Here are just a few more advantages of video conferencing and how it can bring the global office to your work place:
Emergencies
Modern life is full of commitments and unforeseen circumstances which take us away from our jobs, whether it’s a sick relative or a flash flood which closes the roads. It happens to everyone all around the world, and circumstances overseas can affect your own business if you can’t reach people you work or do business with. Today, thanks to online conferencing, it is much easier to work around these emergencies and not lose out on any business deals or meetings.
It also makes it possible to adjust your work hours to whatever works best for you, meet your deadlines even if an emergency crops up, and work from home when you need to. Many business owners such as Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, believe that people work better from home than they do in the office and that daily commuting costs more than it gains. If your boss hasn’t considered making video conference calls a regular part of the office yet, then pitch it to them and you can make your work more productive and convenient for everyone.
Reach More Potential Employees
It’s obvious that you need the very best employees you can find in order to do good business but you don’t have to be restricted only to those in your local vicinity. Allowing employees to tele-communicate saves your business money on transport and office space. If there is somebody you really want for your team who lives in a different area, or even a different country, then you can interview and conduct your work with them all remotely, without any travel needed. The flexibility of video conferencing equipment still allows you to keep in touch as much as you need to and socialize with each other. Hiring people in different time zones even means that you can have others working on projects while you’re sleeping and have their work ready for you first thing in the morning in your local time.
Networking Opportunities
Networking is also key for businesses, especially new or small businesses. If there are no networking events in your area or the prospect of talking to so many new people in person fills you with fear, then this is another way that tele-conferencing can help you. You can reach many more people across the world than you would at a local in-person event, once again opening up your business opportunities further than ever before and bringing your business to the global marketplace. Search around and you are sure to find an online networking group for your industry that uses tele-conferences or even just simple IM messaging to bring people together.
Business Partnerships
The goal of networking is to find business contacts that you can use to build connections that will mutually benefit both businesses. If you’re not able to travel to meet each other then video conferencing can work just as well to meet, discuss, and strike business deals. As long as you follow professional tele-conferencing etiquette and protocol, you are sure to impress new business partners and clients and work with people all around the world.
Marketing Seminars
Just as networking is important for finding new contacts, marketing is equally important for finding new customers. This doesn’t have to mean spending hours on social media or sending out physical advertisements, although both of those are important too. If you haven’t done so already, consider hosting an online seminar for potential customers or people in your industry. By bringing something of value to your customer base, you can impress them and plug your product or service at the same time. Video conferencing is more exclusive than other forms of marketing, ensuring that you can target your most passionate customers who are much more likely to buy from you. Start planning your first seminar today and see how much new business you can make.
You may have used video conferencing already for meetings but haven’t yet fully realised the many additional benefits that it brings. New advances in technology make it easy to use, flexible, and diverse enough for a multitude of uses. Try it out today and see what global opportunities arise for your business.
