The Complete Guide to Virtual Offices in Toronto

Everything Your Business Needs to Know in 2026

How a Bay Street Address, Live Receptionist, and On-Demand Office Access Can Transform Your Business — Without the Overhead of a Full-Time Lease

You have built something real. A practice, a consultancy, a growing firm. Clients are coming in. Revenue is climbing. But your “office” is still a home address on your business card, a kitchen table on your video calls, and a coffee shop when you need to meet someone in person.

You know this setup is limiting you — in client perception, in professional credibility, and in the deals you’re not winning because something feels just slightly off. The problem isn’t your work. It’s the infrastructure around it.

A virtual office in Toronto’s Financial Core may be the highest-ROI investment you make this year.

What Is a Virtual Office, and Why Does It Matter More Than Ever in 2026?

A virtual office is a service package that gives your business a prestigious physical address, professional telephone handling, and access to real office and meeting room space — without the cost or commitment of leasing full-time square footage.

Think of it as renting the professional presence of a world-class office, rather than the office itself.

In practical terms, a quality virtual office in Toronto typically includes:

A prestigious Bay Street or Financial Core mailing address on all your business materials
A dedicated local phone number answered live by trained reception staff in your company name
Mail and courier handling, with forwarding or pickup options
Access to professional meeting rooms and private offices on a bookable, as-needed basis
A business lounge for focused work or client drop-ins
Optional add-ons including call screening, voicemail transcription, and administrative support

The concept has existed for decades, but its relevance has never been higher. As hybrid and remote work become permanent features of the professional landscape, the old binary — either you have an expensive downtown office or you work from home — has broken down entirely. Virtual offices occupy the intelligent middle ground: maximum professional credibility at a fraction of the cost.

According to a 2025 survey by the International Workplace Group, over 60% of professionals now work from locations other than a traditional office at least part of the week. Yet client expectations for professional infrastructure have not diminished. Companies that can project a premium brand — responsive reception, a recognized address, polished meeting environments — gain a tangible edge over competitors who look like they are still figuring things out.

Why a Toronto Address Specifically? The Geography of Credibility

Not all business addresses carry equal weight. In Toronto’s professional services economy — dominated by financial institutions, law firms, accounting practices, tech companies, and consulting firms — where you appear to be headquartered sends an immediate signal to prospects, partners, regulators, and talent.

A mailing address at 120 Adelaide Street West, in the heart of Toronto’s Financial Core, immediately communicates a specific set of things: that your company is serious, that you operate in the major leagues of your industry, and that you are physically present in the ecosystem where Toronto’s most important business gets done.

The Financial Core — the blocks surrounding King Street, Bay Street, and Adelaide Street — is home to Canada’s five major banks, the Toronto Stock Exchange, the majority of Bay Street’s legal community, the major consulting firms, and the institutional investors that drive capital allocation across the country. Having an address in this district does not just impress clients. It places you in a professional geography that opens doors.

Compare that to registering your business at a home address in Etobicoke, a PO box in a postal code no one recognizes, or a suburban business park that clients have never heard of. The credibility gap is real, measurable, and directly connected to your bottom line.

For regulated professions in Ontario — lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, and others — a professional address also fulfills regulatory and compliance requirements that a home address often cannot. The Law Society of Ontario, for instance, requires that lawyers maintain a business address appropriate to the practice of law.

The Six Business Types That Benefit Most from a Virtual Office in Toronto

1. Solo Practitioners and Independent Professionals

Lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, therapists, architects, and consultants who operate independently face a persistent tension: the cost of a full-time office is hard to justify when you are billing 20 to 30 hours a week, but the lack of professional infrastructure visibly limits your client base.

A virtual office solves this directly. You get the address, the phone answering, and the meeting rooms when you need them — without paying for empty square footage every hour you are not there. For many solo practitioners in Toronto, a virtual office provides 80% of the professional benefit of a traditional office at roughly 10 to 15% of the cost.

2. Growing SMEs Not Yet Ready for a Full-Time Lease

Early-stage companies with two to ten employees frequently find themselves in a difficult position: too large to look credible operating from home, too small (or too cash-conscious) to justify a five-year commercial lease with full fit-out costs.

The right move at this stage is often a virtual office with access to private office space as needed, scaling into dedicated monthly office arrangements as headcount and revenue grow. This approach preserves capital for the product, marketing, and talent investments that actually drive growth — rather than tying it up in commercial real estate.

3. Canadian Subsidiaries of International Companies

Foreign companies establishing a Canadian presence — whether for regulatory compliance, sales operations, or service delivery — need a legitimate Canadian business address without the overhead of a full headquarters. A virtual office at a recognized Financial Core address provides immediate legitimacy and a local operational base while international leadership evaluates the Canadian market.

This is particularly relevant for U.S., U.K., and European companies entering Canada under CUSMA/USMCA or pursuing federal or provincial government contracts, which often require a Canadian registered address.

4. Remote-First Teams That Need Occasional Physical Presence

Many companies have embraced distributed or remote-first models and have no intention of returning to a traditional office. But fully remote does not mean never needing physical space. Client presentations, onboarding sessions, team offsites, regulatory meetings, and sensitive negotiations all benefit from a professional, private, in-person environment.

A virtual office with on-demand meeting room and private office access gives remote-first companies exactly what they need: a downtown Toronto footprint available on short notice, with none of the fixed costs of space they would use irregularly.

5. Professionals Expanding Into Toronto From Other Markets

A consultant based in Ottawa, a tech company headquartered in Vancouver, a U.S. firm entering the Ontario market — all benefit from a Toronto address that signals local market commitment without requiring a permanent physical investment before revenue justifies it.

6. Regulated and Compliance-Sensitive Businesses

Many professional and regulated businesses in Ontario require an address that satisfies licensing bodies, government agencies, and institutional clients. A Financial Core address with professional reception infrastructure meets these requirements comprehensively.

What to Look For in a Virtual Office Provider: The Eight-Point Evaluation Checklist

The Toronto market has no shortage of virtual office options. Prices range from under $50 a month for basic mail forwarding to several hundred dollars monthly for premium, full-service packages. The gap in quality between providers at different price points is significant — and the wrong choice can actively harm your professional reputation.

1. The Prestige and Specificity of the Address

“Downtown Toronto” covers a lot of ground. There is a material difference between a King Street Financial Core address and an address in a converted warehouse on the periphery of the entertainment district. Research the specific building and street. Is it Class A commercial space? Is it a building your clients and prospects will recognize?

2. How Calls Are Answered — And By Whom

This is where many virtual office providers fail spectacularly. If your calls are being answered by an offshore call centre using a script, or by an automated system that routes callers to voicemail, you have not gained a professional presence — you have created an obstacle for your clients.

The best virtual office providers employ trained, on-site reception professionals who answer your calls in your company name, handle routine inquiries with genuine warmth and competence, and forward urgent calls to you directly. When a new prospect calls your number and is greeted by name — “Good morning, Meridian Consulting, how may I direct your call?” — the impression it creates is immeasurably more powerful than any marketing material.

3. Meeting Room Quality, Availability, and Booking Systems

The value of your virtual office is sharply diminished if the meeting rooms are consistently unavailable, poorly equipped, or visually inconsistent with the professional standard you are presenting. Walk through the meeting rooms before committing. Are they properly soundproofed? Is the AV technology current and reliable? Is there a digital booking system that makes scheduling straightforward?

4. Privacy and Security Standards

Your business mail, incoming courier packages, and client-related correspondence flow through your virtual office provider’s infrastructure. Ask about mail handling procedures, who has access to your deliveries, how sensitive mail is managed, and whether the facility has physical security appropriate for professional services use.

5. Flexibility and Commitment Terms

Avoid providers that lock you into 24-month contracts with punitive exit clauses. Month-to-month arrangements, or short-term commitments with reasonable renewal terms, are a sign that the provider is confident in the quality of their service rather than dependent on contract handcuffs to retain clients.

6. The Physical Space You Are Paying to Be Part Of

When you visit the space for meetings or to use the business lounge, the environment should reflect and reinforce the standard you are presenting to the world. If the physical facility is tired, under-maintained, or populated with businesses that create a mismatched professional atmosphere, the address alone will not do the work you need it to do.

7. Scalability Into Dedicated Office Space

The best virtual office relationships are ones that can grow with your business. If in six or twelve months you want to transition to a dedicated private office, is that transition seamless? Can you upgrade within the same facility, keeping your address and reception infrastructure intact?

8. Total Transparency on Pricing

Understand exactly what is included: how many hours of meeting room time per month, what the hourly rates are beyond that, whether mail forwarding is included or charged separately, and whether there are setup or administrative fees that appear only in the fine print. A reputable provider will be completely transparent.

The Real Cost Comparison: Virtual Office vs. Traditional Lease

Here are the numbers that most business owners have never seen laid out clearly side by side.

Traditional Private Office — 1–3 Person, Class A, Financial Core
Expense	Annual Cost
Base rent (~400 sq ft at $45/sq ft)	$18,000
Common area maintenance charges	$3,200
Utilities	$2,800
Fit-out amortization (5-yr lease, $150K)	$30,000
Furniture and equipment	$4,000
Telephone and internet	$3,600
Reception/administrative support	$48,000–$65,000
Insurance	$1,800
Approximate Annual Total	$111,400–$128,400
Monthly Equivalent	$9,283–$10,700

Virtual Office — Full-Service, Financial Core
Expense	Annual Cost
Virtual office package (address, live reception, lounge access)	$3,000–$5,400
Meeting room usage (10 hrs/month at market rates)	$3,600–$6,000
On-demand private office days (2 days/week average)	$4,800–$7,200
Approximate Annual Total	$11,400–$18,600
Monthly Equivalent	$950–$1,550

The comparison is not subtle. For a solo practitioner or small team operating efficiently, a virtual office arrangement in Toronto’s Financial Core delivers the same prestigious address, the same professional reception, and real meeting and office space — at roughly 10 to 15 cents on the dollar relative to a traditional lease.

For growing businesses, the capital preservation argument is equally compelling. The $90,000+ annual savings relative to a traditional lease is capital that can be directed to product development, marketing, talent, or operational infrastructure — investments that directly drive revenue and business value rather than simply maintaining overhead.

The Hidden Cost Breakdown: What’s Really Inside a Traditional Lease

Advertised rent represents only 40–65% of actual workplace costs. The remaining expenses — often called “phantom costs” — can double or triple the real financial impact of workspace decisions.

Expense Category	Traditional Lease (Annual/sq ft)	Flexible Space (Annual/sq ft)	Hidden Factors
Base Rent	$35–45	$65–85	Escalation clauses, CAM charges
Fit-out & Design	$18–28 (amortized)	Included	Permits, project mgmt, delays
Furniture & Equipment	$12–22	Included	Delivery, installation, replacement
Technology Infrastructure	$8–15	Included	Internet, phones, security
Utilities & Maintenance	$6–12	Included	HVAC, electrical, cleaning
Administrative Services	$8–18	Included	Reception, mail, phone answering
Insurance & Security	$4–8	Included	Liability coverage, access systems
Total Annual Cost	$91–148	$65–85	Plus opportunity costs

Toronto fit-out expenses range from CAD $385–$642 per square foot for professional services firms. For a typical 3,500 sq ft space, this represents $1.35–$2.25 million in upfront costs before a single employee sits down.

“The fit-out shock is what kills most Toronto startups’ cash flow. They budget $150,000 for rent and furniture, then discover they need $400,000+ just to create a functional workspace. Many never recover from that capital drain.” — Jennifer Walsh, Commercial Real Estate Consultant

Virtual Offices and Professional Credibility: What the Research Shows

The credibility impact of a professional address and reception infrastructure is not merely anecdotal. Research consistently demonstrates that business address and professional presentation materially affect purchasing decisions, particularly in B2B professional services.

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Business Research examined how perceived professionalism of business infrastructure influenced contract awards in professional services procurement. The findings were clear: in competitive bids, 71% of procurement decision-makers indicated that the apparent professionalism of a vendor’s business infrastructure — including address, phone handling, and meeting environment — influenced their evaluation at or near parity with the substance of the proposal itself.

In plain terms: the packaging matters as much as the product for a significant portion of potential clients.

For businesses selling professional services — consulting, legal, financial, marketing, technology — where the product is largely intangible, the physical and operational infrastructure surrounding that service becomes a primary proxy for quality. A live receptionist signals organization, investment, and seriousness. A Financial Core address signals that your company belongs at a certain level.

Virtual Offices and Regulatory Compliance in Ontario

For regulated professionals in Ontario, a virtual office can do more than enhance credibility — it can be a compliance requirement.

Law Society of Ontario

Ontario lawyers are required to maintain a business address suitable for the practice of law. A Financial Core virtual office address with live reception and meeting room access satisfies these requirements in a way that a home address typically does not.

CPA Ontario

Chartered Professional Accountants in Ontario must maintain a professional address for their practice. Virtual office arrangements that include physical access and professional reception services are generally acceptable under CPA Ontario guidelines, subject to the specifics of each practitioner’s registration.

FSRA-Regulated Professionals

Financial professionals licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario are subject to address and business infrastructure requirements. A professional virtual office provides a compliant, documentable business address for licensing and regulatory purposes.

Federal and Provincial Government Contracting

Companies bidding on federal or Ontario provincial government contracts are frequently required to have a legitimate Canadian business address. A virtual office address satisfies these requirements and is significantly less expensive than establishing a full staffed office solely for contracting eligibility purposes.

CRA Business Registration

The Canada Revenue Agency requires a valid business address for GST/HST registration and corporate income tax filing. A virtual office address is entirely acceptable for CRA purposes and creates a clean separation between personal and business address information.

The Downtown Toronto Ecosystem Advantage: What Your Address Puts You Near

A virtual office in Toronto’s Financial Core does not just provide a mailing address. It places your business at the centre of the most important professional and commercial ecosystem in Canada. Within walking distance of 120 Adelaide Street West:

Financial Institutions: The head offices of RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, and CIBC are all within a five-minute walk, along with virtually every major global investment bank, asset manager, and private equity firm with a Canadian presence.
Legal Community: The largest concentration of law firms in Canada operates within the Financial Core — McCarthy Tetrault, Torys, Blake Cassels & Graydon, Osler, Fasken, Goodmans, and the complete roster of Bay Street’s legal community.
Toronto Stock Exchange and Capital Markets: TSX Group, the major securities dealers, and the ecosystem of compliance, investor relations, and capital markets professionals who support listed companies cluster in this area.
Government and Regulatory Bodies: FSRA, the OSC, the Bank of Canada’s Toronto operations, and federal and provincial government offices are accessible from the Financial Core.
PATH Network Connectivity: 120 Adelaide Street West connects to Toronto’s underground PATH network — 30 kilometres of climate-controlled pedestrian walkways connecting office buildings, transit stations, hotels, and retail across the Financial Core.
Union Station and TTC Access: Direct walking access to Union Station means your address is reachable from every major transit corridor in the GTA — GO Transit, TTC subway, regional bus, and Via Rail.

Twelve Months with a Virtual Office: A Practical Timeline

Month 1: Infrastructure and Identity

Update all business materials — website, email signatures, LinkedIn profiles, business cards — with the new address. Register the address with CRA if required. Brief the reception team on your business and your preferences for call handling. Use the business lounge for the first time and discover it is a dramatically more productive environment than your home office.

Month 2: Client Perception Shift

The first time a long-standing client calls and is greeted professionally in your company name, they comment on it. The first time a new prospect asks for your office address and you provide a Financial Core address without hesitation, the conversation shifts — they stop qualifying you and start talking about the work. You notice you are winning more early-stage meetings.

Month 3: Operational Confidence

You have held three client meetings in the boardroom. The setup was professional, the AV worked, the coffee was good. One client explicitly commented that the space was impressive. You have started listing the address on your bid submissions for government and corporate contracts.

Months 4–6: Business Development Acceleration

The address and professional presence are now embedded in your brand. You are using the reception service as a screening mechanism for inbound calls, ensuring qualified leads reach you efficiently while routine inquiries are handled without consuming your time.

Months 7–12: Scale Decision Point

Your business has grown. You are considering whether to move to a dedicated private office within the same facility — keeping the same address, the same reception team, the same building community — or maintain the virtual arrangement as headcount grows. Because you chose a provider that offers both options, the transition is seamless when the time is right.

Addressing the Most Common Concerns About Virtual Offices

“Won’t clients know it’s not a real office?”

This concern is more common than it is accurate. A professional address in a Class A building, with a live receptionist answering your calls and premium meeting rooms available for client visits, is indistinguishable from a traditional office arrangement for every practical purpose. What clients experience is a professional, responsive, well-located business — which is exactly what you are.

“Is a virtual office address legitimate for business registration?”

Yes. A virtual office address is entirely legitimate for incorporation, CRA registration, HST filing, and virtually all business registration purposes in Canada. The legal test for a business address is that it is a real, physical location where mail can be received and held. A virtual office at a real building in Toronto’s Financial Core satisfies this requirement comprehensively.

“What happens if I need to meet a client on short notice?”

The best virtual office providers offer same-day or next-day meeting room bookings through digital platforms, with flexible hourly arrangements. The business lounge also provides a professional, quiet environment for informal client interactions without requiring advance booking.

“How does this work for my team of five people?”

Virtual offices scale well for small teams. Multiple team members can use the same address and reception infrastructure. When the full team needs to be together — for planning sessions, client presentations, or all-hands meetings — larger boardrooms and conference rooms are available by the day.

“What if I need dedicated space as I grow?”

Choose a provider with a full spectrum of workspace solutions. A virtual office that naturally escalates into on-demand private office days, then into a dedicated monthly private office, then into team suites — all within the same building and under the same address — gives you a seamless growth path without the disruptions and costs of relocating.

Why The Professional Centre at 120 Adelaide Street West

The Professional Centre has operated at 120 Adelaide Street West in Toronto’s Financial Core for over four decades. That longevity reflects a sustained commitment to professional excellence, operational reliability, and the specific needs of professional services businesses operating at the highest level of the Toronto market.

Virtual office clients at The Professional Centre benefit from:

A Recognized Financial Core Address: 120 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2500, Toronto — an address that immediately places your business in the heart of Bay Street’s professional community.
Live Reception by Trained Professionals: Your calls are answered by on-site reception staff who know your business, handle your clients with warmth and competence, and represent your company with the professionalism your brand requires.
Premium Meeting and Conference Rooms: Boardrooms and conference rooms that provide an environment that impresses rather than apologizes — professional A/V, proper soundproofing, catering coordination.
Exclusive Business Lounge Access: A private business lounge reserved for clients of The Professional Centre. Not a shared cafe or common area — a professional environment appropriate to your level.
On-Demand Private Office Days: When you need full privacy and a dedicated workspace, private offices are available on a per-day basis with no advance commitment required.
Scalability Within the Same Address: When your business is ready for a dedicated monthly private office, the transition is seamless — same address, same reception team, same professional community, same building.

The Professional Centre’s virtual office packages are designed to provide maximum professional value with complete pricing transparency. No hidden fees, no surprising charges, no long-term contracts.

How to Transition to a Virtual Office: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Define Your Requirements

Before contacting any provider, be clear on what you need: How many calls do you receive per week? Do you need mail forwarding or local pickup? How often do you anticipate needing meeting rooms? Will multiple team members use the service?

Step 2: Book a Tour

Visit the physical facility before committing to anything. The environment where your meetings will be held, where your mail will be received, and where you will work when you use on-demand space should meet your professional standard. A provider worth working with will welcome your visit and make the case through the quality of the space itself.

Step 3: Review the Package and Confirm Inclusions

Get the complete picture of what is included at your chosen tier, what is priced as an add-on, and what the rates are for meeting room and office usage beyond any included allocation. Confirm the reception hours, the mail forwarding terms, and the process for booking space.

Step 4: Complete Your Agreement and Set Up Your Account

The setup process for a virtual office should take days, not weeks. Once your agreement is in place, you will receive your address documentation, your phone number, and access to the booking system for meeting and office space.

Step 5: Update Your Business Materials

Update your address and phone number across: your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn company page, email signatures, business cards, letterhead, and any regulatory or licensing registrations. This is the highest-leverage step — the moment your new address starts working for you in every professional context.

Step 6: Brief the Reception Team

Provide the reception team with the information they need to represent your business correctly: how to greet callers, which calls to forward immediately, which to handle with a message, any key clients or contacts who should receive priority routing, and relevant context about your business.

Step 7: Use the Space

Book a meeting room for your first client meeting. Use the business lounge for a working session. Make the virtual office a real part of your professional life, not just a line on a business card. The more you use the infrastructure, the more return you generate on the investment.

The Bottom Line: Professional Infrastructure Is a Revenue Decision

The most sophisticated way to think about a virtual office in Toronto is not as an overhead expense to be minimized. It is as professional infrastructure that directly affects your ability to win clients, retain talent, satisfy regulators, and build a business that operates at the level you are capable of.

Every conversation with a potential client begins before you say a word. It begins with the address they see when they research your company, the professional who answers when they call, and the environment where they meet you in person. These signals are processed rapidly and durably. They inform the prospect’s assessment of your competence, your stability, and your seriousness — and they influence whether the conversation that follows ends in a contract or a polite decline.

A Financial Core virtual office from The Professional Centre gives you full control over those first impressions at a cost that preserves the capital you need to grow. It is the professional foundation that lets your work speak for itself — without asking your address and phone system to apologize for it first.

Ready to establish your presence in Toronto’s Financial Core?

Book a private tour of The Professional Centre and speak with our team about virtual office options tailored to your business. We will walk you through the space, the services, and the pricing — with complete transparency and no pressure.

416-367-1055 | info@profcentre.com | theprofessionalcentre.com

Works Cited

International Workplace Group — Global Workspace Survey 2025

Journal of Business Research — Professional Infrastructure and B2B Purchasing Decisions, 2024

Law Society of Ontario — Practice Guidelines: Business Address Requirements

CPA Ontario — Regulatory Requirements for Public Accounting Firms

Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario — Licensing and Registration Requirements

Canada Revenue Agency — Business Registration and Address Requirements

CBRE Canada — Toronto Commercial Real Estate Market Report Q1 2026

City of Toronto — PATH Underground Walkway System

Toronto Transit Commission — TTC Subway and Surface Routes

Statistics Canada — Labour Force Survey, Commuting Patterns, 2024

How to Navigate Returning to the Office

When COVID-19 first hit and cities issued stay-at-home orders, everyone’s major concern was whether or not they could adjust to a life of isolation. “It will be over soon, right?” was the universal phrase being uttered worldwide across virtual meetings and calls, over the course of March and April.

Now however, months into this new normal, we have all adapted (to varying degrees) to a world in which the pandemic is not yet over, but in which we are all learning to exist alongside it. As we enter Fall, cities have been lifting restrictions, businesses are being allowed to reopen, and companies are looking to call their employees back to the office. Many individuals and entrepreneurs are also looking into finding designated workspaces again.

Though we cannot predict the future, it is likely that cities will remain open to a certain extent despite the pandemic and with these changes in the air and the number of cases fluctuating, many have renewed concerns about what returning to work and the public world is going to look like. It is a stress called “re-entry anxiety” – a combination of fear of exposure to the outside world and health-related anxiety about COVID-19.

For many, this fear arises in the context of having to return to the office. There is so much more uncertainty that exists in our new world and people are going to have to learn how to navigate it, especially as the working world begins to open its doors again. Managing public transport, using public facilities, and how to share space with colleagues again can be nerve wracking to say the least.

Many companies are looking to call their employees back to the office, even within the uncertainty of the pandemic, and it’s understandable why. For those who work in creative industries, it has become much harder to create space for collaboration and unplanned brainstorming when all of your meetings are virtual. We are all waiting for lulls, muting and unmuting our microphones to speak only when the opportunity presents itself – much like our younger selves raising hands in class. Due to these limitations, certain fields of work need a communal space to come together to produce their best work.

Another reason is that companies are going to face larger organizational commitments with prolonged remote work. Now that we are months on from the start of this whole endeavor, companies will have to start looking into restructuring their performance and accountability indicators if remote work goes on for much longer.

Having an entirely remote team calls for different arrangements and this feat may not be possible for some organizations. We have seen multiple accounts of cybersecurity threats in the virtual work world and the financial cost of tech support, cybersecurity software, and hardware for a distributed team can be too much for some businesses.

Company culture is also a common loss that is being talked about during the pandemic – many employees have lost their sense of their work culture and sense of belonging. They are not getting the small interactions and happy exchanges with their colleagues that help them feel like they are a part of a collective. With this new sense of isolation added to the physical separation, companies are looking to help their employees come together again.

However, returning to the office is not just a company-level desire. If you are not one of the people who are being asked to return to the office, you may still be interested in returning to a workplace again. We know that many people are struggling with remote work, especially when it does not have an end in sight for some. With crowded home spaces, childcare obligations, and small apartments, a lot of people are finding it harder to work from home every day.

Mental health is a universal worry and many are finding that their productivity and morale are continuing to decline with remote work. Whether you are being asked to return to the office or you are looking into finding a workspace outside of your home, re-entry anxiety is a normal feeling in 2020. That said, there is a lot you can do to help yourself transition back into the workplace.

What to do?

Know What Is Safe:

Follow the guidelines put in place by your respective government. Take note of how many people can be in one space at a time and remember to wear a mask when you are indoors or when you cannot physically distance from others. Try your best not to touch your face and mask, while also cleaning your hands frequently with hand sanitizer or soap. Try to stay 6 ft away from others when possible and make sure the people around you are also abiding by the guidelines.

Know Your Boundaries:

If you are worried about branching out of your routine, it is important to figure out what your boundaries are prior to making changes. What would it look like for you to go somewhere? What are your limits? If you go somewhere and there are too many people not abiding by the guidelines, will you leave? If someone sits next to you on public transit, will you move? Being sure of your boundaries prior to trying to make changes will help ease some of the uncertainty. Knowing what to do if you are uncomfortable gives you an instant plan of action.

Understand the Difference; Deliberate Risk vs. Uncontrollable Risk:

Going to work is a necessity, either because your employer is asking for it or for your own productivity and wellbeing. This is uncontrollable risk and it is accepted because essentially everyone is potentially exposed to COVID-19 at some point in their daily life. Whether that be from going to the grocery store or going to work, it is okay to explore the realm of uncontrollable risk as this is learning to live in our new normal.

Deliberate risk is different and can be exemplified by not wearing a mask when expected to or going to large gatherings with numbers higher than the allowed limit. Differentiating between the two can help you come to terms with branching out of your comfort zone and trying new things. As long as you are being safe and following the guidelines set by your government, it is okay to increase what you are exposed to.

Check in with your Employer/Workspace:

If you are being asked to come into the office, make sure you know what the new protection protocols are. What is your employer or office provider doing to keep you safe? What is the protocol when someone is feeling ill? Know what safety measures are in place and what the rules are being implemented. This will keep you as safe as possible and also help in regulating everyone else’s behaviour.

Flexible workspaces, such as The Professional Centre, have implemented new safety measures for both individual entrepreneurs and company offices to ensure their space is as safe to use as possible.

If you are an individual who is looking for a designated workspace away from home, sitting in a café right now may not be an option. You cannot control the actions of every person who walks in off the street and with physical distancing measures in place, you cannot guarantee you will always find a spot. One option is to look into renting a desk at a flexible workspace provider. Flexible workspaces are safe and controlled workspaces with rules and procedures that will help you adjust and give you a secure space to work in.

Small Steps:

We are definitely not suggesting that on your first try you get on the subway, go to the office, take a cab, go shopping, and have dinner at a restaurant. That would make anyone feel overloaded! It is important to break up your tasks and set small goals. If going back to the office is a priority, start with going in a few times a week. Test your limits and see what you can manage.

The first few tries may be difficult and you may experience moments in which you feel unsafe, but it will eventually become easier. You will get more comfortable with each day you try, and the more you get used to, the more you will be able to do (all while being as safe as possible). Remember that it is not all or nothing – this is the long haul.

Start Sooner Rather Than Later:

The longer you put it off, the larger the anxiety and fears will become. We all have to adapt to this new normal and everyone is going at their own pace, so try to implement new small experiences every few days. This will build up your emotional tolerance to new experiences.

Do Not Rely on Crutches:

Do not start substituting your anxiety for a crutch. This means staying away from substances like alcohol, nicotine, and drugs. These can lead to prolonged mood imbalances and can contribute to actually feeling more anxiety in the long term.

Finally, remember that you will make it through this. Humans are incredibly resilient and adaptable and that includes yourself. Remember when you thought prolonged quarantine was unheard of? You did it and you will find that it is the same with returning to the office. Every day, the fear and anxiety will lessen, and you will start to adapt to our new normal. Everyone is in this together and we will all find new ways to exist and evolve while the pandemic continues.

Rethinking your organization’s workspace? Discover our flexibly designed and fully managed enterprise office solutions.

How To Maximize Privacy In A Coworking Space

Coworking has taken the business world by storm. It’s effective, it’s trendy, and it takes all the best aspects of the new sharing culture. For some, however, all that sharing is a cause for concern.

To address those concerns, we’re providing a few easy tips for maximizing your privacy while working in a coworking space.

Digital Security

Estimates believe that by 2021, cybersecurity will cost business $6 trillion per year in aggregate. And half of all cyber-attacks are against SMBs. For all businesses, whether in a traditional or coworking office, digital security matters.

Password Managers

Companies in coworking spaces are notorious for being at the forefront of industry trends. In theory, this should help keep them abreast of security risks, but it can come with some drawbacks. For one, they tend to sign up for a lot of tools, services, and demos.

Keeping track of all those different passwords and usernames is a lot to keep in your head. So, too often we revert to just using the same combinations over and over. This puts your digital security at risk. If someone figures out the password once, they can access all your software.

A good solution is to use a password manager. This gives you an easy solution to store your passwords in one secure location. So you can vary up your passwords without fear of forgetting them, or of getting hacked.

Cloud Tools

Cloud software also helps protect your vital information, without compromising efficiency. It gives you a secure platform to store important documents and files that you can access anywhere, on any device.

As well, in the true coworking spirit, the cloud makes it easy to collaborate with your team. It allows you to share access with specific people, allowing them to review, access, or edit files. It’s not only great for coworking privacy, it’s also ideal for productivity.

Privacy At The Desk

Of course, not all privacy concerns live online. Nor are they all security-related. Sometimes, you just want your space to feel a little more like your own.

Privacy Screens

If you have a nosey desk neighbour or simply want to have your space a little more defined, a privacy screen may be your best bet. These screens come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and types. From full cubicle style screens to ones that sit on your desk, just high enough to block your monitor.

There are also less, formal screens you can use. For example, a desk plant can increase your coworking privacy without making it look like you’re trying to keep others out. As well, they add other benefits like filtering air, emitting pleasant aromas, and inducing calmness.

Filing Cabinets

Filing cabinets are another good idea for your personal privacy in a coworking space. Getting one with a lock not only helps you organize your files, but allows you to feel secure when leaving equipment in the office overnight.

Technology

Privacy tech doesn’t just protect you online. Many shared office spaces also leverage physical technology for better privacy.

For instance, cloaking technology is becoming increasingly popular for meeting rooms. They place a strip on the glass that prevents outside viewers from reading the screen during presentations.

This lets your meeting space have big windows, for a more open feel, without sacrificing privacy. As well, it can make any clients or investors you meet with feel more secure.

Private Office Space

You can also rent private office instead of open space in coworking offices. These offices are available for teams or for individuals. They let you enjoy the best of both worlds. You have access to all the amenities and collaboration of an open office, with the privacy of your own space.

This is especially useful for teams that make a lot of phone calls or deal with private or secure information.

Book A Tour In A Downtown Toronto Coworking Office

At the Toronto Professional Centre, we understand that coworking privacy is a major concern. We take great care to create spaces that are functional, secure, and comfortable.

Our diverse range of open and private office space can fit the needs of any size or type of business.

Book a tour today and discover the benefits of coworking with TPC.

Open vs Private Office Space: Which is Best for My Business?

The last decade has given rise to the Googleization of offices. A focus on collaboration and freeform thought has lead to companies shifting to the open office format. But are open offices better than private? It depends on your business & needs.

In this article, we weigh the pros and cons of each.

Open Office Space

The coworking explosion saw a dramatic shift towards open office spaces in all sorts of businesses. Cubicle walls melted away, opening up to create collaborative workspaces.

It’s a phenomenon that gained popularity at new age giants like Google and Facebook. Companies were quick to adopt, in hopes of capturing some of the same success.

Now we’re a few years into mainstream open office spaces and we’re taking an objective look at their pros and cons:

Open Office Pros

Collaboration

Collaboration is the most touted benefit of the open office. Putting people of different levels and functions into one space opens up the dialogue and offers more perspectives. The result is more harmonious, agile thoughts and ideas. As well, it reduces miscommunication and streamlines ideation.

The immediacy and accessibility that an office space provides to team members make it ideal for collaboration.

Growth

For companies in a state of anticipated or unsure growth, open office space rentals are ideal. These spaces are dynamic and adaptable. It’s easy to rearrange space and/or add desks. This allows for rapid growth if you need to scale up the workforce quickly.

Growing businesses save time and money on having to look for new offices.

Costs

Open offices are the most economical way to set up your office. It’s what has made them a staple of the Toronto coworking landscape. Cubicles, private, and individual offices take up more space and cost more to set up. On average, an open office space takes up less than 1/3rd of the space of a traditional office.

Businesses of all sizes are focusing on becoming leaner and more productive. An open office provides the perfect balance between quality and price point that fits many modern companies.

Open Office Cons

Interruptions & Distractions

The ease of collaboration can cut both ways. While it’s easy for people to communicate and discuss ideas, it’s just as easy to distract each other. According to studies by the University of California, Irvine, distractions happen 29% more often in open offices.

Approaches can be taken to mitigate distractions. Setting time for socialization can help reduce distractions throughout the day. Allowing for flex work, so employees can work from home when they need distraction-free work days, can help. As well, wearing headphones can help keep employees plugged into their own work, so they are interrupted less often while still being readily available.

Lack of Privacy

Constant collaboration isn’t for everyone. Some people, especially those from a more old school background or mentality, prefer private office space. For them, the four walls of an office aren’t restrictive, they’re a comfort. Privacy can offer freedom from distraction and makes your workspace feel like your own.

Lack of Permanency

While the agility of renting open office space is generally a benefit, there is a flipside. The whole, “move fast and break things,” mentality comes with a lack of permanency. While it’s proven to be a formula for success and rapid growth for many businesses, it’s not for everyone.

Agility allows you to push boundaries and scale fast, but more permanent workspace can provide a sense of comfort. It’s important to find the balance that meets your company’s needs and culture.

Allowing workers to personalize their desk space with plants, photos, and knickknacks can help them feel like their space is their own. As well, minimize unnecessary shuffling around of space.

Private Office Space

Private offices are the more traditional approach. Employees show up in their private offices and it’s their home for the day. The four walls of their cubicle or office are familiar and comfortable. In the wake of the open office boom, many companies are partially shifting back to private offices. They’re often used now for management roles or specialized jobs.

Private Office Pros

Privacy

One of the most obvious benefits of a private office is privacy. Workers can complete professional or personal matters in their own space. It also makes it easier to deal with sensitive matters such as legal, HR, or financials without alerting or involving the whole team.

Often, salespeople who are on frequent calls will prefer a private office. The calls are less of a distraction to those around them, and they can have the comfort of a private call.

Interruptions

Another benefit of a private office is the lack of interruptions. People are less likely to disrupt or interrupt you while in a private space. This makes it easier to focus on your own work and reduces distractions.

In addition to interruptions, the noise of an open office can be disrupting. 58% of high-performance employees desire a quieter workspace. A private office offers more control over sound.

Individual Productivity

The lack of interruptions helps individuals to be more productive throughout their day. Employees can accomplish their individual tasks faster and with high-quality. Their interactions are more streamlined, usually occurring on their own terms.

Private Office Cons

Reduced Collaboration

Although a private office improves individual productivity, it can reduce team productivity. Where there are fewer interruptions, there are also fewer opportunities for communication and collaboration.

The result is less innovation at the expense of individual productivity. Companies need to decide which is more important to them in deciding between open and private offices.

Isolation

Having the privacy of your own office can be nice and comfortable. But it’s also isolating. Spending days locked away alone in your own office can take a personal toll. It reduces your participation in company culture and can take away from workplace wellness and job satisfaction.

If working with private offices, be sure to schedule social time and try to pair break times with other employees. Solutions like Steve Jobs’ walking meetings can help to engage coworkers and break up the mundanity of spending all day cooped up in an office.

Costs

For all the comforts that come along with a private office, there is a definite cost. They take up more space, they cost more to put together, and moving in and out of spaces is more time-consuming and expensive than an open office.

They can have other cost benefits, however. For example, employers can use a private office as an incentive during promotions rather than just giving raises.

Private Office in a Coworking Space

A private office in a coworking space is another option that provides a healthy balance between the pros and cons of open and private offices. These are available for individual offices or team offices. They offer the best of both worlds, combining the privacy of your own office with the collaboration of an open office.

These offer the best value for individuals or small teams who are looking to rent private offices. They come at a lower cost than renting traditional business space while having all the amenities of a large company.

Private Office & Open Office Office Space for Rent in Toronto

Whether your company’s needs are best met by renting private or open office space, quality matters. Our Toronto coworking spaces are top quality. We have prime Financial District real estate, professional design, and all the technology and amenities a modern office needs.

Our diverse range of open and private office space can fit the needs of any size or type of business.

Book a tour today and discover the benefits of coworking space.