As a product of COVID-19, businesses have been forced to consider much more as it pertains to the future of their organization. Today, more businesses are transitioning into a remote environment than ever. Businesses are moving to remote, not only stay afloat, but to also help their employees remain safe.
Thanks to advancements in business technology and ideologies, going remote is more feasible now than ever. By going remote, your business has the opportunity to save money on lease and utility costs, alongside other overhead expenses. Also, going remote and not being tied down to one location can create a more diverse group of employees to choose from.
However, transitioning a traditional business model into a remote model can be a daunting task. Changing an already established business in any way can cause issues. These helpful tips can help build awareness surrounding how to navigate your business into a remote centered environment. So get ready to learn more!
Gather useful statistics
The first large step in the process of going remote is using data and analytics. Data analysis can organize and present the data into useful information that provides context for the results. This data can then be used by decision-makers to take action with the objective of enhancing productivity and business gain.
Collect as much information as you can on your business, your current needs, and on other similar businesses that have made the transition. It’s crucial to realize that not all businesses can easily adapt to remote work based on their industry. It’s estimated that 40% more businesses offer remote work opportunities to their workforce than they did five years ago. Use this as a chance to determine whether it’s cost effective for you to switch to a fully remote or a partially remote business model.
Study any processes that are currently handled at the office, and take note of any changes that would need to happen to accomplish those responsibilities remotely. It’s estimated that 40% more businesses offer remote work opportunities to their workforce than they did five years ago. Ideally, businesses that adapt best to their surroundings, especially as a result of a pandemic, will be the most successful.
Use remote services to help
After doing research, if you currently have in-house workers and in-person services that keep your business running, you’ll need to find remote alternatives. In some situations, that may mean preparing your workers for a new remote role by paying for outside expertise. It may make more sense to outsource your work to a remote services firm, such as a remote IT firm, or even a remote accounting service.
Depending on how big your business is, hiring an IT person, group of two, or all the way up to a team of ten technicians will cost anywhere from $60 to $225 per hour. When dealing with at least five to ten technicians, they may offer a flat monthly fee for services.
Using a small business loan can help your company take advantage of timely opportunities. A loan can help prevent any cash flow, or other financial issues that paying for a new outsourced service may cause. Ultimately, business loans make it much easier for your organization to pay for these types of services that are considered a necessity as you go remote.
Take the time to centralize your systems
Now is the time, if you haven’t already, to fully transition to cloud-hosted software offerings. Use cloud-hosted platforms to make content easily accessible from practically anywhere, on any operating system, and any device. This means your remote workers will have virtually unlimited options for accessing important files, refreshing company data, and even communicating with one another.
It can also be tricky if your business was thrown into remote work and suddenly doing everything online. What if you now need to design a fiber network? Every project should start with an initial feasibility study – even for broadband. This will tell you where you should build, how you should or even if you should build. This step tells you if the economics are right behind your network initiative. The Millennium Geospatial feasibility study is a guide containing all the pieces to make the right, informed decision. You’ll get cost estimates, revenue streams, a step-by-step implementation plan, and the financial impact of your project.
It’s important that you don’t try to do all of this immediately prior to your transition. Instead, gradually work at it during the long awaited time leading up to your business’ full transition.
Create a pathway of communication
As your business transitions from in-person to remote, communication becomes the most vulnerable aspect of your business. No longer will your employees have the luxury of talking to one another and meeting in person like they used to. This calls for an entirely new system of communication, which can be tough to adapt to.
Be proactive and create a plan in which a hierarchy of communication can be evenly distributed based on position within the company. Also, create a balanced plan of how your teams will further communicate with each other, which may mean recording who’s responsible for emailing whom.
Holding your employees accountable becomes an important part of the transition, they must be able to not only communicate with their colleagues, but also administrators who are in charge of each team. If your employees are having issues, it must be easily accessible to get help as it equates to being in an office setting.
Invest in a new communication platform to enable more seamless conversation. Communication applications make it much easier for workers to communicate, brainstorm and share ideas. These can help companies build chemistry and gather information faster than an email would, the ability to create groups and send messages for large masses brings a unique element.
Becoming remote is not an easy task. The environment constantly changes within the economy and can test the flexibility of certain businesses. On the plus side, employees tend to enjoy teleworking more, as they can save a lot of time without having to physically commute anywhere, and tend to feel more relaxed because of attire and at home loungewear. The ones who can navigate the negative landscape in which they encounter will end up becoming the most successful. Use these suggestions, and take your business either out of turmoil or to the next level.
