Shifting to a Remote Office Strategy
For many businesses, remote collaboration was an after-thought until the novel coronavirus disrupted normal activities, making it the new usual!
It takes much effort and dedication to shift from an in-house to a remote approach. In essence, your workplace processes must upgrade to a digital strategy and embrace new technologies to support distant operations. Plus, your team must be ready to adjust to the remote office.
All these will require a budget, yet money remains a scarce resource in a pandemic-plagued economy. Borrowing is one way out, yet many bank lenders are reluctant to give financial aid, given the current economic uncertainties.
So, you want to try the various alternative sources of finance to fund the shift to a digital office. Merchant Cash Advances, Online Payday Loans, Lines of Credit, Equipment Financing, etc. are excellent places to begin.
But acquiring funds is only one part of the equation; the knack to select the right collaboration tools is the real deal maker or breaker.
So which factors matter most to a remotely run office?
What to Look for In Collaborative Tools
As hinted above, you need agile, intuitive, and easy-to-use tools that motivate your team to perform optimally even in a remote working environment.
Consider these factors when choosing:
- User-friendliness
The best collaboration technologies are staff-friendly and offer exceptional usability. These tools are built to encourage teamwork and help bridge the physical gap in remote offices. Go for solutions that don’t demand complex IT training to adopt.
- Costs
You also want to confirm all the expenses linked to a piece of tech before implementation. When checking prices, remember to consider the cost of installation, staff training, and future upgrades. Choose affordable tools that will impact your ROI positively.
- Security & Data Safety
In an era of cybercrime, you want to confirm the security protocols in all the tools you plan to install. You don’t want to start your digital journey with a cyberattack or risk compromising confidential company and client data along the way.
- Compliance
Be sure to confirm whether the proposed technologies meet all federal, local, and industry compliance standards. Working with non-compliant tools can lead to lawsuits and serious consequences.
- Unswerving Support
No matter how conversant you are with a tool, its providers must be willing to offer unswerving round-the-clock support to meet your business needs. Timely support is essential in ensuring processes run smoothly.
Lastly,
When shifting to a digital approach, try choosing tools that match your current processes, so you don’t have to make a complete overhaul.
Author bio: Michael Hollis is a Detroit native who has helped hundreds of business owners with their countertop atm machinesolutions. He’s experimented with various occupations: computer programming, dog-training, accounting… But his favorite is the one he’s now doing — providing business funding for hard-working business owners across the country.