The international trend towards working remotely is growing in leaps and bounds here in Australia; and as the leader of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Educational Development program, I’m very aware of our community members’ ongoing interest in learning more about applying telecommuting to their own businesses. In fact, in response to the many requests we’ve received, I’m currently working with ABN Community Director Suzi Dafnis and her team to develop a suite of new courses, webinars and resources tailored to support members to benefit from this growing business paradigm.
In the meantime, Suzi and I are both long-term proponents of telecommuting.
In fact, the permanent ABN team has one staff member located in the United States and another two (including Suzi) who work remotely on a regular basis; and I’ve worked with colleagues and clients, both local and offshore, via email, Skype and online collaboration for many years. Apart from the time saved in no longer needing to commute to your workplace, there are many benefits on a number of levels for small business owners who work remotely:
- Less real estate required in terms of office/work space
- Because employees tend to see working from home as a reward, allowing your employees to work remotely leads to an increase in both employee morale and productivity
- Telecommuting employees spend less time and money on commuting
- Cities benefit from less congestion on the roads, more people using local businesses, less pollution and reduced pressure on infrastructure
And while managing change is always challenging, as an employer there are ways you can manage a smooth transition to working remotely, by considering:
- Introducing measurements and KPIs that rely on addressing benchmarks and targets, rather than relying on your personal observation of an employee’s daily work
- Developing robust systems and preparation – e.g., regular meetings with telecommuting employees
- Ensuring you communicate regularly with your remote employees
- Allowing your staff time to adjust to the new regimen
Consider using technology and equipment to help facilitate telecommuting, including:
- Real time chat
- Lightweight notebooks and tablets that make mobile working easy
- Wi-Fi devices that are small, lightweight and reliable
- Video based conferencing and
- Online collaboration tools
It’s also a good idea to set ground rules and clarify your expectations of remote employees from the start.
In the words of John Boniciolli, Telstra’s Executive Director for Small Business, “the right technology to work remotely is now an essential tool of the trade”.
We agree that with the right devices and right connections, you can work anytime, anywhere and never miss a business opportunity.
So, in partnership with Telstra, we’ve launched our “I’m Inspiringly Productive” photo contest for community members. Upload a photo of your “anytime/anywhere” workplace to be in the running to win a Samsung Galaxy Note tablet and a Telstra Mobile Wi-Fi 4G Device (with 12 GB of data to use across a 12 month period), valued at $1,300. I’m currently road testing the tablet and device for the ABN and will be sharing my thoughts next week. In the meantime, “happy snapping” and good luck!
