02/12/2008 - Firms welcome virtual companies
Working entirely online as a 'virtual company' would be welcomed by nearly half the UK's small and medium-sized businesses, according to a survey.
They said that employees working from home using free internet services such as web conferencing and online screen sharing would help them weather the downturn.
It would also substantially reduce overheads at a time when three quarters of businesses are planning economies as the looming recession deepens.
Top of the list of credit-crunch cutbacks are less unnecessary travel, reduced marketing spend, changing suppliers, reducing staff hours and cancelling projects.
Remote working is already taking hold among nearly a third of UK businesses, where team members communicate via web conferences to limit travel expenses.
A further third are seeking out cheaper business travel options, and 24% are offering staff more flexible working options, including hot-desking and working from home.
The survey was commissioned by Yuuguu, which offers free web conferencing and remote working. Founder Anish Kapoor said: "Remote working is definitely on the rise, and virtual meetings are a key part of saving money.
"We have seen a massive increase in demand for our free web-conferencing technology. This is already making a major impact on productivity gains and reduced time and hassle."
Copyright © Press Association 2008
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