The current pandemic has forced the entire world into lockdown. As people stay home to protect themselves against this dangerous virus, businesses and companies from all industries have had to rethink their business models to suit our new reality. In this article, we discuss Virtual Agencies – The Future Of All Agencies?
Many industries have been forced to shift their workforce online, raising questions about their effectiveness in the era before the pandemic. After all, this pandemic has established that it is quite possible to do work from home without really going to work.
In fact, many businesses have also reported an increased productivity rate, which has stemmed from this new ‘remote working’ lifestyle. This has raised the question of whether it is a better idea to move some businesses online altogether after the pandemic has passed.
Therefore, it can be safe to say that the only good thing that came out of this pandemic is the fact that we, as a society, have been able to look at things from a new perspective. It has become very evident that you can perform the same level of efficiency working from home.
Of course, many staff have struggled with the technology of working virtually but this just proves the point: after receiving adequate training, it is very much possible for staff to work from home and deliver quality results.
If anything, this will prevent any sort of disruption during an unexpected event. After all, before it became evident that this pandemic was going to last for more than a couple of weeks, businesses that had been shut had to reopen and restructure their business structure to allow staff to work from home.
This, quite frankly, led to a lot of time being wasted. But if businesses had been online the entire time then most of the difficulties faced by companies going online would have never taken place.
This begs the question: are virtual agencies the best way to go? If you have been wondering about this, then you have come to the right place. Virtual agencies, as these businesses are called, are not a new concept – just something which had not been explored as much before the pandemic struck.
In this post, we are going to talk about the benefits of a virtual agency as well as provide you with guidelines on how to effectively run a virtual agency yourself. So stick around and we’ll talk about everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
Benefits of a Virtual Agency
It is a well-known fact that technology has changed the way we connect and interact with the world around us. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that technology has also improved resources which can be used to work from anywhere around the world.
The increase in the ease of access to information has allowed many organizations to rethink their idea of work, thus creating the concept of a virtual agency. There are various forms of virtual agencies from graphic designing, SEO, advertising, and all the way to virtual public relations companies.
If you have the ability and the required technology to make it work, then you can easily turn your own business into a virtual agency. There are many reasons behind this as well.
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Increased Productivity
One of the most important benefits of a virtual agency is their ability to be more productive than your traditional, office-based agency. Studies have shown that employees working from the comfort of their own home are more productive than those commuting to work.
This is because all they have to do is set up their computer to begin working instead of getting into their car or taking the bus or metro service to get to work. Commuting time can affect employees’ performance due to traffic congestion or mishaps and this may cause them to run late or feel tensed or frustrated.
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Working from the Comfort of Home
In a virtual agency, since everyone is working from home, there is no such hassle and it had been seen that this largely increases attendance rates. Because of the less time spent commuting to work, employees’ morale is also seen to be higher and no one really has to take a ‘sick day’ unless they cannot physically get out of bed.
Furthermore, employees don’t have to deal with office politics or having to endure a fellow worker who is nasty to them, making employees more comfortable and making the job more enjoyable.
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Cost-Effectiveness
Virtual agencies have also proven to be much cheaper when it comes to utilizing their services rather than traditional office-based ones. This is because a range of extra costs are reduced when you work from home.
This includes the cost of renting an office space, paying bills, and maintaining IT equipment. Instead, most of the work done online is saved through cloud computing services which are quite cheap when compared with the infrastructure required to run a traditional company.
Furthermore, virtual agencies can hire staff from all around the world which may often translate to cheaper, foreign staff or bringing in freelancers on a project basis rather than employing full-time workers. Since the only form of communication is via email and phone, this saves costs as well.
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Employee Satisfaction Increased
Many virtual agencies enjoy higher employee satisfaction rates. This is because projects are streamlined in a way where only individuals with the right skillset are allowed to work either on their own or in small groups that communicate through video chat, making it easier for them to get the job done as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the sharing of information among employees is also easier through cloud-based storage platforms like Dropbox. Virtual agencies offer higher flexibility options for parents so that they can plan their time more efficiently.
Because of this, most employees- particularly women- who would otherwise resign from work after having children, do not have to quit.
Why You Should Go Virtual
Now that we have talked about the benefits of a virtual agency, let us look at the more technical, business side of this venture. The pandemic has proven that there is a dire need to move businesses online completely or, at the very least, create a hybrid business model where you are a partly office-based and a partly virtual company. If the benefits of a virtual agency have not convinced you then these factors surely will!
As the owner of a virtual agency, you will find that you have an edge over almost every other office-based company in your region as you will be able to hire experts in the field from all over the world.
As mentioned above, you can also hire freelancers on a project basis, allowing you to pair projects with the most qualified people available. This will also save you money and you can employ a small group of people rather than pay monthly salaries to individuals.
Additionally, virtual agencies have the advantage of being able to gain clientele from all over the world- something which small agencies in a region cannot. Only bigger firms can boast about having global clientele but as a virtual business owner, you can also secure clients from everywhere.
This can lead to many career options and opportunities arising for you in different parts of the world, which is definitely a bonus. You can hire people from countries where your clientele are to get a better understanding of the lifestyle and business ethics of the region- and you don’t even need to travel there all the time!
When installing new technologies at an office, you may often find that you have to train your personnel to use it. Furthermore, new software and computer equipment can be expensive as well. However, once you upgrade to a virtual agency, you will be able to easily upgrade your equipment without worrying about such things.
Furthermore, you will be able to hire people with knowledge of your software, so you do not have to waste time on training your staff. Also, instead of installing expensive software on a host of computers, you can simply do it on your own computer or buy premium packages for your immediate team only.
Conclusion
Virtual agencies are revolutionizing the way we look at businesses today. In fact, most experts believe that virtual agencies are an example of how businesses in the future will operate.
Most virtually based agencies have proven these statements, being able to churn out reliable, high-quality content that their clients can use.
If you’re interested in starting your own virtual business, then we highly recommend it. Just remember that communication is key when it comes to virtual businesses and you should definitely manage your time wisely.
If anything, virtual agencies can help you organize your work life better and create that balance a lot of people crave. So, go for it.
We’re sure that with the right set of tools, you can make a successful virtual agency for yourself as well.
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Author Bio
Dylan Harrocks is the creative director of the complete virtual agency Nexus Creative. His vast skill set ranges from graphic to web design and everything in between, with a strong focus on branding and creating visual identities.