6 Reasons You Should Take Your Business Remote
In today’s workplace, more and more employees are looking for remote job opportunities, where they can have additional flexibility while working in the comfort of their home office. While these types of jobs can please employees, they also have a range of advantages that you, as an employer, can also benefit from. As you look to take your business remote, consider these reasons that can be beneficial to you and your team.
1.International Appeal
If you are looking to expand your business into international markets, you will do well with a remote setup that allows you to reach customers around the world no matter the time of day or night. It can be easy to have a group of employees that are located all over the world, allowing you to engage with global clients with their help. Of course, translation services will be essential for your business if you are expanding into a market where English is not the first language.
2. Wider Range Of Talented Employees
As you search for employees, a remote business can provide you a larger pool of workers to select from. You won’t be limited to local employees, allowing you to hire the top talent throughout the world. This can boost your business significantly as you are able to have the cream of the crop working for you and gain from the skills that they offer.
3. Reduced Overhead Costs
Being in business can be expensive. There are lease payments to make and costly overhead that can suck up plenty of your revenue.
With a remote business, you can eliminate these expenses as your team of employees work from their home without having to pay for an office space.
Setting up a virtual office allows you to maintain a level of professionalism with a fraction of the cost compared to having your own dedicated office space. You have an option of setting up a 24/7 telephone answering services by highly trained staff and receive a business address which can be used for marketing purposes as well as the address you want your business mail to be sent to.
4. Easier Startup Operations
As a business that is just starting out, it can be a real challenge to come up with the funds to have a brick-and-mortar location. Remote workspaces allow you to operate your company without having to come up with a ton of money to start. This is an easy way for many businesses to start out as they don’t have to come to the table with a large bankroll to start.
5. Cheaper Travel Expenses
When you have employees working all over the world, it can be easy to divvy up travel without having to send your workers from far locations that may cost more to arrange. European employees can travel to locations that are near them while U.S. employees can stick to destinations within the region. This can save you on airfare as you avoid overseas costs or expensive flights to visit with your customers or attend meetings to seal the deal.
6.More Productive Employees
Above all, you will have more productive employees working for you if you offer remote job options. Employees that work from home are more apt to check email off hours or attend to necessary projects and deadlines even when office hours are closed. Your employees will not only work harder for you, but they will be happier overall. This can provide a greater retention of your staff and avoid training and hiring costs that come with replacing workers on a regular basis.
By giving your employees the option to work remotely, you will not only save on overhead costs, but you will gain from the value and service that they offer your business. It may seem like a challenge to allow your team to work remotely, but with all the tools available and a good understanding of responsibilities, your business can thrive with remote operations. Still not convinced? Think about how your business can grow globally without having to secure an international headquarters. It is the way that business is trending towards these days, and you too can make it work for your staff.
Vanessa Madison is a Success Manager at YourCityOffice and in her spare time writes about traveling, real estate and everything about small to medium sized businesses.
How Business Owners can Better Engage and Manage Remote Employees
Many businesses are shifting to a remote employee model, hiring outsourced contractors or using freelancers who may live across the globe or allowing in-house employees to work from home at least one day per week. While this is often a good thing — studies show workers are often more productive at home — the practice doesn’t guarantee engagement and productivity.
To better engage and manage your remote employees, use the following tips.
Create a Networking Group
When remote workers sit in the quiet of their home office all day, it can feel lonely. And if they don’t know anyone else they’re working with, things feel even more distant. Help your remote workers feel like part of the team by letting them get to know each other. Create a group on Facebook or a community on Google+ where remote and in-house workers can socialize and discuss details about the company and the industry.
Utilize Management Tools
To make communication easier and bring everyone together, consider using tools like Google Apps for Business. This way remote workers can stay on schedule with the calendar or contact you with emergencies via chat. You can also share documents easily and perform a variety of other productivity and organization functions as a team. What’s more, since tools like this are available as mobile apps, everyone can stay in-touch on the go, including your in-house team.
These tools aren’t only useful to your workers, but they can help you better manage your team from one place. Plus, since you’re saving money by having remote workers, it won’t hurt to invest in a quality software program to connect everyone.
Communication is Crucial
Remember that remote employees don’t always work on the same nine-to-five schedule your in-house employees are likely used to. Some of them may be busy taking care of children or getting a business degree to further their education during the day. That’s why using email is one of the best means of contact for remote employees, since you can both read and reply on your own time.
But just because you might run on different schedules doesn’t mean you should completely ignore each other. Reach out often to ensure your outsourced contractors and freelancers feel like part of the company and to encourage the work they’re doing. Get in touch when you need to discuss project details, inform people about updates within the company, or offer feedback — both positive and negative — on individual performance.
If you’re having a difficult time exchanging information via email, set up a weekly video chat schedule so that everyone on the team can address the most important issues. This keeps everyone engaged but also allows people the rest of the week to work on their own time.
Keeping the lines of communications open during typical office hours for instant responses to questions and comments is very important. Make it be known to your remote employees that they should feel comfortable instant messaging or calling the in house employees when they feel it’s necessary
Measure Outcomes
Making sure your remote workers are staying on-task shouldn’t be intrusive. You wouldn’t stand over an in-house employee’s desk all day, so it’s fair to let your outsourced contracted employees work without setting up their computers to take screen shots of their activity. Not only is that intrusive, but it’s difficult and time-consuming to monitor that activity.
Instead, focus on the outcomes. Incorporate measures to gauge project success to get an idea of how much of an asset your remote workers are. Some examples include:
- Did the worker meet his/her deadline?
- Was the client satisfied?
- Did you accomplish your goal?
- Was the work quality high or low?
Meet Face-to-Face if Possible
If you can get your entire team together every couple of months (depending on how far your remote workers are), do it. This provides a great opportunity to hold employee training sessions or simply to get to know each other better and establish a stronger relationship.
If you can’t make face-to-face meetings work, get the team together through video chat on a regular basis. Seeing each other’s faces can help establish trust, and you’ll be able to communicate easier than through text.
Managing remote employees can take a bit more time, effort, and attention than for in-house workers, but the benefits can pay off. After you’ve implemented these tips, consider these other great ways to engage remote employees.
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