Collaborative Post¦ If you’ve got a business idea you want to make a reality, you’ve probably already done a lot of research into making it come true. And during that research, you’ve probably also found that it’s a lot harder than you first thought to get a company turning over! But that’s where the remote workforce comes in. You’ve already got a lot on your plate as a busy mum – you don’t need physical business limitations holding you back anymore!
And that’s where this post comes in. If you want to build a business but you’re not sure how, aiming for an entirely remote operation is the way to go. And it’s nowhere near as hard as it sounds thanks to the digital age we live in! So, as long as you’ve got space to set up a laptop, you’re good to go; here’s how to form a remote business that’s as efficient as can be.
Use Multiple Channels of Communication
Talking to your employees can feel like a hard task when you’re not face to face. However, even just sending off an email or two works wonders to keep people in the loop. Plus you can make good use of various video conferencing software and group chat messengers to make sure a message gets passed along the line in good time. As long as there’s a wifi signal or data availability, communication will always hit its quota on time.
However, you’re also going to need a communication hub of some kind for all employees to tap into. And even when you’re working remotely, this is totally possible. People don’t have to be linked to the same network when modern CRMs exist, and you can easily link up Salesforce phone integration to make sure you’re reachable no matter where an employee is. At home, waiting in line at the bank, or working from the corner of a coffee shop – going truly remote means maximising this kind of connectivity.
Hire People with Remote Experience
If you’re going to be setting up a remote workplace, you’re going to need to work with employees who really know what that means. Moreover, you need to work with people who are comfortable to remote, and only ever be in touch with you via email, IMs, or through a video call. After all, not everyone is on the same page when it comes to working from home!
It can be a hard adjustment to face when we’ve worked in person for so long. A lot of people in the modern workforce prefer a physical setup, or only like to work half the week from home. So always go into an interview with this as the preface; does the candidate know you’re a remote company who wants to be online only? And if they do, will they be able to be as flexible as possible from this position?
Consider Your Potential Market Reach
Now’s the time to focus on what your remote company will be capable of. Most of all, how many people will you be able to reach with your website? In theory, everyone else who owns a computer, and that number is in the billions! However, all those people won’t quite make it your way, but a good few million of them will in the long run.
As such, you may want to focus on your scalability and the chance to go global from day one. Lay the stones for this business decision early on for the best success; a company who cannot see the effects of their own success is a company that won’t last long. A poorly functioning website can turn people away, a lack of manpower can make enquiries take a lot longer to answer, etc. Working with a skilled webmaster should do the trick for you here.
Make Your Goals Easy to Track
Then you’ll need to work out a way to put your goals down on paper so everyone can see them. A company memo is a good shout, of course, but you’ll still have to break a goal down into workable objectives. What can you and your employees focus on for the next 3 months or so to make this long term milestone achievable?
It’s where project management apps really come into their own. Download one to every single phone, tablet, or computer in use with your business and set up a mini network. List everyone on the task, delegate out things to do, and use the app to check in every single day. Everyone will be able to see how things are progressing, and where people may need some support here and there.
Establish Boundaries Early On
Finally, you’re also going to need to set up a start time and an end time for every single shift. When are you and your employees online, and when do you log off to focus on your own lives? Establish these boundaries as soon as you can, and then do your best to never cross them as long as you work. After all, a remote company can often blur the lines between the personal and the professional.
You can always be online, in theory, and always be working on something in the background. But if you set the expectation that people put down their phones and pick up their lives when and where they’re legally entitled to, you’ll set some real benefits in place! You’ll be dealing with a lower than average employee turnover, a much higher productivity rate, and a general good rate of satisfaction amongst your workforce.
The idea you’ve got for a business can go a long way towards becoming a successful reality when you work remotely. You’ve already got a full life to live, and making that more complicated by throwing in company formation just won’t do! Take it all online, reach out in digital manners, and expect the same of your employees. A remote workplace tends to be a happier and productive one too!
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.