Running a business remotely comes with a number of benefits; you save money on office overheads, there is flexibility and a wider talent pool. However, managing operations in a remote setup is quite different from an office setup where team members work in close proximity. You will require the right tools to ensure that your team is working efficiently, are on the same page, and are being optimally productive. Whether a novice or a veteran in running a business remotely from home, the following tools will help you improve team collaboration, streamline operations, and drive productivity.
1. Communication tools
The backbone of remote work is communication; without it people will feel disconnected and not on the same page. Asking for assistance in a physical office is as easy as popping into a colleague’s cubicle. However, such luxury is not available for a remote workforce. To enhance efficient internal communication, use reliable communication tools such as Slack.
This is a real-time messaging App between team members from anywhere in the world. Slack offers efficient communication management by allowing the creation of channels for each department, sharing files, and sending direct messages. Teams can also pin documents and bookmark messages for quicker reference or search through messages using the Search option.
Other communication tools include Mattermost, Rocket Chat, Microsoft Teams, and Every Time Zone among others.
2. Hiring Tools
Running your business remotely gives you the advantage of hiring the right people for the job from anywhere in the world. Having workers in foreign countries allows your brand to have a presence in various markets in the world and thus more sales. However, hiring foreigners comes with its demands; you have to be compliant with that country’s hiring laws and governance rules, which can be a challenge if you do not have a legal entity in that country. Hire employees smoothly in foreign lands using Global PEO Services.
Global PEO allows you to tap into foreign markets without the need to establish a legal entity in those countries. The organization will ensure that you stay compliant with the laws including employment, financial, and taxation.
3. Video conferencing tools
In order to brainstorm and have happy hours in a remote working setup, there is a need for regular video conferencing. This makes members feel included and reduces the loneliness that comes with working alone in a remote location. Make video conferencing efficient with tools such as Zoom.
Zoom has several features that make it an amazing tool. They include shared screens, HD quality video and audio, whiteboarding, real-time chat and it is easily accessible.
Other video chat tools are Join.me and Skype for Business among others.
4. Project management tools
When running your business remotely, you will be required to assign tasks to your remote workers. You also need to follow up on these tasks to ensure everyone delivers within the timeline allowed. However, this can be difficult without the right tools for project management. Stay on top of things with Trello.
Trello allows every member of the team to create task cards and assign them according to department or an individual in a visual interface. Team members can then move cards to the next category as the project progresses. That way, anyone in the team exactly knows the progress made on each project and thus works in a collaborative manner.
Alternatives to Trello include Intercom, Monday, and Basecamp among others.
5. Time management tools
One of the challenges that come with remote working is time management. Working from home is surrounded by many distractions that can easily pull you out of focus and thus derail productivity. You can also find yourself working longer hours without a break, which can cause adverse effects on your health. To this length, you need to have time management tools in place to help you schedule tasks in a project and track how much time you use per task. One of the most reliable tools for this is Timely.
Timely works with a calendar interface, allowing you to schedule tasks and do real-time time tracking. If you have hourly employees, this tool will help them track their earnings as well.
Other tools reliable for time management include Toggl and Everhour among others.
Conclusion
With people working individually, there is a higher chance of having some of them feeling left behind in projects. That is why the right tools are necessary to ensure that projects are being completed collaboratively and that everyone is in sync. Ensure that you assist your workers in using these tools so that they are successfully useful to the team.
