When it comes to working and creating a thriving business, you often don’t go down the traditional routes. Some businesses start off in shops and business locations, but also so many successful businesses are born from the home, and they progress from there. Having people working for you that are perhaps not in the same room enables you to have skilled people who can work remotely. This might be as part of your team when it comes to sales and visiting customers and clients, or it might be working remotely from a laptop or computer. However, how can manage these people effectively and enable your business to thrive? Here are some of the options to consider.
Image source – Pixabay – CC0 License
Finding great ways to communicate
One of the first things that you need to consider is the communication side of things. You don’t have the benefit of being in the same place, so just popping your head through your office door is not going to cut it. This is when video link up and conferencing can work well. It is a step further than a phone call, allows your to share things and also have the benefit of body language and facial expressions as well as tone of voice. Other things to consider would be instant messenger services, and also sticking with standard forms of communication like email.
Fleet of vehicles and the benefits of that
Sometimes the staff that you have working for you remotely will be out in the field, generating sales and visiting prospects, and to make life easier, you may consider investing in assets such as a fleet of vehicles for them to use. However, there are some considerations to think about. Things like the insurance side of things and also monitoring fuel usage. This is when a great fleet card for small businesses can come in handy to work out costs and also monitor spending. You can also think about having these vehicles tracked. One thing you must do is to do checks on the potential drivers, such as their licenses and also an unspent charges for things like speeding.
Being aware of workload
Working remotely means that you don’t always get to have the general chit chat and communication you might in the office, which means that you might not always be fully aware of an employee or staff member is struggling with things like workload. It is always going to be worth it to manage expectations. Be aware of what you require and communicate this regularly, but also assure people that they can email and contact you directly should there be any issue.
A positive leader
You might want to focus a little bit on your leadership skills and take note if any changes can be made to improve them in any way. A positive leader works well face to face, but this can also be encompassed in your email, telephone and video contact. Ensure that when writing an email that you use positive language, when you are talking to someone on the phone or via video link up try and be exactly how you might be in an office environment. It can make a big change to how someone feels about the work and input they are putting in and can also help you to get the most out of staff you have working remotely. You don’t have the benefit of spontaneity and building people up when they don’t look or feel their best. So it must be auctioned on a more consistent basis.
Pay attention to time zones
If you offer up positions that will enable people to work remotely, then you are likely to attract people all over the world, especially if you have a digital and online business that is viable in different countries. This is when as a leader, you will need to take note of time zones. Not everyone will be on the clock the exact same time as you are, so it is worth ensuring that you do what you can to keep a note of people and where they live so you know when you may be able to contact them. Email is something that can be sent at anytime, but be aware of when you might get a reply back.
Still see the benefit of seeing people in the flesh
Finally, there is still a benefit of arranging meet-ups when it comes to the staff you have working remotely. It may not happen very often, but arranging a meeting at a central location can help people to get the interactiveness and feel part of the team.
Let’s hope these tips help you to manage a team that will be working remotely.
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