How To Run A Successful Remote Company
Remote companies are now a reality.
The benefits of running a remote company are endless: saving money on rent and utilities, no dreaded daily commute, ability to hire nomadic Millennials and Gen Z from around the world.
But there are also challenges. And a lot to consider when building a remote company.
Let’s dive in.
What is a remote business?
A fully remote business is a business without a physical office space. Employees work from anywhere – home, coffee shops, coworking spaces, under the sun abroad – as long as they have a laptop and an internet connection. In a remote business, in-person meetings are replaced with video calls.
There are many benefits to running a remote company. From decreased overhead costs to increased employee productivity, there are plenty of reasons to make the switch.
But how do you actually go about making it work?
This article will discuss the ins and outs of successfully running a remote company.
1. Invest in effective communication tools
One of the most important aspects of running a remote company is communication.
Better communication means swift/clear communication, that can easily be tracked and referred to.
There are lots of software and project management tools for that.
Slack – great internal messaging tool
Zoom – great for virtual meetings
Loom – great for screen and video recording
Jira/ Asana/ Trello/Basecamp – great project management tool for remote teams
+ more.
Each of these tools has different features, so it is important to find the one that works best for your team. You can easily set up group chats, video conferences, and more.
Having a proper communication platform in place will help keep everyone on the same page and make it easier to collaborate from afar.
2. Have your legal documents in order
Make sure your company operates legally. This means you need to:
• Register your business
• Decide on legal structure of your business (Sole proprietorship, Partnership, Limited liability company (LLC), Corporation)
• Obtain all necessary licenses and permits (if applicable)
• Open a business account
• Make sure all your contracts are legally binding (get a lawyer to review your contracts)
We found this article about registered agents in Texas to be helpful in understanding the legal requirements of a remote business.
By having an agent in Texas, you can make sure that all of your documents are filed correctly and up to date.
3. Ensure everyone has the right setup
As a remote business owner, you probably need to invest in:
• Equipment (laptop, phone, software, table, internet connection, chair) – Focus on creating a comfortable, productive space with ergonomic furniture and well-positioned computer screens.
• Flexible workspaces – if many of your employees are based in big cities, consider getting a space in a co-working hub for them to get together and get some social interaction.
4. Conduct regular check-ins and review progress
Regular check-ins are important because they allow you to understand the progress of project. You need need to make sure everyone is remaining productive and meeting deadlines.
Set clear expectations and have consistent check-ins with employees.
You can also use time tracking tools like Toggl or Time Doctor to monitor employee productivity throughout the day.
5. Make time for team building
Better communication also means positive human interactions.
Think ‘water cooler chats’ and ‘after work activities’. For remote teams it can mean:
• Regular virtual trivia nights
• Virtual happy hour with a themed tipple each week
• Video coffee dates – including across teams to encourage non-work-related chat
It can be easy to forget about team building when everyone is working remotely. But positive vibes is actually one of the most important aspects of running a successful remote company.
Regular team-building activities can help build relationships between teams, boost morale, and keep everyone motivated.
If you are a team lead, make regular check-ins a regular thing.
Make your people feel like they and their opinion matter.
These small actions can boost productivity, regardless of an employee’s location.
Ideas for virtual team building include online trivia games, video conferencing happy hours, and virtual game nights.
You can also get creative and come up with your own team-building activities.
6. Track business results
Set up reports that document key growth metrics such as sales, website traffic, customer retention rate, and employee productivity – whatever is important to you.
By tracking these results on a regular basis, you can get an accurate picture of how your remote company is performing.
Finally
Running a remote company can be a lot of work, but it is also very rewarding.
By following these tips, you can set up your business for success and create a productive and positive work environment for employees.
With the right dedication and enthusiasm, you can make your remote company a success.
