Updated: Nov 13
While the widespread increase of remote workers is due largely to the pandemic, this style of flexible work was already firmly established prior to 2020 in the virtual assistant industry. Most VAs were already working from home (and some pretty much anywhere), so they weren’t drastically affected by the change. The pandemic accelerated the shift, and although many companies have returned to the office, others are continuing to experience the benefits of remote work.
With multiple studies showing an increase in productivity and employee happiness, it’s clear that remote work in its many forms is here to stay.
For some entrepreneurs, the idea of switching to remote work full-time may seem challenging. How do you communicate effectively with clients? Where do you work or train team members? How do you manage your business mail?
In actuality, it’s a case of updating your existing operations and shifting focus. Thanks to the long-established nature of remote work (after all, it’s been around for decades), there are plenty of tried-and-tested solutions to help your remote business thrive.
Why should you switch to remote work?
Not only does remote work provide entrepreneurs with more cost-saving options than traditional business expenses like rent and office supplies, but this transition helps set up companies for growth, expansion, and scalability.
Key benefits of remote work include, but are not limited to:
Exponentially lower operational costs
Switching to remote work means you’re no longer tied to an expensive office lease. As a small business owner, the cost of renting a traditional office space in conjunction with the operating costs of keeping this space stocked and functioning properly is one of the biggest expenses each year, usually second only to staffing costs.
Operating a virtual office allows you to eliminate the vast majority of these costs and funnel that reserved money back into the business.
Flexibility
Remote work gives small business owners a chance to work more flexibly than ever before. You can work from anywhere you’d like, meaning you can cut down on commutes and have more time to handle other important business priorities.
Operating primarily online opens your business to countless markets across the country, allowing you to connect with new customers and effectively raise profits. Remote work flexibility better positions your business for expansion.
Higher productivity
According to Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom, remote workers are 13% more productive than their traditional in-office counterparts. While this is sometimes debated, the underlying theme is that empowering staff through trust and flexible work greatly improves happiness, loyalty, and productivity.
Better employee retention
As the national turnover rate continues to rise, a remote workspace has shown itself to be much more effective in terms of employee retention. Plus, hiring new employees is expensive and time-consuming.
Many studies have shown the efficacy of providing remote work solutions for employees. For example, a 2021 study from the College and University Professional Association for HR concluded that: “It would take only a small movement in the direction of providing more flexible work opportunities to result in improved employee satisfaction with their work arrangements and improved employee retention.”
How do you make the switch to remote work?
First things first, to be a fully remote business, you will need to make sure you have a solid online presence. From there, identify the tools needed to keep your team and workflow connected and organized. For example: Slack for team chat and organization, Microsoft 365 for documentation and team collaboration, and Asana for an online project and task management.
Once those operational tools are in place, look at changing your business address and securing a remote workspace for flexible on-demand usage. One company that can help with this is Alliance Virtual Offices.
Alliance Virtual Offices is a one-stop-shop for operating a successful remote company. Their global network of 1200+ office locations provides recognized business addresses, secure mail forwarding, live receptionist services, business phone numbers, coworking, and even hourly meeting room rental.
Chat online with their team or read these detailed guides to learn how to work flexibly and scale a remote business.
Making the switch to a remote workspace — or starting one — might seem daunting. But once you’ve experienced the benefits for yourself, you’ll soon see why remote work is here to stay.
Head over to Alliance Virtual Offices for a step-by-step guide on making the switch and see how they can help you move your business forward.
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