- When looking for ways "upgrade" your business, making the switch to, or starting a new remote business, may be the ultimate way to go.
- Running a successful remote business means taking the appropriate steps, such as hiring the right employees, utilizing effective sources of communication and setting a clear plan for goals.
- An unlimited talent pool and reduced operating costs are only a couple of the benefits that come with operating a remote business.
Remote companies are the way of the future. Advances in technology have allowed us to forgo the typical, expensive, brick-and-mortar office in exchange for a virtual office you manage from the comfort of your own home. The benefits of running a remote company are endless. Not only are you saving money on rent and utilities, but you're getting rid of the dreaded daily commute, and you can hire employees from around the world, which lets you choose the best talent for your company.
But you can't just log on to your computer, send a couple of emails to your remote hires and expect for business to be smooth sailing from there. There are several aspects you have to consider when building a remote company that you never had to think about while running a traditional office.
So how do you create a remote company that runs like clockwork? Check out these five tips for building a successful remote company.
1. Use the right tools
Your employees are going to require access to all the important files they need to complete their tasks efficiently and in a remote setting, they'll need to access those files from their laptops or home computers. There are several software tools you'll need to implement to have a successful remote company.
Some great ones include remote conferencing software that allows you to hold company meetings, perform webinars or conduct remote interviews. Project management tools let you assign specific tasks with due dates for individual workers and create workspaces for different teams where you can assign group projects. Your remote workers will be able to easily see what they need to get done in an organized way.
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Another important tool you will want is a password manager that encrypts and stores your passwords online. If you use shared logins at your company, this tool generates secure passwords that will be automatically entered into login fields when your employee needs access.
2. Determine your communication plan
One of the biggest factors you'll be missing from a traditional office setting is the ability to talk in-person to employees. That's why you need to put a communication plan in place.
It's inconvenient to Skype someone to ask a simple question and email doesn't quite do the trick either, which is where messaging tools come in. These tools offer a seamless way for your company to stay organized and communicate with each other wherever they are in the world.
3. Choose the right remote workers
For your remote company to be a success, you need your remote workers to be successful too. The first step to this is to hire the right remote workers. As a remote company, the pool of candidates you have to choose from is large, you can hire anyone no matter the country they live in but you've got to make sure they're right for you.
There are many sites where you can find remote talent to hire. Once you've got some quality candidates to choose from, interview them using video conference software and make sure they're self-motivated. Being self-motivated is one of the most important qualities in a remote employee, because you can't constantly be managing them.
4. Find creative ways to connect
Creating connections with employees and a culture for your remote company can be difficult without face-to-face interaction, but it's not impossible. Make the vision for the company very clear, and post it in a cloud collaboration service where remote workers can access it and be reminded of what bonds them together.
You can also run polls or hold fun, interactive challenges for your remote workers to participate in, like a non-competitive fitness challenge they can track in a shared document. And if you have the means, getting everyone together once a year for a retreat allows strong bonds to form between all of your remote staff.
5. Set clear goals
Setting firm goals for each of your remote employees helps everyone stay on track. Determine what your expectations are for each role, when deadlines should be met, weekly to-do lists, and how you expect everyone to perform. One great way to quantify your goals is to use Google Analytic's goal feature to track your online performance. This can increase company productivity and reduce the chances of team members falling behind in meeting their personal and company goals.
Be as detailed as possible with your expectations and goals, and post them where they can be easily accessed by any member of your team. Although there are bound to be some hiccups and disruptions along the way, having set clear expectations keeps everyone accountable.
In the past, running an entire company from your home seemed impossible, but it's quite the opposite today. There is so much new technology that allows you to create your own remote empire with only a little money to start and without ever having to sacrifice any aspect of your business. Follow these tips for building a successful remote company, and your business is bound to work like a well-oiled machine.
Benefits of a remote business
Working remotely has quickly become a common option for both employers and employees. There are many benefits that apply to both sides. For instance, some of the benefits of operating a remote business include:
- Access to an unlimited talent pool, because with remote work, you can have access to the ideal person for your team that is across the country from you
- When working with remote employees, your employees will have the flexibility to work at the times when they are the most productive, which means greater production for your business.
- One of the best benefits of a remote business is the costs that you’ll be cutting. Remote means you do not have to furnish offices or pay rent and utilities for a larger office space.