The comfort of your couch, on a beach, or even a favorite coffee shop, can be your new “office”. Remote working has become more popular, and new technologies have come out making it possible. The biggest question here is, what is remote working? Having the ability to work from anywhere, other than a traditional office, is considered remote working. Not only does this give you flexibility to work from home, but also from another city, while on vacation, and even allow you to make your own schedule. As more businesses are allowing remote working options, more employees are taking advantage of this new freedom. There are many benefits of remote working for both the business and the employer, and some things to keep in mind when doing so.
Have a Connection
Working on the beach, or in some remote country sounds wonderful in theory, but what if you can’t get a connection? Nowadays, most coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses offer free Wi-Fi to their customers, so it isn’t generally a problem. But, if you plan on working in an area where Wi-Fi is questionable (security wise), or may not be accessible, make sure you have a mobile stick available.
Get Rid of Distractions
Have you seen the latest cat video? Anything new on your DVR? Did you see the latest Game of Thrones episode? When you work remotely, distractions can become harder to manage. When working at home, it’s important to be able to create an “office” space that keeps you distraction free. Your own space allows you to stay focused and organized. Also, if any of your paper work is sensitive or very important, the last thing you would want is for it to become your kids next arts and crafts project. Even though it is important to remove yourself from distractions, make sure you do take a break and enjoy your freedom, it’ll help get your creative juices flowing again.
Open Communication
Whether you’re working at an office, or remote working, it’s important to keep the channels of communication open. If you are collaborating on a project with a team, it’s important to know where your team is at, and for them to know where you are in the project. Stay connected when remote working by using an inter office communicator, project management tracking software, and even email. Stay updated, and stay in the loop. The great thing with repree is that communication tools have been built into the software, to make sure you can easily connect with your co-workers and clients.
Remote working may not be for everyone, or every industry. There are people who need that structured 9-5 work environment in order to be productive. Some industries also need their employees together to collaborate, co-create, and design together. These environments and industries are great places to work too. Remote working is all dependent on the person and projects, but we at repree are huge advocates for this freedom!