A Virtual Office Turbo Charges Remote Workers' Performance

Today’s workplace is unrecognizable compared to how it used to be just 20 years ago. These changes are not only technological—though technology has changed a lot about the way we work. The other big change is with the workers themselves. There’s a growing trend whereby people make the decision to quit working for “The Man” once and for all. They swap the more conventional employer/employee arrangements to go it alone, or half way alone. The virtual office is fast becoming the office solution of choice for people to operate from. The demand from entrepreneurs, solo professionals and freelancers is what’s fuelling these changes. At Office Evolution, for example, we are also seeing how our US-based live virtual receptionists are becoming the first point of contact for small businesses too.

Our virtual office solutions at Office Evolution enable members to pick solutions that work for them:

Meeting room and office space as need for as short as 15 minutes
Coworking business lounge to use when a professional workspace with social energy is desired
Virtual receptionist to answer phone calls, manage appointments, and qualify leads
Professional business address with private mailbox

In this piece we take a close look into the following three modern work concepts:

How the virtual office works for small business
The value of front office receptionists
Meetings and meeting rooms

Virtual Office – BIG Change for Small Business

Generations of workers have whined about the nine to five routine, yet few did anything to change their circumstances. Any fool can complain and most fools do, but it needs a certain leap of faith to actually take the plunge and pursue one’s dreams. At long last people are now following through with their thoughts and walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

According to a recent Harvard Business Review—among others—remote workers share three very interesting things in common:

Remote independent workers and remote employees are happier in their work
They’re far less likely to leave (quit) because of the above
They become more productive because of the above

The Remote Workforce

Many smaller companies now offer remote working options to their employees. They call this phenomenon “the virtual workforce” or “telecommuters” and it seems to be a win-win situation. Practically everyone with business sense is now jumping on the virtual office bandwagon. The coffee shops and home offices had their day, but they’re no longer suitable as full time solutions. None of the make-do spaces of the past can compete with professional coworking environments like the one at Office Evolution Hackensack, NJ.

Savvy bosses can at last see the benefits of the mobile model, which we’ll look at in a moment. What this means is that people who used to commute to their place of work—the office—no longer have to. They’re now in a position to take full advantage of the virtual office setup and enjoy more flexibility in their working lives. Coworking spaces offer everything the virtual worker needs. They have shared desks, meeting rooms, private offices and other facilities to boot.

Virtual Office – Inviting for Small Business

The new, more mobile business model no longer requires a bricks and mortar office with a team of 9-5 workers. We’ve moved on a lot since those days, especially small companies. Giving employees the opportunity to work remotely—and with a more flexible schedule—has benefits for all parties.

As we saw above, an employer’s dream employee is someone who’s:

More productive
Happier in their work
Less likely to quit

It’s a no-brainer. These new arrangements also give employers the chance to look further afield for talented staff. It means they no longer have to commit to the local areas. This is so useful for any boss who has trouble finding suitable staff in the immediate areas. Thanks to coworking spaces like Office Evolution, the ideal work environments for remote workers are here. These are not only fully-equipped, plug-n-play ready physical spaces either. They’re also thriving communities of likeminded people. It’s the very culture of the virtual office that inspires people to thrive.

The Hybrid Arrangement

A lot of today’s virtual employees—millennials in particular—create for themselves what we call the hybrid working arrangement. It means they have the opportunity to work from where they want to, and in some cases when they want. They get to create a schedule and working arrangement that suits both parties. See, for a lot of jobs, not everything has to fit in to that 9 to 5 window. As long as the worker completes their tasks and delivers the work by whatever the deadlines are, everyone is happy.

A typical hybrid workspace setup may look something like this example:

A little work from home when appropriate
Longer, most productive hours at a shared office space
Occasional work at the HQ or main office if there is one
A café or coffee shop if/when necessary (temporary)
During a commute

This is a truly flexible model that makes full use of work and communications technology. It’s a system that enables both employer and employee to collaborate remotely. It also helps to build and maintain a real psychological sense of community between co-workers from a distance. Shared workspaces, like our location in Bergen County, are designed from the ground up to make the virtual office member productive. Best of all is there are no long-term commitments—memberships are month-to-month. There are, however, all or even more benefits than any traditional office has to offer.

#1 The Savings

The virtual office is a fully operational business model to boost productivity and professionalism, yet there are no maintenance fees or other overheads for you to worry about. Some small businesses do away with the permanent office altogether and operate solely out of coworking spaces. Others may choose to rent a small office with a skeleton staff while keeping most of their team mobile. Either way, employers can keep costs low and productivity high, all thanks to the new hybrid and flexible working arrangements.

#2 True Value of a Virtual Receptionists

First impressions do matter. This is why a qualified virtual receptionist is so important for your business when operating from a coworking location. We understand this. We handpick all our virtual receptionists based on things like phone voice, professionalism, and friendly personality. They are all US based and will sound like they are your full-time employees.

At Office Evolution, our Virtual Receptionist answers the phone on your behalf from 8am to 5pm for your chosen US time zone. They also answer the phones and screen your calls exactly how you want them to. There is an option to have the virtual receptionist take on additional tasks such as qualifying leads and managing your calendar (making and confirming appointments). These are things that free up your time so that you are more productive, as you can spend time on tasks that only you can do.

#3 Meetings, Meeting Rooms and Facilities

The third most important feature for the small mobile business is to have meeting rooms available on demand. Once again, this flexibility saves money on traditional office commitments. It allows a company to grow without the restraints that heavy overhead costs can bring. In fact, you can even rent our offices and conference rooms for as short as 15 minutes. Whether you have to wow clients or potential clients, or just need the space for team meetings, it’s nice to know the spaces are available. And they’re all modern, furnished, fully-equipped and ready for action.

Final Thoughts

People tend to think of the modern, coworking space as a shared environment for communities of independent workers. They’re right too, but they have other client types as well. Office Evolution’s shared office coworking center, attract a plethora of people from a wide range of industries. We have independent attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and consultants. There are also web developers, freelance writers and small startups to name just a few. And now we’re attracting more small businesses. These new demands reflect how the smaller professional outfits are operating nowadays.

These are companies that have tiny offices, no traditional bricks and mortar workplace of their own, or an office far away. For smaller companies we offer the perfect solution. They get a coworking business lounge, office space, meeting rooms, business address with a mailbox, and a virtual receptionist all under one roof. The Virtual Office means bosses can employ staff from around the country and exploit the hybrid working arrangement. We see it time and again, where small mobile companies run mobile teams of happy and productive workers.

Call us today to see how Office Evolution Hackensack can help meet your small business needs: (201) 977-6413.

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At Office Evolution Hackensack, we provide virtual office, coworking, and private office solutions. We offer meeting rooms, offices, a coworking lounge, a shared reception, a business address, and virtual receptionist services. We have many options and price points, and all terms are flexible. Plus, you become part of a community of like-minded professionals.

Whether you live in Teaneck, Bergenfield, Maywood, Teterboro, Hasbrouck Heights, Moonachie, Little Ferry, Rochelle Park, Dumont, Bogota, River Edge, New Milford, Hackensack, Englewood, Paramus, Tenafly and other communities nearby, choosing Office Evolution Hackensack in New Jersey will help you be more professional, productive, and profitable.