As business owners rethink traditional office environments to accommodate a virtual office strategy, there are two main issues to consider — the personality and business skills of potential virtual office employees and the cost of setting up a virtual office.
The personality and business skills of successful, highly productive virtual office employees include:
- Proven self-motivational abilities
- Excellent time management skills
- The ability to multitask
- Strong inner drive
- Resourceful in completion of core and noncore business tasks
- Experience in a virtual office or small field environment
When analyzing costs associated with a virtual office consider:
- Budgeted amounts for furniture and office equipment
- Computer equipment and software programs
- E-mail capabilities
- High-speed Internet service
- Postal costs associated with equipment and supplies
- Ongoing cost of office supplies
- Utilities associated with multiline phones
- Delivery services
- Yellow pages/business-to-business listings
- Savings recognized from eliminating office lease expenses and administrative costs
