During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the business world is going through an unprecedented period of uncertainty and change. At a time like this, Canadian entrepreneurs and business managers need to look at new solutions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and to keep their businesses afloat. Setting up a virtual business address in Ottawa or Mississauga or renting virtual office space in Mississauga or Ottawa, for example.
COVID-19 & Your Business
The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world of business as we know it—at least temporarily, if not forever.
People around the world are in quarantine, self-isolating, or practicing social distancing in order to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). And of course this has a massive impact on businesses and their employees.
According to the Angus Reid Institute, 44% of all Canadian households are impacted by some type of job loss at the moment.
However, some businesses are adapting to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, doing their bit to keep the economy going and also to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Some are changing their product offering, like Toronto’s Spirit of York switching from making gin and vodka to hand sanitizer. Others are transforming their physical business to a virtual office.
We’re here to discuss the latter, virtual offices, and how they can help prevent the spread of coronavirus and also keep your business alive and well.
What Is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office gives you all the benefits of having your own office space without the same level of cost (i.e. a lease) or maintenance.
For example, when you rent a virtual office space in Mississauga or Ottawa with Innovative Professional Offices, you gain access to services essential to the running of your business.
Services like:
- A permanent business mailing address for incoming/outgoing mail
- Phone support for incoming calls
- Day offices, boardrooms, and training rooms for when you do absolutely need physical access
- High-tech communications equipment
- Web design, development, and hosting
Establish a Presence in Any Market with a Virtual Office
Whether you’re looking to protect and grow your established business or start up a new venture, as many might be doing in this changed commerce climate, going the virtual office route can give you a presence in a wide variety of markets.
Here’s a very small sample of the types of businesses and services that can operate via virtual office services:
- Law offices
- Publishers
- Consultants
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Advertising
- Graphic design
- Public Relations
- Real Estate Agents
- IT firms
- Tech start-ups
- Freelance service providers
- Entrepreneurs of any kind
Ultimately, as a business owner, you want to build a successful brand that’s widespread across your local market or even multiple markets across the country or around the world. This is where renting a virtual office space comes into play. You can avoid the expense of leasing multiple physical locations and give your business the freedom to pivot and expand quickly anywhere.
5 Benefits of Switching to a Virtual Office during COVID-19 Pandemic
This time of upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic has likely been difficult for you and your business. But it might also function as an eye-opener as to how you should arm yourself as an entrepreneur to protect your business during this pandemic and any future outbreaks.
Still on the fence? Here are five benefits of making the move to virtual office services during the COVID-19 pandemic:
1. Avoid Physical Contact Risk
In this time of physical and social distancing, having a virtual office allows you and your employees to work remotely. This limits the physical contact and virus particle transmission between your team members and also between you and clients or customers. Plus, you’re eliminating contact between you and other office building tenants.
2. Limit Risky Commute
If you go the virtual office route, you, your team members, and clients will be able to minimize time spent on public transportation or at gas stations, where you’re potentially exposed to coronavirus transmission.
3. Prevent Interruption in Work
If you’re set up with virtual office services during the COVID-19 pandemic and ahead of any future outbreaks, this will allow your business to keep functioning, so you can stick to business as much as possible and keep revenue coming in.
You can take customer and client phone calls at your regular business number, accept packages and mail at your virtual office’s address, and have any employees or contractors telecommute.
Having all of these virtual office components in place even gives your business the potential to grow at a time when others are reducing operations or closing down.
4. Save on Costs
Even if your business isn’t suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic, any entrepreneur should be very interested in slashing business costs where they can. A virtual office can be extremely cost effective, saving on overhead costs such as an office lease, equipment and furniture, repairs, insurance, utilities, as well as reception and phone staff.
5. Boost Your Company’s Reputation
At this point in time, if your business in non-essential, being able to work remotely is the key to your business’ survival. And, when it comes to future operations, it just might be the key to your business’ good reputation.
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies that were quick on the draw to allow employees to work from home were considered leaders in their industries.
Of course, now that Ontario and other provinces are mandating that businesses considered non-essential either shut down or continue to operate without their locations open or physical contact required, there’s no choice in the matter, unless you want to face massive fines and a black mark against your business’ name.
Going forward, even once the non-essential business shutdown has passed, switching permanently to a virtual office will give you an edge in the business world.
These days, clients and customers want to give their business to socially responsible companies. They want to see that the business they work with is taking measures to make a positive change in their community, or even in the world. Potential employees and contractors also look for this characteristic in a company.
So, taking the step to provide clients and employees the chance to be safe and doing your part to prevent/limit future coronavirus outbreaks provides an intangible benefit. That is, an enhanced reputation, which in turn could increase customer loyalty or bring in new clients and also attract good employees.
If you’re looking to rent virtual office space in Mississauga or set up a virtual office in Ottawa, Innovative Professional Offices has you covered. We offer a wide range of convenient amenities and services to all of our clients including flexible, comprehensive, and affordable virtual service packages to suit your needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future. Contact us today to learn more.
