Looking to set up a virtual office? Great! You clicked on the right post! If there’s one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s to be agile and adaptive to changes. Who would have imagined that we would reach a point where learning and working remotely would become the new normal? Luckily, we’ve prepared this in-depth post to provide insights on virtual office tools and tips to ensure that your transition is hassle-free and smooth.
The idea of remote working wasn’t initiated during the pandemic. However, it has come more in handy this time than ever before. Many organizations have resorted to working virtually to cut overhead costs, increase returns, stay safe from the pandemic, improve diversity, enhance the talent pool, etc.
Let’s face it, though; a virtual office isn’t just something you wake up one morning and decide to migrate to. It takes adequate planning and proper execution. Lest you get caught up in roadblocks like IT infrastructure issues, security threats, or communication lag. So, let’s dive right in!
Setting Up a Virtual Office in Five Easy Steps
Setting up a virtual office has never been easier in these five steps:
Step 1: Devise a Plan
You know what they say; failing to plan is planning to fail. When looking to set up a successful virtual office, the first step is mapping out a clear-cut plan reflecting on your specific business needs and goals. You could be going virtual as a supplement to your physical office that’s already up and running. Or perhaps you’re starting from scratch and have decided to take the virtual route. What are some of the elements that you may need?
Depending on your specific situation, your virtual office business plan should factor in the following:
- Company description
- Market and competitor analysis
- Management and organizational structure
- Products or services you’ll offer
- Sales and marketing strategy
- Budget vs. revenue projections
Step 2: Gather All the Essential Virtual Office Resources
Just like the traditional setup, a virtual office needs specific essential resources to operate. Here are the top five virtual tools and resources you’ll need for a successful office setup and operation:
Virtual Business Address
A virtual office is never complete without an official business address for sending and receiving packages. The best part about setting up a virtual business address is that you don’t have to reside at the physical location your mails get sent to. As long as you back it up with the right package management system, you can:
- Track the mails via phone.
- Get automatic text and email notifications when the mails arrive.
- Find package information instantly by inserting details like name, unit number, or tracking number.
- Create custom handling instructions for special packages such as high-priority, hazardous, perishable, or heavy ones.
Virtual Assistant
Office tasks can be overwhelming, especially if you have limited full-time staff. Luckily, you can rely on virtual assistants (VAs) to fill the void effectively and cost-efficiently. Instead of overloading your schedule with tasks that don’t require your attention, you can delegate to a VA while focusing on more value-adding ones, e.g., product development and market outreach. And in case you’re wondering where to get a qualified VA, several top-rated companies offer the best virtual assistant services at competitive and flexible rates.
Virtual Phone System
Long gone are the days when companies relied on the costly traditional phone systems to complete internal and external communication. Today, businesses can switch to virtual phone solutions to handle business calls more flexibly, affordably, and conveniently. A virtual phone system is a communication platform that enables users to communicate over the internet through a desk phone, desktop app, or smartphone.
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Step 3: Invest in the Right Communication and Collaboration Platforms
With teams working from diversified locations, virtual office tools for communication and collaboration will be a must-have for successful business operation. Besides the virtual phone solutions discussed above, you’ll also need other essential communication tools like email, softphones, web conferencing, instant messaging, etc.
Team collaboration is also the backbone of enhanced productivity and effective workflow. Unlike a physical setup where employees can convene and deliberate on pressing work matters, a virtual office has no allocation. Luckily, digital collaboration solutions like Teams, Zoom and Slack are here to bring the same physical meeting experience, albeit virtually. These tools enable you to work more effectively with teams by steering project management, resource allocation, real-time visual communication and consultation, time-tracking, reporting, and many more.
Step 4: Migrate to the Cloud
One of the biggest challenges of virtual or remote offices is upholding data integrity and security. Cybercriminals are always on the lookout to target unsuspecting companies and individuals with weak cybersecurity measures. More so, with critical data being transferred often between remote teams, virtual offices may be at the most risk of cyberattacks.
Luckily, moving data storage to the cloud ensures that critical company information is overly secure, easily accessible from virtually anywhere, and effortlessly retrievable in case of IT systems failure. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have taken the front lead at providing businesses with convenient cloud-based solutions such as Google Drive, AWS, DropBox, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and more. Thanks to these platforms, you can effortlessly save, share, access, and organize your files more securely and risk-free.
Step 5: Emphasize Organizational Culture
It may be much easier to follow company rules, meet deadlines, keep time, and delegate duties while working in a physical office as opposed to a virtual setup. But you can correct that by establishing a clear-cut organizational culture and leveraging some valuable tools.
For instance, you can never miss out on vital timelines. Like when to pick up the package if you have an awe-inspiring tracking tool like Notifii Track. It sends automatic notifications to let you know when your mail has arrived. Likewise, apps like Organizer Pro or MyOrganizer ensure that your appointments, notes, and tasks are well organized and easily traceable from a centralized spot. And the best part? You can sync your information on multiple devices to ensure that you never miss out on anything. Even if you’re on the road.
Ready to Go Virtual with the Best Tool and Resources?
There’s no denying that virtual offices have reshaped the employment landscape, and it’ll most likely become the new normal for the foreseeable future. Organizations have realized the tremendous benefits transitioning to a virtual office – either partly or wholly – brings, and many are joining in. You just can’t get enough virtual office setups from reduced overhead costs to enhanced productivity to increased returns.
Now is the time to tap into the countless virtual office tools and solutions necessary to complete tasks and functions. Notifii Track helps manage packages even for virtual offices as long as you have a virtual business address. Curious to discover more? Subscribe to our newsletter today for frequent invaluable updates and insights!
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