We have all spent the last several months experiencing how the world is being changed by the global pandemic of COVID-19, and as we continue to move forward, we are learning more about what changes may be around longer than we first thought. According to an August survey by KPMG more than two-thirds (68%) of large company CEOs plan to downsize their office space as employees are working from home, and showing that they do not need to be present in person to still be as effective. The giant shift to working from home, once seen as temporary, may be more permanent than first expected.

While the survey focused on companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue, the question still remains as to how the pandemic and shift to more virtual work will affect smaller businesses, particularly in our area. Will there be necessity, flexibility, or even want for business owners to allow employees to continue to work remotely? There are benefits; as have been seen during the past several months; some employees thrive in an environment with a little more freedom, or with the added work-life balance benefit of not having a daily commute. However, there are cons to overcome as well, like how much workplace culture can be built with employees being remote.

Whatever the outcome, it appears that digitalization and remote-work is something that we need to account for both as individuals and businesses. Employees will need to invest in creating a good workspace at home that is free from distractions and has the connectivity necessary to access cloud services, video/voice calling, email, and more. Business offices will need to dedicate space to more cooperative areas which allow for teamwork and conferencing in with people around the country. Having a space dedicated to virtual collaboration is something that businesses should be investigating as an option. This kind of space will allow businesses to serve clients both in-person and virtually, extending the client pool that can be served.

Creating this kind of space can be overwhelming and that’s where a company like Custom Audio Video can help. With years of experience in creating conference rooms with remote capabilities, Custom Audio Video can design the ideal virtual collaboration space for your business complete with video, audio, and easy connectivity for your work devices.