The way we work has changed in recent years. The onset of the pandemic caused many business owners to send their teams to work from home. It then became apparent that there are plenty of positives that come from working remotely.
If you’ve realised that your business operates better when your workers are based at home, you might be thinking of changing how you run things. It might be that you want a permanently remote setup or a hybrid model that skews towards mostly working from home.
Whatever you have in mind, here are some ideas to help make your ideas a reality.
A remote model is a virtual business setup where a company has no physical business premises, and employees can work remotely. They communicate with their colleagues via meeting software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The business is also typically set up in a way that allows workers to access company files online in order to carry out their roles efficiently.
While this is often loosely referred to as ‘working from home,’ workers don’t always have to set up at home. It may be that they do their job from a dedicated workspace, or they might head to a café.
There are plenty of reasons why you might be thinking of making your business remote. The pandemic revealed new ways of working. For many companies, it became clear that the way we were working before wasn’t necessarily the best option.
You might have reached this point because you’ve realised that the money spent on office space could be channelled into other areas of the company. It may be that your team is more productive when they’re working remotely.
Take the time to weigh up the pros and cons before you go ahead. If you’ve reached a point where working from home is better for your business, there are ways to get set up.
Here are some of the main points to consider when you begin making a move to remote operations:
As a fully remote company, you’ll be operating virtually. This means you’ll need to ensure your computing systems are as secure as possible. Keep up to date with anti-virus software and introduce encrypted protocols. Also, using a VPN with a dedicated IP address can help to protect your company’s data.
Make sure that your team is comfortable working remotely. Take the time to introduce regular catch-ups, especially in the early days, so you can check in. Even if you’ve been operating mostly remotely for the last few years, you’re now formalising it. This means you will require systems to make sure your staff are able to work productively.
As well as checking on their workload, you’ll need to make sure your staff is doing ok on a personal level. It can be easy to feel disconnected from each other, so arrange regular online social events. In-person catch-ups might also be necessary to help your team bond.
Keep everyone in the loop. Ensure your Teams or Skype for Business is fully set up, and encourage your staff to communicate ideas and other information as much as possible.
