Thanks to the rise of on-demand software and high-speed internet, small businesses now have easy access to the tools they need to work remotely without interruption. Here are the must-haves every small business should have in place to ensure maximum flexibility.
Video conferencing refers to an online meeting among several people using both audio and video; it’s a way to communicate face-to-face without having to be in the same physical location. Savvy businesses have been using video conferencing to cut back on travel and enhance communication among distributed employees, but it’s also a great way for any small business to hold remote meetings with customers, vendors, and employees.
Some of our favorite video conferencing tools: Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Go to Meeting.
Cohesive teamwork is vital in any kind of work environment, so it’s important for small businesses to modernize their practices to help co-workers collaborate from wherever they are. Thanks to the rise of collaboration tools, co-workers in different locations can easily work together and contribute to projects as if they were in an office.
Some of our favorite collaboration tools: Slack, Mavenlink, Quip (available for free).
Cloud-based storage solutions are a must for small businesses. Why waste valuable storage space on your hard drive or phone when you can store your files securely in the cloud and share across devices? Cloud storage also provides backup, meaning your documents and files are safe even if your computer crashes or you can’t get to the office.
Some of our favorite cloud storage tools: Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box.
Of all the things that go into running a small business, building strong customer relationships is the most important. CRM software helps you manage your sales, marketing, and customer service, and you’ll want a cloud-based solution you can use anytime, anyplace. This means remote workers won’t miss information communicated around the water cooler, captured on sticky notes, or mentioned in a brainstorm. CRM ensures all customer information is captured in one place.
Our favorite CRM for small businesses: Salesforce Essentials.
Thanks to high-speed internet, any team can work remotely from anywhere in the world and still stay efficient, organized, and productive. If your small business is considering remote work, dispersed teams, or satellite offices, consider putting these tools in place to keep everyone connected and on task, no matter what.