These days more and more people work virtually using high speed internet connections and sophisticated telecommunications to allow them to operate from virtually anywhere, from a back bedroom to a yacht on the Mediterranean!

As long as the job gets done on time and to a good standard, it really doesn’t matter.  Or does it?

Virtual workers need discipline, it doesn’t suit everyone.  Some people are easily distracted and can find that, instead of working, they’ve been on Facebook for an hour or two, or have wandered out into the garden on a sunny day for a spot of weeding!  Having to go to a physical office that isn’t ‘at home’ provides that discipline.

Of course, there is the other side of that coin – having a home office makes it very easy to pop back into the office after dinner or over a weekend to finish things off.  This can incur the wrath of partners and children!

Why am I even talking about the virtual versus physical location issue?

Because it’s an issue that I’ve been thinking about for some time – having been a virtual business for quite a while, I’ve now made the move to a physical location.  For my business it will make employing support technicians easier with a central location for them, a more disciplined approach to covering the help desk and ensure that they turn up at work with the right mindset.

I can see the value of virtual business and virtual offices, but I think each business needs to weigh up the benefits of each approach and choose what makes their business work best – for their customers.

My business is growing and I spent a lot of time looking around – finding a nearby business centre that offers a range of services besides office space was the deciding factor.  I can still walk to work too!