In recent years, the US business community has suffered at the hands of a crippling recession. The economic difficulties have been felt all over the world, of course, and in America the situation has led to many organizations having to consider something of a rethink in regards to their current situation. At the top of many agendas has been whether to move to newer office buildings in less expensive parts of the country.
The major improvements in the world of communications in the past two decades have made the physical location of a company less important than it once was. The fact that a sales manager, for example, could speak directly to remote sales staff while they are away from the office is taken for granted now, but in the past this would have seemed an unthinkable proposition.
Companies are able to meet with clients, discuss pending issues, hold conference calls and implement instant sales via webcam meetings, negating the need for anyone to leave his or her own offices. The increasingly powerful mobile phones that are available to today’s business community mean anyone can access folders and work projects from just about anywhere in the country, meaning many people have to go to the company headquarters less often than ever before.
Greater efficiency for all
The upshot of all this advancement is that workers can spend more time working and less time having to travel to meetings and appointments. For the companies involved, the improvements in efficiency can prove extremely lucrative over the course of any given year, a fact that has not been lost on financial departments which are already under pressure from the effects of the recession.
Another outcome which was perhaps less apparent initially is the option that it now gives companies in regard to their physical locations. Many corporations will have moved to the business districts of Manhattan, Los Angeles and Chicago several years ago, partly because they had to be close to the commercial hubs, but also perhaps because a prestigious address added a high degree of kudos to the organization.
These days however, the actual address carries far less weight, and of course matters very little if clients and customers no longer have to visit. And because of this, many companies have made the move from the high rental areas of our major cities to the more affordable suburbs or even to other cities completely, ones which are willing to offer tempting relocation packages to major organizations.
David Showell lives in the UK and is a keen observer of the US business scene. He works for a company that provides cheap car hire. Birmingham Airport is one of the locations which offer excellent deals.
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