Increased profitability and employee
productivity is what we all strive for as business owners.
Simply put, this is what keeps us going, because if we stop we
may not be around tomorrow. There are many ways organizations
attempt to achieve these objectives. However; there is one in
particular that’s gaining tremendous popularity among small to
mid sized companies across the country. Essentially, it is the
deployment of virtual offices through the utilization of a
company’s existing technology. That’s right! You can actually
tap into a current and fixed asset to expand your business,
improve the bottom line, have more productive and happier
employees, and achieve a work/life balance. This simple concept
is rapidly changing the way organizations conduct business for
the better.
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office fulfills all of the roles of
the traditional, centralized office although the employees, also
known as telecommuters, work at home offices either in a part or
full-time capacity and collaborate for the most part
electronically with other employees. Virtual offices are a
matter of degree since even in conventional offices many
business relationships are maintained across distributed
environments. For instance, customers and suppliers are located
at different sites, and project co-workers are often located in
different divisions. In both traditional and virtual office's
the organization mission remains the same, but some business
procedures change in the latter to accommodate collaboration at
a distance.
What technology is needed to set up a virtual
office?
All that needs to be done is the integration of
phone, computer, email, and fax. This is current technology that
is probably already being utilized in-house. The other items
that a company may need to deploy to truly allow owners and
employees to occasionally work offsite is a Virtual Private
Network (VPN) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The VPN
enables employees to connect to a network remotely so they can
access files on the LAN, while operating in a secure
environment. Furthermore, most cities have excellent wireless
broadband coverage so individuals can connect to the Internet
anytime, anywhere.
The recent advancements in VoIP are sweeping the
globe because it enables people to speak through the Internet.
Unlike regular phone service, VoIP conversations are transformed
into IP data packets and sent over a broadband data network
and/or the Internet, bypassing the long distance carrier
altogether. This essentially means that VoIP callers do not use
traditional phone lines and can avoid expensive long-distance
charges, dramatically impacting a company’s bottom line.
What are the benefits?
There are a number of extraordinary benefits
that businesses can obtain by giving the owner, the management
team, and other employees the ability to work virtually. For
example, dispersed sales teams are not so disconnected anymore.
They can tap into the network and communicate via email or by
using a remote IP phone from any location. A salesperson can
connect through the VPN from their hotel room and they’ve
instantly become their own virtual office. In addition,
servicing customers means being available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. VoIP gives customer service representatives the
advantage of answering calls at the office or at home. This is
critical because the world has become a significantly smaller
place. A customer with a big order in Korea will not find an
answering machine as a sufficient means of service. They want to
speak to someone in real-time. Finally, with VoIP, employees
have one phone number with one extension and it doesn’t matter
where they are geographically. More importantly, the person on
the other end has no idea of one’s location as long as they are
receiving the services they desire.
Combining these technologies gives businesses
the flexibility to provide an even higher level of customer
service – all while reducing costs. As a result, consulting
company, Gartner Group, estimates that employees who work
offsite are as much as 40% more efficient than their colleagues
in the office.
What’s in it for the owner?
Business owners can personally reap the benefits
for themselves as well. For instance, owners of small to mid
sized companies have the unique option to work from home too by
utilizing their existing technology. This enables them to avoid
distractions to spend quality time working on their business and
not in it. These valuable individuals are charged with guiding
their company’s strategic direction, enhancing the vision, and
ensuring its mission. What a better place to do that than in the
comforts of a home office. Plus, the virtual office allows
business owners in the retiring baby boomer generation a way to
stay connected to their companies, continue to offer
consultative advice and their years of experience and knowledge,
while not being tied down to an 8 hour day.
What’s the first step to get started?
By tapping into existing technology and adding a
few minor features, organizations of all sizes can take
advantage of increased profitability and employee productivity
that comes along with virtual offices. This concept has created
a win-win-win for owners, employees, and customers. Individuals
now have the ability to conduct business where and when they
want, while meeting the demands of customers and at the same
time increasing their quality of life. The first step towards
implementing a successful virtual office is to select a
telecommunications provider that understands your business
needs. After that you can relax knowing you’ve just done a
simple act that will positively impact your bottom line.
