Virtual office can boost productivity

Increased profitability and employee productivity is what we all strive for as business owners on a daily basis. Simply put, this is what keeps us going, because if we stop there is a good chance our company we will not be around tomorrow.

One strategy that’s gaining tremendous popularity among senior management teams of small to mid-sized companies across the country is the deployment of virtual offices through the utilization of a company’s existing research.

The truth tap into a current

You can to tell the truth 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.

Basically, a virtual office fulfills all of the roles of the traditional, centralized office though the employees, as well known as telecommuters, work at home offices either in a part or full-time capacity and collaborate broadly speaking electronically with other employees. Virtual offices are a matter of degree since even in conventional offices, many business relationships are maintained across distributed environments. To illustrate, clients 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, however some business procedures change in the latter to accommodate collaboration at a distance.

In order to conduct business in this fashion, all that needs to be done is the integration of phone, computer, email, and fax. The other items that a company may need to deploy to actually allow owners and employees to occasionally work offsite is a Virtual Private Network and Voice over Internet Protocol. The VPN enables employees to connect to a network remotely so they can access files on the local area network, during operating in a secure environment. Even more, most cities have excellent wireless broadband coverage so individuals can connect to the Internet anytime, anywhere.

Unlike regular phone service, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) conversations are transformed into digital information and sent over a broadband data network. For instance, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls connect to a server where voice information is truncated into packets and sent across the Internet bypassing the long distance carrier altogether. This in essence means that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) callers do not use traditional phone lines and can avoid expensive long-distance charges, dramatically impacting a company’s bottom line.

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. Dispersed sales teams 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. To boot, servicing clients 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.

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 during reducing costs. As a result, consulting company, Gartner Group, estimates that employees who work offsite are as much as 40 percent more efficient than their colleagues in the office.

The benefits for themselves as then

Business owners can personally reap the benefits for themselves as then. To illustrate, owners of small to mid-sized companies have the unequalled option to work from home too by utilizing their existing innovation. 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 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, during not being tied down to an 8-hour day.

By tapping into existing research 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 clients. Individuals now have the ability to conduct business where and when they want, during meeting the demands of clients and together 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. Afterwards that you can relax knowing you’ve just done a simple act that will positively impact your bottom line. g

Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Communications Inc., a regional business innovation company based in Easthampton, Mass. Reach him at 800-929-5201 or visit www.TeamHogan.com.