“The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” –Bill Clinton
Small and large business are considering all possibilities available to cut company costs while remaining a stable competitor in their industry. Businesses have laid off employees and many have transitioned to remote workers. Abandoning their traditional businesses for a remote work environment? A few companies are still deliberating on making the change.
Change…. A word or action not many of us appreciate. In my opinion, change can be good. Change is constant and cannot be stopped. It can also determine the success of your business.
In the mid to late 1990’s, companies allowed employees to telecommute if they had a sick child or if the employee was considerably ill. At that time working from home or virtually was not popular. Only three percent of Americans worked from home in the 1990’s. Companies considered employees out of the office as a loss in productivity.
Time has definitely changed, small and large companies are adapting to the change for many reasons. Business owners are recognizing the benefits of hiring remote workers. Listed are a few of the benefits they are using to their advantage. Also a few of the benefits I present to prospective clients.
- Cut company costs.
- Increase productivity.
- Maintain morale/ loyalty.
- Communicate effectively.
Hiring remote employees gives business owners the ability to save money. No need to lease and equip a brick and mortar environment. Tax and healthcare costs are minimal as well as other expenditures that comes with work in a traditional business environment. The money saved can be funneled into other areas of the business to promote growth.
Productivity increases in a virtual environment. Freelancers, virtual assistants and customer service representatives are less likely to call in sick. Work hours are more flexible, this flexibility benefits parents, those with chronic ailments and the business owner. Weekends, holidays and part- time hours are no longer frowned upon.
Office politics is a thing of the past. Morale in the work place determines the performance of employees. Those who choose to hire remote workers no longer suffer from low productivity. Negative water cooler gossip and emails can be a virus in the workplace dramatically decreasing productivity. When there is a team of virtual workers, the level communication is different. Virtual workers are upbeat and positive, they love their working environment and their jobs. When an employee is happy they are prepared to take on any task that comes their way.
Communication is a key factor for all businesses. Traditionally, all is not well when an employee is working on an important project and is out sick. Often times it’s hard to call an emergency meeting in a brick and mortar environment. As a virtual assistant, I have been party to many last minute meetings. A sudden document revision needed on the fly or an emergency social media update. There are so many ways to stay in constant contact. Over the past few years’ virtual communication has grown significantly, thus making it easier to conduct meetings and pass on important breaking news.
The decision making process for hiring remote workers can be a “no brainer” for some business owners. Understandably, every business has its own work processes. Business owners considering making the transition should carefully weigh the features and the benefits. Start by asking yourself a few key questions.
- How can I cut company costs?
- What can I outsource?
- How can I free up some of my time?
- How can I increase business growth?
Once you have outlined the features, benefits and conducted the necessary research the decision making process will be straightforward. Lack of knowledge is what generally prevents the transition. I have found out this key fact as I market my services to businesses. Seek out virtual assistants who offer free consultations. Top assistants have the ability to assist you in how to cut costs without compromising your brand. They should also save you time by efficiently supporting you administratively giving you the ability to grow your business.
My primary purpose for writing this informational article/ blog post is to inform entrepreneurs. In hopes that the information I share will assist the business industry which keeps America thriving. I also wanted to highlight the fact that virtual workers can be an asset to your organization. If this helps one business owner, I have done my job!
Quote by Bill Clinton courtesy of http://www.inc.com/dave-kerpen/11-powerful-quotes-to-inspire-your-team-to-embrace-change.html
Images courtesy of https://pixabay.com/
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