4 Tips for Running A 100% Remote Business
Whether it’s the benefit of having a more flexible schedule or the freedom to work from home, many CEOs and business owners are finding that running operations remotely is a perfect fit for their companies. But expecting a remote firm to run anything like a traditional business can be a big mistake.
Thing is, running a 100% remote business requires an entirely opposite management approach, one that demands vigilance and constant communication. It requires a little more planning as you can’t walk around and see employees at their cubes. Also, the presence of a dispersed team can affect many aspects of paying people, managing projects and hiring resources to such an extent that conventional will no longer apply.
With that said, running a remote business is a huge incentive to many CEOs as well as employees, so if you manage processes right, you can easily have a productive, satisfied and loyal workforce that’s ready to help you and your company succeed. Here are 4 ways to achieve just that.
1. Internationalize Your Payments
Traditional payroll may not work in a remote setting, where you might have employees who’ve been contracted for just a few weeks. Internationalizing your payments is the best way to ensure everyone gets paid on time. Options like Ria Money Transfer enable businesses to send money online with their bank, credit card, debit card and even cash. Payment methods like these have their advantages over conventional wire transfers, including lower transfer fees and faster delivery. In addition, some vendors will allow you to make the money available for cash pickup at one of their locations, so paying remote workers would no longer be a hassle.
2. Develop Shared Leadership
When you’re overseeing employees remotely, it’s crucial to not just give personnel a list of tasks to do, but also give them the ability to pull their teams ahead. If you just keep on delegating without giving employees an opportunity to take initiative, it’s likely that they will begin feeling like task monkeys. A better approach would include measures like assigning experienced employees as mentors to help onboard new members or asking them to carry out virtual team-building exercises. This will also take some pressure off of upper management.
3. Use Technology to Streamline Processes
Running a company remotely is more convenient than ever courtesy of the applications and software that mimic the feel of a traditional office environment without setting foot in one. Instead of relying on conferencing via telephone, managers can now have video chats using tools like Google+ hangouts. Likewise, they can keep documents and important files in a place where everyone can access them using apps like Google Docs. Then there’s all the web-based collaboration platforms that provide employees with the option to log all leads, sales, and calls. Hence, you have several kinds of technologies available to use for your own benefit.
4. Check in Regularly
There’s a saying that there’s nothing worse than being a seagull manager – a person who files in, talks a lot, leaves everyone a not-so-pleasant present and flies away. To run a remote business well, this is exactly what you shouldn’t be like. However, it’s important to drop in from time to time. You can perhaps have a central workplace where you could invite everyone a few times in a year. Visits to remote locations should always be scheduled, so as not to bombard workers. Schedule your time with people so they can be prepared, rather than interrupting everybody else’s workflow.
Running a 100% remote business can be a challenge, but implementing these tips would significantly improve your chances of succeeding.