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When an entrepreneur is expanding a business, this might not be a question that comes to mind because it may sound like the most stupid of questions, but can you run a business without an office? While we could argue that is not a possibility, but in the modern world, where technology is king, almost anything is possible. From the demands of flexible working hours, as well as the opportunity to work from home, staff members are looking for ways to avoid the office at all costs. So how can this be done?
Get your tech in place
The most important thing about working without a core location is to ensure that contact with your workers is total. It is possible to run an office efficiently without there being a physical one. This means that you need a working method in place that is suitable for remote workers that give them the space to work flexibly but also that they can inform you of any issues at a moment’s notice. This can consist of simple programs like Skype, instant messenger programs, or even the simple, yet effective, email.
Creating the impression of a big business
This can be done without having an office, and although many people may think that you need an office in order to present a strong image to clients or competitors, the fact is that it can be easily mimicked by utilizing virtual office techniques such as virtual receptionists. They are able to take on the role of a receptionist for your company without them being anywhere near your business location, and some of the most popular questions about virtual receptionists are answered in this link. The idea with a virtual receptionist is to provide the effective frontline of your business as if they were your direct employee so this is something to think about, and you can also make the most of mail forwarding addresses instead of putting your residential address on correspondence.
What happens when you need space?
We don’t have to necessarily operate without a core location, but if you are looking to cut back on finances but still need a core team of workers, it is still essential that you meet in person now and again. And you can do this by arranging meetings in a rented space once every few weeks. It doesn’t need to be a vital component of the modern business, but there are ways around running a successful company without having a physical location. The importance of firms being ahead of the curve when it comes to technology means that you need to embrace this to make the most of the communication as well as marketing and also solidifying workers that have a common thread, which is the need to work remotely. You can create virtual teams that operate under a VPN, and you could also make the most of the cloud based software for additional protection. But the bottom line when it comes to running a business remotely is that it can be done, and it should be done!
