Many of the world’s workers are expected to commute to a bricks-and-mortar office premises every weekday in order to undertake their various jobs. But are business owners wasting their money by spending thousands of pounds each year on such work spaces? 

Think about it – how often do you find yourself glued to your desk these days? It is quite likely that you are more often off-site, meeting with clients, giving pitches or attending industry conferences. Even those employees who are in the office most of the time probably make use of a few key rooms in the building only, potentially meaning much money is being lost by businesses through the costs of (unnecessary) real estate. 

Thanks to advancements in mobile technologies over the years also, theoretically office workers could complete many tasks relating to their job from almost any location, negating the necessity of their office desk. These thoughts are mirrored by Peter Job, founder and CEO of a Dubai-based IT optimisation consultancy business Intergence. Job’s has estimated that by the year 2020, around 80 % of workers globally will work from virtual offices. 

Job’s claim is largely driven by the advent of cloud computing: 

“Employees can use cloud services to share files, access business services, talk to each other or collaborate on shared documents in real time.”

The lack of a need to invest in real estate in the proposed virtual future will save business owners money but we have to ask; at what cost?

Whilst a largely virtual office-future is no doubt achievable, going completely virtual might not be as popular as Jobs has suggested, since many employers will want regular face-to-face contact with their employees. This could be much harder to ensure when it comes to virtual office operations which more easily allow employees to be geographically diverse. 

The shift into virtual office operations is also dependant on business owners and their members of staff learning how to use various cloud computing technologies and establishing new protocols for processes that would usually be conducted in person, offline. A large investment in training then would be required to ensure a business’s transition from physical to virtual goes as smoothly as it possibly can – mistakes could see precious profit and/or new business lost! 

Companies that implement several virtual office services – such as mail/call forwarding – now will also be better prepared for this supposed virtual future (and certain operations will run more smoothly in the present too!)   

What do you think of Job’s claim? Will most of us be working from a virtual office by 2020? Share your thoughts with us below. 

This summer will see the capital city of London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. London is the first ever city to host the contemporary version of the Games three times (1908, 1948 and 2012). Whilst this is exciting, both those who successfully secured tickets to one of the events and those expected to attend work as usual are highly likely to experience a travel nightmare or two during the 16 day event.

10 days of Paralympic competitions follow which will also affect transport efficiency (but probably to a lesser extent).

Although the Olympics’ planners intend to have 93% of athletes arrive at their event venue in 30 minutes or less – thanks to a number of road lanes being exclusively reserved for athletes and a number of diverted Tube routes and closed roads – it is the city’s workers who will no doubt face overcrowded and delayed motorways and public transport, particularly at peak times.

Many London Underground workers have already been offered bonuses of up to £850 during the Games in order to prevent strike actions from occurring, which suggests that the Tube will be running far less than smoothly throughout this period!

All signs seem to suggest that anyone capable of working from home during the event would be wise to do so, in order to avoid the inevitably stressful daily commutes. If you are a business owner, shelling out rent on your office space during the Olympics is pointless if the majority of your staff members are going to struggle to make it in! Similarly, launching a new physical office-based business during this time seems foolish. Virtual office services can be incredibly useful to implement in both instances.

Existing office spaces can make use of the services provided by virtual office companies – such as telephone answering and mail forwarding services, which can see employees completing their jobs from home – during the Games and perhaps sub-let their premises during this time (despite the expected travel chaos, London office space is still very desirable to those travelling from other countries to witness the battles for gold, silver and bronze).

Start-up businesses meanwhile can also use these services to make operations easier and to also benefit from the prestige of having a (temporary) London address during this manic period. 

Telephoning a call centre can be frustrating at the best of times, let alone when the person on the other end of the line speaks in broken English! Regardless, some businesses choose to employ the services of overseas call centres in a bid to cut costs but a survey conducted by YouGov (2007) revealed that more than half of the 96% of the surveyed individuals who said that they had had a bad experience when phoning a call centre cited foreign centres as their biggest bugbear, due to regular miscommunication.

Strong non-native accents in a call can cause frustrations for both parties. Clear communication on the phone for services such as insurance and banking is especially important since even the smallest mistake can cause unnecessary problems for customers. If someone has to request something from the call operator more than once during a call, they are likely to feel dubious that their request has actually been met and this in turn could see them deciding not to use the service - and the business responsible – again in the future.

Since the majority of customers are aware that costs are the reason behind a business’s employment of a foreign call centre, they are hardly going to feel very valued if they call customer services and someone with poor English picks up the phone. Whilst setting up a local call centre can be significantly more expensive than using international services, outsourcing call handling to a UK business specialising in such can greatly reduce the financial dent.

Businesses which use one of W1 Office’s phone answering services (either singularly or as part of a virtual office package) will be pleased to know that all of our call centres are based in the capital of the UK. Even better; all of our staff members will answer your business calls as if they are working right in front of you, adhering to any call scripts or protocols that you might provide. 

These days, it seems like everyone is deciding to start a businesses. The business world is fiercely competitive across most (usually over-saturated) industries and so, if you were to start your own business you would obviously wish to make yours stand out amongst its competitors. A business address in one of London’s most prestigious areas – such as Mayfair, Bond Street or Victoria – can be helpful for this.

Obviously, the purchase or rental of London real estate is very costly but this is where virtual office addresses serve their purpose; offering the prestige of a London address without the (ever-increasing) expense.

Consider this example:

Mr Jones operates a home cleaning service from his house in Surrey. Although his home address could suffice for his business needs, if Mr Jones was willing to pay a small fixed monthly fee, he could have an address akin to this:

Home Cleaning Co. LTD
Bond House
123 Bond Street
London
[POSTCODE]

The inclusion of London in the address automatically gives the business an appearance of being more established and therefore authoritative; and this will inspire confidence in potential customers. This address is sure to look impressive on business cards and any items of promotional stationary too.

Mr Jones' refusal to pay for such an address could see him lose business to other Surrey-based home cleaning companies who also lack a London business address but might offer a cheaper – and arguably less professional – service.

Mr Jones might be located many miles away from his virtual London office but this is no problem since the renting of such usually includes a mail forwarding service. W1 Office’s mail service, for example, includes the collection and first class mailing of a business’s snail mail. 

The news headlines have recently revealed that videogames retailer GAME – which operates 610 UK stores and a further 700 including 291 across Spain and Portugal – is in serious financial trouble and teetering on the edge of administration. GAME’s current stock value is close to zero and more than 10,000 jobs are at risk.

Should GAME go into administration, it will be the biggest UK-listed company to do so since Woolworths’ farewell to the high street back in November, 2008.

Due to doubts regarding GAME’s credit-worthiness, several games developers – including EA and Nintendo – have denied the retailer the right to stock popular titles such as Mass Effect 3, FIFA Street and The Last Story. GAME has stated that they have tried to work with these developers in order to strike “manageable credit terms” during this difficult period but many are refusing to comply, demanding upfront payment for the stocking of their games across GAME stores.

It would seem that GAME over extended its real estate since the retailer is now in talks with its banks as the date for its second – and potentially crippling – quarterly rental payment looms ever closer (March 25th).

But what does this mean for smaller businesses?

It should be obvious that keeping overheads for small business to an absolute minimum is important in the wake of customers spending less in these financially strained times, in order to prevent eventual collapse. Whilst GAME could (and probably will) close a number of its stores in order save some money, an equally wise move would be for the games retailer to begin running more of its behind-the-scenes operations – such as Customer Services and PR – from virtual offices.

Business operations from a virtual office can see companies save a significant amount of money. Those that select this option will not have to meet the costs of physical office space or a personal team of staff members, instead making use of remote receptionists and virtual assistants included in their virtual office package. It would also be wise for GAME to employ a telephone answering service (often included within virtual office deals) soon too, since the company is sure to receive an influx of calls from unhappy and/or confused customers and business partners should the brand announce its end.

Do you have a big marketing campaign in the works?

When planning marketing strategies it’s always important to ensure you plan correctly for all possible outcomes. Most of us remember some of the worst marketing and PR mistakes and forget the successful endeavors.

Back in the 90s, vacuum company Hoover decided to give away free flights as part of a promotion. The plan, however, backfired horribly when the demand for the offer became too great for the company to manage. Instead of pleased and satisfied customers, Hoover ended up having to pay out millions in legal and settlement fees, and suffered greatly in their public image. What’s worse? This could have been prevented!

A very powerful weapon in your business armory is preparation. And what better way to prepare for a marketing campaign than to arrange in advance for telephone answering services to aid in additional call volume?

Hoover could have prevented their PR woes and a whole lot of financial loss if they had been forward thinking enough to arrange a phone answering service, a cost-effective and highly helpful service, which could allow for the influx of callers and correspondence from interested customers and prevented delays which resulted in some not being able to participate in the offer.

These days, it doesn’t make sense to rely on old methods. Let Hoover be a lesson to you. If you’re planning a big marketing push, and let’s face it you probably are (times are tough and we all need a little extra!), make sure you look at all possible scenarios. Do whatever you can to both reduce your costs and ensure you don’t unnecessarily lose out due to bad planning.

As England continues to repeat its mantra of “keep calm and carry on” many are beginning to doubt whether staying calm really is the right option. But with riots and recession and general feelings of worry gathering around the minds and hearts of most of Britain’s people, the notion of keeping calm does indeed seem a good idea. 

Still, for business men and women, staying calm might not be the only or best option. Instead why not embrace a new mantra, perhaps we ought to “get strong and carry on”? It is time for businesses to learn how to fight back against a wavering economy and come out on top! But how do we do this? How does business stand strong in the midst of a recession?

1. Employ new tactics such as a virtual office address or call handling services. Virtual office addresses are a great way to help maintain authority and professionalism even while reducing office size or staff. You can keep a great address in central London but operate your business from anywhere. Meanwhile, call handling is great especially for medium-sized businesses that need a little extra support when dealing with high call volumes as a result of successful marketing campaigns.

2. Stay up to date on news and market happenings. Ensure your business is aware of rising trends and using these to your own benefit. This includes embracing social media and ensuring your company has a solid online presences as well as an offline presence. As Facebook claims it has invoked a future of sharing, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon if you haven’t already; harness the power of word of mouth and social interactions for your business!

3. Be flexible, and adaptable. In other words, don’t be a “stick in the mud” or any other appropriate cliché. As with the above suggestion, staying strong as a business involves being sure enough of whom you are as a business to adjust to rapid changes in society and economic systems. Be ready to roll with the punches and you are more likely to achieve long lasting success. 

We may be in the middle of a recession, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Some businesses are still doing well, and it’s not just the big businesses either. Medium sized businesses are doing surprisingly well thanks to effective marketing campaigns and money saving tactics such as phone answering services. Why would a medium sized business require extra services for phone answering?

Imagine you begin a new marketing campaign. Your increase in calls and queries should increase as a result. Do you have everything you need to handle the rise in call volume? 

Don’t let great marketing success put stress on your business! Success should never be a negative, or bring struggles to your company. You need to be prepared and maintain a calm, reasoned approach. 

While hiring more employees does create jobs, which is of course a great and welcome thing in this rocky economy, the financial strain it can unnecessarily place on your small to medium-sized business is not worth it. Creating too much strain too early can cause businesses to topple. Therefore, instead of looking to expand your employee base and risking  undue strain on your company, it would be best to choose a more cost effective solution by embracing alternative business ideas such as an answering service and even a virtual office address.

A wonderfully simple and cost-effective recession proof way to handle your business call increase is to bring in the help of a telephone answering service.  Let professionally trained customer service, telephone answering crews answer the calls for you. This way you save time, precious income, and stress from dealing with increased calls; all this while you reap the benefits of increased business and enquiries due to your successful marketing campaigns!

Instead of stressing about the recession and economic woes, take control of your business knowing that actually you can be in control of your future. 

Business is changing. This isn’t just down to global financial crises and system failures, but to the impact of social media and increased digitization of society. Retail in particular is moving off the high street and staking its claim primarily online. 

Current business trends point toward a movement to primarily online commerce transactions. 2011 Christmas sales in store were down this year while online stores saw their profits rise dramatically (so much so that it almost broke the postal system – they were strangely unprepared!). Businesses still operate on the high street but the majority of revenue for companies seems to be moving to the World Wide Web. Empty shops and high street ghost towns are emerging more and more, especially with the closing down of widely known high street presences such as La Senza, Blacks, and Barratts, all making many staff redundant and closing up high street shops.

Even those who previously sought a high rent address in the coveted W1 post code area are recognising the benefits of a virtual office address in London rather than an actual one. It may seem strange to suggest business moves from physical space to virtual spaces. If the world continues to drive forward at such a highly digital pace we could end up in something like “the Matrix”, as digital rather than physical beings that become unaware of the real world falling apart around us.  But for businesses looking for a survival plan in the face of our ever shifting economy and business world, virtual space is the way forward.

Here are three reasons to go virtual in 2012:

1. Trends hint at the way forward: As mentioned above, retail and business trends are pointing toward e-commerce rather than high street commerce as the way of the future. Businesses that have a strong online presence are more likely to succeed despite economic dips and droughts. This means less money should be spent on physical space and more directed toward creating an affable online trading space and a positive social media presence. 

2. Technology is more than a tool now: Much of the technology we’ve created over the past few years has been to make our physical lives easier. Now, technology is changing how we function. We used to be able to function as we had for decades with each of us in our offices, with ties and suits and/or skirts and blouses. However, mobile technology, apps, tablets, and social media has shifted everything. A physical address is no longer a requirement. A mail forwarding address is more cost effective than an office on the high street, and creates freedom for your business. Embrace it.

3. Rental & property prices are on the rise: Inflated rental prices and cost of living, high interest rates and less overall trust in banking as a whole means laying out thousands each month on high overheads for electricity, gas, and equipment is just not sensible. Businesses should be doing everything they can to carry on and overcome unfair pricing and inflated expenses. Online businesses are flexible, more affordable, and less likely to contribute to rising high street ghost town occurrences across the UK. 

Don’t fall behind, stay ahead and take your business into the virtual world. This way even if we do end up in the Matrix, you’re more likely to stay on top.

At the start of 2012, many companies are still fighting against the financial global crisis, the deflated job market, and predicted impending recession (the second in just a few years), by stepping into courageous new business start ups. 

These start ups are not your average businesses of the last decade or so. Most of these new businesses are working with a different sort of business plan, embracing adaptability and new models of commerce such as co-operation, sustainability and innovation.  The businesses that are rising above gloomy trends are those offering something different, like the real estate company working to create and sell more affordable housing or the water company, incorporating both expensive filtration equipment and affordable 20 Litre cans helping the average villagers in India to get access to clean water. Thinking outside the box is vital this year and as we move into the future.

If you’re looking to start a new business or reboot your current one, here are a few tips for business success from 2012 onward:

1. Embrace Crowd Funding: This is a great way to get a business going and avoid interest heavy loans. A company called Great Little Place used crowd funding to get the necessary £10,000 to start up their business, which gave them a real chance to come out on top and get their business going. Without this, it would have been a much rockier start. The great thing about this is that funding from sites like crowdfunder.co.uk keep banks and loans at a distance and allows for the common people to feel involved in your great project resulting in instant social engagement and awareness of your business right out of the gate. You can’t fake that kind of marketing magic.

2. Go Social: Embracing social media as it grows and develops will be vital to your business success. Businesses that turn a blind eye to this will likely miss out on key search opportunities and on positive public opinions that come through social interaction via the internet. As the digital world and tools become more engrained in business and society it’s important not to dismiss social media as merely a fad or as something other people do. Social media is impacting how the world works. Get behind it, engage with people, and make sure your social presence is valuable. This will help your business grow and maintain strength even in hard times. Online shopping aided by social sites is also gaining traction with the majority of Christmas sales happening online this year, rather than in store.

3. Be Innovative: As society changes under the influence of media, technology, and the global financial crisis, innovation and ease of adaptability (and ability to roll with the punches) will become increasingly important. If you can’t think beyond interior focused guidelines and ideas, your business will probably suffer. Especially in the UK, cuts and strain to small businesses are likely to continue for the next few years. If you can work around this and keep your company thinking one step ahead of government’s tactics to give money to big business and penalise small business, you’ll be one or two steps ahead of the "average Joe company" and more poised for success.

4. Green is Good: Yes, green business has been on a rocky road over the last few years and recession hasn’t helped, but green business is also more affordable these days. Cutting down on commuting, and moving out of big cities like London (instead using London Virtual Offices and office mail forwarding services), reducing power consumption, recycling, using less paper, and coming up with environmentally friendly processes, is good business sense. A company that is green or sustainable may also benefit from more positive social engagement and public opinion as most people are aware of the benefits of green practices. So if you’re starting a new business, now is the time to ensure your practices are sustainable (it’s more expensive to do this retrospectively).