as part of their roles, suggesting that the popularity and acceptance of concepts such as mobile and flexible working are increasing. (Source: The FD Centre)

This suggests that the benefits of the virtual office are becoming more popular, and business owners are recognising their advantages - especially as the economy continues to remain unstable.

To find out more about virtual offices, contact one of our expert consultants for free help and advice.