BUSINESS - The Virtual Office Evolution

At the dawn of the digital area, when someone spoke up that they worked from home they were largely assumed to be freelancers, a contract worker or at best, a part-time employee for a techie company. Their revelation was often met with a mixture of surprise and envy.

Fast forward perhaps a decade or so, and it has become apparent that remote offices are not only commonplace, but that most businesses/corporations will run at least part of their staffing this way.

In a global community where instant communication is the required norm; where the cost of doing business and commercial rates continue to soar; and where the traditional family structure has become more or less an ideal of days past – remote offices are a business trend that will likely only continue to grow and improve.

Regus is the world’s largest provider of virtual office solutions. Birthed in Luxemburg in 1989, Regus now has some 3,000 business centres in 900 cities, in 120 countries.

The multinational corporation has been in operation in Canada since 2001. Infostream caught up with Regus Canada’s Dana Pasutto, area manager for Calgary North.

As highlighted by Pasutto, the appeal of Regus’ solutions reaches a broad commercial audience, spanning across industries with their various packages that include use of Regus’ physical address, telephone answering and voicemail services tailored to each client and virtual office solutions – which includes membership access to every Regus location across the globe; their business centres provide meeting/board rooms for use by virtual office clientele.

“A virtual solution is extremely cost effective, as you don’t have to sign a costly head lease space, pay a receptionist’s yearly salary, pay operating costs such as heat water, HVAC, A/C, cleaning…we are always here to greet your clients, sign for mail/courier packages and facilitate your daily business tasks as per your direction,” she explained.

According to Pasutto, their services are ideal for any professional who travels extensively; other professionals that Regus’ solutions typically accommodate include clients that work from home but are not able to/do not wish to use their home address; companies branching out and entering new markets; corporate companies that want to set up satellite offices; online companies; sales companies that are in their clients’ offices; and start-up entrepreneurs looking to keep operating and administrative costs to a minimum.

Possible drawbacks to a virtual office, according to Pasutto, include accessibility to each centre which are typically restricted to daytime office hours; as well as carting around materials and documents to a centre.

“Virtual offices are still a relatively new way to work and aren’t always understood by everyone. Sometimes you will have a client show up that doesn’t realize your company isn’t physically here. They could be cold calling, dropping off a resume or want to discuss business with you. We handle each of these cases individually and represent you and your company as per your direction.”

Ongoing research continues to lend further evidence to the cost-effective nature of virtual offices - according to freelance marketplace Upwork, virtual sourcing and onboarding of talent takes an average of three days in the virtual world and 43 days in the traditional marketplace.

According to American research-based opinion poll organization, Gallup, studies show that more people are working from home and that the perception of remote workers as being more productive has risen from 47% to 58% over the last 20 years; their studies also show that over 20% of the workforce is working from home on at least a part-time basis.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

Veterinary App Provides Online Consultations for Clients

A new app is allowing clients to consult with a veterinarian using text and video. Vet24seven launched in July and is active in the Sacramento Bay area, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino. Vet24seven provides consultations for domestic animals. So far the app has several dozen veterinarians and hundreds of clients. Using the app is often cheaper than visiting a local veterinarian though the app does allow for referrals to a local veterinarian. Clients may upload photos and video of their animals.

 

Cal Lai, Vet24seven CEO and Co-Founder said, “We think Vet24seven increases the frequency of contact and makes the more remote areas more accessible… You can engage your veterinarian in causal regular everyday conversation related to your animal.” Lai believes the app allows owners to talk with a veterinarian instead of relying on inaccurate information found on the Internet. He said, “The problem with Dr. Google is everyone believes what’s on the Internet is real and true and good. Veterinarians have the ability and expertise to filter that information.”

Some veterinarians are worried that virtual veterinary care may be inadequate and veterinarians could break state regulations when treating patients. The California Veterinary Medical Association requires veterinarians to have a ‘veterinarian client patient relationship’. In order to develop this relationship a veterinarian is required to physically examine an animal before providing advice or treatment. Owners cannot be relied on to identify every abnormality an animal presents nevermind the signs that an animal hides.

Director of Regulatory Affairs at the California Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Grant Miller said, “There is really no substitute for placing your hands on an animal and smelling an ear infection. You can’t do that over a computer.” Veterinarian Dr. Diljit Kamboj said, “It is crucial that we do physical examinations. How am I supposed to give advice if I don’t know what’s going on with the pet?”

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Nominees and Adjudicators Announced for the 2015 Virtual Adjudication Event

The Urban Animal Virtual Adjudication Event will be held on June 25th. Five nominees will be attending the event; read about the merit discussions they are bringing forward here.

• Innovation Showcase Scholarship:
• Cedar Santanna with The NASH Project
• Camille Block with The Animal Abuse Defense Registry
• Keryn Duncan with SALI’s Farm
• Emerging Leader Scholarship:
• Darlene Grady Lunn with Marley’s Hope
• Research Poster Scholarship:
• Tyler Flockhart with Feline Overpopulation
• Janet Cutler with Socialization in Puppies

Scholarship recipients are awarded a full delegate package to attend and present at the 2015 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in Alberta on October 14-17. Scholarships are valued at up to $2,700 and include Summit registration fees, meals, gratuities, accommodations, and up to $550 in travel subsidies.

The Virtual Adjudication Event will be presided over by four leading professionals. Each has a broad understanding of the history and experience of people and pets in our communities. The 2015 Adjudicators for the Virtual Adjudication Event are:

Line Champagne, CMA, FCMA, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Champagne is an Urban Animal mentor, and professional accountant with a 35 year career spanning private and public sectors. She recently retired from a distinguished career with the Executive Cadre of the Federal Public Service. Ms. Champagne was the President of the Society of Management of Nova Scotia, a former member of the CKC Finance and Audit committee and a well known world class breeder of Standard Schnauzers.

Dr. Carlton Gyles, DVM, PhD, University of Guelph, Urban Animal Adjudicator

Dr. Gyles came to Canada in the late 1950s and spent his career as a professor, researcher, and mentor at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Gyles also held administrative positions including Department Chair, Associate Director of the Canadian Institute for Food Safety, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Interim Dean of the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Gyles studied E. coli for most of his career and he was one of the first people to identify how a toxin produced by E. coli could cause illness in swine.

In 2006, Dr. Gyles was named the OVC Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus. Dr. Gyles is also the recipient of the Roche Diagnostics/CSM Award which is considered to be the highest honor of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. He has been a strong contributor to scholarly literature, is the Editor-in-Chief of of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, and is the co-editor of a textbook on bacterial pathogenesis.

Mary Lou Leiher, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Leiher works with Toronto Animal Services and is the Board Secretary for the Association of Animal Shelter Administrators of Ontario. She was an Urban Animal Nominee in 2014 for launching the Blue Paw Pet Licensing Rewards program. This program provides exclusive offers and discounts on pet-related products and services to owners who license their cats and dogs. This program encourages communication throughout the pet community creating a more positive environment and experience for all pets and their owners.

Angela Poirier, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Poirer is an Urban Animal mentor from her career as a senior policy analyst with the government of Nova Scotia. She received an Urban Animal Summit Award (Product/Service Innovation) in 2013 for kick starting the WOOF program (Working On Our Future), a partnership between the Department of Justice and the Nova Scotia SPCA where offenders help socialize dogs to increase their adoptability. Ms. Poirer has an extensive background in policy development and communications with a Masters in Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University.