Virtual offices, what are they? They function similar to a traditional office, only your staff is offsite which means, you don’t get to see your staff daily. It was said that virtual offices became popular with the advent of technology and information age, also called as, the internet age. This is the time when communicating globally is not only possible but also made very easy. With thousands of tools available for real-time collaboration and communication, it opened another door for small businesses the world over to run and maintain a virtual office with real people as staff therefore exuding a professional feel but only at a fraction of the cost of a traditional office. This is why virtual offices are the best choice, if not the best solution, for small and startup business.
Now, if you are familiar with virtual assistants, I must say they are the ones directly behind a virtual office. These folks work from home and do without all those hassles of going to and fro work, and indeed they earn well! What I like with virtual offices is that it really benefits seniors the most since it allows mobility and time-flexibility. For seniors who are looking for ways to cut costs on starting their own businesses, explore the possibilities of a virtual office. Here’s how:
·    In a virtual office, all you need is an internet connection and of course a computer—two of which I know you have now since you’re able to read this post! If you are the type of senior who travels a lot but still wants to get connected with your staff 24/7, you might need a smartphone like iPhone or BlackBerry.
·    Softwares for you and your staff’s use. This provides uniformity amongst the members of your virtual office. You can either have someone design one for you which can be as secured as ever but really expensive or just choose a good collaboration platform or management structure to manage the work flow of your virtual office. Those you can find online can be downloaded to several computers for a minimal fee—others can be accessed for free.
·    Your means of communication. Since your virtual office is mostly internet-based, your means of communication should also be the same. Skype is a great application for cheap phone calls and video conferencing—and reliable too! Rule of thumb, the application should be able to perform these things:  instant messaging, audio and video conferencing and file transfers.
·    A valid email address. If you have your own website, it’s just proper to use your own company email address and give your staff their own too since they are now a member of your team. If you haven’t gotten that far yet, a free webmail would do for now, for example Gmail.
·    A good escrow service. This will handle your payments online. It can also be used for your eCommerce business or simply for paying your staff.
·    Secure marketplace to get your staff. There are many out there such as Odesk, Guru and Elance where you can find virtual providers from all over the world. It can be global or just within your area, depending on your preferences.