Ensure efficiency from your remote workers

By Henry Brown

When expanding a thriving small business, it’s natural to consider spreading your wings. This is, after all, your best chance at lasting success. But, expanding isn’t cheap, and it’s not worthwhile if you have to risk your financial stability to achieve it. This is why many business owners outgrow operations, yet find themselves unable to move forward. This can be a real blow, but the good news is, it’s easy enough to make a change.

All you need to do is consider working with remote employees who can expand things for you. You may not yet be in a position to open a physical business space in a new area. But, a remote staffing team allows you to lay the foundations. They can also increase profits as things stand. At least, they can if you ensure the following.

Find a way to get products to them

Your remote team can’t do much if they don’t have products to hand. They’ll have a hard time sealing deals if the customer has to wait a week for their goods. So, first, find a way to get the goods to your distant workers. Obviously, traveling the distance yourself would defeat the object, and isn’t sustainable. Instead, consider freight and courier companies who could tackle this for you. Get a free freight quote, or do your own research to judge which option would be most cost efficient. Then, you may need to look into warehouses or storage space in the area. Your delivery company can drop products there, and your remote worker can access them as needed. You may think this sounds expensive, but it’s not as bad as you may expect. Consider, after all, the extra profit this move stands to make.

[amazon_link asins=’1520633165′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ef16100f-0da7-11e8-b2f7-d7e98b0427a0′]Provide easy access to business files

It’s also crucial that remote workers have as much access to business administration tools as those in your office. In fact, it’s even more essential, given that they’ll be managing essential meetings on their own. Without the proper documentation, this will be much harder, and deals are less likely. Instead, provide easy access to whatever files they’ll need by using a cloud system that suits the purpose. This will ensure that no matter where they are, users with a password can access documents within.

[amazon_link asins=’1492956007′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’09759e00-0da8-11e8-9659-db8c15720766′]Master communication

Of course, you also need an easy way to communicate with these remote workers. In fact, you should be able to contact them at any hour of the working day, much like you would if they were in the office with you. On a fundamental level, you should use apps such as Skype or Google Hangouts here. They’re free, easy to use, and offer everything you may need. This way, you can host a daily video chat, while also communicating in text whenever necessary. You may want to take communication further. In that case, services such as Trello could be your best bet. This is a virtual workboard that ensures you and remote workers are on the same page when it comes to daily tasks.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.

 

 

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