Virtual office is an ideal option for new and home based businesses, as they provide the appearance of a much larger organization, while allowing you to continue working from home. It is a perfect choice for business owners who need office space and business services as and when needed basis. It allows the small business owners to access all the benefits of having a private office space without the cost of opening a physical office.
For the small home-based business or the newly established organization, professional virtual offices offer a convenient and cost-effective way to create a professional image for your company. And for the established small business, virtual offices can provide the extra services and the sophisticated atmosphere that it needs to increase its productivity and profitability. The purpose of a professional virtual office service is to provide a professional business environment for your organization or an exclusive address for personal use.
Finding a virtual office service alternative to standard office setup is a growing trend across many different kinds of businesses. Using a virtual office service allows individuals to work from home while conducting most of their businesses over internet or phone. Virtual office is used to cover a range of activities. You can tailor your own virtual office solution from a variety of services.Virtual office services are unique services that can enhance your business image with a fraction of cost of full-time office space.
Using a 24/7 Telephone Answering Service is a Smart Choice-Answering your business calls reliably and in a professional manner, shows that you care about your customers. A virtual office receptionist service allows you the option to have your calls answered in the company’s name. With virtual office services, you do not have to worry that you might be missing important messages because a real person always answers the telephone with the number of your company, handle your mails, faxes and relay your messages as per your instructions. Phone answering service allows you to work from anywhere, giving your small business a competitive edge.You have to pay a nominal fee and rent the services as and when needed basis.
A 24/7 answering service will provide a dedicated phone number and voice mail with call forwarding services. During normal office hours, all calls will be answered by a virtual attendant in your company’s name. The line will never be busy and will never go unanswered. Your emails can also be answered by the answering service, allowing you to work on your core business "making money".
In the midst of an economic recession, the advantages of professional virtual office are immeasurable. In today’s environment, the need for cost-cutting measures in physical office, transportation and hiring secretarial staff is inevitable. A virtual office perfectly suits the needs of individuals that work from home, companies that have no requirement for a full time office, those companies, which do not have the requisite budget for a physical office, medium to small-scale companies and new start up companies and they provide customized packages as per the needs of your company.In today’s ever-changing business climate, speed and flexibility are essential for success in any business and this is what virtual office packages are intended for.
Virtual office packages are for those who want to create a professional office setting appearance, at the same time do not need a full time office. Various packages are available and depending upon your needs, you have to choose the service that will best fit your company. Whether you need to establish your corporate presence or a conference/meeting room on an hourly basis, virtual office packages offer a wide variety of services to manage your business flow.
Virtual offices are very flexible and cater for the needs of all size and types of business. Investing in an office infrastructure is not necessary for many small businesses.
In a virtual office, you work from your home as you always have, yet your business has a prestigious phone number. To the outside world, you are sitting in a downtown location.
The virtual office fits all types of business needs-whether you have a new home business or an on-the-go professional. Using the services of a virtual office on a ‘pay as you use’ basis, such as using a telephone answering service might be a cheaper option to consider. These packages are extremely flexible and ideal for any business.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
FOR NORTH AMERICAN BUSINESSES, THE BENEFITS OF
The discussion about outsourcing continues to be an on-again, off-again affair - onshore and offshore, that is.
Certainly, the basic value of outsourcing has been well-documented. Depending on the industry, the benefits can range from dramatic cost savings to reduction of inventory, to the fact that it allows companies to focus on their core competencies. When it comes to some specialized tasks, the advantages of outsourcing are, frankly, not even open to question.
What is still up for debate, however, is whether to adopt an onshore or offshore approach. For purposes of this (or most any) discussion, “onshore” outsourcing refers to the use of an outsourcer located on the same continent as the customer company; “offshore,” logically, would be anywhere else – including halfway around the world. While each approach has distinct merits, it is instructive to examine specific outsourcing scenarios to determine which line of attack is optimal. For example, if you are a North American company seeking to outsource your customer service department or wish to make a major upgrade to your company’s accessibility by offering 24/7 service, the onshore strategy is a significantly better method. Let’s examine the rationale:
Practical Experience
Generally speaking, if you stay onshore in the North American market, you can
identify talent that has extensive expertise in your domain. For example, if you’re a catalog company, the United States can offer a wealth of experience in mailing and printing options which you can identify and effectively utilize. In fact, the availability of expertise in North America for virtually any hightech sector you can name – especially telecommunications and networking - is a fact of outsourcing life.
Location, Location, Location
One of the key reasons why onshore is frequently a better outsourcing option is
proximity. When a North American company begins working with an outsourcer only a few hundred or even a thousand miles away, hopping on a plane for an in-person meeting, generally speaking, convenient as well as affordable. Taking a trip to India,however, is neither convenient nor economical, which discourages the face-to-face interaction that, while not essential on a daily basis, can become critical if and when a project begins to veer off-course.
Without question, distance issues can be mitigated somewhat through the use of phones, e-mail, instant messaging, and even videoconferencing. However, it’s not the same as getting into a room together and being able to discuss a project in a real-time,personal manner.
Time is a close relative of distance. Consider: The two points furthest apart from each other – latitudinally – in North America are separated by just four time zones. Thus, it would be relatively simple to set up a conference call at a time that is well within business hours for both sides. On the other hand, try putting a call between New York and China. It is likely to mean that at least one of the parties will be forced to get up too early or go to bed too late. Further, when you’re thousands of miles and multiple time zones apart, it’s difficult to have those all-important creative juices flowing on a real-time basis.
Language Barriers
One of the most obvious quandaries of an offshore set-up is the language issue. A North American company dealing with a North American outsourcer can rest assured that both parties will communicate in English; the same cannot necessarily be guaranteed when dealing with a foreign outfit, creating an obstacle whose effect cannot be overstated. What’s more, even if the outsourcer’s key personnel do speak English, they may not be completely versed in some of the quirky phrases and local dialect that can make English much harder to comprehend.
Political/Financial Stability
One other hidden value of offshore outsourcing is the political stability in North America. A quick glance at any major newspaper or media outlet will highlight the nefarious actions taking place in many parts of the world – a terrorist attack here, a coup d’etat there. What’s more, many foreign countries are suffering through economic crises that make the current problems in the United States pale in comparison.
Total Project Cost
From a dollar perspective, the lure of offshore outsourcing can be particularly potent. Without a doubt, the labor cost is significantly lower in popular outsourcing destinations. However, there are hidden and not-so-hidden costs that must be taken into account. Language barriers, time zone differences, even the design culture not only create obstacles to timely, effective product development and delivery; they carry hard, actual costs. Language issues can require interpreter services and can result in product development miscues. Lack of proximity will lead to huge travel expenses when a face-to-face meeting is necessary.
The cost of overall project management is another variable that must be accounted for. Far less management is usually required on the part of the customer who utilizes onshore resources. This naturally has to do with time, distance, geography, design culture, and other dynamics cited earlier. But it is even more closely correlated to the experience factor than anything else. Because the offshore team is often more inexperienced in the specific development or market area that the customer is seeking,tighter project management and oversight will be required, putting the client company in the position of “hand holding” the offshore talent to ensure that everything flows smoothly.
Conclusion
With an experienced staff, close proximity, negligible time difference, and real-time interaction, the discussion of onshore vs. offshore should be an open and shut case.
Certainly, the basic value of outsourcing has been well-documented. Depending on the industry, the benefits can range from dramatic cost savings to reduction of inventory, to the fact that it allows companies to focus on their core competencies. When it comes to some specialized tasks, the advantages of outsourcing are, frankly, not even open to question.
What is still up for debate, however, is whether to adopt an onshore or offshore approach. For purposes of this (or most any) discussion, “onshore” outsourcing refers to the use of an outsourcer located on the same continent as the customer company; “offshore,” logically, would be anywhere else – including halfway around the world. While each approach has distinct merits, it is instructive to examine specific outsourcing scenarios to determine which line of attack is optimal. For example, if you are a North American company seeking to outsource your customer service department or wish to make a major upgrade to your company’s accessibility by offering 24/7 service, the onshore strategy is a significantly better method. Let’s examine the rationale:
Practical Experience
Generally speaking, if you stay onshore in the North American market, you can
identify talent that has extensive expertise in your domain. For example, if you’re a catalog company, the United States can offer a wealth of experience in mailing and printing options which you can identify and effectively utilize. In fact, the availability of expertise in North America for virtually any hightech sector you can name – especially telecommunications and networking - is a fact of outsourcing life.
Location, Location, Location
One of the key reasons why onshore is frequently a better outsourcing option is
proximity. When a North American company begins working with an outsourcer only a few hundred or even a thousand miles away, hopping on a plane for an in-person meeting, generally speaking, convenient as well as affordable. Taking a trip to India,however, is neither convenient nor economical, which discourages the face-to-face interaction that, while not essential on a daily basis, can become critical if and when a project begins to veer off-course.
Without question, distance issues can be mitigated somewhat through the use of phones, e-mail, instant messaging, and even videoconferencing. However, it’s not the same as getting into a room together and being able to discuss a project in a real-time,personal manner.
Time is a close relative of distance. Consider: The two points furthest apart from each other – latitudinally – in North America are separated by just four time zones. Thus, it would be relatively simple to set up a conference call at a time that is well within business hours for both sides. On the other hand, try putting a call between New York and China. It is likely to mean that at least one of the parties will be forced to get up too early or go to bed too late. Further, when you’re thousands of miles and multiple time zones apart, it’s difficult to have those all-important creative juices flowing on a real-time basis.
Language Barriers
One of the most obvious quandaries of an offshore set-up is the language issue. A North American company dealing with a North American outsourcer can rest assured that both parties will communicate in English; the same cannot necessarily be guaranteed when dealing with a foreign outfit, creating an obstacle whose effect cannot be overstated. What’s more, even if the outsourcer’s key personnel do speak English, they may not be completely versed in some of the quirky phrases and local dialect that can make English much harder to comprehend.
Political/Financial Stability
One other hidden value of offshore outsourcing is the political stability in North America. A quick glance at any major newspaper or media outlet will highlight the nefarious actions taking place in many parts of the world – a terrorist attack here, a coup d’etat there. What’s more, many foreign countries are suffering through economic crises that make the current problems in the United States pale in comparison.
Total Project Cost
From a dollar perspective, the lure of offshore outsourcing can be particularly potent. Without a doubt, the labor cost is significantly lower in popular outsourcing destinations. However, there are hidden and not-so-hidden costs that must be taken into account. Language barriers, time zone differences, even the design culture not only create obstacles to timely, effective product development and delivery; they carry hard, actual costs. Language issues can require interpreter services and can result in product development miscues. Lack of proximity will lead to huge travel expenses when a face-to-face meeting is necessary.
The cost of overall project management is another variable that must be accounted for. Far less management is usually required on the part of the customer who utilizes onshore resources. This naturally has to do with time, distance, geography, design culture, and other dynamics cited earlier. But it is even more closely correlated to the experience factor than anything else. Because the offshore team is often more inexperienced in the specific development or market area that the customer is seeking,tighter project management and oversight will be required, putting the client company in the position of “hand holding” the offshore talent to ensure that everything flows smoothly.
Conclusion
With an experienced staff, close proximity, negligible time difference, and real-time interaction, the discussion of onshore vs. offshore should be an open and shut case.
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