In an ever-changing workplace, more and more small business owners are realizing the value of a virtual office solution. Trisha Boyd, General Manager of Green Hills Office Suites, explains the multitude of benefits that come with a virtual office. Trisha tells us that, based on her experience, one of the greatest benefits (besides having a physical address in a swanky professional office building) is the ability for you and your employees to work from anywhere! That means you are not limited to finding talented individuals in only your local area. They can be from anywhere in Tennessee, the US, or the world!
Trisha goes on to tell us that, according to Global Workplace Analytics.com, 3.7 million employees (2.8% of the workforce) now work from home at least half the time. And those who work from home appear to be more productive versus those who worked on location.
If you’re a small business owner who predominantly works from home and has several virtual employees, you know how important communication is to the success of your business. Trisha has shared with us a few ideas to foster even more productivity within your team when working from home:
1. Stick with a strong work process
If you have a certain method of how your business operates then employees must adapt to it and work within that process. This way, you maintain the same level of standard that your business operates on. Create quality control checkpoints and daily targets so employee focus is never lost.
2. Utilize technology
It should go without saying that we now live in a world that is digitally connected in all aspects. Voice. Video. Text. There are many programs your team can use to stay together, even if they’re hundreds of miles away. Many business owners prefer a voice and text chat room to keep in touch with team members. We recommend discord since it is available for smart phones as well as desktops and browsers.
3. Meet in person
A few times a year, have everyone meet at a location that works best for everyone. This can be a company retreat where strategy meetings can take place and allow team members a chance to meet each other. This can be very beneficial for morale which will make for happier and more productive employees.
4. Monthly 1-on-1 employee check-ins
This gives you the opportunity to have a more personal meeting time with individual team members and allow an exchange of feedback. It’s not always easy to bring up criticism or praise on a daily basis if you don’t have face-to-face time with employees, so set some time every month to allow that. It will help you track the progress of your team members so no one gets lost in the system and help you set new goals for the future.
Are virtual employees a good fit for you and your business? It all depends on your industry. Contact Trisha Boyd and ask her to help determine of an office space or a virtual offices is best for you.
Take a look at our virtual office packages and contact us for more information to find out how we can help! 615-334-0960
