With summer officially here, there’s no better time to start considering the huge amount of benefits that hosting a remote work team can bring. As your team begins to consider taking summer vacations, you can do your part to ensure that your employees can work from anywhere with a reliable Internet connection. Remote working allows your team members the flexibility they desire, while letting you cut down on the many costs associated with offices, sick days, and employee burnout.

The argument for running your business remotely

While hosting a remote work team may seem daunting at first, it presents benefits and opportunities for your business that just can’t be overlooked. When employees were asked if they would like to work remotely at least occasionally, 99% responded that they would. Team members see a number of benefits from having the freedom to work remotely, including a more flexible schedule, being able to work from a location they’re more comfortable in, and the ability to spend more quality time with their family members. Remote work improves the work-life balance of team members, ensuring that they can unplug after work and decrease their chances of experiencing burnout.

Remote collaboration and communication made easy

One of the main concerns about hosting a remote team seems to be the idea that employees won’t be able to collaborate with each other, which can go a long way in reducing quality of work and camaraderie within the team. This belief is false, as solutions like G Suite and Zoho One feature apps designed with collaboration in mind. Through these solutions, employees can create, access, edit, and share a wide range of documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows no matter where they are or what device they’re using. Team members can work on these documents simultaneously, collaborated exactly as they would if they were in the office. Both G Suite and Zoho One apps allow users to comment on documents, chat amongst each other within apps, and edit each other’s work, creating stronger work and maintaining camaraderie amongst your remote team.

Communication between you and your remote employees is also made easy with apps like Google Hangouts Meet and Zoho Cliq, allowing team members to communicate however they prefer – using video, audio, or chat. Employees can also set up meetings and conference calls using RingCentral, a secure and robust cloud phone system that easily integrates phone, video, conferencing, and messaging into a secure solution that your entire team can rely on.

Ensure that team members don’t lose a step

Another common fear that stops employers from reaping the benefits of remote working is the idea that employees may be less productive in a less formal atmosphere. This fear can be overcome by Prodoscore, a solution that allows employers to easily determine how productive employees have been, with Prodoscore assigning each team member with a unique productivity score. This score takes into account the amount of time spent within productivity solutions like G Suite, CRM software, phone systems, and other common workplace solutions. This allows you to directly address employees who may be experiencing a productivity bottleneck, giving you the chance to assist them in overcoming these hurdles by giving them the support and resources they require. Prodoscore is also the perfect tool for gauging employee engagement with new tools and solutions, giving you a clearer picture of who has and hasn’t adopted new business technologies.

ion8 is an all-in-one agency with a full team of experienced designers, digital marketers, consultants, and integration experts who can turn your dreams of running your business remotely into a reality. Our team is experienced in deploying and integrating solutions like G Suite, Zoho One, RingCentral, Prodoscore, and other business solutions. For more information about everything ion8 can do for your business, contact us today.