No matter what kind of industry you’re in, there are several benefits that virtual offices have over traditional ones. Virtual offices have next to no technology costs, no commute time, and lower overhead costs, which can be highly beneficial for small business owners in particular.
If you want to set up your own virtual office, it’s important that you have the right tech tools in place to help improve productivity, produce a lower turnover rate, and keep your business running smoothly and efficiently. With that in mind, here are seven types of tech tools that will help set up virtual offices.
VoIP Phone System
For your virtual office to run correctly, it’s important that you have a reliable phone system in place. VoIP systems offer a variety of features, efficient client interaction and make conference calls simple and straightforward. If you’re working remotely, most phone systems don’t tie well with brick and mortar establishments and remote working situations, which is why you should consider using VoIP applications. You can check out this VoIP studio review, which should help you make your mind up on which option to pick.
Top picks:
- RingCentral
- Vonage
- Ooma
Video Conferencing
It’s vital that communication lines stay open when engaging with employees, so using video conferencing tools like Skype and Zoom can be a great way to visually see your team and hold informative meetings. Thanks to technology, there are tons of options that you can use to keep in touch with employees and ensure any problems within your operation are dealt with quickly and effectively. As long as you all have a reliable internet connection and a webcam, meetings can be conducted anywhere in the world.
Top picks:
- Zoom
- GoToMeeting
- Google Meet
Online Fax Services
While online fax services have been available for over a decade, many business owners aren’t aware of their existence. If you are now working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, online faxing makes it easy and straightforward to send and receive documents in a digital format. Depending on which service you pick, documents can be sent and received via smartphone apps, online portals, and email.
Top picks:
- RingCentral Fax
- Fax Plus
- Fax.com
Project Management Software
Regardless of the field of business you’re in, it’s vital that you can easily access data while working remotely. Your information and data should be housed in one centralized location – and this includes things like calendars and contacts, invoicing, and time-tracking. Specialist project management software can help up your game and help you manage your time more effectively. When setting up a virtual office, you need to understand the importance of time management, as this is key when it comes to adhering to deadlines when working on projects and tasks.
Top picks:
- Trello
- Teamwork Projects
- Basecamp
Scanning Tools
If your company wasn’t already shifting towards a paperless office, there is no better time than now to do so. With social distancing measures in place across the country, e-filing requirements are expected to increase and become the new norm. To go paperless entirely, you need to make sure that all remote employees can access a reliable scanner. There are lots of scanning apps that you can pick from that can benefit your operation.
Top picks:
- Adobe Scan
- Genius Scan
- Scanbot
Speech-to-Text Dictation
There are many speech-to-text dictation tech tools that can enhance your virtual office and boost productivity among employees. Voice recognition technology simplifies the document creation procedure, enabling you to sidestep the inefficient and time-consuming back and forth that’s involved in the traditional dictation process. Rather than dictating to a tape which you must physically hand over to a staff member to type up, all you need to do is speak into a microphone and watch the text appear instantaneously on the screen.
Top picks:
- Google Docs Voice Typing
- Apple Dictation
- Dragon Professional
Collaborative Word Processing Tools
Now is a great time to think about using online word processing tech tools, especially if you’re setting up a virtual office. Using this tool enables you to log on from any internet enabled device and use word processing tools in the cloud to create documents that you can store online in one convenient area. Most software has collaboration tools built into it, which makes it easier for you and employees to work together simultaneously in real time. There are various online word processing tools to pick from, so it’s best to compare and weigh up the pros and cons before committing to one.
Top picks:
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Word Online
- Etherpad
Remote working has become increasingly common due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many companies seriously considering making it a permanent feature due to the benefits it has. However, if you have decided to transition your company from a physical environment to a virtual one, it’s vital that you have the right tech tools and software to run a productive operation.
The biggest obstacle that remote companies face is with communication, so make sure that you invest in the technology listed above and speak to your employees about any improvements they can make.
Leave A Comment