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Some business people believe that virtual office are an easy and inexpensive way to go global. Others believe that it offers the opportunity to maintain what is most important for successful e-commerce and marketing today - a business presence that can be established in any market.
According to Wikipedia and Investopedia, the virtual office offers address and communication services for a fee, without providing dedicated office space, as it is a business location that exists only in cyberspace and allows employees and business owners to work with technological means from anywhere - PC, laptop, notebook or tablet.
Benefits of using a virtual office
A full application of the term virtual office can include professional live communication. This means that all business meetings can be held online via teleconferencing and video conferencing. Business documents can be shared, signed and sent electronically. There are some significant advantages to doing business in cyberspace.
Most importantly, if the company has several or more employees, each of them can do their work remotely from the location that is most convenient for them and the right to their own lifestyle, sleeping and Resting retains habits and other requirements that can be customized. This means that the company is not limited to hiring employees by expanding the employment opportunities for employees and the hiring opportunities for companies.
This way of doing and arranging business creates such professional new professional occupations as remote receptionist who can use high-tech computer telephone Integration software to communicate with clients, virtual assistant who does not have to meet his or her clients face-to-face and assist them virtually instead and other members of the virtual team.
Virtual teams can provide such services as answering services and call centers which operate from a centralized location in order to receive and transmit a large volume of requests by telephone, voicemail which basically is a low-cost technology service that stores voice messages electronically, voicemail messages can also be converted into email letters in order to ensure high virtual mobility, virtual office space, ensuring a chance to own a high-profile reputed address in a city of employees’ own choice, telephone answering service which bridges the gap between the employee and his or her clients.
In general, virtual office creation is meant to gain and increase efficiency while blending home and work. It saves money, increases mobility and allows low-cost expansion with no long-term commitments and keeping office expenses to a minimum.
Cons of using a virtual office
The other side of a virtual office is that it lacks centralization which results in difficulties rising from reducing everyday work meetings and appointments. In this case employees must be very initiative in order to sustain the existing structure. Lack of interaction may also rise when there is no scheduled everyday communication. These are the interactions that come with a traditional work environment such as lunch breaks and chatting with colleagues about work, life and relationships. When working remotely communication in general can be tough as well.
Lack of face-to-face meeting increases chances for miscommunication and misinterpretation because in this case emailed words or written words can lack the non-verbal cues and the tone of voice that could make it easier to catch up what the person has said and how he or she feels.
There is also lack of opportunities to schedule and plan meetings for instance in order to meet with a client on short notice as it is not possible to arrange meetings in one certain place called office space or office premises.