Businesses are embracing the flexibility of VoIP for telecommuting, enabling their employees to work from home.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, working at home was becoming an increasingly common trend. In 2015, 3.9 million people in the United States worked from home. In early 2020, before working from home became necessary, 4.7 million people worked from home.
According to the latest research, the most common occupations with the option of working from home during the pandemic include management, business, and finance.
The key to maintaining team productivity, say business leaders, is simulating an office environment at home. A virtual office, if you will. And that begins with equipping your team members with a cloud-based platform that keeps everyone connected.
The Benefits of Running Your Team Remotely
There’s no question that recent events have caught many businesses by surprise, but it’s the ones who adapt the quickest that will thrive in the short and long term.
The problem is, many small-to-mid-size businesses may not realize just how affordable making the switch can be. The truth is, VoIP business phone services have been around for awhile now, and are more affordable than ever. The key is knowing your business’s needs and finding the right package.
Some questions to ask are: Can I scale it up as my business grows? How quickly can I add new users? Can my team multitask as they communicate with one another? How simple is it to transition from an office-reliant business to a telecommuting one?
Does your service offer ongoing customer support? Will my documents and communications be safe and secure? Can my sales, service and marketing teams work on the same platform at the same time?
Answers to questions like these offer the peace of mind any business owner requires before making the switch, whether permanent or temporary.
Conference Calls Bridge the Gap
One of the biggest challenges businesses need to address is how to stay connected day-to-day, whether with clients or in-house. With a conference bridge, you can virtually beam your teammates or clients in for a conference call without having to bring them into a physical office space.
And with today’s technology, you can share documents beforehand and review them onscreen with dozens of people simultaneously, no matter where they are. This is especially important in a sales pipeline or throughout the customer service process.
Lessons Learned in a Time of Crisis
Probably the biggest lesson we’ve all learned during these tumultuous times is just how much we take for granted. Simple things that bring people together are currently out of reach.
But as any business owner knows, staying competitive requires agility and innovation. And what better time than now to see what you’re made of? Regardless of what business you’re in, the secret to success is threefold: (1) attracting new customers, (2) turning customers into loyal fans, and (3) finding more creative ways to offer new services. The keyword there is “creative.”
Whether you’re a Startup with limited capital and resources, or an established company looking to boost momentum, growing your business demands creativity. Given the right tools, the sky’s the limit.
Stay Certain in Uncertain Times
Over the coming months, stay-at-home restrictions are going to ease, but many of your employees may want to work from home. If there is a second wave as many experts predict, several businesses may have to make the transition to work-from-home arrangements.
So, the sooner you make changes, the more peace of mind you and your employees will have, knowing that your business will run smoothly during this pandemic and beyond.
What other business needs can you think of that we haven’t covered here? Drop us a note at feedback@dyl.com
