Small business owners are always looking to innovate—it’s inherent within them. From leveraging cloud-based technology for remote teams to increasing productivity in day-to-day business tasks such as bookkeeping, every day is a new adventure to do things differently. Why choose remote teams? People management is not an easy task. The larger the team, the more personalities get thrown in the mix. Many business owners reject the idea of working with remote teams, simply because of these daunting reasons. However, the opportunities for remote work are limitless. Imagine your ideal team: these individuals can be selected globally. You—and your small business—are not limited by time zones or geography. Even if the best software developer for your product lives in Brussels while you reside in Los Angeles, that no longer matters. Remote teams ignore the place of work and focus on skill and team-fit. Transitioning to working remotely If you’re ready to allow your small business to thrive digitally, then you’re already ahead of the game. Many business owners shy away from remote teams, especially if in-person team management is all they’ve ever known. Working remotely may be hard work for you and your team members at the start because it means you’ll have to change your workflow. Remote teams require cloud-based collaboration tools. From project management tools, accounting software, time tracking tools, digital file storages like Dropbox, and many more—cloud-based tools enable you, and your team, to truly scale. Although it is convenient, there are obstacles to building a remote team such as different time zones and a whole new set of communication techniques (trust me—delegating work is no longer the same as handing off work to someone next to you at the office). The transition to becoming a remote communication expert may be difficult at the beginning, but with some motivation, your small business can become equipped to grow exponentially. Building a team OK, so you’re game. How do you start? Remember, finding people across the globe or in the city next to yours, is the same process as if you were trying to build an in-person team. To build your ideal remote team, start by outlining the types of roles you need to fill. Look for: Technical ability Experience Personality The latter is key to succeed in using remote teams to grow your business. Once you have these locked down, don’t be shy to reach out to your network. You will be truly surprised at the individuals who are more than ready to end their commute and apply their experience to build your business. You can also use platforms like Upwork, We Work Remotely, and Remote.co to advertise your opportunity. More traditional platforms like Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, and Angellist works as well. Interview your candidates as you would if you were meeting them in person. Ask them to join you on Google Hangouts or Skype for a video call, so that you can get to know them and decide whether they would be a good fit for your company. Are you ready to go remote? There are tons of benefits of taking your team online. When you’re looking at building a remote team, of course, it’s important to also look at whether it’s a viable option for your business financially as well. You will have access to a way larger database of skills and people, but this also means that they may cost more as well. Use Kashoo to track all of your expenses, income, and clients, so you can get a deeper look at how your business is doing financially. Kashoo allows you to create several different reports with customizable time frames and data sets. You can use these insights to make smarter business decisions and make sure you’re always in the green. Try Kashoo free for 14 days!
