The growth and rise of the internet has transformed the commercial sector. Over the last two decades, technology and the World Wide Web have stretched their insidious tentacles into every corner of industry, transforming the way we work. From self-service checkouts to online selling sites, internet businesses, and the rise of digital marketing, today’s entrepreneurial landscape is unrecognisable when we consider how it looked even ten short years ago.
Yet this has caused some new and novel problems for the enterprises that rely on modern technology. Virtual businesses are an entirely ingenious concept, yet despite their cost-effectiveness and practical advantages, a lack of face-to-face communication still has its issues. For those who know them all too well, here are three solutions to help you out…
#1: Hire a Virtual Office
One of the great advantages of owning a virtual enterprise is that you don’t need to cover the costs of renting office space. This novelty can prove incredibly freeing: after all, it cuts your overheads, allows you to hire staff members from all around the world, and even frees you up to work in your pyjamas all day. Unfortunately, it still has its shortcomings. Being without a fixed abode can be incredibly problematic for your image, as it makes you seem intransient, unreliable, and lacking in stability. The solution? Hire a virtual office from a company like LEO, and get the boons of a prestigious London address without the costs, as well as the opportunity for face-to-face meet ups when you need them.
#2: Take Advantage of Skype
Skype is another great tool to add to your communication artillery. Your virtual office will provide you with a fixed abode for formal business meetings, but for day-to-day discussions and staff exchanges, Skype or a similar video messaging application or website is a great alternative. It can be much simpler to talk things through in person, and makes it far easier to bounce off of one another during ideas sessions.
#3: Make Documents Easy to Share
A workforce that’s scattered across the globe can also complicate collaboration. The best way of working around such a problem? Make all of your documents sharable. There are lots of applications that ensure Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets and so on can be edited by multiple people, with notes added to provide feedback from one to another without the need to download every project that you’re sent. What’s more, it can actually prove safer to store these documents or data sources using online storage and sharing applications, as opposed to a more traditional company server.
Improve your virtual business’ communication and running today with these three top tips.
