Part 1:
What is a
Virtual
Office?
Virtual workplaces are a growing trend across
many industries today because of the many benefits they can bring to a company. But before you even consider its applicability to your business, it is a good idea for you to get a firm grasp on what going virtual really means in the first place. So what is a virtual workplace? When you say that a business has a virtual office, this means that some or all of its personnel are working in a non-traditional setting where their office is basically wherever they are at any particular point in time. A lot of people assume that working in a virtual office is synonymous to working online, but this is not true—or at least, not completely.
The Role of the Internet The internet plays a big part in the success of a virtual office because it allows for connectivity and access that in turn lets the magic of collaborative work happen. While it is true that online access is essential to many traditional offices, it is not as mission-critical to them as it is to their virtual counterparts. Simply put, a virtual office cannot function without an internet connection. The internet is the framework that allows a virtual workplace to exist in the first place. But just because internet access is available doesn’t mean that that’s all a virtual office will amount to. On the contrary, it’s just the beginning of what this type of workplace can do for businesses.
Equal-Opportunity Lover A virtual office does not discriminate. Managed correctly, it can take care of the needs of nearly any company that sets out to take their business where it has never gone before: online, remote, and free from the shackles of a physical location. From the biggest corporation to the smallest start-up, any business owner can take advantage of what a virtual workplace has to offer with the help of providers of alternative workspace solutions. These providers make a wide range of flexible workspace solutions available to interested companies. Need meeting space? You got it. Want a more professional business address? Done. Don’t want to spend more than $1,000 a month? Your call. These products and services are flexible, designed to address varying needs at varying degrees. Different businesses have different needs, after all.
“
From the biggest corporation to the smallest start-up, any business owner can take advantage of what a virtual workplace has to offer with the help of providers of alternative workspace solutions.
“
Part 2:
The Perks ofGoing Virtual
What do Automattic (the company behind WordPress) and tech companies 37signals and GitHub have in common? They’ve all gone virtual and never looked back. Not sure if you could do the same? Let these perks give you the courage to take the plunge:
Cost Savings
There are different advantages to going virtual, but probably the biggest perk any business will get out a virtual office would be considerable cost savings. Businesses are ultimately about making money, so cutting back on expenses like rent and utilities is a big deal as it makes room for bigger profits and a stronger cash flow. But how does a virtual workplace help you save money? For starters, it takes away the need for a physical office. An office can eat up a significant chunk of your budget because rent—particularly in strategic business locations, the very places where you’d want to set up shop—can be really expensive. Not to mention the fact that what you pay month after month doesn’t even cover other office essentials such as furniture, office equipment, utilities, maintenance, and in some cases, transportation allowances for employees. Just how much savings are you looking at here? It will largely depend on current rates in your city, but it’s possible for a business to save as much as $4,500 a month on rent alone.
Flexibility
Providers of alternative workspace solutions offer a range of products and services. It is up to you, the business owner, to pick out which solutions will best address the needs of your company. With the understanding that a one-size-fits-all way of thinking does not work, virtual offices have become better equipped at taking care of business needs, no matter how big or small the client may be. What’s more, because your virtual office will be custom-designed to address the specific needs of your organization, you’re also more likely to achieve your business goals and hasten the growth of your company. Another plus: you only need to pay for whatever service you’re actually using, which minimizes waste and gives you more freedom regardless of the size of your budget.
Convenience
The very nature of virtual offices means that they are easily accessible by authorized personnel wherever they are in the world. Providers have also made it possible for prospective business clients to get a firsthand feel of their virtual workspace solutions through their websites, allowing you to do a preliminary assessment of their services and see which solutions your day-to-day operations will require. If you like what you see, scheduling an appointment with a representative from a virtual office provider is as easy as a click of a button.
Part 3:
Choosing a Virtual Office
If you really want to make the most out of a virtual office, you’re going to have to make sure that you choose the right setup for your business. There will be a lot of options available to you—a fact you should use to your advantage. Don’t forget to take stock of your specific needs so you’ll have something to guide your search.
Do. Not. Settle! Your choice of a virtual workplace will have a major effect on the future of your business. To help you with your decision, consider the following tips:
→ Look for a virtual office with a prestigious
business address. Virtual office packages come with various products and services, one of the most important being the use of a strategic business address. This doesn’t mean that you’ll actually be setting up shop—the address instead serves as a professional environment for business meetings and mail collection. In business, image matters, so even if you’re working in pajamas from the comfort of your own home, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your clients see you as a serious professional with enough clout to do business in a prominent commercial location.
“
even if you’re working in pajamas from the comfort of your own home, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your clients see you as a serious professional
“
→
Look for flexible contract terms. You don’t always know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so it’s possible that your business needs may change with very little warning. Work with a provider that allows you to book services and virtual workspaces only as needed. Make sure you can handle whatever comes your way by choosing a virtual office that works with you instead of the other way around.
→ Look for a range of offerings. Businesses are
dynamic, and as your company grows, your needs will change. You need to work with a virtual office that can keep up with these needs. By choosing a provider that already has a suite of products and services at your disposal, you won’t have to look anywhere else should you require anything new.
What to Avoid ▷ Lengthy contracts that limit your choices ▷ Unreliable internet connections ▷ Lack of dedicated support ▷ Limited office space options ▷ Exorbitant rates
http://money.howstuffworks.com/virtual-office.htm http://smallbusiness.chron.com/define-virtual-office-13476.html http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-04/why-some-company-offices-are-virtual http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-04/how-to-get-rid-of-your-office http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/virtual-office.asp http://www.nextupasia.com/10-things-to-look-out-for-when-choosing-a-virtual-office-for-new-startupentrepreneurs/