It was only two years ago that the world witnessed an empty New York Times Square, unpolluted canals in Venice, and a puzzling toilet paper roll shortage. But with all of this came a truly historic shift in the job market as well.
In the age where hand sanitizers are stationed at every entrance, coughing in public attracts uncomfortable stares, and social distancing has become the norm (shouldn’t it have always been?) it’s no wonder that companies decided to offer the ability to work from home as the rightful option for employees.
However, I highly doubt that companies knew that what started as a safety precaution from Coronavirus would actually become the norm for most businesses. There has been a constant debate on whether working remotely is beneficial to a business or not, but the outcome after vigorous studies and research has stated that in the following aspects, remote work is highly beneficial.
According to Forbes, workplace flexibility will benefit a business in these five categories:
- Productivity - Teleworkers are an average of 35-40% more productive than their office counterparts
- Performance - With stronger autonomy via location independence, workers produce results with 40% fewer quality defects
- Engagement - Higher productivity and performance combine to create stronger engagement, or in other words, 41% lower absenteeism
- Retention - 54% of employees say that would change jobs for one that offered them more flexibility, which results in an average of 12% turnover reduction after a remote work agreement is offered
- Profitability - Organizations save an average of $11,000 per year per part-time telecommuter, or 21% higher profitability.
The rise of remote work also brings the opportunity for closet digital nomads to finally come out and do what they love: work, play, and travel.
Digital nomads hail from various industries working as entrepreneurs, travel bloggers, designers, tech-workers, consultants, writers, developers, and more! But what we are focusing on in this article, is the entrepreneur, as it is easier now more than ever to launch, grow, and run a business without the need for a physical office or in-person meetings.
If you are exploring this path, it is essential to have the right technology, systems, and processes in place. So whether you are launching a new company or transitioning a previously in-person business to a permanently remote one, here is everything you need to know about managing a remote business.
1. Tools for Success
Depending on the type of business you run, this information may vary, but there are many standard implementations that are crucial for any remote business owner.
Work Setup
A dedicated workspace is vital to help you feel organized and productive. And while many remote workers have created their own home office, there are countless working cafes and libraries, and with Boundless Life, we have our own personal Co-Working Hub where like-minded digital nomads can network and work on various projects independently as well as in a group setting.
Equipment
As a digital nomad, it is likely that you are conducting your entire business out of your laptop and smartphone - therefore I recommend that you invest in up-to-date and reliable brands for both.
Along with these devices (depending on your type of business), I’d advise you also keep the following on hand:
- Ergonomic Bluetooth Mouse
- While laptops include trackpads, there are some tasks where having a physical mouse just makes more sense. It’s the preferred method for speed and completing tasks that involve design or spreadsheets. Here are the top mice of 2022.
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Although the buzz of trendy working cafes and co-working spaces can be quite pleasant and even motivating, sometimes your work requires deep focus and your favorite soundtrack for concentration. Click here for the top headphones of 2022.
- Webcam/Microphone
- Modern laptops definitely have built-in web cameras and mics, but if your business relies heavily on video conferences, podcasts, webinars, and more - purchasing separate webcams and microphones will ensure you look and sound crisp and professional on-screen. Here are the top cameras in 2022 that will wow your audience - provided you wear a clean shirt and all, and the top microphones.
- Laptop Stand
- Working on your laptop while sipping your oat milk vanilla latte and listening to your favorite music is all fine and dandy until the neck and back pain kicks in. The solution? A laptop stand. By raising the screen to eye level, this little hack helps you maintain much better posture, and trust me, your body will thank you!
High-Speed Internet
This one is a given. Thankfully, at Boundless Life, we choose destinations that are known to have sufficient networking connections as we know how important it is for our nomad friends to work efficiently and securely.
Software
- VPN/Security
- With remote work also comes the fact that employees will be able to access files without being supervised - therefore it is highly recommended to invest in software that keeps your business data safe as well as an anti-virus program to keep the bugs out!
- Communication
- Since the days of working in an office are long gone, you’ll need reliable software for communication that includes email, chat, video conferencing, and more. This is where companies like Slack and Zoom come in handy.
- Project Management
- To stay organized and keep your team accountable for various tasks despite working remotely, consider investing in quality project management software.
Aside from these main pillars of software for the modern digital entrepreneur, you may also need to think about HR/recruiting, accounting, and social media software.
2. Choose Your Employees Wisely
Unless you are a one-man-show (or woman!), you will need to hire employees, and in order for your remote business to be a success, your remote workers will have to be successful too.
With remote work, the pool of talent is quite large, in fact, it’s more like an ocean. There are various sites available to scout candidates and find the right team for your business. Once interviewing, be sure to set up a video conference and make sure these individuals are self-motivated, as you can not be constantly managing them or their time.
3. Workplace Culture
Without all of the fun holiday parties, surprise birthdays in the lunch room, and gossip-filled coffee breaks, it is easy for employees to feel quite isolated from their team members. This is why it’s important to conduct group meetings and conferences where work isn’t even the topic of discussion! An easy way to bond with your employees is through polls, interactive challenges, or even getting together in person once a year!
A positive workplace will attract the right talent, drive engagement and ultimately affect performance levels. Your leadership style, management type, workplace practices, and policies and procedures have a huge impact on your business, so be sure to invest some time into thinking of creative ways to boost morale on a regular basis.
4. Set Goals
Setting goals not only does monumental things for your business but life itself. Setting goals ensures that everyone including yourself stays on track. It allows you to determine expectations, deadlines, to-do lists, and how you expect everyone on your team to perform.
With the correct software and regular meetings to discuss these goals with your team, your business is likely to soar without you actually having to be there in person.
Remote work is not going anywhere any time soon. In fact, companies are beginning to prioritize their work-from-home strategies in order to meet their business objectives, and are even considering workplace flexibility as a critical topic in their future work.
Remote work may mean less office space, but it also means lower operating costs, increased productivity and performance, happier and healthier employees, a much larger talent pool to select from, and decreased environmental impacts!
If you are looking to start your own remote business, or are transitioning from a current business, I do hope this article will be a source of inspiration!
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