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By R. David Silva
How to Benefit From the Virtual Office
In today's business world there are many jobs that have no traditional office environment. Many consultants, small business professionals and salespeople operate out of a virtual office. This trend allows for greater flexibility and reduces the cost of supporting a fixed location environment. Increasingly businesspeople carry with them all of their files and records that are necessary for the performance of their business duties or they can login to a corporate computer that has the files and records they need.
This provides more freedom for the professional in terms of travel and in terms of leisure time. Many businesspeople operate with as little as a smart phone to keep in touch with customers and support staff. Even while attending meetings on a particular subject, one can read and return e-mail messages on unrelated topics. Multitasking, like e-mailing during meetings, can add to one’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Of course there are trade-offs. If you are a people oriented person, you may find operating in a virtual office to be less than satisfying. Motivation to achieve meaningful results may be lessened by the absence of competition one often feels in the traditional office environment. Also the ability to discuss informally problems, opportunities, and situations is normally diminished or totally absent.
For those of you in an office environment that work with those in the firm that are not in the office, we suggest you make an extra effort to interact with them so that they may have an opportunity for discussion and staying up-to-date on the latest company news. For those of you operating in a virtual office, we suggest you try to find and cultivate relationships with several colleagues who are tuned in to your area in the firm’s traditional offices. Either way those on the outside will be less likely to disappear due to a lack of an office environment.
Virtual Office
Survival Handbook
What Telecommuters and Entrepreneurs
Need to Succeed in Today's Nontraditional Workplace
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R. David Silva
Business Editor
25+ years experience
in the world of business/marketing.
Any topics that you wish to be discussed in this column?
please contact me at:
silva@4fashionadvice.com
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