DigiWorks

What Is A Virtual Office?

Jan 27, 2023 • 13 min read

Virtual office services provide the appearance of a physical office space without requiring the cost of owning one. You can rent out desks, conference rooms, and even meeting spaces. Some companies offer everything under one roof, while others specialize in specific areas like legal, accounting, marketing, etc.

The benefits of working from home are well known. But what about those times when you want to feel like you’re part of a larger organization? Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of commuting every day. With a virtual office, you can take advantage of the flexibility of working remotely while still maintaining the illusion of being part of a team.

You’ll learn:

  • Features Of Virtual Offices
  • How To Set Up A Virtual Office
  • The Key Benefits of Virtual Offices

Ready to build your remote team?

Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.

What Is A Virtual Office?

Virtual office services provide the appearance of a physical office space without requiring the cost of owning one. You can rent out desks, conference rooms, and even meeting spaces. Some companies offer everything under one roof, while others specialize in specific areas like legal, accounting, marketing, etc.

The benefits of working from home are well known. But what about those times when you want to feel like you’re part of a larger organization? Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of commuting every day. With a virtual office, you can take advantage of the flexibility of working remotely while still maintaining the illusion of being part of a team.

Features Of Virtual Offices

Virtual office spaces are becoming increasingly popular among tons of different types of businesses looking to cut costs while still maintaining a professional image. These virtual offices allow employees to work remotely, allowing companies to save money on rent and utilities. However, there are an array of benefits to having a virtual office, including increased productivity and better work/life balance. Here are some of the features of virtual offices.

#1 – Increased Productivity

One of the biggest advantages of having a virtual office arrangement is that it allows workers to focus on their job rather than commuting every day to a traditional office. This can lead to increase productivity because people don’t waste time getting ready for work, driving to work, and wasting time waiting for traffic lights or access to transport links.

#2 – Better Work/Life Balance

Another benefit of virtual offices is that they provide employees with a better work/life balance, giving them the opportunity to work flexible hours and take off days whenever needed. Employees can choose whether they want to come into the office during certain times of the week, such as Monday morning, or just set up shop wherever they feel most comfortable.

#3 – Control Over Time Spent Working

A third advantage of having virtual office access to meeting rooms online involves being able to control how much time you spend at work each day. You can decide to spend less time at work by reducing your commute or choosing to work from home. Or, you can opt to work longer hours, increasing your income.

How To Set Up A Virtual Office

A virtual office is a location where employees work remotely while still being part of a larger organization. This allows companies to save money on real estate costs and avoid the headaches associated with running a physical office. While there are many benefits to using a virtual office, it does take some planning and research to make sure that you’re getting the best value. Here are three things to keep in mind when looking into virtual office providers.

1. Consider Your Needs Before Choosing A Provider

Before signing on with a virtual office provider, think about how much space you’ll need and what features you want. Will you require conference rooms? Do you need a receptionist? How many people do you plan to hire? What type of technology will you use? Once you know exactly what you need, you can start comparing options and choose one that fits your needs.

2. Find Out About Their Services

Once you’ve chosen a provider, ask them questions about their services. You might want to look into whether they offer phone answering services, email support, web hosting, and/or IT support. If you’re unsure about something, feel free to reach out to them directly. They’re usually happy to help and answer any questions you have.

3. Check For Reviews Online

When researching virtual office providers, check online reviews. Read customer testimonials and see what others say about the provider. Also, check out the Better Business Bureau. These organizations collect information about businesses and post ratings and comments based on consumer experiences. Do some virtual office testing – lots of them offer free trials so give it a go and see if its a good fit for you!

The Key Benefits of Virtual Offices

Virtual offices offer flexibility and savings to both employers and employees. They allow small businesses to expand into larger spaces while still keeping costs low. And they help keep people happy and engaged at work. Here are seven reasons why virtual offices are better than traditional ones.

1. No commute time.

We spend less time commuting to an actual office space and much more time doing what we really want to do. At home. In our pajamas. Or maybe even dressed up. And it’s good for us. A recent study found that people who work remotely are happier and healthier than those who don’t. They’re more productive too. Employees no longer have to relocate to be near the physical address of their office but can work remotely from anywhere in the world from San Francisco to Hong Kong.

2. Employees are easily more active.

The average American spends about eight hours sitting every day. And while it might seem like you’re just working hard, there’s actually a good chance you could be doing yourself harm. A study published in the journal Health Affairs found that people who sit for long periods of time — six hours or more per day — have a greater risk of early death than those who don’t spend nearly as much time glued to a chair.

Researchers looked at data from over 2 million participants in the National Institutes of Health AARP Diet and Health Study. They found that men who sat for longer than four hours a day had a 30% increased risk of mortality compared to men who spent less than three hours sitting each day. Women who sat for longer than five hours daily had a 20% increase in the risk of early death.

So what does this mean for employees? Well, according to the researchers, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should banish your workers from their desks entirely. Instead, they recommend getting them up and moving around throughout the workday. “We encourage employers to provide opportunities for physical activity,” says lead author Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Prevention Research. “If you want to reduce sedentary behavior among employees, you should make sure they have options to stand during meetings, take breaks, go outside for lunch, or do something else besides sit.”

Of course, standing isn’t always possible. But even if you can’t physically get your employees off their chairs, you can still help them burn calories. Try setting up a standing desk or encouraging employees to walk around the office periodically. You’ll both benefit.

3. Flexibility means using less vacation days.

Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly popular among millennials. They want to work in ways that suit their lifestyle, such as being able to choose when and where they work. This flexibility allows people to balance their personal life with their career, while still getting things done.

With a virtual office, you’re free to choose where you want to live and work. You might choose a location closer to clients or customers, or one that allows you to travel easily. Or maybe you’d prefer to move around frequently within a city. A virtual office gives you the freedom to pick and choose how far away you want to be from the rest of your team.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by FlexJobs, 78% of respondents say that flexible hours make them happier at work. And 76% of those surveyed say that it helps their productivity.

However, there are some downsides to flexible working hours. For example, many companies offer flexible hours because they want employees to be around during peak times, such as lunchtime and evenings. But this can lead to burnout since workers often end up having to put in extra hours without receiving additional pay.

Another downside is that flexible hours can increase turnover rates. Workers tend to feel overworked and underpaid when they aren’t given enough time off. In addition, employers may find themselves losing talented workers to competitors who provide better benefits.

So what does this mean for job seekers? If you’re looking for a job that offers flexible hours, here are three tips to help you land one.

Make sure your resume reflects your current situation.

If you’ve been working full-time for several months, don’t include your previous jobs on your resume. Instead, focus on highlighting the skills you acquired during your most recent role.

4. Access to worldwide talent.

Virtual office services are becoming increasingly popular among businesses looking to expand internationally. These offices offer a cost-effective way to hire employees in different regions around the globe. They also give companies access to a wider pool of skills and knowledge.

Virtual office solutions allow you to build a brand presence in multiple locations. You don’t even need to open up a branch office; it’s possible to work remotely from anywhere. This gives you flexibility and freedom while still offering a professional image.

Having a physical office does not necessarily mean that you’re tied to one region. In fact, many companies choose to set up a virtual office because they want to retain control over where their workers are located.

With a virtual office, you’ll be able to tap into a global network of professionals, no matter where they live. And since there’s no need to worry about setting up physical space, you won’t incur additional costs like rent, utilities or other overhead costs.

If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option to access the global talent pool, you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed admin assistants, customer service reps, sales staff, and more that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well. Since DigiWorks’ talent are from emerging countries, the rates are much lower than the US minimum wage and you don’t have to deal with the risk of dealing with scammers or incompetent freelancers.

5. Less overhead.

The most important thing you can do to save money on your startup costs is to cut out the middleman. Instead of paying someone else to manage your servers, you can host them yourself. Virtual offices allow you to save on overhead expenses. This way, you can spend less money on hosting fees and more on hiring talented people. If you’re looking to start a side hustle, here are five ways to cut down on startup costs.

1. Host Your Own Web Server

If you want to avoid having to shell out hundreds of dollars each month for web hosting, you’ll need to set up your own server. To do this, you’ll need to purchase a computer running Linux, install Apache, PHP, MySQL, and other software packages, and configure everything correctly. Once you’ve done all that, you’ll need to find a place to store your data online.

2. Hire Someone Else to Manage Servers

You might think that setting up a server is too complicated to bother doing yourself. But there are plenty of companies that offer managed web hosting solutions. They handle everything for you, including installing and configuring the server, maintaining backups, monitoring performance, and fixing problems. These companies typically charge anywhere from $10-$100 per hour depending on how much work you need them to do.

3. Use Amazon Web Services

Another option is to use AWS, which offers free cloud computing resources. With AWS, you simply pay for what you use. For example, if you only need one server, you’d pay $0.50/hour. If you need ten servers, you’d pay $4.00/hour. However, you won’t receive the same level of support as if you had hired a third party to manage your servers.

6. Save money on technology.

A virtual office saves money because it doesn’t require the astronomical costs of renting office spaces in the city. Instead, you pay monthly fees based on the desk space and amenities you use and don’t have to worry about committing to a long-term lease. Plus, you’ll save on rent, utilities, furniture, and other overhead costs. The cost savings are endless.

BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, is becoming increasingly popular among employees because it gives them control over what devices they use and how frequently they are updated. This trend is especially prominent among younger workers who don’t want to spend money on office equipment and software.

Millennials are leading the way in BYOT adoption, according to research firm Gartner. They are twice as likely to do so compared to Gen Xers and baby boomers. Millennials are also more likely to use smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

In addition to saving money, BYOT offers some benefits like increased productivity and less downtime due to lost data. Companies that allow BYOT also benefit from lower costs associated with IT support and security issues.

7. Productivity increases.

Employees are happier and more productive when they feel like they belong and are part of something bigger. With a physical office, they often end up isolated and alone. But with a virtual office, they have access to co-workers and resources 24/7 as well as flexible workspaces. This helps build camaraderie among colleagues, even when they aren’t physically together. Coworking spaces are also available for employees who prefer a share worked space to focus better!

Productivity increases when you monitor what time people start work and when they finish. This helps you understand whether employees are getting enough rest and breaks throughout the day. You can use tools such as Time Doctor to help track employee hours, and set up alerts to notify you when someone leaves early or arrives late.

Remote workers are less likely to want to leave their jobs if they feel like they’re accomplishing something. A virtual office offers a great alternative to a conventional office space. Instead of having to commute to a physical location, remote workers can now work anywhere they choose. They don’t even have to worry about the cost of rent anymore.

Ready to build your remote team?

Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, many different types of businesses are making use of virtual offices to give their teams remote acess to a space they can socialize and collaborate with their teammates. Virtual offices have been shown to improve productivity, and employee happiness and can be a massive cost saver for business owners. This is your sign to switch to a virtual office!

Related Articles

About DigiWorks

DigiWorks is an easy-to use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.