5 Reasons To Take Remote Offices Seriously Now

06/25/2020 09:00 AM By Angela

Now is the Right Time to Take Remote Offices Seriously
Adjusting to the New Normal seems to take remote working situations as a given. And that certainly looks to be the case: businesses everywhere are facing tough odds. Many are scrambling to figure out how to continue operations with the higher cost and challenges in staffing and logistics.


Retailers are starting to open again and restaurants are starting to offer dine in. But in a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 89% of consumers are still hesitant about shopping in physical stores. Take out and delivery continues to be the preferred means of getting outside food.


One of the solutions that businesses have looked into is enabling remote work for their employees. While many are staying fully remote, others are opting for maintaining a skeleton crew on-site, while the rest remain working from the safety of their homes.


Remote work has been gaining traction over the recent years; now is the right time to take it seriously. We’ve got five good reasons why your business should lean into this partial or fully remote working situation for good.

Reason #1 - Businesses Need to Adapt to This Wave of Disruption

Customer behaviors and business models are starting to change significantly, and will continue to do so in a wave of disruption over the next few months. This change must--and will--affect how people do business.


From 2005 to 2017, there has been a 159% increase in remote work--a definite upward trend. Companies are even looking into possibly approving remote work arrangements even after the pandemic ends. Important shifts like this signifies trends that mustn’t be ignored: it will continue past the current crisis. Now is the perfect time to fine-tune your remote working implementation and make sure it works for your business.

Reason #2 - Stop Your Bleeding by Resuming Operations Now and Saving On Cost Later

You may be losing significant revenue if you’ve shut down your business during the lockdowns and quarantine. 82% of business leaders do expect short term revenue declines, but more than half expect things to look much better than previously a year from now.


You can reverse the loss starting now by starting your business back up, alongside many businesses starting and resuming operations. It also means that you’re in a good position to continue the cost savings brought about by remote working arrangements after the pandemic; you can save on overhead expenses and employees save transportation, meals, and other personal expenses.

Reason #3 - Take The Time to Test Remote Working

Not every business will be able to be fully remote after the crisis. Many will need to have at least a skeleton crew manning the ship, so to speak. But this is the best time to test if and by how much this practice fits your company.


You’re lessening the friction to remote working from sectors of your workforce now, because of the necessity of staying safe from COVID-19. Your company can start building a culture that will help your staff make the most out of working remotely.

Reason #4 - Access To a Bigger Talent Pool

The remote and freelance job market pool is booming. Consider hiring remotely for new positions in your team. Without the limitation of location, you have access to a bigger talent pool; even more so due to the fact that many professionals have been let go from their former jobs due to the crisis, and are looking for alternative income.


Many employees are also considering their experiences of remote work under the pandemic. 35% of employees wanted remote work possibility in their benefits lineup in 2017 according to Gallup; more may be considering the same after their own firsthand experience.

Reason #5 - The Best Online Tools Are Available Now

Online tools that support remote working arrangements have been flourishing due to the crisis. The impact of the pandemic on the video conferencing market is significant. Additionally, many online software companies are offering discounts or freebies to assist small and medium-sized businesses past this crisis.


Due to this increased usage, there is also more scrutiny and competition for this industry, which can only mean these software will only get better and better over time. This is the best time to adopt a great online tool that is fit for your business.

Get Ready to Get Serious

If you’re serious about your business, it’s time to take a serious look at how to be effective while providing your employees the safety of remote working arrangements. Taking proactive steps will help you start reversing your losses now--the sooner, the better.


Getting serious about remote working means getting serious with moving forward.