Remote business models eliminate the costs of overhead bills while allowing hiring flexibility and financial freedom. The beauty of remote work means your office can be anywhere because all services are accessed through cloud servers. According to the Office for National Statistics, one in seven people in the UK work from home, a figure that’s likely to rise in the future. With obvious competition, the prospect of entering the remote business world can be daunting. Therefore, we’ve put together the following considerations to help you out.
Planning
As with any business change, you will need a thorough business plan to succeed. This document will detail everything there is to know about the transition including financial predictions, strategies, and wider business objectives. During this process, you will highlight potential issues before they delay your project. Also, they’ll tell prospective investors and partners you’ve done your homework, which is more likely to secure their funding or support.
Technology
When moving into a remote business, it’s important to carry all the technology you need, such as computers and multifunction printers. This way, you’ll be able to stay connected and productive no matter where you are. Multifunction printers are a particularly important piece of equipment, as they allow you to print, scan, and copy documents. This can be extremely helpful when you need to send documents or files to clients or colleagues. Plus, multifunction printers are relatively compact, so you won’t have to worry about taking up too much space in your new office. So if you’re moving into a remote business, make sure to invest in some multifunction printers. They’ll help you stay connected and productive no matter where you are.
Virtual Addresses
Even without a physical location, you need a business address for receiving mail. There are plenty of virtual address services that will receive your mail for a fee. Typically, you can view your mail online – safe in the knowledge the original has been shredded. Granted, this means your mail is in the hands of a third party, meaning your need to practise due diligence.
Policies
The operational processes of your business will change which means your policies need updating. For example, you will be using new services for connecting with customers and colleagues. Therefore, you need to create fair use policies. Further, your availability will change, meaning you need to update existing openings for contact. If you’re unsure about the policies you need in place, hire an HR expert.
Setting Up Digital Services
You will need to move all of your systems from physical to the cloud, which will give you access to tools and services wherever you are. Cloud migration is a lengthy process that will call for expert support – you can make use of soVision IT cloud migration services. Cloud-hosted services are great because they’re scalable, meaning you only need to pay for what you use.
Hiring Processes
Hiring for a remote office is slightly different than a physical location. There are no borders, but you will never meet the candidate in person. Therefore, you need a high-quality onboarding process including video conference interviews, testing, and skill analysis.
Team Management
As well as adjusting your management techniques and hiring policies, Remote workers have a different set of needs, meaning you must put trust in your workforce. After all, you hired them for a reason. You will manage your team using a project management tool and communication tool like Slack. When you hold meetings, you need to keep them concise – accept questions to your inbox.
Transitioning into a remote workplace means going back to the drawing board to reconfigure your company’s structure, hiring policies, financial forecasts, workflows and management processes. If you figure out how to tackle the above, you’re on to a great start.
