It finally came to you — the business idea
of a lifetime. After years of steadily working from nine to five in an office
cubicle and being subjected to the policies and politics of conventional offices,
you finally pinpoint the type of business that you would love to run yourself —
something that can play on your passions or strengths, something that is
relevant and gives you more fulfillment
in life, and — more importantly — something that you can effectively manage by
spending your hours each day on a laptop or desktop computer, regardless of
your physical location.
Sound familiar? Many of today's more
creative and enterprising business owners are discovering that the days of
being tethered to a desk in a stuffy building are no longer requirements for a
successful career or even a modestly comfortable life. There are more flexible
alternatives available, and one such idea is to operate a business
virtual office.
A virtual office is simply a business
location that exists in the World Wide Web instead of the traditional office
setup. In such an environment, business owners and their employees need not
meet organically every day; they can come in to work using their laptops,
desktop computers and phones. Harnessing the power of the Internet, these teams
can transmit important documents electronically and participate in meetings and
conferences using video conferencing technology. This means that people can
work from wherever they are on the planet — at home, in the car, on a tropical
island, or even in between places.
A business setup like this can have a
number of advantages. It is ideal for entrepreneurs who may not have the
resources to lease a physical office that is appropriately sized to accommodate
their team members. If the nature of the business truly does not require being
in a single location permanently, a person can move from place to place —
travel, meet friends and family, and engage in new experiences (both for
professional and personal purposes) — and still allot time to get work done.
You will not spend money on gas or fare to get to and from work, and you won't
have to bear traffic congestion. You get more time, which you can manage more
effectively, so you can lead a less stressful life. And there are environmental
benefits as well — no air pollution from driving to work, reduced paperwork
(because everything's done electronically), and there's no additional energy
used in powering up a separate office.
Of course, it's worthwhile to consider
possible disadvantages as well if you plan to start your own virtual office.
Poor quality Internet in your current location can affect your work, and you
will need to address any technical difficulties you have yourself (or hire a
professional) because you use your own equipment. You may find that the lack of
face-to-face communication with your team can be affecting the flow and
direction of your operations, as it can also be difficult to monitor everyone's
performance. You may feel isolated from everyone else, and being at home or in
a non-traditional work space can distract you from the tasks at hand.
It's important to weigh these points and
determine the specific type of virtual setup that will work best for your
purposes first; with this out of the way, you can then proceed to build the
successful virtual business you've long planned on running.
Do you have have any questions or suggestions? Write in comment section.
