Even before the world was hit with a global pandemic, businesses across many industry verticals were already weighing the pros and cons of transitioning into remote operations.
Sources show that businesses lose millions of dollars each year to distractions in the workplace. However, business owners and operators aren’t entirely sold on the idea. Many executives believe that employees can find just as many distractions working remotely, if not more.
Below, we go over a few characteristics that make a business remote-ready.
What is the Size of Your Business?
One factor you will want to consider when deciding whether or not to shift to remote operations is your business size. Small businesses are usually going to be more susceptible to a seamless transition into remote work. More giant corporations might have a more challenging time acclimating to remote processes, especially while overseeing hundreds or even thousands of employees.
What is Your Industry?
It will be impossible for a landscaping company to go fully remote since the work performed is done onsite at the client’s home and with a team of landscaping specialists. A boutique advertising agency, on the other hand, can transition quite well into remote operations. Taking an objective look at the nature of your business and the day-to-day work you do will give you a good idea if remote work is a viable option for you and your team.
Do You Have the Setup?
When considering transitioning into remote operations, it’s essential to ensure that you have the proper infrastructure in place. Your team will have to have communication tools, like smartphones and computers — communication is necessary primarily for successful remote operations in any applicable industry.
You will also want to research software solutions that will help you and your team communicate, trade materials back and forth, engage in business development, remote conferences, and more. Having the right tools and technology in place before you leap will ensure a less stressful transition.
Remote Operations in Tomorrow’s World
As the pandemic showed us, there might be some instances where a business not suitable for remote operations has to rise to the occasion. Even industries that you’d think would have nothing to do with small operations have adaptable technology in place in this day and age. For instance, RelayCars is now offering a VR showroom experience for customers who would like to view vehicles from the comfort of their own homes without having to journey out to a brick-and-mortar dealership.
Employees themselves generally prefer to work remotely. Many can produce the same quality of work and make more inspired work and even a higher volume of work than those who clock in and out of the workplace five days a week (or more).
Businesses all across the globe are shifting toward less face-to-face interaction — simply as a way to save money in addition to limit exposure. Businesses and individuals will continue to explore their options when it comes to remote work.
Should Your Company Opt For Remote working?
If you’ve found that your workers who work remotely are more productive than those who prefer to work in the office, you should seriously consider going remote. Indeed, the advantages of remote working may be the primary cause of improved productivity. Working from home seems to be particularly beneficial for specific websites. Website owners say that after going fully remote, their overall work output has increased. For instance, the Go Global company can assist businesses in creating remote-friendly environments, reducing the time and effort needed to implement remote access.
Although some business owners are concerned that workers working from home would begin to occupy them with things other than work, it turns out that the majority of remote workers are much more focused on tasks. They can likely focus entirely on what they’re doing and aren’t bothered by stuff such as how they appear, what to wear, or whether the boss has arrived at the office yet.
Find that your workers have acquired healthy work habits, can strike a balance between personal and professional lives, and work better than usual from home. You should seriously consider going completely remote. While that’s not all, there are several other factors to consider, like having happy workers who enjoy their work plays an essential role in the company’s success.
What are the benefits of a Remote Business?
First, consider the financial and qualitative benefits of establishing your company as fully remote;
- There are no expenses associated with renting or purchasing a building
- Reduced utility and maintenance costs.
- There are no limits on how many people you can employ.
- Productivity gains.
- Growth of the team.
- There are no supply costs.
- More time
How to Move Your Existing Business to Remote work?
Here are a few things to bear in mind as a company owner or manager when transitioning to remote work:
For existing enterprises, moving to remote work is more complicated than for entrepreneurs. Of course, it has been done previously, but converting current processes and systems to a teleworking model is more complicated.
Teammates must change the way they work together. Daily/weekly meetings through video conferencing, more strict timelines, and more self-reliance on organizational activities are all remote work essentials that require buy-in by your staff.
Should I recruit remote workers or contract freelancers?
To start with, understand the differences and what each option entails for your company. The main distinction between a contract freelancer and a worker or staff member is money and taxes.
Contractors avoid the requirement to pay Social Security, medical insurance, and federal and provincial unemployment taxes, but hiring a contractor is subject to strict regulations. Contractors are responsible for providing their own equipment and supplies, setting their specific hours, and having complete control over the work. When it comes to contractors, once the job is completed, they are free to quit.
Hiring workers is a complicated process in and of itself. Employees can be paid per hour or on a wage, and they depend on you, the company owner, to handle proper payroll withholding and the job taxes. You have greater power over the type of job allocated to workers and can manage their workflows.