To save money and encourage work-life balance, many modern businesses don’t have offices. Increasingly, more people now view working from home as the most productive option, and today there’s no shortage of remote workers with advanced tech making remote work possible and convenient.
However, certain types of businesses might manage better than others when run from home. For example, a consulting agency or an online clothing shop might be easier to run remotely rather than a large corporate finance company.
There can be complications when running a business with no office, and it might put a time restraint on your endeavour as your business grows. You need to ask yourself the question: How long can working remotely be sustainable for your business? Here’s how you can run a business, with the right plan, without an office indefinitely:
1. Create a workspace in your home
If you’re running your entire business from home then you should set up a productive workspace that mimics an office to increase productivity. Try to avoid working from your bed while still in your pyjamas as this can limit the amount of work you’ll get done in a day.
Setting up an environment that is strictly your workspace is key. It should be clean, bright, and organised. Don’t make the mistake early on of working in a neutral space in your home, and getting sucked into the day-to-day of running a house and caring for kids.
When you’re working in the same space that you sleep, do chores, and host gatherings, you’re more tempted by distractions, hindering your performance and focus. Make sure to designate a small part of your home to your work - at the very least at a table or desk in a quiet area.
2. Set flexible work hours
You don’t need to set strict business hours for you and your employees so long as you’re getting your work done and communicating effectively. Discuss what works best for everyone and stick with the plan.
As technology advances and business becomes more on demand, work is no longer a 9-to-5 job that’s done exclusively from an office. Nor is it a single linear activity, but rather a series of shorter sprints scattered throughout the day. Instead of trying to achieve a work-life balance, you can take advantage of work-life integration, where employees enjoy the autonomy to do their jobs when, where and how they need to - just as long as they do it well and on time.
It’s important to be aware of how much you work and not to go overboard. It’s easier to work longer hours from home because you don’t have to worry about a commute. While it might be tempting to do some work over the weekend or log extra hours on a busy day, you shouldn’t make a habit. Set reasonable, flexible hours and treat off hours as they are - time off.
3. Get out of the house
Even if you don’t have an office that is strictly for your business, you should try and work outside of your home every now and then. Whether you rent co-working spaces for meetings or grab a coffee and spend the day at a cafe, or even meet up with colleagues over lunch while discussing projects, you’ll feel more productive and motivated when you broaden your workspace.
It’s important to make an effort to connect with others in your industry and attend networking events or collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs.
4. Invest in the right technology
Since you’re saving money by not having an office, you can most probably afford valuable technology for your business’s needs. You’ll want to have the right technology if you’re running your business from home to ease day-to-day operations such as payroll and document management.
And since you’re not working in the same space as your employees, you should make sure that you have effective methods of communication running smoothly such as video conferencing services or messaging software. If you want to manage remote employees closely, then you can make use of time and attendance software.
5. Set ground rules
You’ll need to set ground rules for the other people living in your house and let them know that they shouldn’t disturb you while you’re working. Set basic guidelines during working hours to maintain productivity. You can leave them space on your door to ‘leave a message’ so you can check it during breaks.
6. Take a break
Allow some flexibility in your schedule and set regular break times for yourself and your employees. Don’t short change yourself on your break in an attempt to boost productivity. Regular breaks can even increase productivity when taken correctly. The optimal time is 12% of your work hours with shorter and more frequent breaks being more effective.