The first commercial application of a virtual office occurred in 1994, and there are several good reasons why virtual office spaces have been around ever since. Co working spaces are the newest trend that is springing up in metro areas, and range from cool, laid-back environments for creatives, to high-tech and cutting-edge places for engineers and entrepreneurs to work on projects together. But just what are the benefits of co working spaces, and why would I want a virtual one?

Here are four simple reasons virtual offices win out over all the other kinds of co working spaces around.

1. There’s no commute time

What’s better than having short commute? Not having a commute at all! One of the greatest benefits of using a virtual office space is that there is no commute and virtually no way of being late. If you currently deal with a long commute either via bus, train, or bike, you’ll feel good knowing a virtual space means you won’t have to get in a car at all. No more passing time with music and podcasts. Simple wake up and log on!

2. Your employees will use less vacation time

Many times, employees use vacation time and personal days to make sure they some things were done, from errands to tending to a sick child, or even just having to take care of some business around the house. Working from home via virtual co working spaces means that your employees can take less personal and vacation days since they can take care of much of those listed activities while they are logged in at home during work. If an employee has a sick child, they can check on them while they are working since they will already be at home. There is no need to give up an entire day of work and paid time off.

3. It’ll help you cut costs

While virtual spaces do cost money, you will save a lot of money on what it would cost to have a furnished office or office suites. You won’t have to worry about utility payments and hardware (woop!), so that will help you save some cash in the long run.

4. Your employees will be more productive

67% of professionals agree that working remotely is more productive, and it makes sense. Instead of having to be in one place for hours on end, having the freedom to get up and have a snack or walk around the house means more efficient breaks. You can actually feel relaxed when you have a break, and comfortable in your environment, that when an employee gets up to have a 10-minute break, they can come back feeling energized and get a lot more done. Employees will also have to prove that they are able to manage time and hit deadlines/get projects done, which means more productivity.

As you can see, there are many benefits to choosing to use virtual co working spaces. From saving money on technology, hardware, and utilities, to saving time during a commute and being more productive, a virtual space is simply always a good idea.