Anyone who has or wants to start their own business is required to have a registered agent. That agent must reside within the state your business is registered and be available during business hours, on business days, at the registered address. 

There has been very little scientific research into the effectiveness of registered agents. Existing literature suggests that the registered agent system is outdated, but what other options are there? 

Becoming a registered agent has no concrete requirements. Many entrepreneurs think serving as their own agent is a great way to save money … But is it? What do you get from hiring an outside agent over serving as your own? Read on to find out! 

Be sure to click on our ‘Read More’ links for further information, check our references below to test our credibility, and read the attached Methods and Procedures PDF to see how we found our results!

Read More: What is a Registered Agent? 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Spending on registered agents in the U.S. is similar to the amount spent annually on paper clips. 

2. If a registered agent makes errors handling your taxes, you may still be personally liable. 

3. There are three kinds of agency failure: Agent failure, client failure, and mutual failure. 

4. There are no specific qualifications needed to become a registered agent. 

5. You can act as your own registered agent, but you probably shouldn’t. 

U.S. spending on registered agents similar to paper clip budget 

 In 2020, The Journal of Corporation Law published a study investigating the use of registered agents. They sought to show that the registered agency system was flawed and that clients could be better served by an electronic delivery service: email. They argued that using an individual was not foolproof.[1] With important documents, emails can be used to ensure that the documents have been delivered, received, and opened. 

The authors claim that the registered agent system is outdated and in need of a modern overhaul, pointing out that the amount the U.S. spends on registered agents (~$250 million) is similar to the budget spent on paperclips (~$110 million).[1] 

While it is true that human beings are fallible, electronic delivery systems like email can be as much or more dangerous. According to Forbes: 92% of companies had an email-related data breach, nearly 1 in 5 email cyberattacks were successful, and that smaller companies were most likely to be victims.[2] 

Protect yourself from mishandled documents   

If a registered agent makes errors handling your taxes or other sensitive documents, you may still be personally liable. According to the IRS, the penalties for mishandled tax documents are the same, no matter who does the mishandling.[3]  

If a professional service mishandles your taxes or other documents, they should take all necessary measures to rectify the situation on your behalf. This ensures you that they have the best intentions, it was an honest mistake, and that they are a reliable service to use in the future.  

Unfortunately, many times these companies are not required to make any amends. Protect yourself from this becoming your situation by carefully reading the contract you signed when hiring a tax preparer. If you suspect any errors were made purposefully, you’ll need to file a 14157-A form to report fraud or misconduct to the IRS.[4] 

The 3 types of agency failure   

On the topic of how registered agents can make mistakes, there are three types of agency failure: Agent failure, client failure, and mutual failure. 

In agent failure, the person or company hired to be the registered agent drops the ball. The agent might accept correspondence or documents and neglect to pass them on to the client. Even the best organized registered agent is not immune to human error, but larger agencies may provide more protection against this type of error due to errors-and-omissions or malpractice insurance. 

The second type of agency failure is called ‘mutual failure.’ As the name implies, this is where both the client and the registered agent make mistakes. Common examples of mutual failure are if a company changes its name, address, or hires a new registered agent without informing its current registered agent of the changes.  

For example, a client moves its principal location to a new address but fails to inform their registered agent. The registered agent receives correspondence for their client, but forwards it on to the old address. Here, both parties are at fault, as the client failed to update the address, but the agent didn’t follow up to ensure the documents were received. 

Finally, there’s client failure. This type of failure is also pretty straightforward. Client failure is when the agent or agency does their due diligence to ensure everything is delivered to the client in a timely manner, but the client fails to act and a default judgment has been entered in the courts.[1] 

Who can become a registered agent?   

Despite the importance of a registered agent’s duties, there are no specific qualifications needed to become a registered agent. Different agencies will want different qualities and experience from their agents, but having the following is a good place to start if you’re interested in this field: 

• Degree(s) or experience working in legal affairs 
• Detail oriented 
• Highly organized 
• Always available, on location, M-F from 8am-5pm 

Now, this doesn’t mean you will be working all these hours, but you will need to be available in case any important paperwork needs relayed to your client. 

This can be a great job for someone who wants to test working in the legal field, or more experienced workers looking to for a lighter workload. Compensation for a registered agent role varies by location, but an average salary is between $20-30 per hour.[5][6][7] 

Read More: How to Become a Registered Agent 

Should I serve as my own registered agent? 

While legally, you can serve as your own registered agent, the benefits of hiring an outside service are far worth the nominal fee. The only requirement you need to serve as your own registered agent is an address within the state your business is registered.  

If you use your home address, this becomes a matter of public record, and anyone can find this information easily. This leaves your home and family open to be found by any disgruntled employee or angry customer. 

You also have to be available at home M-F from 8am-5pm to receive government documents and other important correspondence. When running your own business, time is your greatest resource. Sitting home during prime business hours can hamper your productivity and cut directly into your profits. 

Speaking of cost, registered agents generally only cost around $100-150 per year, with more expensive services topping out at around $300 per year. When you measure that cost against all the opportunities, you’ll miss by sitting at home all day, the benefits are clear.[8][9] 

Read More: Can I Be My Own Registered Agent?  

Conclusion 

We hope this report has been informative and helpful on your journey to start a new business, run your existing LLC, or form a plan of action around securing a registered agent. 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions, please check our sources below or look at the attached Methods and Procedures document. For more information, click our ‘Read More’ articles and check out all our registered agent resources on our blog! 

Are you a current or prospective business owner looking to secure reliable registered agent services? Please reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or contact us directly for more information!

References 

The post Registered Agents: The Good and the Bad first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed 48,455 data points over 15 studies to discover ways that existing businesses can utilize remote and virtual services to increase profits and productivity. 

Specifically, we sought to investigate ways that virtual services and remote work can benefit businesses that have yet to embrace these services and what can happen if they don’t. 

References for this study are included below our findings, and the research process used to draw conclusions can be found in the attached Methods and Procedures PDF.  

These stats are impressive, so let’s dive in. 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Using outsourced reception services saves up to $163 million for established businesses, depending on size.  
2. Having employees work remotely saves $11,000 per employee per year.  
3. When working from home, a hybrid worker saves $19.11 per day over working from an office, totaling nearly $5,000 per year.  
4. 63% of coworking space owners plan to expand.  
5. The largest demographic that uses coworking spaces are small-to-medium-sized businesses at 37.93% 
6. Remote workers who got detailed instructions from their employers were five times more likely to be productive.  
7. In the last year, those choosing to work from home rose 24%, those choosing hybrid work rose 16%, and those choosing to work in-office dropped 24%.  

Outsourced reception services save up to $163 million per year 

Adding virtual office solutions to your existing business can result in huge profits – up to $163 million, depending on your business size.[1]  

While you may already have your office and team set and are bringing in profits, there are virtual services that can add even more green to your profit line. 

If your office space is limited or you work from a home office, having a full-service center offers clients a sense of prosperity – having lobby staff direct clients to fully stocked meeting rooms and office locations is sure to be more impressive than meeting them at a tiny office or your home. 

Be upfront with potential buyers. Many businesses fear that using a virtual office will seem unprofessional, but explaining to them that while you have a home base, virtual solutions allow you to quickly explore new markets, expand in new locations, and saves money.[1] You can’t hire an on-call receptionist for less than $100 per month.[2] 

A live, virtual receptionist can help save money and retain clients, even if used sparingly. Studies show that 90% of people prefer talking to a real person over an answering service and will often hang up when confronted with one.[3]  

So, what happens when your receptionist is busy with other customers, on a lunch break, or takes a vacation? What if there’s a disaster in your area, like a flood or earthquake, and your local team can’t be in the office? Customers diverted to voicemail or an automated service are less likely to use your services, so having a backup plan is a great way to avoid lost business. “Often, it’s when things go wrong that outstanding customer service shines through.”[1] 

Hiring remote workers saves $11,000 per employee per year  

These savings come from several places. The most obvious source of cost-cutting comes from lower costs for office space. What may be less obvious is the savings that come from reduced absenteeism and turnover rates. Remote employees are also more productive than in-person workers.[4]   

Further savings can be found if you previously offered extra benefits to your in-person employees, such as parking passes, public transit vouchers, or gas cards. Additionally, they’ll be using their own office equipment, supplies, and computers, equaling even more savings.[5] 

Using virtual office services and rented office space can also save you money by essentially replacing your administrative staff. You’ll have a business address, phone number, receptionist, mail forwarding, phone answering, and meeting rooms around the country. As you scale your business, these are essential services, and using these low-cost alternatives rather than hiring full-time staff will reduce costs as you grow.[5] 

Hybrid workers save $19.11 per day over working from an office 

It’s not just employers who save money by working remotely – hybrid workers save $19.11 every day they choose to work from home rather than in an office. These savings are attributed to lower costs for food, fuel, car insurance and maintenance, and parking. This may contribute to the statistic that 75% of employees would take a pay cut of 5-10% to have more flexibility in where they work.[6] 

Remote workers are also happier, have less stress, and a better work-life balance, and 43% work more hours than their office counterparts.[6]  

One study shows that productivity rose by 22% when office workers were allowed to work from home.[7] Another showed 94% of employers saw productivity as the same or better when employees work remotely.[8] 

If you want your existing business to grow, you should be offering remote work options. 77% of employees stated that working remotely was the second highest benefit that was important to them.[9] If you have remote workers and are considering a return to the office, you should know that 66% would start to look for a new job right away, and 39% would quit on the spot.[6] According to the authors of that study: 

Something to think about: 41% of small companies (10-50 employees) are requiring employees to return to the office compared to 27% of enterprises (10k+ employees) … It’s clear this remote work trend is increasing by the day and could be a key to employee retention. 

63% of coworking space owners plan to expand  

If you’re in real estate, buying a coworking space or converting your existing office buildings into coworking or rentable office spaces is a sound investment. 63% of current coworking space owners plan to expand in the next year, a clear sign that this trend is growing and profitable.[10]  

Over 1 million people in the U.S. currently use coworking spaces. By 2024, that number is expected to explode up to 5 million.[11] The cities with the highest concentration of coworking spaces are New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.[12] Don’t get left behind and miss out on this exceptional opportunity. 

Small-to-medium-sized businesses use coworking spaces most 

37.93% of users of coworking spaces are small-to-medium-sized enterprises, beating out startups (27.12%) and freelancers (16.61%).[13]  

If you’re in the market to own coworking spaces, it would be a good idea to invest in marketing to these demographics. If you yourself are a small-to-medium-sized business, it makes sense that you’d want to check out coworking spaces to keep up with your competition. As we’ve outlined above, it saves money and keeps your employees happy, healthy, and with you as an employer. 

Detailed employer instructions to remote workers leads to five times more productivity 

Despite the facts detailed above, many small to medium-sized businesses are still considering return-to-office mandates or are hesitant to implement remote work options for their employees. We understand.  

Implementing changes to how things have always been done can be scary. But being slow to embrace changes rapidly becoming the new normal can leave you behind your competitors and with a less competent and motivated team. 

It can also be challenging to let go of the control you have when you’re able to oversee your team in person. Security concerns are also forefront of many minds – cyber security safety should always be at the front of any business owner’s mind. However, modern technologies exist to help ensure your employees are working safely and effectively. 

Remote desktops essentially turn your employees’ computers into a computer that operates as if it were a secure computer in your office building. This helps to shore up security concerns.  

There are also desktop trackers that will monitor keystrokes and mouse activity to ensure employees keep focused on their work. Some will also take screenshots randomly every few minutes to ensure that employees are actually making progress on their work, rather than just putting a stapler on the space bar. 

These are great tools for keeping your business running efficiently, but a warning here is also due. Being heavy-handed when monitoring your employees can lead them to feel micromanaged and stressed, and the privacy of their home has been invaded. 56% of employees feel anxious that their employers are surveilling their communications, and 41% worry they are being constantly watched.[14] 

One good way to cut back on constant monitoring and create a more unified team is to make sure you’re communicating clearly, effectively, and at appropriate intervals. Employees who received detailed communications from their employers were five times more productive than those left in the dark. If you have managers for your teams, be sure to communicate with them and be sure they’re effectively relaying your message to their underlings. Reaching out directly to even your lowest-level employees from time to time is also a good idea.[15] 

2022: remote work choice up 24%, hybrid work choice up 16%, in-office work choice dropped by 24%  

If all the facts in this report haven’t convinced you yet that offering remote work to your employees as a small or medium-sized business, I don’t think anything will. But, as one last plea, consider that in the past year, interest in working remotely or in a hybrid environment has increased more than ever.[6] There was great interest at the start of the pandemic in 2019 and 2022 in remote working among employees, but it has just continued to rise and rise. 

The facts don’t lie. Employees are demanding remote or hybrid work models and will quit if they don’t get it. Virtual office services result in higher profits and happier workers. And, if you’re business model doesn’t support 100% remote options, going hybrid is better for profits and employee retention than keeping business as usual.   

Conclusion 

We hope this study has helped show you the ways in which remote work and virtual office services can help keep your business profitable and your employees happy. 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions, please check our sources below or look at the attached Methods and Procedures document.  

Are you a business owner looking to maximize profits and retain workers through virtual office solutions? Please reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or contact us directly for more information. 

The post Outsourcing Reception Services Saves up to $163 Million first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed 64,950 data points over hundreds of studies to discover how new and established trucking companies can maximize their profits and avoid shutting down. Offering new technologies, supporting driver retention, and profiting from freelance positions are the key to success.  

Specifically, we sought to investigate how modern technologies can impact small trucking companies, how they operate, and how they can improve. 

References for this study are included, and the methods and procedures used to draw conclusions can be found in the attached Methods and Procedures PDF.  

The numbers don’t lie, so let’s jump right in. 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Freight revenues are expected to grow 53.65% by 2030 
2. Driver retention is a crucial aspect of success – 30% of drivers quit within 3 months – 50% leave by month 6 
3. How to avoid being in the 85-90% of startup trucking companies that fail 
4. Diversify your team to avoid doing everything yourself 
5. Save up to 30% on salaries by hiring freelancers 
6. Make the best of both worlds by having a flexible working space 

Freight revenues expected to grow 53.8% by 2030 

According to the American Trucking Associations Freight Transportation Forecast for 2019 to 2030, overall freight tonnage will increase to 20.6 billion tons by 2030, resulting in a 53.8% rise in revenues totaling $1.601 billion.[1] While this is excellent news for your bottom line, it also allows you to invest in ways to grow your business and keep your drivers happy.  

It’s no secret that there is a nationwide driver shortage. This extra capital could be put towards raises for your drivers. The average driver’s yearly salary is $5,822 lower than the national average.[2] Even experienced drivers with higher salaries may think twice about remaining in the field after the mass layoffs during the pandemic, long stretches away from home, long working hours, and the risks associated with driving tractor-trailers.[3] 

“When it comes to pay, most companies in this industry are very open about the gross payments and RPM they are offering. Strive to be a leader in this category, even if at first it doesn’t make sense on paper. If someone believes you have their best interest at heart, they will run through a wall for you. What you are offering money-wise is the first indicator of if you are in it for yourself or for your drivers.”[4] 

30% of drivers quit within 3 months – 50% leave by month 6 

We’ve covered that there is a driver shortage, but driver retention is another big problem in the trucking industry. A great way to combat this AND keep your drivers safe is to invest in electric and/or smart trucks for your fleet. Imagine the excitement of a driver when they get the most technologically up-to-date tool on the market to perform their job!  

Smart semis are a great way to increase new truck drivers’ retention and help keep them safe. Smart semi-trucks offer safety measures like warnings when creeping out of lanes, multiple cameras to see all around the vehicle, and automatic braking to avoid crashes. Adaptive cruise control is another feature that keeps drivers safe in heavy traffic by accelerating and decelerating with the traffic flow. It also increases comfort, as they can shift positions or stretch in traffic jams without worrying about speed. 

Depending on the weight, an electric semi-truck can drive 500+ miles before needing to be charged.[5] They’re relatively new, but keep an eye on these types of smart trucks, as they will undoubtedly become more and more efficient as time passes. Additionally, many electric semis have the added benefits of smart semis detailed above. 

Make sure you don’t wait too long on this new technology – you want this to be a new incentive to drivers, not the expected norm. 

85-90% of startup trucking companies fail 

Additionally, in 2020, more than 3,140 trucking companies closed their doors for good.[3] Embracing safety technologies is another way to invest your profits and avoid being one of the above statistics. Keeping drivers happy is key to keeping your business’s doors open. In addition to increased pay, another way to show your drivers you care is to increase their personal safety.  

Dashcams and apps for drivers are both great ways to help your employees stay safe. Dashcams protect them (and you) from lawsuits in the event of an accident that is not your driver’s fault. There are tons of ready-made apps that your drivers can use to facilitate communication. Some, like Samsara’s CoPilot app, consider the truck’s weight and dimensions to help navigate truck-friendly routes. 

Don’t try to do everything yourself 

We’ve already discussed the failure rate of trucking companies, but did you know that poor management is one of the top 5 reasons for failure?[6] Cutting costs by trying to manage drivers, getting new clients, doing your own accounting, and being a one-person customer service team is a surefire way to tank your business. While you save money in the short term, it’s much more likely to make you suffer in the long term. 

Be honest with yourself: Do you have experience as a manager? An accountant? A customer service rep? Even if you do, evaluate that experience through the eyes of your clients and/or employees. Did you have a high turnover rate or any complaints against you? If any of these questions ring true, think about if you can do everything independently.  

If you’re confident in your abilities, reach out to trusted friends, family, and former employers/employees for their honest opinion. People often overestimate their abilities. Having an outsider’s perspective can help you see your strengths and weaknesses more clearly. Once you’ve taken these steps, you’ll see that you need strong team members to help you succeed. 

Hire freelancers to save a fortune 

Save 20-30% annually by utilizing freelancer workers through websites like Upwork to get top talent without paying costs associated with full-time employees, like health insurance, retirement, Medicare, and Social Security.[7] There are highly talented people with the exact skill set you’re looking for in a price range you can afford. The added bonus? They’re specifically looking for what you have to offer – they’ll even compete for your position! 

According to Forbes, freelancers are equivalent in skill, more productive, more engaged, and as satisfied as full-time employees.[8] 

The best of both worlds 

If you’re determined to have all your personnel in one place, consider a shared working space and a virtual phone line over a brick-and-mortar office, like those offered by Alliance Virtual Offices.  

Having access to a shared working space offers the safety of being able to manage all your team members in person at a substantially lower price than a regular office. This also allows work from home options for your non-driver employees. Let them work from home for tasks that don’t need constant supervision but have some office hours to ensure everything is being done to your standards. 

With Alliance’s services, you can also have access to a Live Receptionist for customers and distributors to call with any questions or issues. With this service, you don’t need to worry about constantly monitoring your phone or email during busy office hours. You can focus on day-to-day tasks without constant interruptions while knowing our professional staff will help filter important information.  

Conclusion 

We hope this study has helped inform you of how diversified ways of thinking and action can improve your trucking business. 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions, please check our sources below or look at the attached Methods and Procedures document.  

Are you a small trucking business, a driver, looking to streamline or expand your small freight business? Please reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or contact us directly for more information. 

The post Freight Transportation Revenue to Grow 53.65% by 2030; New Insights into Future-Proofing the Trucking Industry first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed 2,369,405 data points over hundreds of studies to discover how virtual office services can support solo lawyers, freelance lawyers, and small legal offices. Specifically, we sought to investigate the uses, benefits, and detriments of using virtual services for small firms and solo or freelance lawyers. 

Methods, procedures, and references for this study can be found in the Methods and Procedures PDF.  

The findings are intriguing, so let’s get right into the numbers: 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Starting/expanding a virtual small firm saves $20k-50K over brick-and-mortar equivalents; medium firms save up to $250K 

2. Working from home and using a virtual assistant can save up to 4 billable hours per day 

3. Solo lawyers and small firms say virtual office solutions protect their privacy, increases networking, and retains support staff 

4. 86% of low- and no-income households have inadequate or no legal counsel – a huge potential market  

Starting/expanding a virtual small firm saves $20k-50K; savings of 250K+ for medium firms 

When contemplating a solo business or small firm startup, first things first: cost. Starting an in-person setup, you can expect to spend between $20,000 to $50,000. If you’re upgrading a medium firm, the cost can exceed $250,000 (Maslow, 2022).  

45-50% of these costs are due to office expenses: rent, electricity, employee salaries, waste disposal, and office supplies (Meunier, 2021). Expanding or starting up using a virtual office can offer significant cost saving measures. 

Using rentable, shared office space saves 30% over long term office space leases (Sossman, 2022). 

Virtual Offices and Assistants Save 4+ Billable Service Hours/Day 

First off, Virtual Customer Assistants (VCAs or CSAs) can handle five times more call volume than you can (Ali, 2021). Having a virtual assistant saves you 2+ hours per day in handling customer inquiries, coordinating calendar appointments, and scheduling follow-ups (Roemer, 2021). 

Additionally, having no commute can save you around another 2 hours per day. Therefore, by outsourcing customer service and working from home, you have an extra 4+ hours of billable services every day (Roemer, 2021). 

In a study of 600 senior managers, 100% said their virtual assistants were essential, and 64% said that they saved them money (Krat, 2022). 

If you’re looking to hire an assistant, an entry level applicant with no experience generally asks $10.25+ per hour, or around $20K per year. If you want someone with executive, high-level experience in the law field, you’ll be forking over $90K+ per year (Glassdoor, 2022). However, using our highly talented live receptionists starts at only $125 per month. 

What other solos and small firms have to say  

In a study conducted by clio.com of 4,776 solo lawyers, 82% said they had no commercial office space. In the same study, 88% said more automation would better serve their clients, 86% said advanced technology significantly betters the client’s experience, and 52% said advanced technology improves their work/life balance (Clio, 2020). 

Having an office presence is also a huge benefit. Solos report that it looks more professional to have an office space. It also protects their personal safety, as having your home phone number and address publicly available can expose threats of crime and violence. Having the option to go into a dedicated office space can help productivity by getting away from distractions, as well as putting work away when you get back home (Meunier, 2021). 

Something that may be surprising about shared offices is that it increases networking opportunities. Having access to so many different professionals automatically increases the number of people you interact with who may seek the advice of a lawyer (Sossman, 2022). 

Another benefit to having a hybrid model over a traditional practice is that it’s hard to retain support staff and new-to-the-field lawyers who have so many options. An introverted legal aid may prefer to work from home, while an extroverted first-time lawyer would much rather have the socialization of a shared office (Roemer, 2021). 

86% of Low- or No-Income Households Have Inadequate Legal Counsel 

Any lawyer, whether as a solo or in a huge firm, knows that anticipating their clients’ needs is of critical importance. In the Clio study cited above, 6,125 members of the general public were also included in the study. Nearly 80% of respondents cited needing remote options to meet their needs (Clio, 2020). 

In 2017, the Legal Services Corporation conducted a study of 2000 adults classified as low or no income. Of these individuals, 86% reported inadequate or no legal counsel. 71% of this group also reported having at least one civil legal problem (LSC, 2017).  

Having affordable office solutions allows you to take on more clients for lower fees while still retaining more profits. Gathering a portion of that 86% who would otherwise have no legal representation is not only a moral thing to do, but also allows for more income. Word of mouth among other no and low-income households combined with targeted advertising will go a long way to building a solid reputation and a profitable firm. 

Conclusion 

We hope this study has helped inform you of how virtual office solutions impact solo lawyers, freelance lawyers, and small law firms. 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions or check our sources, please take a look at our Methods and Procedures document.  

Are you a solo lawyer, freelance lawyer, work in a small firm, or want to start working in one of these environments? Please reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or contact us directly for more information. 

The post Starting a Virtual Law Practice Can Save $250K/Year first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

Virtual offices create business for real estate sellers, brokerages, and Airbnb investors 

We analyzed millions of data points and hundreds of studies to discover how virtual offices benefit real estate investors. Specifically, we sought to investigate how solo investors, small brokerages, and Airbnb investors utilize virtual office services to increase revenue and expand business. 

We conducted this study to examine how 24/7 live receptionists, professional business addresses and phone numbers, and access to shared office spaces provide value to those in the real estate market. 

References and methods for this study can be found in the Methods and Procedures PDF.  

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Expanding a brick-and-mortar brokerage can cost over half a million dollars – Virtual office expansion is more cost-effective 

2. As a buyer, having a business address and live receptionist can help increase your legitimacy to sellers and protect your privacy 

3. Using a live receptionist in lieu of voicemail avoids lost business and maintains a professional image   

4. 81% of Airbnb’s revenue came from whole-unit rentals where the owner is not present – whole-unit rental revenue has increased by an average of 76% each year 

5. Coworking spaces save money – Most include utilities, internet, and cleaning in the lease rate 

6. 97% of consumers check a company’s online presence before deciding to use their services 

7. Real estate expert says providing brick-and-mortar office as well as virtual services is the best of both worlds 

Expanding a brick-and-mortar brokerage costs over half a million dollars 

While at first glance, starting an online brokerage can seem exponentially expensive. Hiring software developers to create a system specific to your needs and your team can cost millions. But major savings can be made if you take advantage of existing software like Teams, Zoom or Slack for communication and training purposes. Tens of thousands of dollars in startup costs can be saved just by not having a lease. 

Online brokerages attract more tech-savvy agents, have lower start-up costs, offer splits and fees to agents, and are less expensive to expand. Expanding a brick-and-mortar brokerage can cost over $600,000 with no guarantee of success – expanding an online brokerage can be close to free; so, much less risk is involved (Moudry, 2021).   

Virtual Offices increase legitimacy for solo investors 

It goes without saying but buyers are wary of getting scammed. Phrases like “Cash offer guaranteed” and “We buy ugly houses” have become almost synonymous with, “You won’t get the price you want,” or even, “This is a scam.”  

As a buyer, knowing an agent or investor has a business address, and live receptionist helps to increase your legitimacy to buyers and sellers, especially those needing a quick sale (Lindhal, 2021).  

80-90% of real estate investors and agents work through mobile devices, at home, or a combination of the two. Having a business office address, phone number, and 24/7 receptionist helps to increase your legitimacy to buyers and sellers alike (Moudry, 2021).  

It also helps protect your anonymity and sanity. Real estate personnel of all kinds know that being on-call 24/7 is one of the hardest aspects of the job. Giving out your personal phone number is a given, but can’t there be a work-life balance? Having a 24/7 receptionist can help you set boundaries while still giving your clients the best service imaginable. Keeping your private residence confidential can keep you and your family safe. 

Live receptionists increase trust and avoid lost business 

Voicemail is becoming a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean you have to answer calls at all hours. Using a live receptionist in lieu of voicemail can also help to avoid lost business and maintain a professional image (Servcorp, 2021).   

80% of callers sent to voicemail simply hang up due to fear that they won’t be heard. This is understandable, as 30% of voicemails go unanswered for at least three days (Colvin, 2009).  

This isn’t to say your business will increase by 80%, but it will help increase trust in your clients and reassure them you are a reputable business. Clients are more likely to respond positively to a live, human voice rather than an automated service or voicemail. 

Whole unit rental price increased 75% each year 

Investing in Airbnb properties is big business at the moment. Buying up single-family homes with the express purpose of making them Airbnb’s can be a sound investment opportunity. The best part is, you don’t even have to be there to make money! 81% of the 2017 income of Airbnb hosts came from rentals of entire units where the owner was absent during the entire guest stay. 

Even if you only have one property to rent, income from whole-unit rentals has increased by around 75% every year. The income increases as your number of properties grows – Commercial hosts and multi- property users are one of the fastest growing operators on Airbnb. In fact, hosts with at least ten available rentals make up a quarter of all growth for multi-host Airbnb users (iPM, 2022). 

Co-working spaces save money 

If you’re a solitary investor or have a small brokerage, coworking spaces can save you money. Most co-working spaces have everyday expenses like utilities, internet, and cleaning services included in the lease (Moudry, 2021). In addition to saving you money, it also saves time by eliminating the effort involved in hiring cleaning staff and paying bills. 

97% of consumers search for a company online 

97% of consumers check a company’s online presence before deciding to use its services (Hostaway, 2022). Put your best face forward and increase trust in potential buyers and renters by having a professional-looking web presence. Having a local business address and professional answering service will help you stand out from the field and attract more clients. 

Having a virtual office and physical location is the best of both worlds 

Sean Moudry, CEO of a real estate market center and REALTOR Magazine 30 under 30 featured broker (REALTOR Magazine, 2002) recently wrote in favor of having both an in-person brokerage AND a virtual office. In the conclusion of his 2021 article for the close he stated, “If I was starting a brokerage today, I would still provide a small brick-and-mortar office while offering virtual services – the best of both worlds,” (Moudry). 

Conclusion 

We hope this analysis has been informative and interesting. 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions or check our sources, please take a look at our Methods and Procedures document.  

Are you a real estate investor? Please reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter or contact us directly for more information. 

The post Expanding Real Estate Business Virtually saves $500,000 first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed millions of data points and hundreds of studies to determine how, if at all, working from home impacts career advancement. We found that hybrid workers had the best prospects, outweighing both online-only and in-office employees. 

References and methods for this study can be found in the Methods and Procedures PDF.  

We know you’re ready for the statistics, so let’s dive in. 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Remote workers are 38% less likely to receive bonuses 

2. Remote workers have worse performance reviews and don’t advance as quickly as their office-working peers  

3. Remote workers do nearly 50% more overtime compared to in-office workers 

4. Hybrid workers earned on average 23% more than remote workers, and 12% more than office-only workers  

5. From 2019 to 2020, the number of women working from home rose 7% more than men  

6. The employment rate for disabled people dropped 1.4% between 2019 and 2020. For those without a disability, it dropped by 4.5%  

7. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were the largest demographic to be able to work from home during the pandemic at 39.2% 

8. 70% of the cities where remote work is most popular have a higher cost of living than the national average  

9. 70% of workers agreed that remote worker’s wages should be set by the cost of living in their city of residence 

 Remote workers 38% less likely to receive bonuses  

Regardless of their base salary and in what sector they worked, remote employees were 38% less likely to get bonus pay than their office working counterparts between 2011 and 2020.  

Management and supervisors seem to be biased when it comes to judging the quality of work produced by remote employees.  

When a worker is seen in the office every day, it can be easy to judge those a manager knows better to be more worthy (Martin, 2021).  

With the pandemic skewing remote work trends, it remains to be seen if this will continue post-COVID. 

Remote workers have worse performance reviews, fewer promotions 

As stated above, when managers don’t directly see what their employees are doing, or even see their employees at all, a negative bias develops.  

It’s an easy assumption to make – if you don’t see your employees working, it is harder to imagine what they’re doing or wonder if they’re even working at all.  

Dan Schawbel of Linkedin suggests that both employees and managers need to work to address this bias by establishing clear objectives, success milestones, and regular virtual meetings with cameras turned on for greater visibility (2021). 

 Remote workers do nearly 50% more over time compared to in-office workers 

The same article mentioned above shows that despite getting fewer promotions, bonuses, and raises, remote workers put in far more hours than their in-office peers.  

Online employees work nearly 50% more over time, further exacerbating the gulf between what managers think of their remote employees versus what they actually do (Schawbel, 2021). 

Hybrid workers earned on average best salaries 

Seeming to blend all the good aspects of in-office work and the added convenience of working from home, hybrid workers made better salaries than both in-person and online employees.  

Hybrid workers, those who spend some time working in person and some time working online earned 23.4% more than employees who worked entirely online.  

Additionally, they earned 12% more than those working completely in person (Martin, 2021). 

More women are working from home than men 

During the pandemic, from 2019 to 2020, the number of employees working from home rose from 22% to 42%.  

Interestingly, the number of women working from home increased more than that of men.  

The number of women rose by 23%, whereas the number of men only increased by 16% – a 7% difference (Strozewski, 2021). 

Disabled people retained employment 3.1% more than non-disabled: 2019 – 2020.  

The national unemployment rate soared to its’ peak in April of 2020, reaching 14.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021).  

From 2019 to 2020, 61.8 million people without a disability were employed, a 4.5% drop from the previous year.  

For people with a disability, the employment rate only fell by 1.4% (National Organization on Disability, 2022).  

While any drop in employment isn’t good, the fact that disabled workers were able to retain employment at a much higher level speaks to the fact that offering remote work encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Offering remote work options helps disabled people, which make up 15% of the global population, remain employed. 

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders largest demographic able to work from home at 39.2% 

It’s been well noted that workers of ethnic and racial minorities have suffered greatly due to the pandemic.  

Only 20.4% of Black Americans are able to work from home. The numbers for Hispanic Americans are even worse at 15.2%.  

Following this line of reasoning, one might think that white workers would fare best, but they don’t. 25.9% of white Americans are able to work from home.  

A possibly surprising 39.2% of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are able to telework (Gould & Kandra, 2021).  

However, the number of AAPI workers who were not able to retain their position led the U.S. population in those with long-term unemployment and many have had to suffer from and/or hear news about their fellow AAPI-ers enduring attacks and hate crimes.  

48% of the AAPI population of unemployed individuals remained out of work for 6+ months as of 2021 (Ramirez, 2021).  

70% of most popular remote work cities have a higher cost of living than the national average 

The 10 cities with the highest number of remote workers are: 

• Bend, Oregon 
• Asheville, North Carolina 
• Wilmington, Delaware 
• Johnson City, Tennessee 
• Eugene, Oregon 
• Cape Coral, Florida 
• Charleston, South Carolina 
• Tampa Bay, Florida 
• Jacksonville, Florida 
• Orlando, Florida 

Of those 10, 70% have a higher cost of living than the national average. The cost-of-living indices are based on an average of 100. 

The three cities that fall below the average are Wilmington, DE (89.9), Johnson City, TN (82), and Jacksonville, FL (93.5). The highest is Bend, OR at 123.5 (Smith, 2021, & Best Places to Live, 2022). 

70% of workers agreed that remote wages should be set by the local cost of living 

With the recent rise in the number of remote workers, many employees are taking advantage of their newfound freedoms by moving to areas with lower costs of living.  

While this is great to extend the amount your salary can cover, it also creates tension for employees who cannot work from home or choose not to.  

According to a survey of 7,000 workers in the UK, 70% agreed that salaries should be set depending on the cost of living based on your city of residence, while 30% felt it was unfair.  

Many companies are offering incentives to employees to entice them back into the office, like wage increases or stipends to cover travel costs, but providing different pay to workers doing the same job based on their location can get tricky.  

The key to successfully navigating this complex issue is openness and honesty. Get feedback from your employees and make sure that no one accidentally finds out what their salary is based on (Ro, 2020).  

Conclusion 

If you’d like to know how we came to our conclusions or check our sources, please take a look at our Methods and Procedures document. We hope this article has been interesting and informative. 

But what has your experience been? Please let us know by reaching out to us on Facebook, Twitter or contact us directly. 

The post Remote Work Might Damage Your Career Advancement, new study. first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

Customer Service Quality Stats

Customer Service Financial Stats

Cost of Bad Customer Service

Customer Experience Stats

Communication Channel Stats

Live Chat Support Statistics

Stats on Tech and A.I. in Business

Additional Stats

Business success is driven by much more than just product/service and pricing. In fact, consumer research over the past few years has found that consumers are increasingly choosing companies they do business with based on the company’s customer service and experience, as well as its corporate social responsibility agenda. 

This means successful transactions today are fully customer-driven, which is why customer service and experience have become a priority for businesses across industries. 

But why take our word for it?

Related: Answering Services for Small Businesses

We’ve compiled 200 customer service facts and figures so that you can see for yourself why customer service is now more important than ever and that exceptional customer service can lead to more leads, sales, loyal customers, and revenue. 

Customer Service: Key Facts and Figures for 2020

Statistics Supporting Great Customer Service

1. The global customer experience management market size was valued at USD 6.5 billion in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of 17.7% from 2020 to 2027. (Grandview Research) 
2. Customer experience management helps organizations to strengthen their brand presence, improve consumer loyalty, reduce customer churn, and in turn boost business revenue. (Grandview Research) 
3. Customers say they are more likely to try additional services or products from brands that provide superior customer experience. (PwC)
4. Seven in 10 U.S. consumers say they’ve spent more money to do business with a company that delivers great service. (Amex) 
5. US consumers say they’re willing to spend 17 percent more to do business with companies that deliver excellent service. (Amex)
6. 94%  of consumers who give a company a “very good” CX rating are likely to purchase more products or services from that company in the future. (Qualtrics)
7. About three-quarters of consumers who give a company a “very good” CX rating are likely to forgive a company for a bad experience. (Qualtrics) 
8. Nearly 90% of consumers who give a company a “very good” CX rating are likely to trust a company to take care of their needs. (Qualtrics) 
9. There is a 38-percentage-point difference in likelihood to recommend between consumers rating a company’s CX as “good” versus those rating a company’s CX as “poor.” (Qualtrics)
10. CX drives over two-thirds of customer loyalty, outperforming brand and price combined. (Gartner) 
11. The companies leading in customer experience are more successful than their peers. They are three times more likely to have significantly exceeded their 2019 business goals. (Adobe)
12. 52% of customers report going out of their way to buy from their favorite brands. (ZenDesk)
13. 3 in 4 consumers buy more from companies that make it easier to do business with them. (BT, Cisco) 
14. 95% of respondents cite customer service as important in their choice of and loyalty to a brand. (Microsoft) 
15. 70% of consumers have a more favorable view of brands that offer or contact them with proactive customer service notifications. (Microsoft) 
16. 90% of customers have a more favorable view of brands that give them the opportunity to provide feedback. (Microsoft) 
17. It costs businesses 6-7x more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one. (HubSpot)
18. Consumers report a 25 to 30 percent increase in loyalty with the introduction of modern engagement capabilities. (Oracle) 
19. 76% of consumers agree that they will use a company that gets them to the appropriate individual with a minimal number of menu selections. (Oracle) 
20. 68% of consumers say they would buy more from brands that put the service back in customer service. (Oracle) 
21. 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a great experience. (Vonage) 
22. By the end of 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product to become the key brand differentiator. (Vonage) 
23. Superior customer experience has been found to drive stronger bottom lines and stock prices. (Vonage)
24. Customers with good service interactions reported that they were not only less likely to show disloyalty toward the company, but more likely to advocate, renew and spend more. (Gartner) 
25. Good customer service interactions increased customers’ confidence in their original purchase decision or helped them achieve more with the product/service. (Gartner)
26. After experiencing value-enhancing customer service interactions, there is an 82% probability that the customer would stay even when presented an opportunity to switch. (Gartner)
27. 97% of customers are more likely to share positive word of mouth after they receive value during a service interaction. (Gartner)
28.  79% of consumers say customer service is extremely important when deciding where to shop. (Kustomer) 
29. 59% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for a brand or provider known to have outstanding customer service, with most consumers reporting they are willing to pay 5-10% more. (Kustomer)
30. Good customer service was ranked as the number one attribute when choosing where to do business, even above price, for those aged 18-24. (Kustomer) 
31. Even with the disruption of a global pandemic, consumers prefer doing business with companies that can make and maintain positive connections – 38% of consumers are ready to pay more for a product or service if it means receiving a superior customer experience. (Sitel)
32. 65% of consumers say a positive brand experience is more influential than great advertising. (Sinch) 
33. 62%  of consumers said they were more likely to be a repeat customer of a brand if the brand responded to their questions on digital channels. (Conversocial)

Financial Statistics on Great Customer Service

34. 73% of all people point to customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions. Yet only 49% of U.S. consumers say companies provide a good customer experience today. (PwC)
35. 43% of all consumers would pay more for greater convenience. (PwC)
36. 42% would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience. (PwC)
37. Among U.S. customers, 65% find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising. (PwC)
38. 54% of U.S. consumers say customer experience at most companies needs improvement. (PwC)
39. 31% of teams think their company considers customer service as an expense, not an opportunity for growth. (HubSpot) 
40. Only 32% of companies are using customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage customer data. (HubSpot)
41. Over 70% of CX leaders struggle to design projects that increase customer loyalty and achieve results. (Gartner)
42. 63% of business leaders believe that to build customer loyalty, their CX teams must be primarily focused on creating new and innovative experiences for their customers. (Gartner)
43. 90% of consumers regard resolution as their most important customer service issue. (KPMG)
44.  Compared with two years ago, four in 10 consumers find themselves evaluating or considering other providers more often. (Accenture) 
45. Of the consumers who switched to another provider due to poor service, more than 80% said they could have been retained. (Accenture)
46. Only 14 percent of consumers overall strongly agree that companies are effectively providing a positive customer experience through convergence between new digital, mobile and social channel interactions and more traditional ones. (Accenture) 
47. the percentage of consumers saying their biggest frustrations with providers—failure to deliver on their promises, inefficient and slow customer service, and lack of interaction convenience—have remained consistent in the past few years. (Accenture)
48. When it comes to customer service’s impact on loyalty, service matters most to younger customers. (ZenDesk)
49.  Less than 30% of companies offer self-service, live chat, social messaging, in-app messaging, bots or peer-to-peer communities. (ZenDesk)
50. Companies offering omnichannel support resolve tickets more than three times faster, and their customers spend 75% less time waiting for agents to respond. (ZenDesk)
51. Just one in five people rate their digital experience of large multinational organisations as excellent. (BT, Cisco) 
52. 82% say it would be good if organisations used AI to monitor the condition of products and services. (BT, Cisco) 
53. 59% of consumers say they have higher expectations for customer service now than you had a year ago. (Microsoft)
54. 47 percent of consumers rate humanizing the customer experience the most important benefit in modern engagement capabilities. (Oracle) 
55. Our research suggests only about 15% of customer interactions currently produce value enhancement but many more could. (Gartner)
56. The greatest chance to enhance the value the customer perceives is during inquiry calls. The lowest likelihood of success is during complaint calls. (Gartner) 
57. The number of CX (customer experience) executives will grow by 25%. (Forrester) 
58. Customer service is the most important driver category of customer experience quality across most industries and markets. (Forrester)
59. Eighty-two percent of decision makers say their company’s customer service must transform in order to stay competitive. (Salesforce) 
60. Nearly seven in 10 decision makers say executives allocate the budget needed to modernize customer service operations. What’s more, the majority of service teams expect budget increases next year. (Salesforce) 
61. Seventy-eight percent of service professionals say their company views agents as customer advocates, and 75% view them as brand ambassadors. (Salesforce) 
62. 85% of service decision makers view investment in agents as a vital part of service transformation. (Salesforce) 
63.  Fifty-six percent of agents say they must toggle between multiple screens to find all the information they need to do their job. (Salesforce) 
64. Live service is 80x more expensive than a self-service interaction. (Gartner)
65. Seventy-three percent of customers say one extraordinary experience raises their expectations of other companies. (Salesforce) 
66.  Fifty-four percent of customers say it’s harder than ever for companies to earn their trust. (Salesforce) 
67. Eighty-nine percent of customers are more loyal to companies they trust, and 65% have stopped buying from companies that did something they consider distrustful. (Salesforce)
68. 54% of customers say companies need to transform how they engage with them. (Salesforce)
69. over 95% of organizations have adopted a journey based approach to CX and eight-in-ten respondents say a journey-based strategy is critical to the overall success of their business. (Pointillist) 
70. 40%of CX leaders agree that quantifying the ROI of customer experience is the #1 overall CX challenge today. (Pointillist)
71. 48%of enterprise CX leaders agree that lacking a single view of the customer and customer journey is the #1 challenge for effectively measuring customer experience. (Pointillist)
72. The majority of CX organizations (95%) collect customer feedback data. For customer experience professionals, three of the top five high-priority KPIs are NPS® (62.7%), CSAT (54.2%) and CES (30.9%). (Pointillist)
73. 61 percent of consumers report that brands aren’t using their personal information intelligently or thoughtfully to predict their needs. (Acquia) 
74.  78 percent of consumers report they are more inclined to be loyal to brands that understand them and what they are looking to achieve through interactions with a company. (Acquia) 
75. 54% of consumers report  that they don’t consider themselves loyal to any particular brand. (Acquia)
76. 76 percent of global consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand that understands them on a personal level. (Acquia)
77. 6% stated that good digital customer service is “very important” when it comes to affecting their brand loyalty. (Conversocial) 
78. Over two thirds (74%) of respondents reported it took “some effort” when resolving issues on digital channels—with 9% stating it took “too much effort.” (Conversocial) 

Stats on the Real Costs of Bad Customer Service

79. Even if people love your company or product, in the U.S. 59% will walk away after several bad experiences, 17% after just one bad experience. (PwC)
80. 32% of all customers would stop doing business with a brand they loved after one bad experience. (PwC)
81. 64% of U.S. consumers and 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of customer experience. (PwC)
82. 60% of all consumers said they’d stop doing business with a brand if the service they received was not friendly. (PwC)
83. 80% of consumers say they’ve stopped doing business with a company because of a poor experience. (HubSpot) 
84. About half of customers who encountered a poor service experience shifted a portion of their spend from existing to new providers. (Accenture)
85. 77% of consumers agree that inefficient customer service experiences detract from their quality of life. (Oracle) 
86. Poor customer experience is costing businesses more than $75 billion a year. (Vonage) 
87. Customer service interactions are nearly four times more likely to lead to disloyalty than loyalty.  (Gartner) 
88. 52% of customers – including 56% of consumers – say companies are generally impersonal. (Salesforce)
89. Forty percent of customers won’t do business with a company if they can’t use their preferred channels. (Salesforce)
90. Less than a third of organizations say they are effective at engaging customers with the right experiences at the right times through their preferred channels. (Pointillist)
91.  81% of consumers would abandon a purchase due to bad service. (Kustomer)
92. Nearly one-in-three consumers report that it was not easy contacting a business to handle their last customer service issue. (The Northridge Group)
93. 30% of consumers frequently speak with an agent who isn’t friendly or polite. (The Northridge Group)
94. 86% of consumers tell others about a bad experience. (The Northridge Group)
95. Nearly half (49 percent) of consumers say brands they engage with don’t meet their expectations for a good experience. (Acquia)
96. 66% of consumers don’t remember when a brand experience exceeded my expectations. (Acquia) 
97. 60% of consumers have stopped doing business with a brand due to a poor digital customer service experience. (Conversocial) 

Customer Experience Statistics

98.  48% of U.S. consumers point to friendly, welcoming service as uniquely defining success in an industry. (PwC) 
99. Nearly 80% of American consumers point to speed, convenience, knowledgeable help and friendly service as the most important elements of a positive customer experience. (PwC)
100. Only 3% of U.S. consumers, for instance, want their experiences to be as automated as possible. (PwC)
101. 71% of Americans would rather interact with a human than a chatbot or some other automated process. (PwC) 
102. 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response as important or very important when they have a customer service question. (HubSpot)
103. Two-thirds of consumers report that the most frustrating aspect of getting customer service is waiting on hold or having to explain the same information to multiple representatives. (HubSpot)
104. Buyers want their issues resolved in 10 minutes or less. (HubSpot)
105. 68% of consumers said that a pleasant representative was key to their recent positive service experiences. (Amex)
106. 62% of consumers said that a representative’s knowledge or resourcefulness was key. (Amex)
107.  The most frustrating aspects of a bad customer service experience include long hold/wait times, automated systems that make it hard to reach a human agent, having to repeat my information multiple times. (ZenDesk)
108.  The most important aspects of a good customer service experience include: being able to resolve an issue quickly, 24/7 support, friendly support staff. (ZenDesk)
109.  68% of customers are annoyed when their call is transferred between departments. (ZenDesk)
110.  51% of respondents expect a response in under five minutes on the phone, and 28% of respondents expect the same on live chat. (ZenDesk)
111. Customers want companies to keep track of their information if it leads to a better customer experience. (ZenDesk)
112. 76% of survey respondents expect personalization ( engagement over their preferred contact method, account type or status, recommendations based on purchase or search history). (ZenDesk)
113. 67% say they are often asked to repeat their account details on the same call which is irritating. (BT, Cisco)
114. 87% want to be informed when there is a problem with their product or service. (BT, Cisco)
115. More than 75% of respondents expect customer service representatives to have visibility into previous interactions and purchases. (Microsoft)
116. Nearly half of those surveyed said agents almost never or only occasionally have the context they need to most effectively and efficiently solve their issue. (Microsoft)
117. Our survey participants said getting their issue resolved in a single interaction is the most important aspect of a good service experience. (Microsoft) 
118. 79 percent want their issue to be resolved in one interaction and don’t want to be told what channel they should use. (Oracle) 
119. 69 to 83 percent of consumers recognize value and efficiency in modern engagement capabilities. (Oracle)
120. Among customer service organizations with AI, over four-fifths (81%) use it to gather preliminary case information. (Salesforce)
121. Eighty-nine percent of service professionals say partnering with other departments is critical to providing great customer experiences. (Salesforce)
122. 84% of service professionals say a unified view of customer information is key to providing great customer experiences. (Salesforce)
123. Although customers say they prefer certain channels or even a variety of channels, it is resolution, not channel choice, that is paramount to delivering a high-quality service experience. (Gartner) 
124.   78% of customers expect to solve complex issues by speaking to one person. (Salesforce)
125. 56% of customers expect to find whatever they need from a company in three clicks or less. (Salesforce) 
126. 78% of customers expect consistent interactions across departments. (Salesforce)
127. 72% of customers expect all company representatives to have the same information about them. (Salesforce)
128. 96% of consumers told us it is important being able to return to and pick up a customer support conversation where it left off. (Helpshift)
129. Only 19.6% have a centralized and accessible source of customer data that provides unified customer profiles across all sources and channels. (Pointillist)
130. 66% of US online adults said that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good online customer experience. (Forrester) 
131. Seventy-one percent of consumers believe their problem should be solved immediately upon contacting customer service, but 52% report that they’ve experienced hold times longer than fifteen minutes. (Kustomer)
132. 69% of consumers expect an organization to prioritize their problem if they are upset. (Kustomer)
133.  53% of consumers expect a business to know about them and personalize how they interact. (Kustomer)
134. 76% of consumers expect companies to proactively follow-up and reach out to them if there is a problem. (Kustomer)
135. 50% of consumers have been given contradictory information when contacting customer service. (Kustomer)
136. 43% of consumers still rank the most important aspect of good digital customer experience as getting an issue resolved in a single effortless interaction. (Conversocial)

Customer Preferred Methods of Communication Statistics

137. 17 percent of people between 18 and 24 resolve their issues with a company via social messaging apps. (ZenDesk)
138. Half of customers choose a channel based on how fast they need a response. (ZenDesk)
139. 40 percent of customers choose a channel based on the complexity of their issue. (ZenDesk)
140.  69% of customers want to resolve as many issues as possible on their own. (ZenDesk)
141.  Live channels (phone and chat) are almost 13 times faster than email or online forms. (ZenDesk)
142. By 2022, 20% of customer service will be handled by conversational agents. (ZenDesk)
143. Three in four of us called a contact centre over the last 12 months, making voice calls the most used channel. (BT, Cisco)
144. 53% say agents don’t always know what’s on their website. (BT, Cisco)
145. 80% expect organisations to use AI and automated voice services to answer simple queries from customers. (BT, Cisco)
146. Organisations need to invest in person to person (P2P) phone. (BT, Cisco) 
147. Customers who speak directly with an agent are 27% more satisfied than customers who first reach an IVR system. (CFI Group) 
148. 64% of customers try solving their issue online or through a company app. (CFI Group)
149. Sixty-six percent of service organizations are seeing increased digital case volume. (Salesforce) 
150. 70% of service professionals say their organization can deliver consistent customer experiences on all channels. (Salesforce) 
151. 96% of companies say their primary focus is either adding new channels or integrating those they’ve added in the past. (Gartner) 
152. Although 70% of customers start their resolution journey in self-service, only 9% are wholly contained there. (Gartner) 
153. Most customers are using both live and self-service channels in their attempts to resolve a single issue. (Gartner) 
154. 71% of customers expect companies to communicate with them in real time. (Salesforce) 
155. Millennials and Gen Zers are the most omnichannel generations by far — citing, on average, 51% more channels as “preferred” than the silent and baby boomer generations. (Salesforce) 
156. 55% of customers — including 68% of millennials/Gen Zers — prefer digital channels over traditional ones. (Salesforce)
157. 83% of respondents would make messaging their primary means of contacting customer support if they could be guaranteed an immediate response. (Helpshift)
158. In 2019, 29% of people used social media to get customer service from a company,  down from 38% in 2017. (BT, Cisco)
159. 39% use social media to read other people’s comments about brands, products and services. (BT, Cisco)
160. 59% of consumers have a more favorable view of brands that respond to customer service questions or complaints on social media. (Microsoft)
161. Phone remains the fastest, easiest, and most preferred channel; Consumer preference for online chat is on the rise; Email is on the decline. (The Northridge Group)
162. 64% of consumers say they experience difficulty when trying to navigate websites. (The Northridge Group)
163. Two thirds of consumers report waiting a day or more for a resolution when using social media. (The Northridge Group)
164. By gravitating toward live assisted channels, consumers are demonstrating a preference for human interaction, especially for complex issues. (The Northridge Group)
165. Many consumers report they will make a second contact using a different channel if their issue is not resolved within an hour. (The Northridge Group)
166. 55 percent of consumers agree that brands are behind the times with how they interact with customers, both online and offline. (Acquia) 
167. 78% of U.K. and 65% of U.S. consumers now prefer connecting with brands via digital channels to resolve issues. (Sitel)
168. . For 35% of all consumers (and 42% of Gen Z and millennials), being able to find an answer to a question or resolve an issue for themselves when they encounter a problem with a product or service is a crucial element of the customer experience. (Sitel)
169. 53% of consumers that want a self-service option want it because they believe it is faster than using any other channel and 22% are looking for a service or solution that’s always available, day or night, rather than during typical business hours. (Sitel)
170. Whether the conversation is via email, chat or on the phone, 87% of consumers still feel connecting with a live customer representative is the best way of resolving a critical issue. (Sitel)
171. 54% of customers are less concerned that a human is involved in their digital service interaction, as long as they get a resolution. (Conversocial)
172.  70% of respondents have used a private messaging channel to engage with a brand, but only 39% rated their experience as positive. (Conversocial)

Live Chat Support Statistics

173.  90% of service teams found live chat to be a successful channel for helping customers. However, only 29% of companies say they use it. (HubSpot)
174. 81% think human agents should check the more complicated responses of chatbots. (BT, Cisco)
175. Customers who use chat give higher scores for agents, have higher levels of satisfaction, show greater loyalty, and are more likely to recommend the company. (CFI Group) 
176. Research also revealed a 19% year-over-year drop in the number of consumers who found chatbots annoying. (Helpshift)
177. The proportion of consumers for whom chat-based messaging is the preferred method of contacting customer support for complicated issues has risen by 25% in the past year. (Helpshift) 
178. Unhelpful responses from chatbots continue to be the second biggest annoyance, reported by 35% of consumers in 2019 (a 13% decline since last year). (Helpshift)
179. 53% of consumers say that chatbots improve the customer experience. (Kustomer)
180. 42% of consumers reported that they would be willing to buy a product or service from a chatbot. (Kustomer)
181. Only 40% of companies provide online chat even though it is a basic expectation of consumers. (The Northridge Group)
182. 68% of consumers said chatbots were able to answer their questions more quickly than a human agent could/would. (Sinch) 

Stats on Tech and A.I. in Business

183. Eighty-four percent of customer service organizations using AI have seen improved prioritization of agents’ work. (Salesforce)
184. 68% of service professionals at organizations using AI chatbots say their teams have seen reduced call and email volume. (Salesforce)
185. 53% of service organizations expect to use AI chatbots – a 136% growth rate that foreshadows a big role for the technology in the near future. (Salesforce)
186.  Use of AI by customer service teams is projected to increase by 143% over the next 18 months. (Salesforce) 
187. 51% of agents without AI say they spend most of their time on mundane tasks, versus 34% of agents with AI. (Salesforce)
188. More than half (56%) of service organizations are investigating ways to use artificial intelligence (AI). (Salesforce) 
189. 80% of service decision makers say emerging technology is transforming customers’ expectations of their service organization. (Salesforce) 
190. The average customer now uses 10 different channels to communicate with companies. (Salesforce) 
191. In the near future, channels with the biggest growth will include mobile chat and video support. Over the coming 18 months, the use of voice activated personal assistants like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa in customer service will see 152% growth. (Salesforce) 
192. Seventy-five percent of customers expect companies to use new technologies to create better experiences. (Salesforce) 
193. 67% of customers say the way a company uses technology indicates how it operates in general. (Salesforce) 
194. 74% of customers expect companies to use existing technologies in new ways to create better experiences. (Salesforce)
195. 62% of customers are open to the use of AI to improve their experiences — up from 59% in 2018. (Salesforce)
196. 23% of customer service organizations are using AI chatbots, which are often in voice form, and an additional 31% plan to within 18 months. (Salesforce)
197. Issues that agents and bots worked on together resulted in the highest CSAT at 4.40, when averaged across 6 months. This is 7% higher than the average CSAT across all messaging issues, and 1% higher average CSAT than tickets that did not invoke a bot. (Helpshift) 
198. The focus on ease of use for digital channels will continue to drive adoption and preference. (The Northridge Group)
199. 75% of consumers agree that the problem with automated experiences is that they are too impersonal. (Acquia) 
200. When asked if they were comfortable with an entirely non-human customer service interaction, consumers were perfectly divided—50% said yes, and 50% said no. (Conversocial) 

Additional Stats

1. Private messages replied to on messaging channels grew by 58% in 2019 compared to 2018. (Conversocial)
2. Inbound Instagram messages shot up by 27% and WhatsApp messages skyrocketed by 21,906% in 2019. (Conversocial)
3. Over half (56%) of respondents have used messaging channels for customer service or brand engagement. (Conversocial)
4. 71% of customers already expect brands to offer customer support over messaging channels. (Conversocial)
5. 96% of respondents said a good customer experience over messaging channels was at least somewhat important to their brand loyalty. (Conversocial)
6. 71% of consumers would happily use a bot if it improved their customer experience. (Conversocial)
7. The majority (95%) of customers still believe having a human element is important when it comes to CX delivery. (Conversocial)
8. When asked if they are comfortable with an entirely non-human customer service interaction, consumers are almost perfectly divided — 48% said yes, and 52% said no. (Conversocial)
9. Messaging & automation allows agents to handle 5x more conversations concurrently meaning they can provide an answer quicker. (Conversocial)
10. 94% of respondents feel brands should allow for customers to provide feedback on their experience. (Conversocial)

Sources:

• Pwc https://www.pwc.com/us/en/advisory-services/publications/consumer-intelligence-series/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf (year, 2018)
• HubSpot https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-service-stats (year, 2020)
• HubSpot https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/live-chat-go-to-market-flaw? (year, 2018 | updated 2020)
• Amex https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171215005416/en/ (year, 2017)
• Qualtrics https://www.qualtrics.com/xm-institute/roi-of-customer-experience-2020/ (year, 2020)
• Gartner https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/marketing/documents/creating-a-high-impact-customer-experience-strategy-gartner-for-marketers-11-22-2019.pdf (year, 2019)
• Adobe https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/www/us/en/offer/digital-trends-2020/digital-trends-2020-full-report.pdf (year, 2020)
• KPMG https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2020/07/customer-experience-in-the-new-reality.pdf (year, 2020)
• Accenture https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/accenture/conversion-assets/dotcom/documents/global/pdf/dualpub_6/accenture-customer-2020-future-ready-reliving-past.pdfla=es-es (year, 2020)
• ZenDesk https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/pdf/cxtrends/cx-trends-2020-full-report.pdf (year, 2020)
• BT, Cisco https://www.globalservices.bt.com/en/insights/whitepapers/5-trends-in-customer-experience-for-2020 (2019)
• Microsoft https://info.microsoft.com/rs/157-GQE-382/images/2018StateofGlobalCustomerServiceReport.pdf (2019)
• CFI Group https://cdncom.cfigroup.com/wp-content/uploads/CFI-contact-center-satisfaction-index-2019.pdf (2019)
• HubSpot https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-delight?_ga=2.91044890.189017126.1569010855-457193333.1556111594 (2019)
• Oracle http://www.oracle.com/us/dm/seo100703953-ww-gb-wh-ce1-ie1a-ev-4428153.html (2019)
• Gartner https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support/insights/customer-loyalty (2020)
• Gartner https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support/insights/effortless-experience (2020) 
• Forrester https://go.forrester.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Forrester_Predictions-2020.pdf (2020)
• Grandview https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/customer-experience-management-market (2020)
• Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/form/service-cloud/3rd-state-of-service/?d=7010M000001yv6OQAQ (2019)
• Gartner https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/top-insights/customer-service-2020 (2019)
• Salesforce https://c1.sfdcstatic.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/assets/pdf/salesforce-state-of-the-connected-customer-report-2019.pdf (2019)
• Helpshift https://go.helpshift.com/State_of_CS_Automation_Report_TY.html (2019)
• Pointillist https://www.pointillist.com/blog/report-customer-journey-management-cx-measurement-2020/ (2020)
• Forrester https://lmistatic.blob.core.windows.net/document-library/boldchat/pdf/en/forrester-2018-customer-service-trends.pdf (2018)
• Kustomer https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/industry-resource/2020-research-what-modern-consumers-expect-from-the-customer-experience/#register (2020)
• The Northridge Group https://www.northridgegroup.com/insight/state-of-customer-service-experience-2019-report/ (2019)
• Acquia https://www.acquia.com/resources/ebooks/closing-cx-gap-customer-experience-trends-report (2019)
• Sitel https://www.sitel.com/white-paper/covid-19-the-cx-impact/ (2020)
• Sinch https://www.sinch.com/insights/resources/mobile-consumer-engagement-2020-2/ (2020)
• Conversocial https://www.verint.com/digital-first-engagement/ (2019)
• Conversocial https://www.verint.com/digital-first-engagement/ (2020)

The post 200+ Must-Know Customer Service Statistics For 2020 first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed hundreds of studies with millions of data points to determine exactly what costs a business would incur by continuing remote or hybrid work models beyond the pandemic. 

Specifically, we investigated costs associated with cybersecurity, remote workers’ attitudes towards compensation, and the quality of applicants seeking remote work.

References and methods for this study can be found in the Methods and Procedures PDF.  

The numbers are intriguing, so let’s get to work. 

Our key findings are as follows: 

1. Home workers are the primary target of criminals as cyberattacks have risen 238% in volume since the beginning of the pandemic.  

2. 65% of workers would take a pay cut to work from home. 

3. Commuting 10 hours less per week results in a 20% raise.  

4. 30% of remote workers do not get regular training from their employers. 

5. 44% of remote workers engage in cybersecurity trainings once per year or less. 

6. IT and technology, digitization and analytics, and consulting are the most globally remote professions at 74% or more.  

7.  75%+ of remote employees pay for their home office-related costs. 

8. 64% of recruiters able to offer remote work options report higher-quality applicants. 

Home workers target of 238% increase in cyberattacks

Since the start of the pandemic, cybercriminals have seized their chance to prey upon companies and workers who scrambled to operate remotely.

69% of those forced into inadequate work-from-home situations used their personal home office equipment for work duties, 70% used their work devices for personal use, and nearly 30% allowed others outside their organization to use their office devices.

When all these factors are added up, the result is a 238% increase in cyberattacks since the start of the pandemic (Security, 2021).  

65% of workers would take a pay cut to work from home 

When considering costs associated with moving to a remote or hybrid work model, it’s important to assess what your current or future employees would like (and what you can afford) for compensation.

65% of workers would consider a lower-paying position if it meant they could work remotely (Miller, 2021). This is even more true for the coveted millennial market, as 69% of survey respondents would give up on benefits if they had more freedom in their working hours and environment (Steward, 2022). 

Commuting 10 hours less per week results in a 20% raise    

While it may seem odd that workers would give up on compensation and benefits to work from home, the reality is: workers save money when they don’t have to commute.

A commuter who travels two hours per day, five days per week, saves a total of 10 hours. According to the New York Times, the time saved would result in up to $15,000 per year or more, depending on how much you make (Goolsbee, 2021).  

30% of remote workers do not get regular training from their employers 

87% of remote workers get regular training, but only 70% get it directly from their employer. The good news about this statistic is, 17% of remote workers care enough about their positions to seek out training on their own.

These activities include online courses, workshops, and professional development opportunities that are often paid out of pocket by the employee (Steward, 2022). 

56% of remote workers engage in cybersecurity training twice or more per year 

Since the start of the pandemic, remote work has increased the cost of data breaches for an average company by $137,000. However, this could be due to a lack of training. 56% of remote workers receive cybersecurity training twice or more per year.  

While this is encouraging, it also means that 44% of remote workers receive cybersecurity training only one or fewer times per year (Steward, 2022). Cybercrimes take many forms and often adapt at an alarming pace. Making sure remote employees are properly trained in cybersecurity safety is of the utmost importance. 

 IT and technology, digitization and analytics, and consulting are the most globally remote professions at 74% or more 

When considering remote work permanence, it’s a good idea to assess which of your company’s positions are most suited to remote work. Jobs in IT and technology are usually the first thing to come to mind – with good reasons.

77% of IT and technology jobs can be done remotely. Digitization and analytics come in a close second at 75%. But some positions that may not come to mind immediately are positions such as sales and management. 16% of employees who work from home are managers (Babu, 2022).  

75%+ of remote employees pay for their home office-related costs 

Another cost-related concern for moving to remote work is who pays for all the needed home office equipment and supplies? Currently, over 75%+ of work-from-home employees pay their own way.  

Some larger companies, like Google and Shopify, offer a one-time $1000 stipend for new employees. Others offer incentives like paying monthly internet bills or discounts on gym memberships. While paying for your employee’s home office-related costs is appreciated, it certainly isn’t the norm (as of yet anyway) (Steward, 2022; Babu, 2022; Spurling, 2021).    

64% of recruiters able to offer remote work options report higher-quality applicants 

Today’s workforce has become increasingly choosey about their place of work. So, it comes as no surprise that those with highly desirable skills no longer have to settle. Now that working has become much more digital, applicants aren’t restrained by geographical location.  

Many companies, Alliance Virtual Offices included, have successful businesses with employees all over the world. If you want to attract the best talent, offering remote work options is a must (Steward, 2022).  

Conclusion 

Those curious about how we came to these conclusions can view our method and sources PDF. 

We hope this study has been informative and enlightening. But what do you think?  

Has your business committed to continuing remote or hybrid work? What costs have surprised you? 

Please let us know by reaching out to us on Facebook, Twitter or contact us directly. 

The post Working from Home Increases Cyberattack Frequency by 238% first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

We analyzed millions of figures, including those of our own workers at Alliance Virtual Offices and Allwork.Space, to see how remote work impacts individuals’ health and wellbeing. 

To our surprise, we found that all workers benefit from being offered the option to work from home, but the greatest benefits were found among several minority groups. 

In addition to a literature review, we also surveyed workers across Alliance Virtual Offices and Allwork.Space to see how our teams compared to a control group.  

We’re sure you’re ready for the stats, so check out our original research below. 

References, methods, and procedures for this study can be found in the Methods and Procedures PDF.  

Key Findings:

1. Remote work options can help utilize the unique experience and skills of minorities, increasing diversity and equity. 
2. Offering parents remote work options can put $8 billion back into the economy.  
3. When given the option to work from home, workers were 22% more productive. 
4. Remote work reduces stress by 39%. 
5. Those with long commutes, especially women, are less happy and healthy. 
6. Without proper office equipment, workers are 27.5 – 46.9% more likely to gain weight and have an increase in pain. 
7. Cycling to work increases the chance of hospitalization by 2.6%. 
8. When compared to control groups, our teams have significantly lower commutes and are healthier and happier. 
9. Those with the option for remote work were 93% more likely to feel included. 

Remote work can improve diversity and equity 

When a worker can be in the workplace without disclosing religious affiliation, race, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancies, or disabilities, the playing field is more level. The anonymity that remote work offers can provide safety and mental wellbeing for minorities by shielding them from discrimination, letting work speak for itself (Kennette, L. & Lin, P., 2021).  

The unemployment rate in the U.S. among disabled individuals is around 9% – Remote work can bring many of these people back into the workforce, increasing possibilities for economic advancement.  

According to one report, 133 million people in the U.S. are living with a chronic illness – remote work may be able to help them cope with their illnesses and stay in the workforce. (DeFelice, M., 2019).  

Regardless of mental health, disability, or minority status, 80% of all workers would leave their job to work for an organization that focused more on mental health (Westfall, C., 2020).  

Allowing workers to work from home can help break the glass ceiling 

Millions of women have either quit or lost their jobs due to the lack of childcare, especially during the pandemic (Kennette & Lin, 2021). 

Women are 32% less likely to leave their job if they have access to remote work, as it allows them greater flexibility in working hours.  

Not only would more women remain in their jobs, but offering work-from-home options for mothers could replace $8 billion in lost wages as they would be able to reenter the workforce (Connley, 2021).  

When both parents have the option to work at home, it establishes a more equal distribution of domestic labor and allows both partners to have more time with their children Additionally, educated women, who traditionally have fewer children later in life, when given the option to work from home can help them realize both their career and parenting goals (Murray, 2021). 

Interestingly, men are more likely to be hesitant in embracing remote work. In a performance-driven atmosphere, many men reported they feared their achievements would go unnoticed, whereas women did not express the same fears. There may be many reasons for this phenomenon, but men having an unfair advantage in the workplace could be one reason (Kennette, L. & Lin, P., 2021). 

Remote workers are more productive 

Remote workers are more relaxed, more efficient, and produced a higher volume of work (Guler, et al., 2021; Kennette, L. & Lin, P., 2021). 

One study showed that remote work results in an increase in productivity by 13%, including more minutes worked per shift and fewer use of breaks and sick days. When workers in this study were offered the choice between working from home and working in the office, productivity rose to 22% (Bloom, et al., 2014). 

Working from home significantly reduces stress 

Long commute times trigger the release of cortisol in the brain, a hormone associated with stress. Not commuting can reduce stress due to savings on transportation costs. 

Not driving to work is financially beneficial as it saves money on fuel, maintenance, and/or toll costs and fares such as those for taxis and ride-sharing services (Kennette, L. & Lin, P., 2021).  

Those with no commutes also reap the benefits of additional sleep time which is linked to many health benefits.  

Workers with long commutes are less happy and healthy  

Workers with long commutes spend less time working out and enjoying leisure activities. They also have lower mood levels during the workday, more mental health problems, and are less satisfied with their social lives.  

All of these negative outcomes increase in severity when commuting times are longer. Those who cycle to work seem to have the least side effects of this kind, but continue to experience some, and are exposed to other dangers, as can be seen below (Chatterjee, et al., 2020). 

Negative outcomes are also reportedly worse for women, although the cause is unclear. One possibility is that women are often responsible for more household duties during commutes, such as picking up children and grocery shopping (Chatterjee, et al., 2020; Roberts et al., 2011). 

But remote work does still have some drawbacks 

27.5 – 46.9% of those who switched to working from home during the pandemic gained weight and a slight increase in pain levels due to inadequate work-related equipment, such as office chairs and desks.  

These increases enforce the need for employers to provide information and opportunities for healthy lifestyles and proper equipment for their remote workers (Guler, et al., 2021).   

Thinking of taking up cycling? Maybe think again … 

Cycling to work has great health benefits but could decrease life expectancy for younger workers (Edwards & Mason, 2014).  

Fatal accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists account for 16% of all traffic fatalities every year (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2021). In fact, the leading cause of death globally for all people under age 54 is road crashes (Association for Safe International Road Travel, 2022).   

One study showed that commuting to work by cycling for ten years would result in 26 more hospital admittances per 1000 people (Welsh, et al., 2020).  

In addition to the risk to pedestrian and cycling commuters’ involvement in traffic accidents, these commuters are exposed to harmful chemicals.  

Exposure to these chemicals can cause cancer and non-cancer health risks. The risks are increased the longer a commuter has to travel (Lovett et al., 2018).  

When compared with a control group, our workers have lower commutes and are happier and healthier, both physically and mentally 

55% of the workers within our organization work either completely online or through a hybrid working environment.  

We sought to investigate how our personnel compared to a random control group with questions about mental health, physical health, and feelings of wellbeing.  

Here is what we found: 

Workplace options led to better feelings of inclusion 

Workers who have the option to work from home are 93% more likely to feel included (Connley, 2021).  

When offered the option to work at least 20% of their time at home, workers have less stress and lower intentions to leave their current job. 

When offered a choice of where they work, workers reported significantly fewer feelings of burnout, exhaustion, had higher satisfaction rates, and were more productive.  

Interestingly, those who were given no choice as to where they worked had more negative consequences, whether it be in an office or at home.  

This emphasizes the importance of flexibility and personal choice when determining workers’ schedules (Kaduk et al., 2019). 

Conclusion 

We hope you found this analysis of diversity, equity, and inclusion among those offered remote work interesting and valuable. 

For those curious about how we came to these conclusions, our method, sources, and procedures can be found in our Methods and Procedures PDF 

Now, we’d like to hear from you: 

What are your experiences with remote work concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

Please let us know by reaching out to us on Facebook, Twitter or contact us directly. 

The post Offering Remote Work Options Creates a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Workplace Environment first appeared on Alliance Virtual Offices.

Female entrepreneurs and business owners encounter many unique challenges along the path to starting and growing a successful company. Forbes lists some of the top barriers for female entrepreneurs as limited access to funding, limited support, gender inequality, and social stigmas. But women are continuing to make their place in the business world by accessing local support networks and business resources to help their new and seasoned companies thrive.  

To celebrate October’s Women’s Small Business Month, we’re highlighting some of the best cities for women in business, taking into account gender pay gaps, local business resources, and other professional support networks.  

7. Vallejo, California 

Though it’s one of the most expensive states to live in the nation (the cost of living in just about every city in California is above the national average), we can’t deny that it’s a land of opportunity. The Golden State ranks fourth out of 50 states in lowest gender wage gap: female to male earnings are 88 percent.* Two large metro areas in California—San Jose and San Francisco—rank in Self.inc’s list of the top 15 large metros with the most female business owners. The percentage of business owners in these areas who are female is about 43 percent. 

So, where is the best place to settle your business in the Golden State? We’d recommend Vallejo, in the Bay Area, only about a 40-minute drive from Oakland. Women business owners in Vallejo have access to several small business resources, including Solano County Small Business Development Center’s programs for companies in startup, growing, or transitional phases.  

Your business will also be situated strategically near two of California’s best cities for women in tech—San Francisco and Oakland—and perhaps the most famous wine region in the nation: Napa Valley. Settle your business in this fantastic location by securing a virtual office in nearby Oakland. 

*We mention the gender pay gap frequently throughout this article. Though women business owners do have the opportunity to pay themselves a fair salary, often they are still making less than male businessowners. This may be due to lack of capital, fewer business resources, and more.  

6. Tucson, Arizona 

Head to the land of saguaros and desert sun to set up your business. And no, we’re not just talking about the benefits of the famous high desert air. Tucson is a great place to settle your woman-owned business.  

Grow a successful company here by accessing financial planning workshops, one-on-one business coaching, and other resources through the Southern Arizona Women’s Business Center. You can also become a member of the local Tucson Chapter of the National Association for Women Business Owners to get connected with and inspired by other female entrepreneurs and business owners in the area. Another particularly helpful resource is Boss Women Unite, a platform for local business owners to showcase their company at events. The organization hosts development workshops, networking events, and other focused community groups to learn from and empower fellow businesswomen.  

Not only does Arizona have a lower wage gap than other states, but Tucson itself boasts 38 percent of its businesses owned by women. It’s a climate worth expanding your business in. And you can start by selecting a virtual office in Tucson, which provides you with a professional business address in one of the best cities for female entrepreneurs. 

5. Colorado Springs, Colorado 

When you think about Colorado Springs, it may conjure all things outdoorsy: from Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak to the seemingly countless mountain biking trails only minutes away. But this town isn’t just for adrenaline junkies.  

If you’re considering transitioning your side gig to a full-time business, Colorado Springs may be just the place for you. Though Colorado female workers make only 79.8 percent of what men make, the state enacted the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act in early 2021, which will help minorities and workers identifying as female to close the wage gap. The number of women-owned businesses here grew 45 percent between 2002 and 2012, and that number has continued to grow. In 2018, women-owned firms made up 22 percent of all firms in the state.  

Looking for opportunities for female entrepreneurs in Colorado Springs? You can become members of the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce to collaborate with a solid network of like-minded women. Learn from and build business relationships with Chamber events, workshops, and training programs. 

For new business owners, download templates and roadmaps for starting your company in Colorado Springs. The step-by-step guides provided by COSOpenforBiz are intended to shepherd new business ideas through the development stages: from securing grants for female founders to expanding your business.  

Need a professional business address? We’ve got you covered. Book a virtual office in Colorado Springs for a fraction of the price of owning or renting a physical office space.  

4. Honolulu, Hawaii 

If you’re looking to open or expand your business services, Hawaii may be the perfect climate—for business and just about everything else. Just because this island state boasts pristine beaches, turquoise water, and ideal weather doesn’t mean you should overlook the opportunities it provides for women-owned businesses. 

Notably, Hawaii has the second-lowest gender wage gap of all 50 states. So, if you run a business here, the chances are good of making more on the dollar compared to female workers in other states. The Aloha State also boasts the second-highest percentage (about 24 percent) of women-owned firms in the country.  

Settling your business in Honolulu, though, has its benefits—and we’re not talking about catching waves at Waikiki Beach. About 47 percent of business owners in urban Honolulu are female. That means as a female entrepreneur or business owner, you’ll have a vast network of professionals to collaborate with and learn from. 

Access trainings, educational opportunities, and business programs at Honolulu-based Mink Center for Business & Leadership. The center also offers low-cost, one-on-one business and legal counseling to assist female business owners with getting their companies off the ground responsibly. You can also find business resources with the organization Rising Tide, which also offers a program focused on women entrepreneurs called We by Rising Tide. 

Ready to settle your business in one of the best places for women in business? Secure your Honolulu virtual office today. 

3. Greensboro, North Carolina 

North Carolina has more than 300,000 women-owned businesses, and the rate of their growth in the state over the past 20 years has been more than 138 percent. That’s great news for women thinking of starting or growing their company in the Tar Heel State.  

Greensboro, situated in north-central North Carolina, is the fourth-largest city in the state and one of the best places for women in business. It has a rich history dating back to the Revolutionary War and is home to several museums focusing on the role the town played in the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Thriving local industries include health care, technology, and global logistics—if your business falls under one of these sectors, there’s a good chance that it will thrive.  

But accessing a local support system is crucial if you’re a woman in business. First, you can participate in the Minority/Women Business Enterprise of Guilford County, a government program that ensures equal opportunity for business contracts, pay, and resources.  

Next, you can become a member of Business Women of the Triad, a dues-based organization that helps build working relationships between fellow women business owners, hosts networking events, and serves as a respected local platform to promote your business. 

Finally, you can search for relevant programs, loans, and resources from the statewide Carolina Small Business Development Fund’s Western Women’s Business Center. It offers trainings, access to capital and grants for women in business, business coaching, and events to help women-owned businesses grow and succeed in North Carolina.  

Get started solidifying your place in the local market by securing a virtual office in Greensboro. 

2. Huntsville, Alabama 

In Huntsville, aerospace and military technology are the name of the industry game. They’ve fueled the local economy for decades and paved the way for Cummings Research Park, the second-largest research park in the nation.  

Huntsville is a hub for successful business sectors, so it only makes sense that it’s one of the best cities for female entrepreneurs. The gender wage gap here is the lowest in Alabama—women make 79.8 percent of what their male colleagues make. (Women in Tuscaloosa, on the other hand, make 58 percent of men’s income.) Again, the wage gap continues to be a huge barrier for female entrepreneurs—and employees in general—but it pays to settle your business in a spot where you can make more on the dollar. 

Even though there are systemic issues with wage gaps among genders and minorities, Huntsville still has much to offer women business owners. Whether your company falls under defense contracting, bioscience, real estate, or tech, you’ll have ample resources to help your business thrive.  

You can also become a Huntsville Women’s Business Council member to network with local female CEOs. Then, join forces with fellow energized and driven female business owners at The Woman’s Business Center of North Alabama, a project by The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship. The center’s goal is to “empower women in all stages of business” and serve as a resource for learning how to scale your business, secure funding, manage finances, and more. The Woman’s Business Center in Huntsville also includes focused small groups, like Mompreneur, to serve as a resource for moms who work from home, who are starting businesses, and more. 

Take advantage of Huntsville’s beneficial business climate by renting a virtual office. 

1. Bethesda, Maryland 

One of the most well-known communities in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Bethesda has earned its place on the map. This vibrant town and economic hub has attracted large and small companies and artists who can receive tax breaks if they create their work in the designated Arts & Entertainment District.  

It’s home to the National Institutes of Health, the National Naval Medical Center, Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, and more. Bethesda is also one of the best cities for female entrepreneurs due to its sheer number of business resources and its relatively low gender wage gap. 

Network with other female entrepreneurs and business owners by becoming a member of Women Business Owners of Montgomery County, an organization dedicated to empowering its members with educational tools, resources, and events. The Maryland Women’s Business Center—with a location in nearby Rockville—is a highly impactful resource to any woman in business. The organization offers business counseling, information on grants for female entrepreneurs, networking events throughout the state, workshops, and other services catered to each stage in the business process.  

If you work with or do contract work for government entities, you’ll be strategically located only 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. Set up a virtual office in Bethesda or in D.C. to access all that this area has to offer women entrepreneurs. If you manage a team of employees, consider renting an office at a Bethesda coworking space, and check out our entrepreneur’s guide to coworking. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the best places for women in business, as many cities have tools and resources that you can leverage. But it can serve as a foundation for finding the best professional climate for your business. When your next business idea needs a little capital, you can find a list of some of the best government funding for female entrepreneurs on Fundera.   

There are various resources and support networks across the country focused on helping female founders and businesswomen succeed—you just need to know where to look. You can also check out our list of other top entrepreneurial cities.  

Lower your overall business costs by utilizing Alliance Virtual Office’s flexible workspace solutions for your company—whether you’re a business of one or 100. We help simplify your daily workflow with our Live Receptionist service and provide affordable virtual offices and coworking spaces when working from home doesn’t quite cut it. And when you want to get other female entrepreneurs together, rent a meeting room to host an event, seminar, or conference in your city. 

Register today. 

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