Remote Work and Telecommuting- Good Business for Small Business
Remote Work and Telecommuting are not just good ideas for large organizations who want to encourage work life balance and attract and retain their top talent. It is simply good business for small business too! Today’s economy is forcing many small businesses with 5-100 employees to re-evaluate everything: overhead costs, new markets, current customers, employee productivity, profitability, and so much more. Telecommuting allows these small businesses to capitalize on much more than just reduced real-estate.
- A recent survey by 7th Sense Research found that:
- 60% of employees said they could do their jobs remotely
- 72% of employees prefer to work at home
- 73% of companies didn’t have a formal policy (VERY DANGEROUS!!)
- However; only 14% of employees said their employers were supportive of telecommuting or remote work
By allowing a small business’s employees to work remotely, they can:
- Drastically reduce their office footprint- thus reducing office rental space.
- Many employees are willing to pay for their own internet and computer thus- REDUCING equipment and utilities costs on the company.
- Expand the hiring pool to truly the best in the industry
- Retain employees longer- people with telecommuting jobs are proven to be less likely to leave.
- Improve productivity which improves the company’s PROFITABILITY.
While it seems obvious to many employees the benefits of Remote Work: no-dry cleaning, cheaper lunches, no commute, etc. The benefits are not just one sided and small employers are starting to discover this fact. Most small business owners, however; need to CHANGE they way they manage employees though. Remote Work is more productive because it breads independence and accountability for results. If you have a manager who is uncomfortable managing by results, they probably won’t make a good Remote Manager. Additionally, if you have employees who don’t like their performance to be judged by results, they probably won’t do well in a Remote environment (of course I’d argue they don’t do well in an office environment either).
Bottom line. Many small employers are moving to Remote Work models because it is simply more efficient. Transitioning takes time, training, and a formal program, but the companies who are making the switch are beginning to wonder why they hadn’t done it sooner.
To learn more or if you are curious what it takes to transition please feel free to contact me directly.
Brandon Dempsey
President-SuiteCommute
1-888-878-4832
Brandon@SuiteCommute.com
