How to Create a Virtual Office With the Help of New Technologies

Internet technology, mobile devices, and new software programs have opened the door to an entirely new world of possibilities. Chief among these is the chance to operate a virtual office, which reduces overhead and gives you the flexibility to move around as you please.

Set Up a Physical Space

While it may seem contrary to the idea of a virtual office, the first step to creating one will involve setting up a physical space that will function as your central base of operations. In other words, you need some kind of room to work out of.

Most people set up an office in their home or apartment, but in theory you could work from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection. The value of having a physical space is to instill a level of consistency in your operations.

Use New Technologies to Launch

Apart from setting up a physical space, the rest of the creativity is up to you. Your needs will dictate most of what you will and won’t need, but there’s also freedom to try new technologies and experiment with various types of software and programs.

Here are a few you might want to consider:

• Google Apps: A major tech trend over the past decade has been integration, and Google is leading the way on that front. Google Apps, an online office suite that has more than 2 million business subscribers, is designed to handle many of the requirements of a virtual office. For only $5 or $10 per month, depending on your storage needs, you can get access to four different categories of product lines that are designed to help you communicate (Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Google+), store documents and files (Google Drive), collaborate (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, and Sites), and manage (Admin and Vault).

Why invest in these products? According to Kevin Routson of Bluehost, a popular web hosting platform, “The free versions of Gmail, Google Drive, Google Hangouts, etc., are great tools for individuals to use in their daily lives. But when businesses require more control, more collaboration, and more professionalism, Google Apps for Work makes it possible. Not only do you get additional apps only available on Google Apps for Work, you also get the ease of Gmail with the professionalism of your own domain, additional storage across Gmail and Drive, increased collaboration by syncing calendars and files across users, enhanced security features, full administration for all user accounts, and more.”

• Virtual assistant: While it may sound like something out of a movie, you can actually hire a virtual assistant to handle your day-to-day tasks the way a standard office receptionist would. A handful of companies offer virtual assistant services, and most handle such tasks as data entry, phone calls, appointment scheduling, document editing, social media management, email correspondence, and more.

• Project management programs: Does your business involve a lot of moving parts? For example, do you run a design firm in which multiple parties touch your projects before they’re delivered? If so, you’ll need a project management software or platform that enables you to enhance collaboration and improve communication between team members. Depending on your needs, here’s a list of some of the top-rated solutions.

Interaction With Employees and Clients

While technology will help you stay connected, the truly successful virtual business knows how and when to interact remotely with employees and clients. It’s not something everyone can do and requires a particular skill set.

You must be comfortable with letting go of some of your control (since you won’t be able to oversee everything that’s happening directly) as well as being capable of providing clear instructions and effectively motivating your employees. Video chatting programs like Skype are a lifesaver because they allow you to put faces to names.

How you run your virtual office is up to you, but it obviously is going to take patience and effort. The foregoing tools, software, and tips can help ease you transition and should enable you to maximize your chances of success.

Full Article: http://experts.allbusiness.com/virtual-office-new-technologies/21673/?utm_source=socialondemand.external.xerox.com&utm_medium&utm_campaign=socialondemand.external.xerox.com#.VU-9aWDmGyM

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