Creating the Right Virtual Office for Your Business

The penny’s dropped. After the world was forced into remote working, it turns out that now, people tend to be more productive at home and many even prefer it for the better work-life balance that it brings. 

According to a study by FlexJobs, 75% of respondents reported an improved work-life balance as a result of remote working. And, to add to that, a report told by Apollo Technical states that employees are 47% more productive when they’re working from home. 

Pit the needs of companies and their employees against one another and you’re left with one modern solution: virtual offices. The advantages are plentiful for both sides of the coin. 

Read on to learn what virtual offices are, the reasons to have one of your own and how professionals can help you realize a digital space that’s both well-branded and unique.

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What is a Virtual Office and Why Should you use One?

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A virtual office is a digital alternative—or an augmentation to—the traditional way of working. Imagine for a moment: the productivity you demand; the work-life balance your employees need; the absolute creativity that comes with bringing everyone together. That’s what virtual workspaces are all about. 

Maybe X is working from home or maybe Y is on another continent — there’s nothing more personal or creative than having everyone in the same building. The next best way to achieve this—to keep everyone on the same frequency—is to have your own VR office. 

Everything you can do in a traditional office you can do in a virtual one. Host presentations, take meetings in private spaces, nurture ideas and allow employees to thrive in their ideation with people they’ve never actually met. 

The system of relying on instant messaging apps, like Slack — there’s no denying it works for now. But it strangles what’s really important for the contractor and the contracted.

Knowing each other; sharing a communal space — this is how important and scalable decisions are formed. The culmination of personalities, injecting experience and knowledge — the best way to achieve this is with connectivity. VR offices expedite this process. Worldwide employees can make meaningful connections in virtual reality far sooner than they can over instant-messaging apps.

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The Benefits of Having a Virtual Office Space

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1. Reduce Your Overhead Costs

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It’s undoubtedly cheaper to have a virtual office than it is to have one made out of bricks and steel. But, until the future arrives, most companies will continue to count on the traditional — even if their workforce is largely remote. That’s not to say they can’t benefit from having a virtual office, too, however. 

Virtual offices can be designed to the exact specifications you want. You’re not limited to what building managers, regulators and blueprints allow for. Plus, you can change the design whenever — and at next-to-no cost. It’s a fraction of the fixed and variable costs that come with maintaining and developing physical spaces. 

While owning both may set you back financially, the productivity and connectivity that comes with uniting teams in such a way will pay for itself.

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2. Increase Your Teams’ Productivity

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People work better when they’re close together. Ideas are born and best grown in such environments. But, when you have a spattering of in-house and remote employees, this level of collaboration becomes somewhat throttled. 

A virtual environment unites teams — regardless of where they’re located. It’s the closest thing to being in the office all at once. Teams can bounce thoughts off one another and develop truly special ideas. That’s because they can intimately riff off each other’s abilities; because they’re familiar with each other’s capabilities.

These connections are often unobtainable—this level of productivity is somewhat missed out on—when there isn’t a single, personal environment for everyone to boom in.

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3. Improve Work-Life Balance

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One of the toughest feats employers face is maintaining employee satisfaction and minimizing turnover. That’s because people just need to feel like there’s a balance between work and life. 

Sod’s law dictates that if something can go wrong it will. When work is going great, it feels like life goes bad. Or, if life goes well, then something goes wrong with work. 

The thing is, we all have our own problems; we all have our own responsibilities. But, in an ideal world, we strike a balance between the two. We all want to be available for both. 

Virtual offices allow us to show up for both. People can work from home or anywhere else; they can look after their kids and they can be present when their families need them. Rather than drop the important and personal stuff, they can turn up at a place that delivers the near-on exact same experience as being in the office — without actually being there.

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4. Your Virtual Office is Personalizable

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Having a personalized virtual office has a positive impact on company culture — as well as team morale. But, what if you want to host clients? Much in the same way you’re open to having employees on other continents, you probably want to have clients in other parts of the world, too. Why limit your accessibility, right? 

Unique, personalized virtual offices are just as good for your clients as they are for your employees. Rather than pay exorbitant fees, traveling to meet the prospective or for them to come to you —  you can meet in a space that properly reflects your brand. Without the price that typically comes with that.

Want to change your VR office? Easy. Brands change; objectives change. It’s a lot easier than redecorating your physical space, that’s for sure. It’s a lot cheaper, too. 

As your company evolves, so can your space — with little to no effort required from you.

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Choose the Pros for Creating Custom Virtual Offices

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Most companies don’t have the in-house capabilities to create their own virtual offices. Designing, coding, creating, altering and maintaining such spaces just isn’t in most businesses’ wheelhouse. 

That’s where the professionals come in. Gifting the privilege of producing a digital workspace for your company to another means you can focus on doing what you do best. And that’s without worrying about the intricacies of keeping your online office running smoothly. Knowing your brand; understanding your needs — this can be the outside hire’s job. It doesn’t need to be yours. 

Companies like View Studios and others out there can actualize your visions. And they can maintain them, too. Your identity + your design demands + your ongoing needs — you’ll have a lasting equation when you count on a business that makes such important sums its chief focus.

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Our Thoughts

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Owning your own virtual office is effectively future-proofing your company and the needs of your employees. The sooner that businesses recognize the importance of creating a work-life balance, the sooner they can start enjoying the benefits that come with virtual office spaces. 

For you, that means fewer overhead costs, improved connectivity between employees, better collaboration across teams—whether remote, in-house or both—and unrivaled opportunities for innovation.