American businesses always need a central office where employees are hard at work. Most adults are familiar with the scene of cubicles, desks, meeting rooms, fax machines, and more. Plenty of good work can be done here, but some workers today may not realize that there are some more flexible alternatives to sitting in a cubicle five days a week. Current technology with computers, the Internet, and more make virtual offices a reality, and even meeting solutions can be found with today’s Internet services. What does this mean? An employee doesn’t have to be in the meeting room to attend a meeting, instead using Skype or similar services to have what’s called a “virtual” presence for meeting solutions. On top of that, some models of office space for smaller companies are proving popular, such as coworking spaces. How do co working spaces function?
Virtual Presences
it may sound like science fiction to some, but virtual offices and virtual presences are a real and quite practical arrangements for office workers today. A traditional office space has many amenities that a worker may want or need, from a computer and desk to printers, quick access to HR, and more. However, an office space can be a noisy and germ-ridden place, and it is not uncommon for workers to often take sick days because of colds or the flu being passed around. Dust or pollen in the air conditioning or dusty carpets can also irritate workers’ lungs, and distractions may abound. In some offices, there is a lot of noise such as phone conversations, gossip, printers and photocopiers, and more. This can raise a worker’s stress levels and increase their rates of workplace errors, which harms their productivity.
The solution: don’t be in the office at all. This isn’t to suggest that the employee is avoiding work; much the opposite. Two out of three office managers across the United States have all reported that remote working arrangements boost a worker’s productivity, and many managers have taken a keen interest in setting up this arrangement in the near future. Many workers feel the same way, and they enjoy the parks of remote work. What are those perks? For one thing, a virtual office means cutting out all commute time from the employee’s schedule, which opens up more time for work. On top of that, workplace distractions and illnesses alike are completely avoided, and this can lower an employee’s stress levels. And of course, this means fewer sick days. Surface such as keyboards or door handles are well known for harboring a lot of bacteria.
Many offices make use of data servers on-site so that work computers can share information. A remote worker cannot plug his or her PC or laptop into the server from home, so instead, they use Cloud storage. For those unfamiliar, Cloud storage is Internet-only storage that allows any authorized computer, anywhere, to access the contents of a given Cloud account. Instead of plugging into a data server, a remote worker can use passwords and other secret information to access their office’s Cloud storage to share and contribute files remotely. Remote workers are often more productive this way due to decreased distractions and the time saved from not commuting anywhere.
On top of that, remote workers can use live video services to attend meetings virtually, a form of meeting solutions. A worker who is traveling for business can make use of such meeting solutions, taking part in a meeting no matter where they are. The remote worker’s laptop can be set up in the actual meeting room and oriented so that the computer’s camera can see everything that is happening. Using these meeting solutions, the remote worker may also contribute files with e-mail.
Co Work Offices
Smaller companies can make use of what are known as co working spaces. These are condensed, open offices where all employees share a space and amenities alike. This can have a positive mental effect where everyone can see their co-workers, instead of being shut up in a cubicle. Smaller companies that can’t afford larger, private spaces can use these co working solutions, and freelancers can use them too. Freelance associates can make their own schedules and come and go as they need.