Thanks to COVID-19 and all the new cyberattacks, hackers, self-quarantine, and many more issues, remote work has become a more flexible work environment. People were sent home and laid off, and it forced jobs to open up remote work opportunities for their employees. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, then you may want to. It’s not that hard, and it may require a few human resources, but numerous solutions can help your business climb the fence to allow more flexible work solutions. Once it’s all complete, the process can also enable higher-ups to operate their business from home during all of this, too!
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Moving in – but Moving Out
Who says you have to do your remote work from home? Some people are converting RVs into mobile offices and traveling the country.
One thing about commuting is that depending on your level of business and what position you’re in, COVID has kind of put a stop to certain things – like air travel. If you’re used to taking flights to business conference meetings and such, you may want to opt for a place either inside your home or creating a small office. Some people have even utilized portable sheds and small RV campers and converted them into successful office spaces. But the coolest part is that though they’re out at work, they’re still home.
Prepare for a Change
We know nobody could have foreseen that remote work would have become the new norm, but here we are.
The first thing you need to do is develop a plan to have workers who can remotely work from home. One way to do this is to hire freelancers if need be to fill any gaps for things like office work, paperwork, and virtual assistance. Once you do, you may even be able to utilize an IT team to help your employee get things set up correctly with tools like VoIP services and more. Some of the best VoIP services also have mobile apps that coincide with their business phone extension – essentially allowing them to take business calls anywhere.
Collaboration is the Key
With many businesses still closed or running a skeleton staff in the office, remote work and the use of technology is more critical than ever.
One of the biggest challenges that offices and many small businesses face during these times and transition is that everybody’s got their position, their place, and that is their job. You have probably heard the stories or the constant excuse at many laboring jobs where “that’s above my pay grade.” With flexible work, you can train some of those employees to do things outside of their paygrade, but most importantly, teach them more about collaborating. A business is a well-oiled machine if it’s done right, and once it is all set up and people can work better, you’ll have a reliable solution that will provide fluid results of productivity.
Set Up Automation
Automation isn’t just for factories. Many businesses are now automating much of their technology and repetitive processes, thus easing the transition to remote work for its employees.
Most factories already know this, but automation is a huge key to success. Digital marketers also know this, which is why they have so many tools to generate revenue automatically. Even with all of the automated things out there though (machinery, equipment, etc.), there has to be someone to turn the tables and keep the ball rolling. The important thing is that you have remote opportunities set up so they can do it as needed. Operating on an on-call basis can help with this, but that’s just the beginning.
For example, if you’re running a business with a laser engraver machine and a computer at a business place, you can get things set up so the person can connect to it remotely and operate. Of course, you may have to have someone there at the office (or be there yourself) to mandate and monitor things. If you need someone to gather up emails collectively and make sure that newsletters go out, etc., why not let them do that from home and pay them for their time?
Call Centers Can Benefit Too
Many call centers have begun to have their employees work from home. With HD call quality and state of the art VoIP services, remote work has never been more accessible.
Using VoIP phone services and the tools for remote work, call centers are kind of at a standstill. Part of this is because of how close people have to be. However, even government agencies and support centers have grown to have a minimal amount of people in the office – everyone else works from home and takes calls as needed from their home office.
Does “Remote Work” Work for Your Business?
Many companies still question whether remote opportunities are the right call, but they’re also the businesses that are missing out. With the services that your managed service provider can give you, there is no difference between having someone handle meetings at home and having them work from the private office. Once you realize this, you’ll be able to get over the slump and keep your business rolling successfully.