Web Conferencing Benefits Many Business Models
Posted by Kathleen S on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 09:26 AM
Virtual companies began showing up around 2005 and they continue to become popular business models due to low operating costs. When organizations can minimize the cost of doing business, they gain a market advantage. These businesses are also faster to adopt change and respond to market forces because they are not tied down to a set business model. All operations are done “in the cloud” as they use web-based applications and communications like web conferencing to accomplish their business goals.
Telecommuting, on the other hand, is a little different. Workers at virtual companies work remotely, but they are not really telecommuters because there is no central location that the business calls home. Telecommuting workers are typically a segment of a traditional brick-and-mortar business, performing those roles that can easily be accomplished remotely or for jobs that are difficult to accomplish from a desk in the office. Web conferencing makes it easy for these workers to keep managers up to date on their accomplishments and progress.
Then of course, there is the traditional business, working from a central, strategically placed location. These are generally larger businesses, usually established more than five years ago, when web conferencing first began to take off. The advantages of a brick-and-mortar business depends on the industry. When trust is an important factor, it is helpful to have a physical location where customers can find you. These businesses use web conferencing less frequently and often pay more for their communications, relying heavily on traditional mail marketing and a local sales force.
Whichever your business model, technology is making non-traditional business formations possible. Businesses are no longer tied to a building or to a set business model. As business school graduates go out into the workforce, many are embracing technology and finding their own path to success. Instead of looking at the traditional tools of business, they are scanning the landscape for what works now.
