As a small business owner, you’ve already got a lot to juggle. Remote work for your employees seems like another expensive headache.
I get it. I’m just some blogger who’s good with a spreadsheet. You’re a small business owner who’s poured their life and soul into building something worthwhile.
However, consider the following:
- Are you sure your employees don’t want to work remotely?
- Can you be certain that they won’t be more productive if given more flexibility?
- If you don’t trust your employees, why not fire them all?
- What are you afraid will happen if you allow your employees more flexibility in their jobs?
- How can you use the appeal of remote work in your small business’s favor?
Many employees would like more flexibility in their work. You (presumably) count on your employees. So, if you will suspend your skepticism and read through the following. Hopefully, it will help you decide if the “cost” of letting your employees work remotely is worth the benefit.
Admittedly, I make some generalizations throughout this post. The purpose isn’t to definitively conclude whether small business owners should employ a remote workforce or not. That depends on a lot of different factors. The purpose is to ensure that small business owners think through this option thoroughly to determine if remote, on-site, or a hybrid model is ultimately best for their business.
So many questions…
Just as small business owners have all sorts of questions about whether to offer remote work, small business employees often have questions about their right to telecommute. If you’re a small business owner trying to decide whether or not working remotely is a good idea, understanding the legalities involved with small business remote work can help inform your decision.
The legal issues related to remote hiring/work deserve their own post. However, here are some things to research further:
- Making employment notices accessible to employees
- Discriminatory hiring related to virtual interviewing
- Security and privacy concerns
- Setting remote work policies
- Monitoring employee activities
- Timekeeping and overtime
- Meal and break time
- Expense reimbursement
- Sick days/pay
- OSHA issues
- Disability accomodation
- Personnel recorders
- Insurance coverage
Whew… That’s not helping with the headache. Fortunately, you already have to deal with most of this stuff. Making it work with a remote staff should, hopefully, just require a little tweaking.
Can small business employees work remotely?
Small businesses are known for being flexible when it comes to the requirements of particular jobs, so small business remote work is much more common than you might imagine. This option is ideal for small business owners who want to give qualified employees greater flexibility in their schedules.
One way to make remote work possible is to utilize the appropriate technology. You never know, you might find tools that make your small business even more efficient. That could save you money!
Have you asked your employees how they feel about remote work?
There are two sides to this coin.
If small business employees don’t want to work remotely, then remote work is not for them. Luckily, small businesses can easily experiment with remote work.
A hybrid model, even one day a week, could be a good place to start for those small business owners that want to test the waters. The key is to communicate clearly with employees about where you stand and what expectations you have.
If your small business has an iffy reputation with regards to trustworthiness, you might consider small business remote work as a way to incentivize employees. Plus, it may help with your hiring efforts.
Here are a couple of surveys regarding small business remote work. One focuses on the owners’ perspective. The other on employees.
4 in 10 employers will fire workers who won’t return on-site
Statistics On Remote Workers That Will Surprise You (2021)
What are small businesses’ remote work options?
Don’t force small business employees to choose between their freedom and their jobs. Not only is small business remote work an attractive hiring incentive, but it may also be a way for you to keep your best small business employees in the long term.
Give your small business’s employees the tools they need to be productive outside of the office. Maybe you’re not up-to-date on what software is capable of, these days. What you find may surprise you.
Here are some popular remote work software tools that could help with productivity:
- Slack
- ProofHub
- Trello
- eXo Platform
- Dropbox Paper
Many small businesses fall victim to asking their employees which tools they’d prefer to use for small business remote work.
Rather than relying on the subjective opinion of one or two employees, discuss your options with someone who’s transitioned to remote work. This could be another small business owner, a consultant, or a group from social media.
Trusting your employees with small business remote work
This is a small step that could greatly benefit your small business. For many small businesses, the initial investment of small business software for employees outside of the office will be worth it. Once you’ve worked out the kinks with small business software, you’ll find yourself more empowered to give employees the freedom they desire.
If you run a more “authoritarian” business, then trust won’t come naturally. Conversely, if you provide a satisfying work environment, then you may not have to worry about remote/hybrid work.
If turnover is a problem – maybe it’s something you should strongly consider?
Once your small business software has been set up, then employees will know exactly what their day-to-day duties are. They will know that they can’t access certain websites during work hours and that software could remind them of upcoming deadlines.
As a small business owner, you’ll have to trust yourself before you can trust others. You’ll need to let go of your initial fears and brainstorm ways to find balance. If everything goes well, you’ll find yourself with a lot more flexibility in how you run your small business.
This small step quickly becomes rewarding as it creates an atmosphere where your employees will feel more empowered and might return the favor with increased productivity.
What’s the worst that can happen if your small business goes remote?
Some small business owners worry that letting their employees work remotely will lead to a decrease in productivity. But the truth is often the opposite.
You might find you have more productive and dedicated team members as they make themselves at home in their natural environment.
Your small business might even feel larger than it actually is if you’re able to connect with these remote workers using a video-calling tool like Skype or Google Hangouts. You’ll be able to see time zones and understand where someone is calling from without asking where they live.
That points to another benefit of having a remote workforce. If geography isn’t a constraint for hiring, you can hire the best talent you can afford from anywhere in the world. You’re pool of qualified candidates just got a lot larger!
The reason small businesses choose not to go remote largely boils down to one word: trust. Trusting yourself to hire worthwhile people. If you can’t trust them to work remotely, what else can’t you trust them with?