Remote work, also known as working from home, is a hot topic in the working world these days. Some companies love it, some hate it. Some people think it’s the worst way to work, some people think it’s the best. And then there are those in the middle who enjoy being able to work at home while still spending a day or two in the office; yes, there really is a happy middle ground!
But as a new business owner, deciding whether or not to work from home is a big choice. It’s going to be something you consider early on before you fork out for an office tenancy and start asking employees to come in five times a week. As such, for those on a limited budget, it might be the only choice.
However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing; working from home really is an incredibly viable option for a modern business just starting out. Here are a few reasons why.
It’s More Affordable for Small Businesses
This is the biggest benefit of working from home. You’ve already got a property to work out of, where the bills are already paid and you know your way around. All you need to do is connect your computer to the wifi and get to work!
Startup costs are super low. You’ll have to pay for a few things like your business domain and to get the website set up, but you won’t have to deal with a short-term office tenancy, the cost of which is at the mercy of a cruel commercial landlord.
In the corporate world we find ourselves in, small businesses are already at a disadvantage. This is one surefire way to get ahead. The less money you have to spend now, the more money you have to grow later on, even without further investment.
You Can Hire the Best of the Best
If the best of the best live on the other side of the world, a remote working setup means you can hire them. As long as they’re willing to work within your time zone, you can get them onboard! If you worked in a traditional office setting and kept to traditional office hours, this wouldn’t fly.
Allowing a team to work from home opens up the market. It means you can pick and choose from the cream of the crop, no matter how far away they are. Their resumes are allowed to speak for themselves, and who doesn’t love a Microsoft Teams interview that only takes 15 minutes?
Security Processes are Better Than Ever
Are you worried that working from home will mean a lack of protection for your company? Maybe you’re worried about a break in, where the burglar will access your office and take all of your important files. Or perhaps you’re not sure if the neighbors will be very happy about the new security camera on the front of your property? These are all questions that keep home business owners up at night!
But commercial security processes are better than ever. Indeed, most of these worries can be addressed by simply storing your files digitally! However, if you’re not accustomed to the world of tech, this can be another worry added to the pile.
Let us put your mind at rest. Say you want to use a cloud server to store your customer data, but you’re not sure that’d be safe without using a purpose-built, in-house network. You can rely on third-party solutions without a worry, thanks to new authentication processes, business focus, and properly locked cloud access points – if need be, you can learn more about CASBs right here.
But long story short, if you’re familiar with using applications like OneDrive, using an external cloud solution won’t be a problem for you.
More Comfortable Work Environment
If you can work from your home environment, you’re going to be comfortable at all times. Your sofa is right there, your desk chair was hand-picked by you, and you can even take a seat on your bed and get under the blanket if you so wish! And guess what? None of these things make you less productive – it’s actually quite the opposite.
You won’t be constantly standing up to stretch because your desk chair is so uncomfortable. You won’t be forced out of the break room because someone has heated fish in the microwave. You won’t be unsure about whether or not to use the toilets as you haven’t seen a cleaner come in in a while.
You know your home, you know it’s a good place to be! The comfort and safety of our own surroundings can even make us more confident; if you’ve always been worried about speaking up in a Zoom call, keep this little factor in mind.
You’ll Be More Productive
Many people don’t believe this to be true but the research doesn’t lie! We mentioned earlier that being comfortable makes you more productive but we can expand on that even further. Indeed, it’s clear that this works for people across various companies, working situations, and workplace cultures.
Why? Working somewhere comfortable makes you feel supported, especially when you’re not forced to be around co-workers. As such, you’re going to open up and really get those creative juices flowing. That spark of confidence you may have lacked in other roles has a chance to be fed, and simply because you like where you work: at home!
If you want to work from home, go ahead and do so!
It’s good for the modern business, whether you’ve got the budget for an office or not.
Working from home allows for flexibility; you can build the most inclusive team possible when you’re happy to let people work from where they are.
Remote teams even tend to be better communicators and collaborators, thanks to the effort they need to put in! Let these benefits take a stand in your business and consider working remotely for the future.
