What is a virtual office and why is it better?
The most cost effective office space is a home office separated from the rest of the house. It is not only becoming a more and more popular option, but sometimes the difference between surviving and not surviving a difficult economic era.

The virtual office is maintained solely by the outsource designer - at no expense to the company contracting the work. Using a staffed, on-site outsource loses this savings.

The virtual, or off-site, office supplies the outsource worker with his or her optimum work environment, as well as all the essentials a hiring company would have to provide. This is a great solution for small to mid size businesses.

This concept differs hugely from an on-site outsource solution. With an on-site outsource you are simply handing management over to someone else - you haven't eliminated the major overhead and complications of being an employer.

I was fascinated recently by an office building that said "virtual office space" on it. If you can hit it with a cruise missle - it ain't virtual.

• Computers, software and updates for software.
• Scanners, digital cameras and lighting equipment.
• Repair and maintenance of the above.
• Heating and cooling.
• All training.
• The office space itself.
• Anything needed.

• They start the day free of the stress of hurrying out the door and dealing with rush hour traffic.
  • Eliminating travel time can reduce stress and shorten the work day dramatically. A work day starts the moment you leave your home.
  • Even with time - gross means nothing - net means everything.
• They are unaffected by gossip, personal conflicts and inter-office intrigue.
• They can play their favorite background music - or work in total silence if they prefer.
• They can adjust, to their comfort level, the....
• temperature
• air quality (people with allergies can use an air filter)
• brightness of lighting
• They can dress comfortably and have the company of a beloved cat or dog curled up beside them. Don't laugh - this would be highly valued by many.
  
  
• Work at home mothers can take children to school and pick them up when needed.
  • And, as stated elsewhere they save the huge expense of child care.
  • Children playing after school are no more distracting than office chatter.
• They have better options for illness and epidemics:
  • Slightly ill people needn't lose hours to protect others at the office.
• Conversely - healthy people are not exposed to epidemics spread in a close office environment.
  
  
• They also are not hit with the conflict of calling in a sick day because their child has a cold. Add to this, in an office, you are exposed to every bug that every one of your co-workers' children are exposed to.

People who work in their own office space will do whatever it takes to maintain this status. That is in your favor.