Application of a virtual office for your company

[Martin Roberts]

Some businessmen consider that virtual offices are easy and cheap way to go global. Other think that it gives the opportunity to maintain the most important thing necessary today for successful e-commerce and marketing – a business presence which can be established in any market.

According to Wikipedia and Investopedia virtual office provides address and communication services for a fee, without providing dedicated office space being a business location that exists only in cyberspace and allowing employees and business owners to work from any location by using technological means – personal computer, laptop, notebook or tablets.

Pros of using a virtual office
A full application of a term virtual office may include professional live communication. This means that all the business meetings can be conducted online via tele and video conferencing. Business documents can be shared, signed and sent electronically. There are some significant advantages of doing business in cyberspace.

Most important could be the fact that if the business has several or more employees, each of them can do their job remotely from the location that is most convenient for his or her, preserving the right to have his or her own lifestyle, sleeping and resting habits and other requirements which can be individually adjusted. This means that the business is not restricted to hiring employees by expanding job options for employees and hiring options for businesses.

This way of doing and arranging business creates such professional new professional occupations as remote receptionist who can use high-tech computer telephone Integration software to communicate with clients, virtual assistant who does not have to meet his or her clients face-to-face and assist them virtually instead and other members of the virtual team.

Virtual teams can provide such services as answering services and call centers which operate from a centralized location in order to receive and transmit a large volume of requests by telephone, voicemail which basically is a low-cost technology service that stores voice messages electronically, voicemail messages can also be converted into email letters in order to ensure high virtual mobility, virtual office space, ensuring a chance to own a high-profile reputed address in a city of employees’ own choice, telephone answering service which bridges the gap between the employee and his or her clients.

In general, virtual office creation is meant to gain and increase efficiency while blending home and work. It saves money, increases mobility and allows low-cost expansion with no long-term commitments and keeping office expenses to a minimum.

Cons of using a virtual office
The other side of a virtual office is that it lacks centralization which results in difficulties rising from reducing everyday work meetings and appointments. In this case employees must be very initiative in order to sustain the existing structure. Lack of interaction may also rise when there is no scheduled everyday communication. These are the interactions that come with a traditional work environment such as lunch breaks and chatting with colleagues about work, life and relationships. When working remotely communication in general can be tough as well.

Lack of face-to-face meeting increases chances for miscommunication and misinterpretation because in this case emailed words or written words can lack the non-verbal cues and the tone of voice that could make it easier to catch up what the person has said and how he or she feels.

There is also lack of opportunities to schedule and plan meetings for instance in order to meet with a client on short notice as it is not possible to arrange meetings in one certain place called office space or office premises.

Despite of the mentioned disadvantages virtual office remains a great alternative for common office space and usual everyday work arrangement.