Before 2020, only a few entrepreneurs and businesses gave building remote teams serious thought. For them, there was no need to have a virtual workforce when there was an abundance of talent pool to choose from. The arguments held water until a global pandemic struck and most businesses operated remotely during the lockdowns.
Even though it is not new many companies that failed to build remote teams struggle to fit into the new normal. Three years into the pandemic and millions of workers are quietly saying goodbye to their 9-to-5 jobs and everything associated with the traditional workplace, including:
- Lack of flexibility, not everyone is an early bird.
- Wasted hours in a daily commute to and from work.
- Cubicles versus home comforts, decent coffee and tea, and saving money on lunches!
- Ability to focus as not caught up in meetings and corporate politics
These issues have fast become things of the past with a virtual workforce. Many people are now living extraordinary lives, thanks to the opportunity to work remotely. Thanks to the internet, there is a huge demand for digital experts who can get jobs done from the comforts of their own homes. The virtual workforce is a unique opportunity for regular people to build better lives on their terms.
As for business owners, the benefits of a remote team are huge. The only way to capitalize on this massive opportunity is by starting to build a remote team for your business.
A few years ago, only lean startups hired remote workers. Big brands then would only work with consultants and freelancers. But not necessarily build their own remote team. Now, even big-name corporations are starting to make the shift of allowing their employees to work from home.
Building a virtual workforce is easy and doesn’t have to break the bank. I know this because I’ve been there, and I’ve helped many companies achieve the same feat.
Here are seven reasons why the best time to build a remote team is NOW:
1. Remote teams are the future
According to Bloomberg, employees are quitting instead of giving up working from home. It is pretty amazing how the move by fortune 500 companies to get people back to cubicles continues to flounder. Many of these workers have already fully embraced the flexibility of a virtual workforce and have adjusted to the new normal.
Returning to the old way of doing things is becoming impractical. The reality is that remote work is becoming increasingly important in the modern workforce. In fact, as of 2018, 43% of the US workforce will be working at least part of the time remotely, according to a report by Global Workplace Analytics. More businesses are turning to the internet to find the talent they need. In a digitally-driven economy, this is a growing trend. And that tells every business owner one thing: the time to build a remote team is now because this is where the future of work lies.
2. Lower entry costs
You don’t have to pay for office space for your virtual workforce. Your virtual team doesn’t have to commute to work every day. And there is no need to “kill time” at the office once they’re done with their tasks for the day.
3. Enjoy Flexible scheduling for your team
Remote workers don’t have a fixed amount of time to work as long as they can get the work done, meet the deadlines, and attend team meetings. According to Upwork’s sixth annual “Freelancing in America” survey, over 50 percent of 9 to 5 job workers refused to return to traditional work settings regardless of their money and perks. Because the freedom and flexibility of not having a fixed schedule are simply priceless. A good entrepreneur will exploit this trend to his advantage by hiring remote workers and scaling his business with a virtual workforce.
4. Your team can operate from anywhere
Fancy a trip to sunny Coronado Beach in San Diego during summer? Love to spend more time with your family, pick your children up from school, and attend sports days – all these while managing your team using only your smartphone? Having a remote team affords you and your team the ability to enjoy all these. Not to mention you can choose to
live wherever you want to live. Gone are the days when you had to live near where you worked. It’s no longer necessary to live in New York, London, Paris, or any other major city to access the best working opportunities.
A remote workforce also allows you to build your team across the world. And your team can also operate anywhere there is a good internet connection. Many remote workers live across different locations around the world – choosing the lifestyle they want while earning from the services they offer.
5. Avoid office politics
With a virtual workforce, there’s less workplace friction and office politics. Working remotely gives your employees total control of their work environment. A virtual workforce reduces stress, saves time, and increases team productivity.
6. Enjoy Improved productivity
PWC survey shows that productivity increases with remote work. According to Owl labs, over 75 percent of workers recorded increased productivity during the lockdown. Building a remote team will help you become more efficient, healthy, and productive. The global availability of remote talents gives you unfettered access to more people and a better talent pool at a much faster rate than ever before.
Therefore, a remote team is one of the fastest ways to grow and scale your business quickly. You can have top talents working for you, regardless of where they live. The only requirement is that your remote team has the necessities to get the work done within the timeframe. That way, you can achieve increased productivity to scale your business quickly.
7. The world is going green
Remote work is environment-friendly. About 29 percent of total US greenhouse come from Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
Besides the fact that building a remote team saves your team the cost and time of commuting to and fro the workplace every working day, you promote green living in the environment. While everyone is aware that green living can reverse the effects of global warming, only a few have been working towards making this a reality. By building a remote team, you contribute to this cause.
With a remote team, commuting is significantly reduced. The time spent on the commute can be channeled to other profitable aspects of the business.
Conclusion
Remote work is the new normal. Managing diverse teams from different locations, and virtual meetings are a new reality. If you need to reposition your business for the future, building a formidable remote team is the way to go.
Contact us today and we’ll help you build a team that will take your business to the next level.
