These days, you can do just about anything virtually. But have you heard of a virtual office? Now, you may be saying, “No way! How does that work? How can you have a virtual office?” The sly answer of course, is that technology makes almost anything possible. There are multiple benefits to using a virtual office suite — saving money, working from the comfort of your own home, and more. Hate that long commute to work? Don’t worry: with a virtual office, you don’t have to anymore! You can even have access to conference spaces, a virtual assistant, and all the comforts of working in a regular office…but from home!
So What Are Virtual Offices?
I suppose you could call just working from home a virtual office, but the kind of virtual office we’re talking about is so much more than that. The textbook refers to a virtual office as somewhere that provides communication and address services but without using an actual physical office space.
What Comes With A Virtual Office Suite?
If you’re using a virtual office as part of a larger corporation, then everything that you would normally expect to see in a corporation would still exist. The receptionist would be remote — but working from their own offices- — and using Computer Telephone Integration software to match the services of a physical receptionist. Virtual assistants follow the same line, but don’t use CTI software. Answering phones or fielding calls are taken care of by voicemails, answering services, or call centers.
You can also buy or use a professional address to keep things safer or more private. You can receive, send, or forward mail and have a centralized area to send secure documents to. Additionally, depending on the professional address you use, you may also be able to use conference space when you need it. If you work in a virtual office that provides all the amenities, you’ll also have access to broadband Internet, a fax, copier, and printer, conference and video calling, a kitchenette, and a lobby or waiting area.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Virtual Office Suite?
The main benefit of using a virtual office is reducing costs. Virtual offices lets users cut down on traditional costs of running an office (rent, utilities, office supplies, etc.,) but keeping a professional demeanor. You would also keep down the cost of commuting, saving on public transportation or gas. Indeed, almost six out of ten employers cite saving money as one of the best things about having their employees telecommute.
Additionally, it gives workers more flexibility, which could also in turn, make them more productive. Almost 70% of workers agreed that working remotely is more productive than working in a designated space. Sun Microsystems ran a study and found that employees who worked from home used 60% of the time they would have spent getting to work on work-related tasks.
With virtual offices, you can have the best of both worlds. You’re as flexible as working remotely and can do things on your own time, but you also have the professional aspect of working from a more traditional office space.
