A virtual office space is beneficial for small businesses and solely online companies. Business owners do not have the worries of paying for building repairs, dealing with building malfunctions, or paying for the cost of a company location. Instead, employees have a centralized location to refer to while working from anywhere in the world. Productivity increases when employees have the option to work remotely either regularly or from time-to-time.
Low Company Overhead
When there is not a need for a physical office location, you can cut a lot of overhead costs out by going virtual. You will not have to worry about paying for utilities, cleaning services, or renting office space. The lower overhead means that you can put that money right back into your business or work on the next phase of growth.
Lower Business Start-Up Costs
There are dozens of costs associated with setting up a new business. That comes with finding and securing a building, creating office space for administrative purposes, and paying for proper licensing fees. Physical locations also require equipment, furnishings, and sanitary restroom spaces. There are building codes to adhere to and they often come with hefty maintenance bills. Avoiding all of this when you are just starting your small business is less of a financial burden right from the start.
Physical Location Information
A virtual office does have a physical address and real phone number. It is provided as a means for mail delivery, global mail forwarding, and access to a receptionist. If you have a board of directors or high-profile positions, the personal information of the directors can be kept private as well. Their data would show as the company location for security purposes.
Happier Employees
Employees that can work from any location and have access to a virtual office set-up are happier. Their work is of higher-quality and their productivity remains high. Since employees have the option to design their personal workspace and access virtual offices, they are more likely to stay on-schedule, complete more work, and stay with an employer for a longer period of time.
Advantages for Internet-Based Businesses
Internet-based businesses do not need a physical office location for its employees. It may be a good idea to create a hybrid business model situation here as a small group of executives could work together in one space. If you require a physical meeting space for a conference or potential industry-changing meeting, you can use office space that is available through the entity that you set up your virtual office with. Most have meeting spaces available for client use in their packages along with the ability to provide materials to use during presentations as well.
Potential for a Hybrid Business Model
In some business situations, having a small workforce in one dedicated space is necessary for operations purposes. The rest of the employees can be virtual employees, working from any location in the world. Integrate a cloud networking system and communications tools for your workforce to communicate with. The workforce should also have a dedicated means of contacting superiors and department leads.
Higher Attendance Rates
When you create a virtual office network for your business, you have a higher attendance rate and less employees calling in sick or requesting time off. As employees can work from anywhere, their work can also go anywhere. If an employee is under the weather but still able to perform their job duties, having the ability to do so from the comfort of their bed or home office will allow them to still complete your expected tasks for the day without affecting their work performance.
Global Telecommunications
With the increased technology of the Internet, you can have a workforce that is located anywhere. The use of VoIP services, video conferencing technology and cloud networks helps a virtual office work as a traditional office would. Teleworkers are able to work on flexible schedules in any time zone and adapt their working times accordingly.
Final Word
Consider if the benefits of a virtual office are ideal for your small business. As a start-up, it can cut down some of your immediate spending and allow the business to build and become successful. A virtual office location is convenient and allows for safe communications between employees and customers.
