The Advantages of Virtual Offices
Much of today's business happens in traditional offices. A physical building houses workspaces to which employees commute every work day. Customers, suppliers and advertisers all go to that particular location to get or deliver goods and services. While this business model works, it involves much time and effort that can be avoided with a virtual office.
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Description
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A virtual office is a work environment with some equipment and telecommunications links but no fixed office space. Workers, who may be scattered across the United States or even the world, communicate with each other and with customers and suppliers through technologies such as the internet and phone. They rely on mobile devices such as laptops and cell phones and may never physically meet one another.
Cost
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Because a virtual office requires no physical space, it is cheaper than a traditional office due to the lack of overhead. Communications bills may be equal or higher for the virtual company. However, gone are the costs of renting or buying a building, maintaining it and providing furniture and services for onsite employees and customers. A virtual office can also save on tax burdens by hiring independent contractors, who are responsible for their own tax payments.
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Flexibility
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Employees can work from home, saving on commute time and travel expenses. Virtual office workers are often judged on what they produce rather than the time they actually spend producing it. Thus they can work according to their natural rhythms rather than by following some imposed outside schedule. They become more productive and happier since they can better balance job, family and leisure.
Talent
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A virtual office can afford to hire workers based on their expertise and cost-effectiveness rather than their location. For example, a designer might live in Paris, a programmer in Tokyo, a shipper in Los Angeles and a manager in New York. High-speed communications allows them to work together daily without their needing to move or be physically near one another.
Sales Reach
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The market for a particular product may be too small when confined to a particular location. However, when sold across the United States or the world, a product may become profitable. Setting up physical offices in several locations can whittle those earnings down to nothing. But hiring salespeople in different locations who communicate virtually is cost-effective. Those salespeople can visit customers in the traditional manner. They can also use phone and internet marketing to extend their reach and generate more leads for the virtual company.
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References
- Photo Credit Matthew Bowden
