A thriving corporate culture can exist right from your home office, but only if you invest in the systems and tools necessary.
With the right design and systems in place, you can manage a team of remote workers and provide your entire company with a well-run headquarters. And all this without paying the rent on a corporate office or wasting time in a long commute into the city!
Creating such a headquarters in your
home is key, however,
because it must have all the capabilities of a corporate office.
Create a Home Office That Supports Your Business
As you can work from
home, you need to either convert a large room in your property or move to one
better suited to your needs. Your office should not be the smallest spare room.
You need a lot of space to store files (both digitally and physically) as well
as to host video conference calls, work and so on.
What You Need Out of Your Computer
You need a computer that has the specs to run the programs you need for your business. From which word processing programs to content management systems, and which accounting systems to inventory systems, there’s a lot your machine will need to run.
You will also need to invest in high-quality safety features.
As you can imagine, this will make your first decision rather simple: Mac or Windows?
There are also systems
like the open-source Linux available, but that option should only be chosen if
you are familiar with the system and know how to adapt the operating system to
suit your needs.
Generally speaking, however,
the computer specs you will want to focus on include:
- Plenty of
hard drive space for data storage
- An
Advanced Computer Processing Unit
- Graphics
Processing Unit (for businesses that rely on graphics)
- RAM (to
manage multiple programs at once with ease)
What You Need Out of Your Internet Router
Steady, strong and
fast internet speeds are the reason why your company can exist. The best
computer in the world cannot help you if uploading data and working
collaboratively on the Cloud works at a snail’s pace.
You need to find the
best quality router, but you don’t necessarily have to pay the highest price.
There are many tips and tricks to reduce your internet bill and keep your
overhead low, especially when it comes to your internet router. For example,
you could save hundreds on the well-reviewed verizon router, and enjoy faster speeds, more consistent
performance and the advanced tech known as ‘beamforming’.
What You Need Out of Your Printer and Scanner
Printing out
hardcopies and scanning pages is going to save you a lot of headache,
especially when dealing with the government. For this reason, it might be best
to invest into an all-in-one machine that has a fax feature built in. This way
you can facilitate communication and send documents to all levels of companies
and departments without long wait times.
Other Additional Tech to Include in Your Office
Other additional tech and tools you will
want to have in your
office:
- Phone
- Fax
Machine
- Multiple
Monitors
- External
Hard Drives
- Server or
Cloud Account
Brainstorm with other
employees or those in your industry to ensure you have all the
industry-specific tools you need. You will likely forget something, so expect
this step to be an ongoing process as you learn more about your options.
The Importance of Storage and Organization
Storage and
organization must be paramount. This applies to physical copies and to digital
copies.
For physical copies of documents, create a comprehensive filing system and buy storage units you can keep in your office to access at a given notice. For extra safety and record keeping, it might be best to scan every document and add helpful metadata that helps you find both the digital and physical copy that much faster.
Creating a standard metadata system for your digital files and storing them on a Cloud server will keep your data redundant and easily locatable.
Presenting a Professional Image
Put effort and thought
into the design of your office. Chances are you will have to video call and
conference call both your employees and clients alike. Having a well-designed,
tidy and professional office setting at home will help convey that you have
everything in control and in order.
How to Successfully Manage a Business from Home
To successfully manage
a business from home, you will need to set up systems that make it easy to work
collaboratively with your other employees or outsourced teams. This means you will
need a business Cloud account. Use that Cloud account to run several content
and business management programs.
Hire and Manage a Freelance or Remote Team
You cannot run a
business on your own and grow. Your options are to either hire other remote
workers, who will work at home or in a coworking space. If you have a specific
job that needs done like website design, then instead of hiring an employee,
outsourcing is going to be the cost-effective option.
Set Up Automation Processes
Management systems and
Enterprise Management Systems work wonders towards automating many processes in
your business. You need to ensure the programs you use can communicate together,
so that cross-department processes can be automated.
Programs Necessary for Any Successful Startup
These management
systems will vary. There are specific systems created for almost every industry
and niche in the world, giving you greater control over what you need to make
your business a success.
Some standard systems to get started with include:
- Customer
Relationship Management Software
- Accounting
and HR Software
- Content
Management System
- Customized
Ecommerce Platform
Features to Improve Your Professionalism
Being professional
means offering efficient and exceptional customer service to your customers and
clients.
Custom Emails for You and Your Employees
One small investment
to make that will make a big impact on your image, is to invest in custom email
subdomains for your business. This way you and your team can have
<yourname>@<yourbusiness>.com.
An Easy to Remember Phone Number
If you can, investing
in a phone number that is easy to remember is going to make it much easier to
encourage calls, especially if you are investing in advertising.
Automated Chatbots and Chatbots
You cannot always be
online. Having automated chatbots to help customers and clients with simple
problems when you are away can help promote good customer service. Adding a chatbot
feature that is manned by you or a member or your team during office hours is
also a great way to improve your customer service, as it gives many customers
the ability to ask questions and gain clarification quickly and easily.
HD Video Camera
Video conferencing has been around for a while, and it can be used to talk to business partners, hold conference calls and even more. You will want to invest in a HD web camera to hook up to your computer. Combined with fast and stable internet, you should be able to be seen by customers and employees alike in crystal clarity.
Starting a business at
home means ensuring your office is organized and professional. You need to be
able to act like a headquarters when you manage multiple remote employees and
deal with customers directly, and with the tools and tech outlined above, you
will be able to see your dream come true.
