How to Run a Small Business Remotely

Everyone's had the dream of conducting business while sitting on the beach sipping on a pina colada.  Outlined by Tim Ferris's book, The 4 Hour Work Week, he focuses on working smart, not hard. While a 4 hour may be outlandish, working virtually (perhaps on a beach) is a very achievable dream.

To start, the business must be set up in a way that the company can be successful without too much micromanagement. There are many aspects of running a small business and as the founder you are the finance, human resources, customer service, marketing departments all rolled into one. When big corporations dedicate entire teams to these functions, many owners are responsible for most if not all those tasks. It is crucial to create a set up that will allow you to be able to take a backseat and reduce your stress but most importantly, give you time to grow the business.

Outsourcing

One key to a virtual business is to outsource tasks.  Be it bookkeeping, marketing, or administration, there are many services online that can free up your time business growth opportunities. While running you may not feel comfortable letting someone else tinker with your "baby" letting go is an essential part of a virtual business. There must be a lot of trust with your hired help especially if you want to run a business without being there.  This brings us to the second point.

Find Reliable, Experienced And Trustworthy Staff

This is the most important factor to allow you to run a business without being there. If you can trust your staff, and know, they are capable of doing the job, you can be confident and reassured that any problems that occur can be addressed. It will quite literally be business as usual. This may require hiring a manager.  While it will increase your expenses, it will hold someone responsible for the business and keep an authoritative figure on site to oversee the operations. 

Regularly “Check In” 

Even working remotely without physically being at the business everyday will still require you to check in regularly. If you do not, issues could arise and not be addressed for long periods. Allowing the problem to increase in severity and be harder to resolve when discovered. If the owner is never there, staff may feel they can take more liberties and take advantage, so an engaged owner in the business will result in less problems over the course.

Open and Continuous Communication

Communication is vital to all businesses, even when you are at the physical location, however when you are running the company remotely it is more crucial than ever. With frequent but purposeful communication, you can engage properly with the operations and ensure everything is running smoothly. It is of utmost importance that you are able to ask your staff for honest feedback.  This way you'll be able to see a true and fair representation of how things are going, putting you in a better position to make more informed decisions. 

Take Advantage of Technology

Combining communication with technology also helps you run the business virtually. An email may not be opened until sometime after being sent, but with texts, skype, phone calls, and a whole range of tools, you should be able to contact key team members quickly and efficiently. You can also connect to your business on a deeper level, by holding video meetings and screen sharing. This method adds a more personal touch and will resonate deeper with your staff than a voice call.