Posts Tagged ‘telework’
DENVER—I love reading Entrepreneur magazine because it deals with issues that are relevant to folks like me—and you—like virtual offices. I read an article today penned by Christopher Hann.
Hann offered the answer to a pointed question: When should a company allow its employees to work from home? I the piece, he relied on experts like Jim Ball, co-founder of Alpine Access, a Denver-based virtual call center company and telecommuting pioneer.
“You have to have it in your DNA the fact that you don’t have workers coming into an office space,” Ball told Entrepreneur. Ball has 4,500 employees across the U.S. who all work from home, so he knows from which he speaks.
Hann’s article also pointed to stats from the Telework Research Network pointing to the reality of 3 million Americans working from a virtual office. This is nothing readers of Davinci Virtual’s blog don’t know, but it’s great to see more momentum for all things virtual.
“In coming years’ work forces, this is going to become more of an expectation with [younger workers],” Ball told Entrepreneur. “Preparing for that is really going to give your company access to what’s really going to make you successful, and that’s high-quality talent.”
Whether you are in Denver or one of the other cities from which Ball’s employees work, you can rely on Davinci Virtual Office Solutions to help you execute your alternative workplace strategies.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-When the government starts embracing workplace trends, it’s time to take notice. And that’s what the U.S. government did last year in passing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. Now, a new report from FedScoop is revealing the progress and limitations federal managers have experienced while implementating telework.
FedScoop surveyed more than 300 IT executives from the federal government and private sector. The survey, sponsored by HP and Intel Corporation, assessed the evolving perspectives and practices of telework.
According to the report, 90 percent of federal managers said that they trust their team to work from a remote location, but only 61 percent of respondents said their managers allow them to telework. Where’s the virtual office disconnect?
“The results of the survey showed us that although government managers report trusting their employees to work remotely, the practices aren’t necessarily in place to make this possible,” says Goldy Kamali, founder and president of FedScoop. “Overall, most respondents felt that government teleworking policies should be progressing at a faster rate.”
Here’s some more interesting telecommuting data from the report:
43% said their agency does not provide them with technology that sufficiently supports teleworking, compared with only 13 percent of private sector respondents
69% said the federal government telework progress is not improving rapidly enough
75% said their agency has designated a telework coordinator
56% have met with this person
“With nearly half of federal employees indicating their technology equipment is not sufficient to telework, it is clear that the government is behind the private sector in implementing procedures and acquiring technology,” says Nigel Ballard, director of federal marketing at Intel. “But it is encouraging to see that more and more managers are realizing the benefits that can be gained from increased flexibility and mobility within their workforce.”
Still, the enthusiasm for teleworking is strong and federal workers are confident that the right technology will help them remain efficient. Ninety-one percent of feds surveyed said they are interested in teleworking, and 61 percent believe that technology can help them fully replace face-to-face meetings. Virtual office technologies could help.
“Technology plays an important role in creating safe and reliable computing environment for mobile workers in both the public and private sectors,” says Christina Morrison, public sector marketing manager at HP. “For example, teleworkers can use virtual web conferencing technology to replicate their in-person meetings while reducing their carbon footprint, travel expenses and long commute times.”
It’s official. Atlanta is the friendliest city for telework.
Information workers in Atlanta work remotely five days per month, one more than the national average, according to a recent Microsoft survey. They also report the highest support levels from colleagues and the highest use of secure internal social networking tools to collaborate with customers. Conversely, they also conduct business while driving more than workers in any other city.
Microsoft reports that more than 4,500 U.S. information workers, more than half said their companies have a formal telework policy. The ongoing rise of telework reflects the new realities of today’s mobile information age, said Ron Markezich, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group.
“Telework is no longer a company perk for employees but a business imperative,” he says. “Ten years ago, it was seen more as an employee benefit. Today, businesses around the world are seeing telework as a necessity.”
Markezich calls it “work without walls” and says it paves the way for greater productivity, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction.
According to the survey, the number one reason given for telework is to avoid transportation challenges. Striking a better balance between work and home priorities came in second, followed by the need to complete unfinished work.
With all this in mind—and given Atlanta is the friendliest city for telecommuting—it’s no surprise that Davinci Virtual Office Solutions has so many virtual office locations in Atlanta. Davinci has 11 virtual offices in Atlanta, to be exact.
If you need a virtual office in Downtown Atlanta or Midtown Atlanta, Davinci has several options Peachtree Street. If you want to be closer to the highway, Davinci has locations near Interstate North Parkway. No matter which virtual office in Atlanta you choose, you are assured a prestigious mailing address, and plenty of administrative support. You can also visit these virtual office sites to use the business support center, pick up or drop off packages for clients, use a conference room or day office and other services.
Check out this video on Downtown Atlanta hot spots.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA-Want tax credits in 2012 and 2103? Try telecommuting. The state of Virginia is offering an incentive for businesses and employees that work remotely instead of driving—or busing—to work.
It’s called the Telework!VA program. It’s designed to help your company offset the cost of starting up or expanding a telework program. If your business qualifies, you could get up to $50,000 in tax credits.
Telework!VA cites statistics that show telework programs help businesses reduce overhead expenses, prepare for business continuity, help their employees become more productive, and decrease their impact on air pollution and traffic congestion.
Virginia defines telework as working at any alternative location other than at your central worksite. A telework program gives selected employees and managers the option of working off-site on a full-time, part-time, or even temporary basis.
Davinci Virtual Office Solutions has plenty of virtual office locations in Virginia for companies looking to take advantage of the tax incentives. Our 19 virtual offices in Virginia include:
- Alexandria
- Arlington
- Fairfax
- Glen Allen
- Herndon
- Leesburg
- McLean
- Norfolk
- Reston
- Richmond
- Springfield
- Virginia Beach
I’ll choose just one to highlight: Virginia Beach. Davinci Virtual offers virtual office space at the Virginia Beach Business Center, which is located at 4445 Corporation Lane in Virginia Beach. You can rent virtual office space at this location, which is near the Northwest and Central Business District, for just $95 a month.
Check out this video on Virginia Beach:
Is the federal government adopting teleworking? Yes, in increasing numbers. The new law that was recently passed should help spur adoption. But where were we before the law?
According to a study from Booz Allen Hamilton, less than 6 percent of all full-time federal workers telework even one day a month—just 102,900 federal employees of the 1.9 million on the government payroll when the federal survey was conducted in 2008.
Booz Allen reports that only 44 of 78 agencies, or 56 percent of federal organizations, have integrated telework into their formal continuity of operations planning—a crucial element needed to make sure essential employees can support agency missions and meet important public needs during a natural disaster or a crisis such as a terrorist attack or a pandemic.
Booz Allen concludes that due to the underutilization of telework, part-time work and job sharing, the majority of federal agencies are missing out on the opportunity to reap savings on real estate, infrastructure, basic operating costs and energy usage, and to improve their business processes and increase productivity. In other words, it is an alternative workplace strategy that pays dividends on many levels.
What does that mean? Room for growth. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions is expecting the next report from Booz Allen Hamilton to show tremendous growth in teleworking in the federal government. And that could spur teleworking among government contractors.
Davinci Virtual Office Solutions has seven virtual offices in Washington, D.C.:
- The Willard
- Washington DC Office Center
- Bethesda DC
- MPA DC
- Farragut Business Center
- One Metro Business Center
- Connecticut Avenue Business Center
Let’s look at the Connecticut Avenue virtual offices. Located at 1250 Connecticut Avenue, you can rent this D.C. virtual office space for as little as $95 a month. It comes with all the usual bells and whistles. First of all, you get to use the prime business address and have a place for your clients to send mail and packages, or drop them off. You can use the business support center there when you needed it, or even rent a conference room or day office space for important meetings or when you just need a quiet place to work.
Check out this video on Washington, D.C.:
Great article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution today. The headline says it all: “Telecommuting now metro area’s main alternative to driving solo.”
In Ariel Hart’s article, she points to state Department of Transportation data that show 7 percent of all metro Atlanta commuters teleworked for the majority of their commutes in 2010. Although 82 percent of workers still drive to work alone, there is a clear rise in telecommuting.
Davinci Virtual office solutions makes it easy to telecommute in the Peachtree State with 11 virtual offices in Atlanta. Yes, I said 11 virtual offices in Atlanta—and all areas of Atlanta. Davinci Virtual office solutions has virtual office space on Peachtree Street in Downtown Atlanta, as well as virtual offices in Midtown Atlanta.
Let’s take a look at the Midtown Atlanta virtual office as an example. Located at 1401 Peachtree Street NE, this virtual office is near Ansley Park—and you can rent at this location for just $50 a month. That’s a bargain in any city, but considering the strategic location and the quality of this virtual office space, you can’t go wrong here.
That $50 a month gets you a prime business address, mail and package support, access to a business support center, a lobby greeter, a client drop off and pick up point, mail forwarding and shipping services, and a conference room and day time office on demand for an hourly fee.
If this location doesn’t work for you, consider these other prime street addresses that you could call your business home:
- One Glenlake Parkway
- 235 Peachtree Street NE
- 191 Peachtree Street
- 3355 Lenox Road
- 3348 Peachtree Road NE
- 303 Perimeter Center North
- 3330 Cumberland Blvd.
- 210 Interstate North Parkway
- 1870 The Exchange
- 3399 Peachtree Road
See what I mean? There are plenty of different virtual offices in Atlanta to choose from when you hook up with Davinci Virtual. Check out this video of Atlanta’s office scene:
Happy President’s Day. As I set out to celebrate this holiday—which essentially just means I’m working but it’s much more low-key since most people aren’t—I thought about U.S. history and the virtual office.
I know, I know. Strange thing to think about at some level. But I had the random thought about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. If they were alive today, what would they think about virtual office space? I reckon Washington and Lincoln would consider it rather innovative.
Then I thought about virtual offices in Washington, D.C. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions offers seven virtual office locations in Washington, D.C., including locations on Pennsylvania Avenue, G Street, I Street, 16th Street, 12th Street, and Connecticut Avenue.
Let’s take a closer look at Davinci’s virtual office space at Washington DC Office Center.
Washington DC Office Center is located at 1325 G Street NW. For as little as $95 a month you can boast a virtual office space in this location. You’ll get a prime business address, mail and package support, access to a business support center, a lobby greeter, and more. You can also rent a conference room or day office space on demand.
With seven virtual office locations in Washington, D.C., Davinci Virtual Office Solutions has the office space, virtual receptionists, virtual assistants and virtual office technologies to help you build a professional business image in Washington, D.C.
Check out this quick video on Washington, D.C.
Is working from a virtual office more effective than working from a traditional office? That’s the subject of a Bruce Kennedy article in AOL’s Daily Finance.
Kennedy points to a couple of surveys in his article, including one from WorldatWork that cites the rise of the number of Americans who work either from their homes or remotely at least one day a week. The number rose 74 percent between 2005 and 2008.
Sometime tells me that number would be even higher if the study ran through the end of 2010, where more folks were starting businesses out of their home and more companies were exploring alternative workplace strategies.
Kennedy also noted a study from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. That 2008 study reveals that traditional office workers feel they have “decreased flexibility and a higher workload, and the ensuing greater frustration that comes with coordinating in an environment with more extensive co-worker telework.”
As you all know, I work from a virtual office. I do value face-to-face meetings when they deal with planning and strategy, but I am living proof that it’s not really necessary. From my Ft. Lauderdale virtual office I can talk to clients in Salt Lake City, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, or right down the street in Miami.
From my virtual office, I escape the Miami traffic with all the road raged drivers. I can better balance my family life and, perhaps more importantly for my clients, I can get more done in less time because I’m not distracted by ringing phones from the cubicle right next door.
It works for me. Does it work for you?
Employees who telecommute the majority of the work week are more satisfied with their jobs compared to those working mostly in the office. That’s because working remotely alleviates more stress than it creates, according to a new study out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). The study bodes well for corporations exploring alternative workplace strategies that include virtual office space.
Conducted by Kathryn Fonner, UWM Assistant Professor of Communication, and Michael Roloff, a Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, the study compared the advantages and disadvantages of each work arrangement.
The main benefit reported by participants who telework at least three days a week is the decreased work-life conflict that a flexible work arrangement allows. Alienation from workplace communication, often cited as the biggest disadvantage of telework, was reported as minimal by the study’s participants. Teleworkers also reported exchanging information with others less frequently than office-based employees, but both groups reported similar timely access to important work-related information.
Results of the study pointed to multiple reasons why telework is linked to high job satisfaction, namely that employees working remotely are, on average, shielded from much of the distracting and stressful aspects of the workplace, such as office politics, interruptions, constant meetings and information overload, says Fonner.
“Our findings emphasize the advantages of restricted face-to-face interaction, and also highlight the need for organizations to identify and address the problematic and unsatisfying issues inherent in collocated work environments,” says Fonner. “With lower stress and fewer distractions, employees can prevent work from seeping into their personal lives.”
Davinci Virtual Office Solutions applauds the work of researchers who explore the pros and cons of telework. Virtual office solutions are gaining momentum in companies large and small, helping to offer a test bed for researchers to explore real outcomes. The results of the UWM study confirm Davinci Virtual Office Solutions’ belief that virtual offices are part and parcel of a happier workforce—and a happier workforce means a loyal workforce.
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