The emergence of COVID-19 encouraged many businesses to switch to telecommuting. Employees who work from home are more prolific and pleased than traditional office workers. Thus, many startups used methods to ensure remote working as their standard policy. We now have virtual offices where the trend of co-working dominates. Your business gets a physical address and other office-related equipment, but you share the building with other companies. Your workers have the freedom of work from home. But they also have traditional services such as voicemail, meeting halls, and faxing/printing. Therefore, many companies now prefer running an office virtually for enhanced productivity among employees.
Reasons for Switching to a Virtual Office
What are the key features of virtual workplaces? Well, they all involve flexibility since the business may pursue expansion at its pace. The office space you’ll rent has affordable monthly rates. You’ll have access to co-working locations and meeting chambers. These different features allow more companies to abandon traditional customs and hire an office virtually.
What are the reasons why startups consider the virtual workplace custom? Here are nine features that show why virtual offices matter in 2021:
Mailing Address
The foremost advantage of having a virtual workplace is a physical address. You can use this address on your business correspondence instead of writing down your home address. This practice makes your startup appear reliable, professional, and trustworthy. Signing up for a virtual office allows you to find some administrative satisfaction by creating a work-life balance. So, even though you don’t own an office building, the virtual workplace gives you the façade of possessing such an edifice.
Remote Working
The 2019 Buffer study found that remote workers had a better work-life balance than traditional employees. Since telecommuting allows people a flexible schedule, more family time, and the liberty to work from random locations, the companies are indulging in hiring virtual offices more. It helps to empower their workers and make them more productive. You can also contact The Executive Centre to establish your business anywhere you want and pursue an international presence. Many agencies allow you 20 hours daily coworking opportunities. You share the virtual workplace with many firms. This shared office will enable you to have a physical location representing you before the clients.
Low Overhead
Running the virtual office absolves you from leasing an office, paying utility bills, or spending on furniture. These savings allow you to spend more on your employees and increase the profit margin. A company requires one physical location where they contact their clients and hold meetings with staff. Virtual offices offer you all the benefits associated with traditional workplaces without your usual expenditures. Your startup can maintain a professional corporate atmosphere by keeping the overhead affordable. Is it difficult finding some wiggle room for your office building? You can rent a virtual workplace to keep the business afloat and save your startup from early failure.
Affordable Tech
Startups may reduce unwanted expenditures by introducing the “Bring Your Own Device” policy. A virtual workplace enables companies to implement such policies by promoting the work-from-home trend. Since 50% of employees aged 30+ believe that they’re more productive with personal devices than office devices. Moreover, allowing employees to utilize their technology gives a company 240 hours of extra work every year. Virtual offices rely on workers bringing their devices, upgrading them, or replacing them when they get damaged or broken. The absence of company-provided technology leads to cybersecurity issues sometimes. However, these problems are manageable with a bit of training.
Extended Services
Virtual offices allow you to maintain a professional environment with minimum human intervention and no unnecessary costs. Therefore, you also get comprehensive services, enabling you to contact your clients without any interference from a receptionist. Such atmospheres offer fax/phone services and voicemail boxes to record your essential messages. Now, you’ll constantly communicate with all customers, and your unavailability won’t affect any business dealing. The money you save via these tactics permits you to seek business expansion and find novel investment opportunities. A virtual office empowers startups by putting them in control of their commercial endeavors.
No Commute
Some studies indicate that many employees get prepared to work for less salary if they’re allowed to telecommute. Signing up for a virtual office space lets your staff work from home without wasting their precious time on the commute. Since employees need around two to three hours getting ready and then traveling to the workplace, remote working is a more feasible option. But telecommuting makes them more efficient and productive. Also, the recent pandemic has increased the importance of ensuring your workers’ health and safety against the coronavirus. Virtual offices enable employees to work from any desired location without squandering money away on fuel/fair. That’s how you get more loyal and focused workers.
Healthier Employees
When people work from home, they spend less time sitting at their desks. Studies show that sitting like that daily over 11 hours decreases your life expectancy by 40% in three years. But virtual offices discourage a sedentary lifestyle and enable employees to adopt healthier work routines. Thus, workers are motivated to give their best to the company. They show more loyalty towards the company and the employer. The trend of remote working is getting popular among the younger generation. Thus, hiring a virtual office makes your workers happier and more relaxed. Therefore, this office setting promotes a streak of accomplishment in your staff.
Eco-Friendliness
When employees work from home, they spend less (or hopefully nothing) on the commute. That’s how vehicles produce a smaller amount of carbon emissions and contribute less to climate change. Thus, virtual offices constitute an environment-sensitive solution to the problems associated with global warming. Since traditional corporations – even the smaller ones – throw a massive amount of waste (such as paper). But startups switching to the trend of virtual workplaces can bring much-needed awareness to the industry. Telecommuting curbs the adverse effects of climate change. Also, virtual offices promote going paperless and depending more on electronic record-keeping.
Meeting Areas
Do you have a meeting scheduled with a client? Or have you invited employees to join an in-person conference? A virtual office allows you to utilize meeting rooms/halls that are available on demand. You don’t need to construct a different building for future gatherings or rent expensive dining rooms for a bit of chitchat with staff. Your company shall pay for these meeting areas only when the need arises. These lower prices motivate many small businesses to switch to virtual workplaces.
Conclusion
The term “virtual office” has ceased to be just an industry buzzword. Companies that exist digitally still need a brick-and-mortar location to maintain the traditional corporate environment. Also, startups may spend 15-46% of their fundings on a rented workplace. Thus, virtual officers enable them to continue offering employees telecommuting opportunities while having a physical address. That’s how virtual workplaces promote the trend of remote working, making employees more productive and satisfied.
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