Business Solutions for Summer 2019

SUMMER 2019 7 SOLUTIONS 7 Ways Businesses Benefit From Allowing Remote Work Discussions of remote work often concentrate on the benefits enjoyed by employees such as avoiding commutes, reducing the expense of professional clothing, and improving work-life balance. However, businesses can also benefit in many ways: 1. Expenses for office space, supplies, and utilities can be reduced. 2. Workplace flexibility has been shown to increase employee motivation and productivity. 3. You may be able to more easily recruit the best employees because you’re not limited by geographical restrictions. 4. Remote employees across the coun- try enable your business to operate in more time zones. 5. Having employees work from home can reduce absenteeism, tardiness, and their associated costs. 6. Employees with this flexible work arrangement tend to be more grateful and loyal, which decreases turnover rates and new-hire training costs. 7. The time employees save by not driving to work can be spent work- ing for your business instead. If your business is compatible with remote work, it makes sense to consider adding or expanding this option for employees. It’s a true win-win arrangement. B ecause of advances in communications technology, working from home is now a fairly common practice for both employees and self-employed individuals. This type of work isn’t done entirely from home, however. Some remote workers turn to coffee shops or coworking spaces, or even travel while achieving their career goals. What technologies are helping remote workers maximize productivity and foster collaboration? Here’s a list of the essentials: • A fast and reliable internet connection – This is at the top of the list for a reason. Robust internet is the foundation for all the other tools that are popular with remote workers. • Video conferencing – Live video feeds help workers see and speak to one another in real time, anywhere they are, which is the next best thing to a face-to-face meeting. Many video conferencing options exist, from the simplicity of Skype to more full- featured applications such as GoToMeeting, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and PukkaTeam. • Project management and communication tools – These include Google Suite, Slack, Asana Skype, and Trello. • Newer tools with functionalities tailored to remote workers – Loom makes it easy to share video recording, Timely offers fully automated time tracking, and Focus- mate encourages distraction-free productivity through virtual coworking. • Security tools and protocols – Remote workers need safeguards to protect the data they manage for their employers. This can take the form of using VPNs when connecting to the internet and using passwords managers. Looking ahead, it’s expected that virtual tools such as virtual reality conferencing will become the preferred form of communication—even over in-person meetings. The idea of virtual reality is to see life-sized versions of the other people in a conference, as if they were standing next to you. Panora Telco and Guthrie Center Communications offer a range of solutions to meet the needs of those working from home including high-speed internet, managed Wi-Fi, hosted PBX, and IT services. Contact us to learn more. Technology Helps Remote Workers Succeed