4 Tips for Keeping Virtual Workers Productive

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4 Simple Ways to Empower Your Employees

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The 3 Models of Cloud Technology

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5 Compelling Reasons to Go Paperless with Your Business

These days, it seems that everyone is jumping on the paperless bandwagon – and for good reason. Aside from the positive impact it has on the environment, and the tens of thousands of trees that can be saved by eliminating paper usage, there are a number of other benefits for your business to go paperless. Here are 5 compelling ones.

• More Efficiency – When your team doesn’t have to constantly search for paperwork, they’ll be able to focus on more important things, like sales and making your business more successful.
• Cost Savings – Going paperless saves you more than just the cost of paper (which, by the way, can cost around $40 per case). You’ll also save on the cost of equipment, like printers, toner and storage for all your paper documents.
• Improved Customer Service – In a paperless environment, everything is available at the click of a button. This means faster response time which equates to improved customer service. Plus, your customers and prospects will be impressed by the professional mobile environment that you run your business in.
• Faster Collections – Paper-based billing comes with inevitable delays – you’ll find yourself waiting for customers to receive your invoices, then send you a check. By switching to electronic billing, your receivables will be more streamlined, saving time and resulting in better cash flow for your business.
• More Secure Backup – Storing paper can be risky. What happens if there’s a fire, flood or other disaster? Going paperless lets you maintain electronic documentation, which is inherently safer (provided that you take the appropriate backup precautions).

In short, making the switch to a paperless environment can be extremely beneficial for your business. Combine this with your virtual phone system and all of its innovative features and capabilities, and you’ll have your business mobile and streamlined in no time!

Labels: small business tips, virtual office

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Let’s face it – the economy still isn’t what it used to be. Believe it or not, however, this can actually be a good thing for small businesses. With unemployment at an all-time high, there are hundreds of thousands of highly skilled individuals currently searching for work, and many of them are turning to unconventional jobs like contract or freelance gigs. What this means for small businesses is an increase in available talent to tap into. If you haven’t already made the plunge into the world of outsourcing, here are a few benefits for you to consider.

• Cost Savings – This one alone should grab your attention, since as a small business owner you’re inevitably always trying to find ways to save a few bucks. Hiring a freelance provider to do a task or duty for you can save you a ton of dough because you can get the work done without having to pay ancillary expenses associated with in-house employees such as employment taxes and healthcare.

• Increased Reach – Hiring an in-house employee limits your talent pool to only local candidates. Outsourcing breaks down these barriers and gives you access to global talent with a virtually endless pool of skilled candidates to select from.

• Time Savings – One of the biggest challenges a small business owner faces is having to juggle a bunch of little tasks because, well, frankly it doesn’t make sense logically (or financially) to hire someone full time or even part time to do them. With outsourcing you can delegate these one-off tasks and have each of them completed by individuals on a short-term contract basis, getting them off your plate and freeing you up to concentrate on more important things. Like running your business.

• Flexibility – Hiring a team of workers to handle various duties in your business often means having to expand to larger (read: more expensive) office space. The beauty of hiring freelancers is that they work entirely offsite, giving you the flexibility to run your business from virtually anywhere.

• Competitive Edge – Since outsourcing gives you access to specialized talent that you might otherwise not be able to find or afford, you’ll have a unique advantage over your competition. Whether it’s hiring a pro to design a kick-butt website or assembling a team of highly skilled customer service experts, you’ll quickly find yourself standing out from the competition and so will your customers.

If you’re concerned about trusting someone on the other side of the world to handle important business tasks, don’t worry. Most of the outsourcing sites have feedback systems that let you get a feel for the quality of work each freelancer provides and some, like oDesk, even offer a pretty sweet guarantee for both contractors and employers. If you’re still not sure, consider doing a test project to get your feet wet and see how the process works. Once you see how much outsourcing can benefit your business, you’ll be hooked.

Labels: cost saving, small business, virtual office

Transitioning to a Virtual Office in 5 Easy Steps

By now you’ve probably heard all the benefits of moving from traditional brick and mortar to a more virtual business environment (cost effective, better for the environment, improved employee morale, etc.). But actually making the transition isn’t necessarily simple. In fact, many business owners put it off because the mere thought of it can be, well, overwhelming. It really doesn’t have to be, though - as long as you plan ahead and follow these five steps.

1. Think/Plan/Draw It Out – Seems like a given, but actually sitting down and considering all of the details (and writing them down) will help put the process into perspective and give you the opportunity to develop an organized plan. List all of the challenges and obstacles you believe you will face when transitioning to a virtual office environment, and then develop solutions for each one.
2. Select Your Tools – If you’re going to implement a virtual office you’ll need to first decide what tools you’ll need. There are a number of virtual office software products on the market that will help you and your team stay organized and focused and your virtual phone system will keep everyone connected. Do some research and find the ones that you believe will work best for your business.
3. Test the Waters – We’ve already explained the benefits of cloud technology - well now’s your chance to start using it. Before you jump into a full-blown virtual office, try it out a little. Let a few employees work from home one or two days a week to start. This will give you the opportunity to identify and address any issues that you hadn’t considered so that your official transition can go more smoothly.
4. Embrace the “Results Only” Concept – One of the hardest things that many business owners face when moving to a virtual work environment is the fact that they won’t be able to “track” their employees and see what they’re up to during the work day. If you’re going to embrace remote work then you’ll need to change your mindset. Understand that in the virtual office it’s all about results, not necessarily the hour to hour work. As long as the work is being performed and goals are being met to your satisfaction, that’s the most important thing.
5. Establish Trust and Accountability – The only way a virtual office can be successful is if everyone involved takes it seriously. As a business owner you must be able to trust your team and likewise they must be accountable for their duties and tasks. Whether it’s scheduling a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly meeting (either virtually through group calling or at a physical location), making sure that everyone understands their ongoing role and remains committed is critical to keeping the business on track and running smoothly.

Once everything is set in motion, chances are you will probably uncover additional concerns or issues that need to be overcome, but these five steps will at least get you started and help you put the framework in place to make the challenging (but highly rewarding) transition into the virtual business world. Trust us – it’s worth it!

Labels: business anywhere, virtual office, virtual phone system