A break in the clouds. A light at the end of the tunnel. A new day coming.
For many small businesses, the buzz about the imminent end of the recession is simply Federal Reserve speak, the presently nebulous banter of governmental brass. Down in the trenches, there’re no clouds breaking, the tunnel’s still pitch dark, and that new day? It’s not here yet.
You name it, we can probably save it for you. Here in 2008, we’re seeing that the issue of time, energy, and gas saved (and pollution prevented) by working in a virtual office is not insignificant. Think of it like this: assuming an average commute to work is 30 minutes one way, then there is a built-in, every day requirement for wasting an hour a day, or five hours a week, minimum. Also, there is a deterrent for returning to the traditional office format on weeknights or weekends or to take care of small tasks. But commutes to a virtual office are easy for employees.
Small businesses generally find it easier to increase in size (employee-wise) with virtual office spaces than in physical (traditional) office space, where there may be contracts that overlap, size changes from one year to the next, where lease life-cycles are 3-5 years. Keep in mind, too, that it’s very difficult to decrease employee numbers in a traditional office environment; however, workforce reductions in a virtual office environment doesn’t result in wasted office space, equipment, or resources.
The term dynamic means continuous changes which create improvements. Today’s business environment is filled with constant changes which are dynamic and thus creating real opportunity to those looking for opportunity.
Technology combined with the harsh realities of operating a small business in a recession is seeing the virtual office come to prominence. This new dynamic is opening up channels of discovery for businesses of any size. The discovery is revealing ways to reduce your operating overhead without sacrificing market presence and essential services.
Google the phrases “virtual assistant,” “virtual receptionist,” and “virtual office” these days, and you’ll find millions of references. If ever an industry’s time has come, the era of virtual business solutions has arrived. Now more than ever, companies of all shapes and sizes are turning to virtual alternatives to meet staffing needs, as well as to meet the needs for office and meeting space.
So, just what is the appeal of virtual business solutions in this season of time? Why are so many millions of mentions of “virtual assistant,” “virtual receptionist,” and “virtual office” floating out there in cyberspace?
I was looking online this morning and I found a statistics website that lists out the average cost of office spaces in California and Oregon. On average, businesses are paying anywhere between $1.57 – $2.09 per sq. foot, per month, so a business operates in a 1,900 sq. foot office (like my own) you would be paying on average anywhere from $2,983 – $3,971 per month on office rent, and that is for a relatively small office. Wow! That is a lot of money to spend each month, not to mention the utility bill, insurance costs, and other operational costs that come with running an office.
One alternative to running a physical office, is to open up a Virtual Office, an online service that gives businesses an “office” with all of the necessary equipment and services when they need it without the hassles of actually running an office full time. With a virtual office, you can work from home or on the road, and then use the office space for client or business meetings.
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