Passion and Exhaustion. As a small business owner, you understand passion. It’s that energetic commitment of bringing your professional visions to life. Marry that with long hours, seven-day work weeks, sleepless nights, and small budgets, and you may begin to feel overwhelmed. In this new geo economy there are multiple options for adding manpower without having to commit to a larger office space and a budget to support it.
When your business requires expansion in headcount, there are four winning reasons to hire remotely.
Cost Savings
- Nearly 6 in 10 employers have identified cost savings as a benefit to hiring remotely including:
- Real Estate: Reduce or eliminate the need for company headquarter (bonus reducing the environmental carbon footprint).
- Overhead Office Expenses: Decrease utilities, furniture, office supplies, and third-party services such as janitorial or lunchroom attendants.
- Expanded Hiring: With a global talent pool to choose from, employers can compare competitive rates and hire an expert that fits within the budget.
- Bad weather, no problem. Having a remote team means the office can continue to operate even when the roads do not, thereby eliminating unplanned ‘no work’ days.
Talent Access
- No longer confined to your ‘corporate office’, hiring remotely gives you global access to subject matter experts. The focus is now on talent rather than convenience.
- You may be in one state or country and a key client or project is in another. Having geographic agility means you can hire a remote worker that is located wherever you need them most.
Productivity
- Many studies point to open-office environments as being disruptive rather than advancing productivity and collaboration. Multiple conversations, impromptu meetings, desk-side chats, phones and music, and daily interruptions add up to wasted hours in the day caused by distraction.
- Working remotely does not mean working in isolation. It requires a focused effort to communicate with your teammates. In an Inc. Magazine article “92 percent of workers say video collaboration actually improves their teamwork.”
Employee Benefits
- Increased work-life balance. Remote employees often report a higher level of happiness in their work and personal lives. From getting rid of daily commutes, to spending more time with family, or working in a geographic area they love, remote workers are more satisfied.
- Employees can also realize cost savings working remotely by saving on gas and auto-related expenses or transit fees, off-site lunches, extended daycare, and other family expenses required with a full-time off-site position.
Offering a remote work environment is not the right solution for every company. Nor is it a good fit for certain types of positions that require daily face-to-face interaction. A company must carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding to implement a remote strategy in their business plan.
And that brings us back to the ever-dedicated and hardworking small business owner. There is something to be said for pursuing your dream. It’s a tenacity put into motion. There are resources available to assist you with your business planning needs. As your company successes outgrow staff-on-hand, consider hiring remote. You may never have a sleepless night again.
The Hechtman Group Ltd., is a CPA and consulting services firm servicing all of Chicagoland. Since 1961, we have provided PRISM CFO-Controller Services? designed services for growth-oriented small business owners. Our professionals provide financial planning, investment and tax management, estate planning, payroll services, and other financial advisory services. For more information, contact us today at 847-256-3100 or by email at info@thehechtmangroup.com.