What To Expect In Remote Workspaces

Even when more and more shops start to open in 2021, you might find yourself seriously considering a fully remote workspace for your business. This means that all tasks related to running your company or brand will be electronic—more importantly, most of them will be done online.

Since 2020, a lot of business owners have reconsidered how they do business. It’s as if we all collectively realized that the internet’s wide reach can be both efficient and convenient. So much so that the way we do business is projected to change post-pandemic.

Whether your business is best done online by nature or you’re looking to test the waters of e-commerce and electronic transactions, there are a few universal elements of transforming your workspace into a remote one.

1. You Will Need An Online Store Front

Transforming your local business to an online operation means that your first priority is to figure out how to convert a physical storefront into an online shop. You will want to decide how people are going to find you, how potential customers will browse your offerings, how they’ll purchase them, and how it gets to their doorstep.

You could either upload your items to an e-commerce site like Amazon, or you can incorporate your shop on your website. Each option will have wildly different executions, so the prices and amount of work that it’s going to cost you will be different. Weigh in on these options and see which one works best for you.

2. Double Your Social Media Marketing

As business owners in the 2020s, it’s possible that you have already started marketing your products on social media. If not, then you should start doing it.

Unlike your storefront, your online shop now has more potential customers than ever. You’re no longer limited to getting your name out there in your city or state. You can now start advertising to a wider audience.

Besides, the internet is ready-available to everyone these days that it would be so easy for anyone to find you—given that you put enough effort into your social media presence. Use hashtags, join groups, and tailor-fit your captions.

Social media also isn’t just for showing and selling your product. You can also use it to build social proof. You can convince your followers and customers to post photos of their purchases, or you could occasionally show packaged orders to thank your buyers.

The downside to online shops for small businesses is that people tend to get weary or suspicious, so you have to show as much proof of your credibility as possible. You can use your website as a formal storefront and your social media as your more relaxed social postings.

3. Virtual Meetings Take Some Getting Used To

Gone are the days of office meetings and unto screen-shared presentations on Zoom. It all sounds so simple, until you start doing it.

Some of us are used to the convenience of being in the same room with our colleagues. It’s easier to hand out notes, quicker to look into someone else’s file, and less likely to get unexplained connection problems.

Engagement also works differently through virtual meetings. In-person meetings make it easier for you to read the room, drop a punchline, and make conversation to keep things interesting.

On Zoom, it’s a bit different. You can adjust your tone and write down notes, but you also have to make your presentations interesting. Unlike meeting rooms, most people you’re in a Zoom meeting with will be at home, and the informal setting can lead to boredom or fleeting distractions.

4. Be Ready For Online Employee Management

Regardless of the size of your operations, someone, a team, or a department will have to handle employee management. Unlike physical office spaces, you will need apps and databases to monitor work hours, task completion, and task execution.

In physical office spaces, a manager or a supervisor can quickly look over an employee’s work and correct mistakes (if there were any). In addition, you can immediately assign tasks and submit completed ones when you’re in the same room or office building.

The best way to transition to an online work environment is to use company dashboards and online time counters. You can also automate email announcements and daily task assignments if you want to.

You should also decide on whether you can adjust to more flexible working days. After all, if the purpose of your office space is to make sure everyone puts in the right amount of hours, you can easily allow employees to time in whenever they want as long as they complete the workday.

It Only Gets Better

Remote workspaces aren’t necessarily harder to manage, they’re just executed differently. Both options above do have some pros and cons, but that’s why you should consider what works best for your business.

Physical workspaces have the advantage of having convenient proximity, so team building, employee monitoring, and task management can easily be done. However, remote workspaces boast flexibility that can allow you to maximize productivity when managed well.

If you ever decide to finally close your storefront and put all your work online, you should prepare for the changes you will need to adjust to.