Business As A New Normal: Steps To Build A Virtual Office
We live in a digitally advanced world. With the digital world progressing by the minute, the demand for virtual business is also increasing. With so much smart-tech around us, the need for performing tasks in-person is considerably reducing. More and more businesses are aiming to conduct enterprises online without the presence of a company estate. Virtual businesses have not only boosted employee productivity but also made business operations faster and smoother. One and vital advantage of having a virtual business is the shrink in costs. From employee costs to overhead and marketing costs, all are likely to decrease tremendously. Thanks to technology, there are several efficient apps and sites available to conduct effective business operations.
We live in a digitally advanced world. With the digital world progressing by the minute, the demand for virtual business is also increasing. With so much smart-tech around us, the need for performing tasks in-person is considerably reducing. More and more businesses are aiming to conduct enterprises online without the presence of a company estate.
Virtual businesses have not only boosted employee productivity but also made business operations faster and smoother. One and vital advantage of having a virtual business is the shrink in costs. From employee costs to overhead and marketing costs, all are likely to decrease tremendously. Thanks to technology, there are several efficient apps and sites available to conduct effective business operations. Such technological advancements are nothing less than incredible. E-commerce businesses, content writers, and freelancers are all examples of technological empowerment.
Even though virtual businesses do not require a combined company working space, you will still need a virtual office. Setting up a virtual office can be pretty overwhelming, but you must do it correctly. Here are easy steps which can help you set up your virtual office.
1. Obtain A Mailing Address
Getting a professional business address is the first and the most crucial step of setting up your virtual office. Your address is where you will receive all your mail. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your home address. It should be of a place where you work.
Several services help you develop a professional and authentic address for your virtual business. For instance, the administrative center notifies you when you get mail; they allow you to book meeting rooms. They also give opportunities to expand your professional circle through global networking. Moreover, they offer business concierge to your clients and guests and host community events offline and online.
2. Determine Your Equipment Need
Work-at-home requires some essential equipment like a decent laptop and a stable wi-fi connection. Remote workers should be able to carry their laptops to any place easily. An ideal laptop would be the one with at least a 13-inch display, eight hours of battery life, 8GB RAM, and a fast processor. A built-in camera and a minimum of 256GB storage are also necessary.
Apart from a laptop, smartphones are also vital equipment for workers. Smartphones are the primary medium of communication in virtual businesses. With advanced apps and websites, you can now sync your mobile data with your laptop’s data and have everything together in one place. It will save you from the hassle of constantly switching in between a mobile phone and a computer.
Other equipment depends on business to business and your role or position. You might require a printer, an extra keyboard, and a monitor.
3. Unified Contact Number
One ongoing difficulty remote workers face is communication. Without the presence of an office intercom and no in-person communication, these issues can multiply.
Therefore, getting a standard business number is a good idea. It can indefinitely reduce the confusion between your private and business calls and messages and make it easier to communicate with clients and co-workers. Getting a virtual contact number for your business is relatively easy and quick. You need to pick a phone number, record an operator greeting, and assign it to departments.
4. Choose A Meeting Space
In a business, holding meetings once in a while is necessary. It gives co-workers a chance to catch up on departmental business operations, counsel each other, or make a simultaneous decision regarding an essential factor. Hence, the need for meeting space is crucial.
You can conduct these business meetings either in-person by renting out a shared office space. But, since the focus is running the business virtually, the better idea is to hold the sessions online. There is an abundance of digital platforms available to conduct professional meetings. Zoom and google meet rank at the top two, followed by join.me and skype. Webex, Teamviewer, and GoToMeeting are also some viable options.
5. Communication Tools
As mentioned above, communication is an ongoing struggle for remote workers. Without effective communication, business operations can’t run as effectively or seamlessly. Hence, workers need to optimize their workflow. Instant communication tools like outlook, Gmail, instant messaging, and social media are essential elements of a virtual business.
Emails are the most professional way of digital communication, but many people also greatly value their social media presence. Hence, it is essential to utilize each element of effective communication fully.
6. Hire A Virtual Assistant
Just because you don’t have to get dressed up early in the morning and go to the office doesn’t mean remotely working is easy. It is pretty tiring, especially when bosses do not respect business hours. Some virtual business meetings could go on till late at night, and the workload can drain you. Hiring a virtual assistant, in such cases, is an excellent idea. Virtual assistants are self-employed independent contractors who give administrative and technical support and advice.
Virtual assistants can do all the secondary tasks and leave you with time to focus on the more important ones. Most virtual assistants are usually responsible for bookkeeping, organizing meetings, travel plans, and event management. If you face a difficult time finding a virtual assistant for yourself, browse through the dozen websites offering virtual assistants.
7. Training The Assistant
Hiring an assistant isn’t the tricky part; it is training them. Training virtual assistants is a time-consuming task. You need authentic resources to study from and extensive knowledge about the business.
Make sure to define your assistant’s role clearly and concisely. Set a bunch of expectations from them and ensure that they are aware of them. Set boundaries and rules and make it clear to them that in no way are allowed to intrude. Lastly, make sure you constantly communicate with them. It will show that you are respectful towards them and leave a subtle warning that you are watching them if they try to intrude again.
Conclusion
Telecommute is gradually becoming a popular employment arrangement, immensely promoting work from home or shared spaces.
A virtual business is an excellent way for companies to work more effectively, efficiently and save costs. Virtual offices act as great motivators to get work done. They also require no commute time or any additional causes.