There are a lot of negative misconceptions about virtual offices that have been proven to be completely groundless in the past few years. Yet, many companies still dismiss the notion of using virtual office spaces in well-known cities like Ottawa because they assume that it’s far too risky or too expensive to make the switch from the familiarity of a traditional brick-and-mortar office setting. Unfortunately, most companies are simply too afraid to break out of their comfort zones in order to realize that the benefits of renting a virtual office far outweigh the risks.
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Myths about Renting Virtual Offices
Renting virtual office space is an ongoing trend that’s only gaining more and more momentum in the business world. Small businesses, startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs are all recognizing the value in renting a virtual office space as opposed to entering into a long-term, non-negotiable lease agreement.
In fact, virtual offices are slowly but surely becoming the norm in most professional industries, and they’re the way of the future. If that’s truly the case though, then you may be wondering why so many people still have reservations about using them. The simple truth is that certain common myths have blinded people to the numerous incomparable benefits that virtual office services in Ottawa can provide. That’s why it’s important to debunk the following common beliefs before they fester into facts.
Myth #1: Virtual Offices Make Employees Less Productive
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Studies have shown that people who work remotely are actually far more productive than those who are forced to work in a communal office setting all day. People who work remotely have the freedom to work in comfortable surroundings, they don’t have to worry about dressing professionally all the time, they can work within more flexible schedules, and they feel less pressure and stress from their superiors.
Conversely, people who work in an office setting regularly are less productive because they’re constantly distracted by their coworkers, they feel more pressure and stress at work, and they might not like having to commute to work everyday when it would be more convenient to just work from home (especially if they live far from the office and have to take public transit).
Myth #2: Virtual Offices Are Unprofessional
Virtual offices are far from unprofessional because you can still have access to all of the amenities you’d have if you leased a long-term office space. The only difference is that you won’t have to pay a lump sum for these things regardless of whether you use them.
A virtual office agreement allows you the freedom to only pay for the amenities that you use, including meeting rooms, conference centres, office equipment, physical offices, technical support, and administrative services. In Ottawa, renting a virtual office means you get all of the perks of having a permanent professional address without having to use it all the time.
Myth #3: Virtual Offices Are Expensive
Virtual offices are actually less expensive than leasing office space for an extended period of time and by making the switch, you could save your company a great deal of money. If you take the time to review your current business expenses, you’ll most likely conclude that the majority of the funds you’re spending are going towards things that could be avoided if you simply allowed your employees to work remotely. These include Internet, commuting, renting or purchasing office equipment that’s not being used on a regular basis, and even hiring frontend staff that could come as part of a virtual office package deal.
Myth #4: Virtual Offices Are Unreliable
It makes sense for people to think that virtual offices are unreliable given the notion that working at a company usually entails working and communicating with your coworkers on a regular basis. In the past, lack of adequate and frequent communication between coworkers would have been a legitimate excuse for companies to discourage their employees from working remotely.
Due to vast technological advancements, however, this concern no longer has any legitimate bearing. Social media, face-to-face calling options, texting, instant messaging, and e-mailing have pretty much rendered the need to work alongside your coworkers obsolete. Of course, there’s no denying that certain exceptions exist and sometimes, physical interactions are necessary. The beauty of renting a virtual office space is that you can use the space whenever you need or want to.
Myth #5: Virtual Offices Present Security Risks
Another major misunderstanding about virtual offices is the idea that they present an increased security risk when it comes to employees sharing potentially sensitive company information online or via text. Many corporations fear that online accounts or cellphones containing work-related information can easily be intercepted by their adversaries and that valuable company information will end up in the wrong hands.
What people don’t realize is that the Internet has been vastly improved in the last two decades, and though accounts can still be hacked, it takes a great deal of resources and expertise that most people simply don’t have in order to accomplish something like that. As long as your employees can guarantee they’re only using secured network connections for their work, then you can rest assured that your company information is safe.
Myth #6: Virtual Offices Only Benefit Small Businesses
During times of economical uncertainty, no business is safe from financial ruin, and sometimes the only option is to make severe cutbacks. Unfortunately, most companies usually resort to firing valuable employees rather than restructuring their own business expenditures. One of the ways companies can avoid letting people go while remaining in the black is by renting a temporary virtual office space rather than leasing an office space and being bound by an invariable contract. This way, you can spend your budget more efficiently and strategically without having to let go of your loyal and hardworking employees.
Myth #7: It’s Impossible to Manage Your Employees
The reality is that your employees should be self-sufficient enough to manage themselves. If you’re constantly chasing them down for project updates or you don’t feel comfortable enough leaving them to their own devices, then they’re probably more of a liability than they’re worth. That has more to do with their lack of a work ethic, motivation, and time management skills than it does with the fact that they’re working remotely. Renting virtual office spaces offer exceptional opportunities for your company to expand into the international market, so make sure that your employees are fully capable of helping you accomplish the goals that you set out for your business.
Myth #8: Virtual Offices Only Work for Teleworking Jobs
While it’s true that customer service-oriented companies benefit greatly from renting virtual offices, the reality is that pretty much any modern business can reap the rewards of allowing their employees to work remotely. Thanks in large part to technological advancements and high speed Internet connections, you can easily communicate with your employees, coworkers, or clients and hold project meetings from virtually any location around the globe. Any job that depends heavily on good communication skills can be done from the comfort of remote locations.
Myth #9: Virtual Offices Aren’t Real Offices
On the contrary, virtual offices are just as real as physical brick-and-mortar office locations. In fact, that’s actually part of what they are. Even if you don’t necessarily commute to work every day, you still have the option of working from a professional and fully furnished office suite from time to time or as often as you’d like. Complete with mail delivery and receiving services, a fully trained administrative staff at your disposal, professional receptionists, and a reliable IT department, you can have all of the same perks that you’d normally get with a leased office space without having to be there all the time. You can even book meeting rooms of multiple sizes whenever you want to hold corporate events.
Myth #10: Reliable Virtual Offices Are Few and Far Between
Virtual offices have seen a drastic growth in popularity over the past few years as more and more Millennials recognize the value in being able to work from remote locations. The amount of flexibility that virtual offices provide is undeniable and can’t be ignored. An increasing number of companies are also adapting this relatively new business practices because it helps them save an exponential amount of money in terms of renting physical office space.
Myth #11: Virtual Offices Reflect Poorly on Your Business
Arguably, virtual offices could initially reflect poorly on your business, but once people take a deeper look at what you’re able to accomplish with all of the money you can save by not renting a substantial amount of office space, that perspective will change. The negative connotations that are often associated with virtual office rentals are slowly but surely melting away as more and more businesspeople come to realize that they’re actually having a positive impact on companies all over the world. Companies are no longer forced to hire subpar employees within their vicinity, but can now expand their horizons and hire workers that live overseas and are more qualified for the position.
Myth #12: All Virtual Office Rentals Are Exactly the Same
Not all virtual office rental companies are exactly the same. They each offer a unique variety of amenities and bonuses that are designed to suit the needs of your business. Whether you need mail delivery and receiving services or someone to answer the phone and redirect phone calls for you, then you need to do some research and find a company that can offer those services. Most rental companies will even allow you to use their location as your official business address so that all important packages and letters will be delivered there directly. You’ll also receive notifications every time a piece of mail is delivered in your name or for your business.
Before you decide on whether or not you should take the plunge and rent a virtual office though, you should make a list of all of the different services you’re looking for and shop around for quotes. Even though virtual office rentals are very affordable, every business has a limit in terms of what they can afford.
Myth #13: There’s a Lack of Communication Between Coworkers
Again, this all boils down to how productive and self-sufficient your employees are on their own. You shouldn’t have to constantly monitor their activities and ensure that they’re using their time effectively, completing projects in time, asking questions, communicating amongst one another, or getting the answers they need in order to proceed with an important professional endeavour.
Your employees should be fully capable of managing themselves and their workloads even when you’re not around to help them. Of course, you should provide them with the necessary resources to help them succeed, but whether or not they use those resources effectively is completely up to them. With that said, virtual offices have been proven to help employees improve their productivity level because they’re allowed to work in an environment that’s comfortable for them without any distractions.
Myth #14: Teleworking Is Just an Excuse to Stay at Home
Many teleworkers actually don’t even work from home. Instead, many of them work from remote locations such as libraries or coffee shops. Teleworking provides countless opportunities for more employees to travel for work and for business owners to expand their enterprises into numerous markets around the globe. You can accomplish all of this without forcing employees from around the world to uproot their lives.
Myth #15: Securing a Virtual Office Package Is Complicated
In many cases, renting a virtual office is actually a lot easier than leasing a physical office space. Not only are virtual offices much more affordable, but you can rent one from pretty much anywhere in the world and finding flexible rental packages has never been easier.
Renting a Virtual Office Space in Ottawa
At Innovative Professional Offices, our main priority is to ensure that our clients are getting everything they need out of their office rental experience. We view your success as our own personal success, and we’re committed to helping you get there. We offer a large variety of flexible, customized office services with comprehensive and affordable rental plans that give you exactly what you need when you need it. Also, we have professional office rental locations all across Ontario, including in Ottawa and Mississauga. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us.
