Excessive traffic congestion and surges in the cost of infrastructure in almost all major cities of the world are forcing businesses to adopt “virtual office” models in order to support telecommuting. Switching over to telework provides businesses and their employees with a solution to both traffic congestion and increased overhead costs. Virtual offices, by their nature, are designed to facilitate telecommuting.
But you may be asking yourself: what is a virtual office? What does telecommuting mean? And what’s the difference between remote work and telecommuting? In this article, we explain what virtual offices are and how they facilitate and support telework.

What is a virtual office?

A virtual office is a combination of off-site live communication and address services that allows users to reduce traditional office costs while maintaining professionalism. In other words, a virtual office is a type of office space that does not physically exist at a given location but which still provides a business with an official address at that location without the need to incur the high overhead costs often associated with long-term leases. Virtual offices enable businesses and their employees to work remotely by providing them with the administrative services of a traditional office, including mail forwarding, phone answering, videoconferencing, and meeting room rentals. Since employees can work from anywhere, virtual offices are a great option for companies that employ a remote workforce or for companies with low budgets.

Types of Virtual Office Plans

There are different types of virtual offices, each offering slightly different services and features designed to address common business needs. Knowing the differences between each type of virtual office can help you make a more informed decision on which plan to choose for your own business.

1. Business Address & Mail Forwarding

The most basic virtual office plan provides businesses with a physical business address, usually in prestigious locations. In addition to a business address, this plan also offers mail forwarding services. Incoming mail is sorted on a daily basis and forwarded to a specified location either daily, weekly, or monthly. In some plans, access to conference rooms, meeting rooms, or other types of workspaces on-site can be purchased.

Telsec’s mail service feature gives businesses an address in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400. Our mail forwarding service is ideal for both incoming and outgoing mail. Incoming mail, whether domestic or international, is received by our experienced staff and redirected to the address of your choice.

2. Telephone Message and Mail Service

This plan includes the same features as the first, but takes it up a notch by combining these features with receptionist and telephone answering services. In general, incoming calls are answered between specific hours on Monday to Friday, up to a set limit.

With Telsec, businesses receive a professional and personalized digital telephone answering service 24/7. As one of the top virtual office companies in Canada, our services include a business phone number, a 24-hour personalized voicemail service, and unlimited number of incoming calls.

3. VoIP Phone Service

This last plan provides businesses with a comprehensive package that includes all the features of the previous two plans while also providing VoIP phone services. Popular and efficient, a VoIP phone service provides businesses with greater convenience by giving them the option of having all incoming calls transferred directly to their phone. When an incoming call is transferred, customers are under the impression that you are in the office or in town, even though you might be working from home or abroad. This service allows businesses to easily stay in touch with their clients from anywhere.

What Types of Businesses Benefit from Virtual Office Solutions?

Virtual offices are an affordable office space solution for start-ups, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses that do not need or cannot afford traditional office space. It can also be used by larger organizations that want to establish a presence in a specific location or a new market without having to rent an actual space.

When smaller businesses are just getting started, their budget for office space is low, so most choose to run their business out of their home. While this may save them money, it could also cost them credibility and potential customers in the long run. Without the professional image that comes from having a business address, customers may overlook these businesses in favour of other businesses that do have a business address. Having a virtual office in Toronto with a Toronto mail service address at a business centre like Telsec demonstrates to potential customers that you are a legitimate business.

Small businesses are not the only companies that make use of virtual office solutions. Larger companies make use of virtual office solutions to expand their business into new markets with minimal investment or else to support a remote workforce. Companies that do not have a Toronto office space, for example, but require a prestigious address in Toronto for their business’ operations and employ a remote workforce, will likely opt for a virtual office solution and telephone answering service to establish and maintain a business presence in the area. All mail is sent to the Toronto virtual office location where it can be picked up or forwarded to the private homes of the workers. When a client or customer calls the local exchange telephone number, their calls are routed through the central receptionist who handles the calls and any client requests. Calls to their Toronto virtual office can also be re-directed to individual employees’ home or cell numbers, or sent to voicemail for them to respond to at their earliest convenience.

Toronto virtual offices are also often used as mini hubs for larger companies without a local office who employ telecommuters and want to maintain the privacy of remote employees working out of their homes by having a business address that is not the same as their employee’s home address. This is especially good for companies with multiple telecommuters. Moreover, when a group of workers needs to get together for an in-person meeting, they can reserve a boardroom for a full day or half a day. This saves the company money because they don’t have to pay monthly rent on a meeting space that is only used on an occasional basis.

So What is Telecommuting?

We have already mentioned telecommuting, telework, and telecommuters several times throughout this article and you may be wondering what these terms mean. In this section we offer a definition for each to help clarify their meaning as well as their similarities and differences.

Telecommuting is an employment arrangement in which an employee works outside the employer’s office, typically from home or from an off-site location, thereby avoiding the daily commute to the office. Employees enjoy flexibility in terms of both working location and hours. This is made possible through a combination of telecommunication technology, such as phones, emails, and the internet. The idea is that telecommuters can work from wherever they are located instead of commuting to a physical workspace. A person who telecommutes is known as a “telecommuter”.

With the prices of real estate rising, more and more companies are switching to telework to reduce the amount of office space required which also helps them reduce overhead costs. Virtual office spaces are an excellent alternative to traditional office spaces and make the transition from in-person work to telework much easier for businesses.

What is Telework?

Telework is another term for telecommuting, meaning employees are able to work from home by making use of phone and internet-based tools. Employees communicate with colleagues and clients by phone, email, and video conferencing. To encourage productivity, companies often require employees to work during designated hours and submit timesheets electronically.

Telecommuting vs. Remote Work

You may be wondering: what’s the difference between remote work and telecommuting? While the two terms are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between them. Remote work is a job model in which an employee works almost exclusively from a location outside their employer’s office while telecommuting is a job model in which an employee works outside the employer’s office but may be obligated to travel to the office occasionally.

No matter the size of the company, a virtual office can be a great solution for those working from non-traditional office spaces. There are also plenty of other benefits to purchasing a virtual office, especially for clients at Telsec. To learn more about Telsec’s virtual office plans as well as additional features or services, visit our virtual office page or contact our friendly staff at 416.363.9035 or toll free at 1.877.705.0707. For more information regarding virtual office rates, please visit our pricing page.

GREAT QUALITY NEIGHBOURHOOD

18 King Street East is a quality boutique Class A building – East
of Yonge Street: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely treed parks – St. James Park @
Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging
area.

RESTAURANTS/TAKE OUT

Leave it to TELSEC. Let our staff take care of the catering for the important business meeting room rental or
training seminar! Just let us know what types of food you prefer and for how many people and let us do the
rest. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, Telsec can provide anything from assorted sandwiches to a high-quality
hot sit-down meal. We’re always happy to take care of our clients! https://telsec.net/boardrooms-meeting-
rooms/

1. CRAFT BEER MARKET (OUTDOOR COURTYARD)
Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E
1 Adelaide St E (enter on east side of Yonge St., south of Adelaide)
Toronto
Ryan Halsall
info@craftbeermarket.ca
Tel: 437-922-BEER (2337)
www.craftbeermarket.ca
Toronto’s first chef-driven food hall, perfect for lunch or team outings, with a wide selection of seasonal
dishes and local brews.

2. Beerbistro restaurant and bar
Outdoor patio next to our Telsec building, 18 King St. E.
18 King Street East, Main Floor
Toronto
Omid Azad
info@beerbistro.com
Tel: 416-861-9872
www.beerbistro.com

3. CONVIVIUM DINING – HIGH-END (SOME TABLES BACK ONTO OUTDOOR COURTYARD)
Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E.
83 Yonge Street
Toronto
Soumini Agate
sa@myconvivium.com
General Manager
Sarah Watson
sw@myconvivium.com
Floor Manager
Tatiana Frelik (Events)
tf@myconvivium.com

Tel: 416-691-9909
www.myconvivium.com

4. RESTAURANT 20 VICTORIA – MICHELIN 2025 APPROVED
20 Victoria Street
Toronto
Declan
20vicreservations@gmail.com
Tel: 416-804-6066
Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/

5. JOEY KING STREET
20 King Street West
Toronto
Nora Elhanafy
nelhanafy@joeyrestaurants.com
Tel: 647-678-5639
www.joeyrestaurants.com
If you want to wow your business partners or clients, then grab and go from this contemporary dining
spot with a menu featuring international and regional dishes. Order their upscale east like sushi, salads,
steaks or that wagyu beef carpaccio. Yum!

6. DACASTO (take out)
37 King Street East
Toronto
Enrico Dacasto
enrico@dacasto.com
Tel: 416-214-0986
www.dacasto.com

7. DEB BREAKFAST. CO (take out)
20 Toronto Street
Toronto
Sade Henry
torontostgm@eatdeb.com
Tel: 347-880-8291
www.torontostgm.com

8. THE POKE BOX (take out)
36 Toronto Street
Toronto
Jeremy
info@thepokebox.ca
Tel: 416-929-0363
www. thepokebox.ca
For business teams that love to indulge but want to feel good about it, consider ordering from The Poke
Box. Their individual boxed meals are prepared with fresh ingredients and packed with protein! Great
for sushi lovers but without a mess.

9. CARISMA (ITALIAN)

15 Toronto Street
Toronto
Michael Pagliaro
info@carismarestaurant.com
Tel: 416-864-7373
www.carismarestaurant.com

10. NAMI (JAPANESE)
55 Adelaide Street East
Toronto
Mana
namirestaurant1984@gmail.com
Tel: 416-362-7373
www.namirestaurant.ca

11. TERRONI (ITALIAN)
57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto
Patti Shaw
info@terroni.com
Tel: 416-203-3093
www.terroni.com

12. SWAAGAT – THE REAL TASTE OF INDIA
36 King Street East
Toronto
swaagattoronto@gmail.com
Tel: 647-943-9754

13. WOODS RESTAURANT AND BAR
45 Colborne Street
Toronto
Robin Singh
info@woodsrestaurant.ca
Tel: 416-214-9918
www.woodsrestaurant.ca

14. aKin – Michelin 2025 approved
51 Colborne Street
Toronto
Mike Birdsey, Genral Manager
Eric Chong, chef + owner
info@atkintoronto.com
Tel: 416-363-0151
www.atkintoronto.com
aKin is a modern Asian-inspired fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Toronto. Offering a
meticulously curated 10-course blind tasting menu that highlights local and seasonal ingredients, with
influences from diverse Asian cuisines.

15. CANTINA MERCATTO

20 Wellington Street East
Toronto
Niam H
info@cantinamercatto.ca
Tel: 416-304-0781
www.cantinamercatto.ca

16. UNCLE TONY’S
38 Wellington St E
Toronto
Siva Sathasivam
uncletonyssiva@gmail.com
Tel: 416-455-6650
https://uncletonys.ca/

17. FRESH KITCHEN + JUICE BAR – vegan restaurant
47 Front Street East
Toronto
Lindsey Dauilmar
ldavilmar@recipeunlimited.com
Tel: 647-693-7556
www.freshkitchens.ca
This plant-based restaurant is so good you won’t even miss meat. It’s a great choice for delicious and
health-conscious food and a top pick for those with dietary restrictions. Choose from their lunch and
dinner menu or opt for their takeout bundles and get appetizers and entrees for multiple people.

18. THE FLAT IRON: A FIRKIN PUB
49 Wellington Street East
Toronto
JC Trujillo
Jctrujillo3@gmail.com
Tel: 647-561-7224, 416-362-3444
www.firkinpubs.com/theflatiron
If your team likes pub grub, then the Firkin’s traditional English food is for you. Order from their party
platter menu for large groups, which includes all your classic pub favourites like fish and chips, sliders,
skewers, tacos, nachos, charcuterie boards and more.

19. SCORE ON KING (Sports Bar)
Outdoor Patio + Heated
Church & King
107 King Street East
Toronto
Tel: 416-519-4654
www.scoreonking.com

20. RESTAURANT LUCIE
100 Yonge Street
Toronto
info@restaurantlucie.com
Tel: 416-788-9054
www.restaurantlucie.com

21. PIZZAIOLO
(no e-mail)
104 Yonge Street
Toronto
Tel: 416-860-0700
www.pizzaiolo.ca

Restaurants

1. Ryan Halsall

CRAFT BEER MARKET (OUTDOOR COURTYARD)

Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E

1 Adelaide St E (enter on east side of Yonge St., south of Adelaide)

Toronto, ON

M5C 2V9

Tel: 437-922-BEER (2337)

Website: www.craftbeermarket.ca

2. Michael Pagliaro

Carisma (Italian)

15 Toronto Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2E3

Tel: 416-864-7373

Website: www.carismarestaurant.com

3. Patti Shaw

Terroni (Italian)

57 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-203-3093

Website: www.terroni.com

4. 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/

5. Mana

Nami (Japanese)

55 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-362-7373

Website: www.namirestaurant.ca

6. Restaurant Lucie

100 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2W1

Tel: 416-788-9054

Website: www.restaurantlucie.com

7. Niam H

Cantina Mercatto

20 Wellington Street East

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C5

Tel: 416-304-0781

Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca

8. Siva Sathasivam

Uncle Tony’s

38 Wellington St E

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C7

Tel: 416-455-6650

Website: https://uncletonys.ca/

9. Pizzaiolo

104 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2Y6

Tel: 416-860-0700

Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca

10. Robin Singh

Woods Restaurant and Bar

45 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-214-9918

Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca

11. Amadeusz Domyslawski

GUSTO 501

501 King St. E

Toronto, ON

M5A 1L9

Tel: 416-477-5647

Website: www.gusto501.com

Health and Wellness

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

Hotels

1. Jennifer Smith

General Manager

The Omni King Edward Hotel

37 King Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1E9

Tel: 416-863-9700

Website: https://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

Our Amenities

We are by far the most experienced and best coworking team in the market – established in 1980

We are the highest Tech centre in the market

We have a very modern, high quality, brand new facility located at:

18 King Street East, Suite 1400

Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4 Canada

- 18 King Street East is a boutique Class A building – East of Yonge: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely parks – St. James Park @ Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging area
- A few steps (a few seconds) to the Yonge Street subway/underground PATH network and streetcar available outside building
- Building is located in Toronto's vibrant financial district
- Plenty of parking available in the area including street parking and reserved parking in the 18 King building
- Adjacent to the building huge outdoor food courtyard - Beer Bistro www.beerbistro.com and Craft Beer Market www.craftbeermarket.ca/locations/toronto/ restaurants and bars with onsite catering services
- Onsite amenities: Tim Horton's, Beer Bistro, Convenience store and Starbucks across the street
- Nearby amenities: underground PATH network, numerous restaurants, banking, Starbucks plus a wide array of nearby shops and services
- New modernized office layout fully furnished with meeting spaces and training rooms plus café lounge area
- We are leaders in the service of training/meeting rooms with full conference facilities, high quality hot and cold catering
- Largest training room and conference facilities accommodate up to 60 people classroom style
- Ultra-high-speed - 1 GIG pipe = 1,000 x 1000 fiber-optic network, which will deliver internet connection speeds faster than most North American services
- Private shower room
- Indoor Reserved Parking at the current building rental rate
- Bicycle secure parking
- Rent a space to accommodate your team for meetings, training sessions, corporate events or coworking space or flexible office space for one day, one week, one month or one year, or whatever term suits your business
- Telsec has over 650 locations in 40 different countries worldwide available for their clients. Office clients receive up to 8 hours of meeting space per month at no charge at any ABCN member location. Plus, Office and Virtual Office clients may rent a space from any member location at special member rates which varies depending on the location
- King Edward Hotel is located across the street - recently completed a $40 million renovation and boutique hotels close by within walking distance

Dining and entertainment at high quality restaurants only minutes away – Carisma, Terroni, Woods Restaurant & Bar and Michelin Rated - Restaurant 20 Victoria. Plus numerous lunch and takeout eateries nearby

Please check out our 70 second video, click below:

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.

So what is a virtual office and what is telecommuting?

What is a virtual office?

Types of Virtual Office Plans

1. Business Address & Mail Forwarding

2. Telephone Message and Mail Service

3. VoIP Phone Service

What Types of Businesses Benefit from Virtual Office Solutions?

So What is Telecommuting?

What is Telework?

Telecommuting vs. Remote Work

Looking to Learn More?

How to Create a Productive Office Space

Everything you need to know about flexible office spaces

So what is a virtual office and what is telecommuting?

What is a virtual office?

Types of Virtual Office Plans

1. Business Address & Mail Forwarding

2. Telephone Message and Mail Service

3. VoIP Phone Service

What Types of Businesses Benefit from Virtual Office Solutions?

So What is Telecommuting?

What is Telework?

Telecommuting vs. Remote Work

Looking to Learn More?

How to Create a Productive Office Space

Everything you need to know about flexible office spaces

Our Amenities

Video Gallery