Operating a business takes all of your focus and energy. Doing that remotely from the comfort of your home, a small cafe, or somewhere exciting like a beach or mountain lodge can seem nearly impossible to handle. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing has become the new norm with most small businesses either temporarily closing or attempting to make the shift to operating remotely.

If you are one of those business owners looking to stay successful in this new climate but are worried about the added challenges of working from home, don’t worry, you can do it and we can help you get there!

There are lots of ways you can rethink your daily tasks to achieve more success. We’ve collected a few resources that are essential to saving you time and making owning a remote business easier.

Digitize Your Finances

Going to the bank, while sometimes a hassle, can seem like a forgotten luxury right now. Fortunately, there are alternatives to the brick and mortar bank. A digital small business bank will provide you with all the solutions you need in managing your financial responsibilities: payroll, organized revenue charts, expenses, and cash flow reporting are all available at your fingertips. Access to thousands of ATMs for cash deposits or simple mobile check deposits make banking more convenient than ever.

If you’re looking for an app solely dedicated to your accounting, look into FreshBooks. Your invoicing and expenses are logged with ease in this intuitive software that offers robust reporting, fast payment processing, and a collaborative interface across all mobile platforms. Your accounting team will thank you.

Telecommunication

It is important to maintain proper communication with employees, collaborators, and your clients. If you are used to communicating in person, working remotely can take the wind out of your sails. One way of reaching everyone you work with is by simply using what you already have. Your mobile devices are equipped with video and audio calling products like the FaceTime app for Apple users, or Google Duo for everyone else. These can be great for one on one or simple calls, but sometimes we need a service with more options.

The ability to reach your teammates and customers from any location on any device is essential to streamlining your workflow. At FluentStream, our customizable communication solutions offer a wide range of features including cloud based calling, video conferencing, remote system administration and analytics, and the ability to integrate with your favorite tools you already use like Salesforce, G Suite, and Zendesk.

An Online Presence

If you don’t already have a website, consider creating one. Not only is it necessary, but it’s a great, reliable spot for customers to learn more about your business. Maybe you already have a website, but it is in need of an upgrade. The folks over at Rebel.com have outlined just how easy it is to get started with their Beginner’s Guide to Taking Your Business Online.

Looking for a service that handles the grunt work while you get to do the fun, creative aspects like designing the webpage? Squarespace is a great solution. They are an industry-leading website builder designed with your company’s future in mind. There is plenty of room for growth with the sites you build through Squarespace and tools for selling your products, showcase your work, or continuously build your brand.

Watch the Clock

A major challenge we face in our day to day is time management. Add in the countless potential distractions of working from home and the challenges start to feel like impossibilities. By creating a well defined schedule for yourself, and adhering to it, you should see an improvement in your workflow. Setmore integrates across all of your devices and apps used daily for a straightforward experience, online or off.

One tool to help keep track of the hours you and your team have worked on a given project is Time Doctor. With Time Doctor, you can track your team’s work activity, attendance, and various data reports and timesheets. One feature we found particularly helpful is the Off Track Reminder. Enabling this will provide the user with a gentle nudge when they spend too much time on non-work related websites.

Let’s Work Together

Collaboration can seem more difficult when working from home. For hands-on workers, a digital environment can make it difficult to visualize team projects. By utilizing a cloud-based storage service every one of your teammates can access the same projects and make changes together. You can also use Google’s G Suite service mentioned above.

Sometimes you need to do your own organization and research before you can share it with your coworkers. Trello is a free, easy-to-use option that has gained a lot of traction with businesses in recent years. Their service helps you visualize your concepts and makes them easier for everyone involved to understand.

In Conclusion

When it comes to your business endeavors, saving time is saving money. The more streamlined you can make your workday the easier it will be for the whole team to push your business forward. Remote working may seem like science fiction, but it is now a reality for many businesses. Keep these tools in mind and you, too, will find success in your remote working ventures.