Setting up a virtual office means that employees can work from anywhere in the world, while maintaining access to office resources and software. The transition to a virtual office reached its peak during the global pandemic when business owners invested in remote infrastructure to facilitate ‘WFH’. This allowed businesses to remain operational and provided employees with the flexibility and safety they required. The convenience and functionality of working from home means that this trend will continue for many years to come.
Our blog explores some handy features to improve your virtual office set up.
VoIP
Cloud-based phone systems are a staple feature of any business looking to streamline their communication from home. With hosted PBX phone systems and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology set up, you can gain access to an impressive range of internet and cloud-based features.
VoIP means that communication is made possible from anywhere. It allows businesses to stay connected with colleagues, customers, suppliers and more. With VoIP you to use mobile phones to make and receive calls as if you were using the office phones.
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing saves time, enhances productivity, cuts travel costs and promotes connectivity. It provides all of these benefits without the need for face-to-face communication. It also means that you can achieve more meetings (or work) in one day without needing to worry about traveling from one destination to another.
To optimise video conferencing, it’s important to invest in the right monitor(s) with a camera. This can either be an external or in-built webcam. Ensure your microphone, speaker and headset works. You may also consider purchasing video conferencing solutions. For example, digital white boarding software is beneficial for those who prefer to brainstorm ideas. There is an array of other video conferencing solutions that can be used to achieve
Virtual Receptionist
Instead of diverting calls to an automated message bank, a virtual receptionist ensures that all calls are answered by a real human, no matter the time of day or night. Whether you’ve engaged a virtual receptionist or are using your own in-house receptionist, it’s important to implement critical infrastructure, such as a PBX phone system, to manage incoming calls.
Let’s face it…when your business closes for the day, customers don’t stop calling. In fact, most people work during the standard 9 – 5pm trading hours, so it’s more convenient for them to call after-hours. Whether that be at 8pm on a Monday night or 7am on a Sunday morning, it’s important to be available to your clients regardless of the time.
But it’s not always feasible, nor fair to expect yourself or your employees to constantly man the phone, especially on their days off. This is where a 24/7 after-hours call answering service comes in handy. It’s an affordable solution that enables businesses to be available virtually 24/7. Operating without an after-hours answering service is tough, especially when staff are working remote. Engaging a virtual receptionist ensures that no call goes unanswered.
Stable Internet Connection / Business Broadband
Business broadband delivers high performance internet broadband connections. It’s important to have a strong and stable internet connection at home so that you can attend meetings, video conferences, interact and message others at real-time without the burden of your internet intermittently dropping out.
When TMC Connect powers your broadband, you gain access to business-grade service levels that cover installation lead times, service restoration and availability, static IP addresses for business networks and cloud services, as well as a New Zealand based support team and account management. TMC Connect provides a complete range of business broadband services and is a specialist Carriage Service Provider of business broadband services across the full range of access technologies.
Functional Office Set-up
Setting up a healthy working environment from home is crucial. It is said that maintaining a functional ergonomic set-up improves health, productivity, quality of work and encourages safety. In terms of equipment this entails having a proper chair, laptop or monitor, keyboard, desk and mouse. It also extends to the lighting in the room and room temperature. It is encouraged that employees working from room analyse the layout of their office-space and implement changes to improve the functionality and comfort of the space. With proper planning, it is possible to achieve a safe and functional workspace. Integrating eye exercises, back exercises and proper rests can also improve the safety and wellbeing of employees working from home.