There are very few people who will tell you that they enjoy the morning commute to their office and the late afternoon or evening commute home, but what is the alternative? What about an office commute that’s as short as the walk from your bedroom to your home office?
The idea of having a virtual office for a “solopreneur” is not a new one. For years entrepreneurs who wanted to work from home or on the road have used virtual office solutions to maintain a professional business address. Virtual office providers are not just a prestigious address and mail-drop location; they are, in fact, a professional image provider!
When the professional live receptionist at your virtual office provider answers your phone number (as your company name), the person who is calling knows they have reached your office. Depending on the nature of the call, the receptionist can transfer the call to your home office, cellphone or to voicemail. But what does this mean to small businesses with more than one employee? Depending on the role or function of employees, a receptionist at your virtual office can transfer the caller to the proper person, wherever they are located. Your client or potential customer is made to believe that all of your staffers are working from the same location.
Virtual small businesses have been on the rise for more than a decade, and they show no signs of slowing down. Small business owners are creating new ways to help employees stay engaged in their companies and are challenging the way most of their employees feel about clocking into the typical 9-to-5 job. The small businesses that go in this direction do so because, in many cases, it just makes sense. The idea is by cutting unnecessary overhead from their small business budget, they are giving their employees more flexibility – one of the biggest perks of creating a virtual office in order to keep them more productive.
The concept of a virtual office workplace can mean more flexibility for your employees, especially if they do not need to be working 9 am to 5 pm. If their job description does not require them to interact with your customers, why restrict their work hours to conventional office business hours? Flexibility of hours and being mobile are big perks for both you and your employees. But, if you require employees to be available to your customers on a 9-to-5 basis, you need to ensure that they can be reached on at least a cellphone, and that your virtual office receptionist can forward calls to them.
Not every small business is suited for long-term virtual office situations, but they can be a great way to start out. When a small business begins with a virtual office at a business centre that also offers physical office space for rent, they can move into an office without having to change their business address or the phone number of the company.
You need to evaluate your business model and the way your employees work alone or as part of a team, to determine if your business is a good fit for being a virtual business. There are plenty of businesses that have found a hybrid solution of having physical office space for some employees and allowing other employees to work from home or a remote off-site alternative location. Think about it in manufacturing terms. Some employees work in the office and others work on the production floor. The office can be located in one place and the production workers (who do not need to interact with customers or vendors) could be located at a separate (lower-rental-cost) facility – or even their own homes!
1. Jennifer Smith
General Manager
The Omni King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1E9
Tel: 416-863-9700
Website: www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward
2. Mark Perry
General Manager
Executive Hotels and Resorts (Boutique)
8 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E1
Tel: 416-350-2419
Website: www.spazen.ca or www.cosmotoronto.com
3. Emeline Boul
General Manager
Hotel Victoria (Boutique)
56 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1G5
Tel: 416-363-1666
Mobile: 647-574-5832
Website: www.hotelvictoriatoronto.com
4. Omkar Sawant
Reservations Manager
One King West Hotel
1 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1A1
Main: 416-548-8100
Reservations: 1-866-470-5464
Website: www.onekingwest.com
5. Van Nguyen
General Manager
Cambridge Suites Toronto
15 Richmond Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1N2
Direct: 416-601-3757
Hotel: 416-368-1990
Website: www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com
1. Michael Pagliaro
Carisma (Italian)
15 Toronto Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2E3
Tel: 416-864-7373
Website: www.carismarestaurant.com
2. Patti Shaw
Terroni (Italian)
57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-203-3093
Website: www.terroni.com
3. Declan
Restaurant 20 Victoria – Michelin guide approved
20 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-804-6066
Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/
4. Mana
Nami (Japanese)
55 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-362-7373
Website: www.namirestaurant.ca
5. Restaurant Lucie
100 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2W1
Tel: 416-788-9054
Website: www.restaurantlucie.com
6. Niam H
Cantina Mercatto
20 Wellington Street East
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C5
Tel: 416-304-0781
Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca
7. Siva Sathasivam
Uncle Tony’s
38 Wellington St E
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C7
Tel: 416-455-6650
Website: https://uncletonys.ca/
8. Pizzaiolo
104 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2Y6
Tel: 416-860-0700
Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca
9. Robin Singh
Woods Restaurant and Bar
45 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-214-9918
Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca
1. Thom Tullo
Morpheus8 by Inmode
47 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-863-6564
Website: www.amanspa.ca
2. Altitude Athletic Training
56 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-366-3838
Website: www.altitudeathletictraining.com
3. Physioheath Studios
33 Victoria Street, #130
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-368-2525
Website: www.physiohealth.com
We are by far the most experienced and best coworking team in the market – established in 1980
18 King Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4 Canada
Please check out our 70 second video on our home page or click here:
Take a look at our facilities www.telsec.net
Telsec will Customize Your Client’s Office(s) Layout to Meet Their Requirements.
You are welcome to drop-in any-time, a quick call would be appreciated to ensure our availability Vanessa 416-574-1112 or Josie 416-606-4349 or e-mail josie@telsec.net.