One of the many lessons to come out of the COVID-19 lockdown has been how easy and beneficial it is for some businesses to run remotely. Workers have benefitted from the greater flexibility working from home brings: No fighting others for a seat on the train in rush hour, no awkward coffee machine interactions, no passive-aggressive notes from building managers, and no depressing £3 meal deals!
Previous arguments in favour of having people come to an office to work include productivity, instant feedback from colleagues, feeling part of a team and indeed the higher quality resources offered at a professional office space. Some issues with long-term remote work have traditionally been a loss of routine, isolation, and posture issues. However, A 2018 survey found that 71% of people would appreciate the option to work from home.
There has been growing evidence to suggest that adapting our approach to remote work may be a better way of operating, rather than continuing to commute. With environmental awareness and the need to reduce carbon footprints becoming ever more important, working from home will reduce our impacts on the environment. It will also give business owners access to more talent, if their hometown is not a factor contributing to their employment. Likewise, it would open up opportunities for job hunters. The question of payroll and productivity can be addressed with the vast range of software out there designed to track employee activity. If an employee is given a task, who is to say they will spend more time dawdling over it at home than at the office?
Many business owners agree that happy colleagues and a strong office culture is the backbone of running a successful business. Removing the stress of commuting to offices from work, and paying employees for the time they actually spend working will most likely boost productivity. It will also save money, and mean that your tax claims and payroll information would be different.
For example, if your business became fully remote, you would not have to pay rent or utilities for an office space. You would also be able to make tax refund claims on equipment bought by your employees for work: laptops, desks, chairs and stationary. Moreover, with your employees working on a remote hour tracking software, your processes for accounts would change.
At Aston Black, we are well-versed in all sorts of businesses and have a lot of experience with remote businesses. For a confidential and non-binding consultation, get in touch, and see if we can assist you in your transition to becoming a remote business.