What Small Businesses Need to Know About Remote Work

[fusion_code]PHN0eWxlPg0KI21pY3Jvc29mdF9pbmZvew0KcGFkZGluZzoxMHB4Ow0KYm9yZGVyOjFweCBzb2xpZCAjY2NjOw0KYmFja2dyb3VuZC1jb2xvcjpyZ2IoMjQ2LDI0NiwyNDYpOw0KfQ0KPC9zdHlsZT4=[/fusion_code][fusion_text]For small businesses, the idea of remote work might seem like something only the big companies offer to their workforce. After all, when you have a company comprised of only a handful of employees, it’s a smarter business move to keep them close to you in the same office, right? Wrong.

In the Microsoft infographic: “Think Outside the Desk,” remote work is highlighted as it directly relates to small businesses. So if your company isn’t currently offering flexible work options to its employees—or creating new positions that have flex already built into them—it should.

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Need for Remote Work Options in Small Businesses

According to the infographic, some 74 percent of companies are offering flexible work policies for either some or all of their workers. And with 68 percent of companies offering personal devices for work purposes, it makes sense then that 21 percent of companies saw an increase in productivity.

The reason: work-life balance. It’s something virtually every job candidate seeks. Which is why the majority (71 percent) of employees rate work-life balance as the most important part of their job. More than half report that mobile technology helps to achieve work-life balance and enhance productivity. In fact, nearly two times as many people report having their best ideas at home (i.e., in the shower) rather than in a cold cubicle.

Knowing that potential employees are looking for remote work options—and then providing them—helps smaller businesses compete neck-in-neck for the top-tier talent that bigger companies might attract by offering flexible work options.

What Really Matters: Results

Instead of counting the number of employees packed into your office, it’s a better business move to count their productivity instead. Adopting an ROI methodology to your business can help you and your company as you transition from a brick-and-mortar mentality into a more cloud-based one.

The cloud allows your workers to stay connected to each other, offers a more cost-efficient way to conduct business (no more paying for office space, equipment, utilities, and so on), and is by far the way most companies are now segueing into a mobile-based business model.

Business Case for Remote Work in Small Businesses

There are financial benefits of going remote with your business. By integrating the cloud into the way they do business, 70 percent of small-to-medium-sized businesses report reinvesting saved money back into their business—something that couldn’t be done before due to significant office expenses.

And the top benefits of having mobile solutions, according to small businesses with one to 99 employees included improved productivity (57 percent), better communication and access to info (56 percent), and time savings (55 percent).

Simply stated, one of the best ways for small and medium-sized companies to compete with large corporations is by offering flexible work options. Not only will you be able to attract top-tier talent from anywhere in the world, but you’ll stand to save a significant amount of money per telecommuting employee (upwards of $11,000 annually per telecommuting worker). And by adopting a flexible work policy, you’ll see how quickly your company will grow through the tremendous power of remote work. [/fusion_text]