If you’re moving from a physical office into a virtual setup this article will help you in the process with handy tips and tricks.
Moving from a physical office into a virtual setup is a really savvy thing to do as a business. It can save you money, commute time, help you to future-proof against pandemics and similar global emergencies, and it helps you avoid being tied to hefty office and warehouse contracts, which can lack flexibility. Of course, it isn’t always a smooth transition, and things can and will go wrong. What you can do, though is have a look at these 15 tips for ditching a physical office smoothly to help you transition with minimal stress:
- Get To Know Meeting Spaces
You will want to get to know local meeting space for client meetings and staff meetups. This could simply be a meeting space you hire, a perk that sometimes comes with virtual office contracts. Alternatively have a look at different cafes, how busy they generally are, how loud they are and how close they are to local transport. A go-to meeting space is handy when you don’t have a physical office to use.
- Ensure Your Team Is Happy Online
Before you transition fully you should use the physical office space to properly train your staff on working remotely, perhaps moving to a hybrid arrangement before the office contract has completely finished. This will help iron out any issues long before you have officially moved towards a virtual setup.
- Utilise Self Storage
London self storage is the best friend of any business moving from a physical to a virtual setup. You can use it to store old office furniture you have yet to sell, and for inventory that requires high-security storage. Some budget London self storage facilities even have handy business perks like packing materials and 24/7 receptions who will take deliveries for you.
- Have Great Internet Setup
The internet is how you get your work done and connect to clients and your team, so it has to be strong! Make sure to do a search for “internet providers near me” to get the best internet connection for your location as your first step of ditching a physical office.
- Sell Physical Office Gear
If you own the physical office gear you have furnished the office with, why not sell it to boost business savings? Even if you get a bit of money from it, you’re saving on clearance costs and there’s a bit of petty cash you’re only going to benefit.
- Plan It Around The Time Your Contract Is Due To End
You might be eager to move online ASAP but if you are tied into a contract for many more months, there is no point in wasting those payments. Instead, use the time to seamlessly transition.
- Allow Yourself To Transition
When you transition from a physical office to a virtual office there will be hiccups. By accepting that it won’t always be smooth sailing you will be ready to problem solve and work towards your virtual working goals with minimal stress.
- Keep A Routine
Even the business owner can struggle to keep a routine when they are working from home all the time. So, if you are switching from a physical office to a virtual setup, try to have a working routine much the same as you had before, so you don’t find the change too jarring.
- Utilise Virtual Office Services
Virtual office services usually provide a physical postage address, access to meeting spaces, answering services and other perks. They are a great way to transition to an online based business model without losing some of the perks of having a physical rental space.
- Have A Six Month Plan
It can help to have a six month plan in place for the transition period so that you know what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it. This plan will help you to avoid the chaos that can come from slapdash transitions from physical to virtual spaces.
- Take Note Of The Savings
Try to record the outgoings at the moment so that you can see how much has been saved by switching to an online-only setup. It’s a great way to track the extra money, and to know how much is readily available to apply in other areas of the business now it is freed up.
- Don’t Go Off Travelling Right Away
If you are going online to have more locational freedom, don’t move right away. It can be tempting to try out the nomadic life as soon as you’re not tied to an office, but you’re going to find it harder to manage hurdles from overseas. Instead, give it six months so you can iron out the creases, then go on your travels and enjoy your freedom!
- Stay Social
Don’t forget to stay social when you go online-only. It can feel very lonely going from a busy office, to working from home all the time. Work in coffee shops, meet with friends and utilise online conferencing software to stay in touch with colleagues – you’ll feel better for it mentally.
- Stay Healthy
Staying healthy is important when you go online to work, because you no longer have the commute, or general office work to keep you moving. The sedentary lifestyle can be a killer, so do have exercise breaks, stretch and move around so you don’t struggle with health issues as a result of the change.
- Take Advantage Of The Extra Time
If you get everything right you will have extra time for yourself because you are no longer commuting. Do take advantage of that extra time with activities than help you look after yourself more, whether that is social activities, exercise, hobbies or more – a healthy business requires a healthy business owner.
Now you’re all set to get yourself completely online and leave that physical office behind. It’s an exciting next step that will no doubt bring many benefits to your business, especially if you follow our tips above to help the switch run as smoothly as possible.
