The modern virtual office has evolved dramatically from its early beginnings in the 1970s. Over the decades it has grown and diversified to its current status as a thriving, flexible workplace solution for businesses all over the world.
Last year the pandemic created sweeping changes in the workplace, and millions of people were forced to work from home. Some businesses abandoned their offices, while others carried on working remotely as normal; in both respects, the transition triggered huge takeup in virtual office services and flexible workspace.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the key trends we believe will evolve in the virtual office world throughout 2021.
1. Using a virtual office address to start a business.
It’s now commonplace for companies to leverage their commercial address and business number to start a business, and carry out certain transactions. Among them, business owners can use their virtual office address and phone number to build their credit profile and apply for funding from banks or other credit providers. As such, clients are increasingly enquiring about registered agent address services, as they know that this will work in their favor when it comes to applying for business credit.
Read More: What is a Registered Agent and Why Do I Need One?
Using a virtual office as a registered agent address is possible, but it can be tricky unless a more frequent mail forwarding service is used. This is because ‘service of process’ mail (SOP) and mail from the secretary of state must be handled differently than commercial mail, and must be received immediately rather than waiting for the company’s standard mailing frequency, which could be as little as once per month (read more about setting up a business with a virtual office address here).
2. Digital mailboxes.
One of the biggest emerging trends we’ve seen recently is digital mail, which is seriously disrupting the virtual office model — in a good way. The receiving, sorting, storing, and forwarding of mail is an integral part of the virtual office service, but it’s a very labor-intensive task that’s not immune to human error. In place of manual mail forwarding, a growing number of virtual office centers are now introducing a digital solution to help speed up the process and provide a more efficient service to their clients.
Digital mail, as it’s known, is a service that scans incoming mail, notifies the client when their mail has arrived, and allows the client to view photographic images of their mail via a smartphone app. Through services such as Earth Class Mail, iPostal1 and Anytime Mailbox, clients can have the mail opened, trashed, or forwarded. The big draw for clients is the ability to view their mail from their mobile device at any time of the day or night, and they no longer have to physically receive the mail — they can have the contents scanned and sent to them digitally.
This is an exciting evolution in the virtual office model that we expect will become even more popular in 2021, as more centers integrate the service in line with demand.
3. Advanced use of Live Receptionist services.
For as long as the virtual office concept has been around, live call answering and receptionist services have been a major part of it. We’ve noticed that businesses are becoming more sophisticated in their use of remote live receptionists and the business phone system that’s integrated with the service.
Entrepreneurs recognize that it’s not just a phone number or a call answering service; they can support their customer service strategy by creating custom greetings, setting up multiple caller menus and extensions, and having their receptionist take calls and schedule appointments — all of which saves time and money, and supports business growth.
4. Remote work keeps rising.
Even before the pandemic, remote work was growing in popularity. Thanks to advances in mobile technology and wireless connectivity, many office-based employees and entrepreneurs can now work from virtually anywhere — at home, in a coworking space, or even from a minivan. And as research continues to support the claim that remote working boosts productivity, we believe that trend is set to continue.
According to freelancing site Upwork (December 2020), 41.8% of the American workforce worked remotely last year and more than half of this number will still be working from home through 2021. Here’s the interesting part: 22% of the U.S. workforce (36.2 million) will be working remotely by 2025. That’s an 87% increase from the number of remote workers prior to the pandemic!
Remote work practices fit perfectly with a virtual office. A virtual office provides all the regular services you will find in an office environment, minus the actual office — therefore workers are free to carry out their duties remotely, wherever they feel most productive, while benefiting from the centralized support system of a virtual office. Therefore we expect to see more take-up of virtual office plans over the coming year to support the growth of remote companies and their workforces.
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5. Digital nomads aren’t going away.
Digital nomads are people who combine remote work with travel. Understandably, this lifestyle has taken a back seat during the pandemic as many countries have closed their borders to travelers. However, some U.S. digital nomads are getting their fix through domestic travel and workcations.
The pause is temporary, and we expect digital nomads to be back doing what they love as soon as they’re able. We’ve been watching the steady rise in digital nomads for some time, and this is another trend that’s made possible by virtual office services. In the 2018 MBO Partners State of Independence Research Brief, 4.8 million Americans described themselves as digital nomads.
“Digital nomads are people who choose to embrace a location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle that allows them to travel and work remotely, anywhere in the world” — MBO Partners
Of course digital nomadism is not without its challenges, and those who choose to blend work with travel still require a centralized office for their business, usually a commercial address for mail and a place to touchdown and work or meet clients between traveling. For that reason, a virtual office helps entrepreneurs stay tethered even when they’re running their business thousands of miles away.
With millions of people now working remotely — and finding it part of their new normal — the number of digital nomads could actually increase once restrictions are lifted. After all, when you discover you’re able to work from anywhere, why stay at home when you can work from somewhere new and exciting?
6. Improvements in office design allow different types of work.
With a virtual office, you can easily book office space on an hourly basis, whenever you need it. However during those times, there are different tasks you might need to carry out such as quiet concentration work, a private phone call, or a meeting over Zoom.
Many flexible workspaces now acknowledge that the workplace environment should be able to accommodate different requirements without the need for workers to go elsewhere. For instance, many virtual office centers now provide private office space with phone booths for calls, and soundproof rooms for podcasting or video conference calls. There are often different sized meeting rooms for specific purposes ranging from interviews to board meetings, and some centers can now even provide quiet relaxation spaces or wellness rooms.
As Mark Phillips, the co-founder of office design specialist K2 Space notes, “The varied needs of occupants is a key influence in the overall layout and aesthetic of emerging modern workplaces”, which is driving demand for ‘destination workplaces’ — “a space where people want to work.”
In line with this workplace evolution, more flexible workspaces are seeking to meet the needs of their occupants by providing space that accommodates multiple requirements, and since the majority of these centers provide virtual office services, we expect virtual office clients to benefit from improvements in workplace design over the coming year.
7. Coworking virtual offices.
With a virtual office, you simply turn up and use the office space on an hourly basis, when you need it. However during those times, there are different tasks you might need to carry out such as quiet concentration work, a client meeting, a quick brainstorm with your business partner, or a private phone call.
Many flexible workspaces now acknowledge that the workplace environment should be able to accommodate different requirements without the need for the user to go elsewhere. For instance, many virtual office centers now provide day office space with phone booths for private calls, and soundproof rooms for podcasting or video conference calls. There are often different sized meeting rooms for specific purposes, and some centers are able to provide a multitude of spaces for a quick huddle, or just a change of scenery.
As Mark Phillips, the co-founder of office design specialist K2 Space notes, “The varied needs of occupants is a key influence in the overall layout and aesthetic of emerging modern workplaces”, which is driving demand for ‘destination workplaces’ — “a space where people want to work.”
In line with this workplace evolution, more flexible workspaces are seeking to meet the needs of their occupants by providing space that accommodates multiple requirements, and since the majority of these centers provide virtual office services, we expect virtual office clients to benefit from improvements in workplace design over the coming year.
All in all, 2021 is shaping up to be another exciting year as more people embrace work/life balance and enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with today’s technology-enabled business culture. The virtual office concept continues to gather momentum and we look forward to welcoming many more entrepreneurs, remote teams and digital nomads over the coming year, and supporting them on their growth journey.
Conclusion
All in all, 2021 is shaping up to be another unusual year with many twists and turns as we continue to coexist with the coronavirus. One thing’s for sure, our ‘new normal’ will require greater flexibility, the ability to work remotely, and a variety of virtual services to help make our working lives as trouble-free and productive as possible. The virtual office concept continues to serve the needs of entrepreneurs, newly remote teams and startups, and we are excited to support them on their growth journey throughout 2021.
