Boston Software Systems Inc

Posted on December 29, 2008 at 5:00 pm by Sarah

Using a virtual office to keep the costs of running your business down is a good idea, but there are pros and cons involved with doing it. You need to carefully weight up the advantages of a virtual office, and offset them against the disadvantages to make an informed decision on whether a virtual office is right for you, or whether you’d be better suited opting for a serviced office or even a traditional office space solution.

One of the advantages of a virtual office, besides the obvious cost saving benefits, is the benefit it provides to your employees. Sharyn Katz is the account manager at Boston Software Systems Inc in the USA, she says she enjoys the benefit of a virtual office because it helps her manage her workflow:

I enjoy the independence and freedom of being able to set my own workflow based on the company’s needs and priorities.

Other employees say they love the freedom that a virtual office offers, such as being able to work from any location, from the library to the coffee shop. A virtual office gives employees independence, and frees them from any distractions faced in the workplace.

There are downsides to a virtual office as well, with one of the most common complaints being the feeling of isolation one feels when working from home. A serviced office or office space solution affords workers the opportunity to chat and share their thoughts, whereas a virtual office can be a very lonely workplace.

Another common problem with the virtual office is that some employees find it difficult to concentrate without having other employees to chat to and to bounce ideas off of. They can find it too easy to wander off to do other things, such as watching TV, running errands or making a coffee.

A final problem reported with virtual office solutions is that when you require more information from a line manager or project manager before completing a task, they may not be on hand easily. When you’re in a standard office you can walk into another office or pick up the phone, but the isolation felt by a virtual office means that colleagues aren’t always on hand when you need them quickly.