Technology has made it possible to run a remote business with remote workers from anywhere in the world. Many people are taking advantage of this to start their own remote businesses they can run and manage without the physical limitations that come with traditional business arrangements. Running a remote business does come with several challenges, and you can overcome them by taking advantage of several services tailored for such businesses.
Project Management Services
Managing both projects and employees remotely can become a hassle, especially if you are using communication mediums like email or online messaging services. Details can be lost in email threads, reaching out to customers or clients can become chaotic, and ensuring projects are delivered on time can become a challenge.
Fortunately, there are several project management services and platforms that help streamline things for remote businesses. These services help you see what projects are being worked on, who is working on them, how far along they are, and when they will finish certain tasks.
You can assign or reassign tasks, ask for feedback, change project requirements and so much more. These services integrate other tools you might already be using such as a calendar and Kanban services, bringing everything under one service for easier management.
A Virtual Mailbox
As a remote business owner, you need a business address for legal reasons such as when registering the business, to receive important business documents, and to look professional. You might want to use your home address, but this comes with a host of problems, one of the more serious ones being security. You don’t want your home address floating around the internet, especially if you run an online store where you are required to show your address.
A virtual mailbox can solve all these problems. With a virtual mailbox, you get a professional mail address where the service provider receives and scans all your mail, including important documents. Virtual mailbox and address providers also provide mail forwarding services that you can use to forward your packages to another address.
Since all your mail is scanned and stored in a digital format, you will have online access to virtual mailbox and your mail so you have access to them wherever and whenever you like. You can find virtual address and mailbox services for personal and business use, with no outsourcing for utmost security and privacy, international shipping, and unlimited data storage. Businesses can also access multiple physical addresses to better serve their international clients.
Managed IT Services
You might think that a remote business does not need IT services, but they do. Remote businesses engage the services of managed IT companies to set up and manage their cloud infrastructure that enables the storage of documents and running the apps and software the employees need.
A business can decide to run their storage solution, CRM software or accounting software on a cloud server so employees do not have to purchase licenses or install the software on their devices. Additionally, utilizing such services means employees have the data they need whenever they need it such as when they need to collaborate.
Lastly, businesses need a way to analyze the data they receive and store. Big data and analytics are crucial for the success of modern businesses. A managed IT company can set up the infrastructure you need for such tasks without the business needing to do it on its own or purchasing, installing and maintaining the required hardware and software.
Accounting Services
While remote businesses can hire accountants, they may not be large enough to need a dedicated accountant or have the funds to hire one. Outsourcing your accounting ensures you get these services whenever you need them, benefiting from the experience and expertise of seasoned accounting professionals while also saving some money.
If the business is small enough, you can manage the books yourself with the help of available accounting software and then outsource specialized and more important tasks such as tax calculations.
Human Resource Services
Managing people is one of the more challenging things to do when running a remote business. You need to think about hiring the people you need, managing those in different time zones, handling payroll, and much more. For businesses that have 10 to 20 employees, this might not seem like a challenging task, but things can spiral out of control quickly as the business grows.
Businesses seeking more elaborate services can hire a PEO (Professional Employer Organization). These companies provide more elaborate services and are also sometimes involved in the day-to-day running of the main business.Outsourcing HR management is a great option for growing remote businesses, letting the other business handle this for you while you concentrate on running the business.
Running a remote business is very different from running a traditional business, and such business owners need help from time to time. Knowing what services they can get in the market can help streamline the running of such businesses.