Why Virtual Offices are the workplace of the future

We are at a point of time right now where we have never been connected like before. Yes, I am talking about the internet. The cyberspace has made it possible for us to be adjacent to one another even though we physically may not be present in the same place. This breakthrough in communication technology paired with dirt cheap internet plans and skyrocketing prices of physical properties has led to the advent of virtual offices. Virtuality is the new reality, and it is here to stay.

 

What is a virtual office?

 

Before we tell you why virtual offices are the future, it is important to know what a virtual office is in the first place. A virtual office, as the name suggests, is a workspace built on the internet. A virtual workspace is not much different than a physical one, in the sense that jobs have to be carried out, deadlines have to be met, and yeah, there is a boss. The only difference between a real office and a virtual one is that the employees of the former have to go and work at a physical address, while the staff members of a virtual office can work from anywhere they want.

 

Who is the virtual office for?

 

Everyone. It’s a common misconception that a virtual office is only meant for startups; in fact, several multinational companies are now drawing shutters to their physical offices and switching to the virtual space. Why make the move, you might ask. We have discussed that right below.

 

What are the benefits of a virtual office over a physical space?

 

A virtual office is built around the principle, “You can do whatever you want, just get the work done on time.” This approach provides the worker with freedom and flexibility---something which the millennials crave for---and also ensures that the job is completed within the deadline. We have discussed this further along with a few other points below.

 

• SAVE TRAVEL, SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY, SAVE ENERGY. Many employees find working as ‘hectic’ and ‘stressful’ because of the long commuting times that are involved. The noisy traffic jams and the pressure to report to the office on time drain the energy out of the worker even before they reach the office. A virtual office avoids all of that by offering the worker the comfort of working from anywhere.

• INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND SATISFACTION. The working principle of a virtual office gives an employee the freedom to work whenever they want to. This allows the worker to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Also, a virtual office helps the employee fend off stress caused whilst commuting, and allows for working from an environment that the employee finds peaceful. All this makes the worker happier, less stressed, and thereby, more productive.

• ACCESS TO A LARGER TALENT POOL. Because a virtual office isn’t limited to a geographic location, you can hire anyone from anywhere. This allows for access to worldwide talent. And more the talent, the better are the chances of finding the best persons in the business. Want to know more about how to find the best talent? Please refer to the last section of the article, titled ‘How do I go about finding the best staff for my virtual office?’

• LESS OVERHEAD, COST EFFECTIVE. A physical office requires the purchase or renting of real estate. This amount runs into thousands of dollars and contributes a significant portion of the expenditure made by a company. Other investments required by a brick and mortar space include commuting and transportation costs, equipment, maintenance and utilities, the cost of a full-time receptionist, relocation costs, and work attire. In the case of a startup, such large investments can be difficult to arrange. A virtual office saves you all of this and is the major reason why companies nowadays prefer a virtual space. The money you end up saving can instead be allocated to expanding the business.

• STRESS-FREE EXPANSION. If you wish to scale your business, a virtual office is the best solution. Traditional expansion methods require purchase (or renting) of larger office spaces, and if you want to test your business in another market then you will have to make other investments in addition to purchasing of real estate. A virtual office allows you to expand your business at minimal costs without paying for the real estate.

What do employees think of remote work?

 

Here is a great infographic, obtained courtesy of bradongaille.com, which summarises the results of a survey wherein 1000 business professionals were asked to share their experiences and opinions of remote work.

How is the work in the virtual office done?

 

A virtual office uses internet tools and services for the initiation, operation and execution of typical office tasks. There are virtual office service providers which cover all your needs, be it collaboration and productivity applications, or a virtual postal address, phone and fax.

 

How does one hire staff for a virtual office?

 

Hiring staff for your virtual office can be a tedious and cumbersome task. There are thousands of freelancers to choose from, and out of those, only a handful are trustworthy and efficient. You might be wondering whether there is a service that pre-screens talent and provides you with only those who are the best in the business. That’s where we, at HireCream, come in. Our team goes through applications of hundreds of workers and features only those who meet our benchmark. Our high standards and rigorous testing ensure that you get a talent that will get the job done on time and won’t disappoint you. For more information, please check out our FAQ page.