What are the basics of a Virtual office?

A virtual office is an office that is not physically present. You can work remotely through a virtual office. Apart from it being non-physical, there is not much of a difference from the conventional office. All the basic office features are present in the virtual office . In addition, it also offers various perks. Cheap rates, flexible packages, and commute-less workspace are a few of them.

A virtual office gives your business the front face that it needs for the customers. It removes all the stressful liabilities that come with maintaining a full-time office. It is perfect for new emerging businesses as it cuts overhead costs. A virtual office also offers a flexible working environment and scalability. 

Opening and closing a virtual office account is very easy, not to mention its super affordability. That is why expanding your business using the virtual office in different areas is the most feasible solution. Let us dig deeper into why you need a virtual office? What are the basic features of a virtual office? What are the basic requirements to set it up?

Why do you need a virtual office?

The virtual office is not aimed at corporates or big companies. These mega-sized businesses don’t have monetary issues. The target market for virtual offices is fledgling businesses. These new businesses face many challenges; funds being the topmost. These startups cannot afford offices in prestigious business locations due to high rents. They have to curtail their overheads wherever they can.

To understand the cost you have to pay to set up a physical office, let us follow the 3-30-300 rule. For every $3 you pay for utility, you have to pay $30 on rent, and $300 on payroll expenses. This is paid per square foot of the working space annually. For a new business, this can be an overhead burden that can hinder their growth.

Office space is not occupied or used 24/7. For most of the day, it is unoccupied, but you have to pay for that part as well. A study says that offices are unoccupied more than 75% of the time. This is a total waste of resources. It also strengthens the grounds of getting a virtual office to optimize the use of your funds. 

A virtual office is a savior for all these businesses. It helps you cut back on major overhead expenses. You don’t have to pay rent, utility, and office maintenance expenses. It will all be covered by the virtual office service. You just have to pay a nominal amount every month to use the virtual office service. A virtual office gives you value for your money.

What are the basic features of a virtual office?

Different virtual office services offer different facilities, but some features are standard. These are provided by every virtual office. These features include:

• A legitimate and prestigious business address that can be used on printed materials.
• Call handling.
• Mail forwarding.
• Conference room access as needed.
• Office services like telephones, WiFi, printer, scanner, 24/7 reception team, cafeterias, etc. are available.
• Shared office workspace.

What are the basic requirements to set up a virtual office?

The first and foremost thing that you need is a good strategy. Make a plan as to how you want to manage your remote team. This strategy should include the following steps:

• Acquire the essential equipment to support your remote employees. All your remote team members need laptops, computer accessories, and an uninterrupted WiFi connection. Get laptops with plenty of memory and long battery life. The latest equipment will last longer and will be compatible with other equipment your employees will use for a presentation.
• Connectivity is the lifeline of remote working. Your employees need a high-speed internet connection to stay in touch with you and other team members. They need enough bandwidth for video calling, file sharing, conference calling while processing files and processing data. If they are traveling around while working, a good hotspot device is a must for them.
• Another thing you and your team needs are collaboration tools. These tools will optimize their workflow. As per the latest trends, project management should be digitized, virtualized, with remote connection. Tools like Slack, Trello, Microsoft outlook, Microsoft teams, Gmail, etc. are industry standards for file sharing, team collaboration, voice calling, and conference calling.
• Another important thing you need for a successful remote workflow is centralized data storage.  Centralized data storage is the best way to keep every team member in the loop. It is also very important for smooth lining the workflow. Cloud storage is the most secure and easy-to-use way to store and share data. GoogleDrive, OneDrive, and Dropbox are the best cloud storage platforms. You can easily store, retrieve, and share data with your team members.
• The last but not the least basic requirement for remote working is availability. You need to be available and online all the time. Your team members should easily stay in contact with you. Stay organized with different organizing and project management tools. This will help you in meeting all your deadlines. 

Conclusion:

When you are handling your projects remotely, you need to be at the top of your game. Make sure you have all the tools installed on your and your teammate’s system. As a project manager, you should be the supporting pillar of the team. These tools help you achieve your goal.

A virtual office gives you the perfect blend of services to run your business seamlessly. You get all the office services that you need to run your remote office. If you are not satisfied with your virtual office, you can easily unsubscribe without prior notice. There is no business service as comfortable to use as a virtual office.