You no longer need to be in the office to make sure your business is managed adequately. You can now go away searching for prospering business opportunities or simply work from the comfort of your home. However, running a remote business is not easy to endure without the right tips and tools. So how can you manage your business and employees from anywhere in the world? Here are a few tips on how to get you started and use technology for your convenience.
1- Communication is Essential:
Communication is the backbone of any successful business. Therefore, it is essential to continuously build rapport with your employees and establish communication channels between you. You need to get to know them personally, not just professionally; this will give you a better understanding of their goals and help resolve any problems faced at work.
Assure your employees that you are always one phone call or an email away at all times. Schedule weekly/ biweekly meetings to get everyone on the same page. You can use Skype or Google Hangouts to get the whole team on board. That will give you a chance to get in the loop with all work updates, progress, and any issues that need your attention.
You can even schedule one-on-ones with team leaders to get their feedback on the business workflow and their thoughts and ideas on improving the business.
2- Set Goals and Track Timing:
Whether weekly, monthly or quarterly goals, you need to set clear guidelines for your team to follow and targets to reach. That will ensure that you stay on top of things at all times and have a specific target in mind for your business.
Using cloud-based tools like Asana or Basecamp will give you a helping hand in achieving these goals. You can set up separate projects, assign tasks and follow up on progress while setting a specific deadline. The task can be updated with comments and attachments, and once it is done, you can mark it as complete. At the end of each week, you can have your employees submit a report with their weekly progress and planning for the upcoming week.
Easily track their working hours remotely using time tracking software. It enables employees to clock in, clock out and even time their lunch breaks. In addition, you can create separate departments and add your whole team. That allows you to monitor your employees at all times, all from your smartphone or PC.
You even have complete control over the clock in/ clock out locations leaving no risk for anyone to slack on the job, assuring everyone is at the office.
An online employee tracking system will ensure your assigned tasks are done in the required time given, keeping an eye on your business’s productivity.
3- Schedule Regular Visits:
Conducting a video chat will also come in handy with team leaders or employees. Science has proven that a visual connection shows more of what the person is thinking than a phone call or chatting.
However, getting together with your team face to face on a regular basis will build trust faster and give you a chance to make sure workflow is running smoothly. You need to plan what you want to accomplish during this visit, address any incoming issues and discuss points that will affect your business’s future. A personal connection with your employees is much more valuable, and these visits will build rapport and trust ten times faster than they will remotely.
4- 24/7 Remote Access to your mail:
Now you can have full access to your business’s mail from your laptop or smartphone. Virtual mailbox service will receive your mail at their secure facilities and notify you when any new mail arrives. You can log into their friendly interface and choose what to do with your mail, whether it’s opening it, shredding it, or forwarding it. They will deliver your mail and packages to you wherever you are, whether domestically or internationally.
Remotely managing your business can be tricky, but setting your business goals and using the right tools and tactics will be easier than operating from the office itself!