Remote work isn’t a new concept, but it’s one your business can benefit from even in the modern era full of competition and endless technology. Remote workers are able to be more productive than in-house staff and have a much lower chance of experiencing burnout. With more productive workers, you’ll be able to boost your sales and your company’s productivity; here’s how allowing your employees to work remotely can actually make you more money.
More Flexibility
Flexibility on your part and the part of your workers can make for a much more efficient workplace. People have lives other than work, and it’s important that the organization they work for understands this fact. Doctor’s appointments, children, and other engagements can all affect your workers’ schedules, and having the flexibility to meet those engagements and still get work done is paramount to your business’ success.
Working remotely allows team members to work from home or some other comfortable place, meaning they won’t have to leave the office or call off in case of an emergency or previous engagement. This level of flexibility is greatly appreciated by those who work remotely, as it makes them feel a bit less like they’re totally subservient to their job.
With greater flexibility on both ends, you’ll likely see an increase in the loyalty and work quality of your employees. People generally stay loyal to companies that treat them well, and flexibility is one of the most important facets of a good workplace.
Happier Teams
What does having a happier team mean for your business? More productivity, of course! Happiness is an incredibly underrated part of a good workplace. The happier your employees are, the lower your turnover will be, and the more productive your staff will be overall. Why does happiness matter so much?
Happiness at work can spill over to other facets of life. Since work will fulfill a large part of our lives, enjoying work is pretty much essential to an overall sense of happiness and fulfillment with life. With depression at an all-time high, it’s important that we work to keep employees happy and satisfied. Remote work can help aid in keeping employees happy with their jobs.
More Productivity
Happy people with flexible schedules are simply more productive overall. If you give someone the option of coming into the office to sit in a stuffy cubicle to work or going to their favorite coffee shop to complete their tasks, they’ll likely choose the latter. The more comfortable your employees are, the more likely they are to be productive.
Don’t worry about communication with remote workers; you can utilize a conference calling app or even video conference software to stay in touch, so you’ll never miss a beat. Alternatively, you can use the incredible project and team management tools that exist on the web for organizing teams and projects for greater efficiency.
If more companies made employee happiness a priority, we likely we wouldn’t see such troubling statistics as this one, which states that 79% of people who quit their jobs did so due to lack of appreciation. That’s a pretty large percentage feeling unhappy and unappreciated at work! Giving employees the option to work remotely is a great way to make them feel more valued and appreciated at your business.
Less Overhead
If more of your employees are working from home or some other remote location, your overhead costs are going to drop. Think about it; if you’re paying for 100 cubicles’ worth of space, electricity, temperature control, and internet access, and you have just 20 of them work remotely, you’ve just cut costs by 20%.
Cutting costs is the name of the game in business, so why not start with overhead? If you could cut your office needs down by just 20-30% by moving more employees to remote work, you’ll be saving a ton of money. You can reinvest that money into marketing, expanding your operations, and much more!
Contracting
Hiring remote contractors for specific tasks is a good way to save money by mitigating labor costs. With a contractor, you’ll pay on a per-service basis instead of a yearly salary, so when the job is done, the contract ends until the next one. This is a great way to minimize the cost of good labor while still enjoying the flexibility of remote work.
There are dozens of websites (like Fiverr) where you can find freelancers and contractors for just about any service; from graphic design to web development to copywriting and beyond. Why hire a full-time web designer when you can hire a freelancer on an as-needed basis?
Conclusion
Remote work has many benefits, but the most important is making your organization more money by cutting costs and improving productivity. If you’re still skeptical, start by moving a few trusted employees to remote work and go from there. You might find it works wonders for your organization!