Remote Work Technology

Your small business survival guide for the remote work environment

In Remote Work Technology: Keeping Your Small Business Thriving From Anywhere, experienced SaaS and telecommunications entrepreneur Henry Kurkowski delivers a step-by-step walkthrough for using SaaS technology and communication apps to power your small business from anywhere on the planet.

You'll learn how to capitalize on the ability to hire a geographically distributed workforce and excel at serving clients at a distance. You'll also discover why and how you need to alter your approach to management and spot the common pitfalls that litter the way to a truly distributed business.

This important book includes:

• Valuable case studies of businesses that embraced the reality of remote working during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and cautionary tales of unexpected challenges that arose during the transition.

• Discussions of how to incorporate remote workers into efficient workflows to increase your business' productivity

• Explorations of how to support your employees when you can't just pop into their office

Perfect for small business founders, owners, and managers, Remote Work Technology is also a must-read guide for independent contractors who work directly with small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Auteur

HENRY KURKOWSKI is a pioneer in managed Wi-Fi technologies and digital engagement. He has co-founded a number of up-start technology companies and has a long history in the telecommunications and SaaS industries. His insights on brand strategies and leveraging business partnerships have been featured on Forbes.com. Henry has helped thousands of small businesses across the US to leverage remote technologies and digital communications to automate operations, increase engagement and boost the bottom line.

Texte du rabat

A remote work survival guide for small business owners

Remote work has been thrown to the forefront of the business world by the COVID-19 pandemic. As small businesses around the world begin to realize the unique challenges of managing employees who work from home and remote teams that need to collaborate over distances, new technologies and business strategies have emerged to make it easier for companies to connect their people and systems remotely.

In Remote Work Technology: Keeping Your Small Business Thriving From Anywhere, experienced SaaS and technology entrepreneur Henry Kurkowski delivers a detailed roadmap to using cloud software, SaaS technology, and communication apps to run your small or medium-sized business from anywhere in the world.

Whether you're a digital marketer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a digital nomad running an e-commerce firm, or any other kind of small business entrepreneur, Remote Work Technology will show you how to profit from the ability to hire a geographically diverse workforce and serve clients from a distance.

Perfect for small business owners and managers, the insights, strategies, and interviews from business leaders who switched their own companies to fully remote teams found in this book will teach you to effectively stay engaged with and manage remote workers. By introducing added automation into your everyday workflows, and integrating and connecting your business technologies, you will supercharge your company's productivity. You'll learn to:

• Integrate remote work technologies across company workflows
• Overcome collaboration challenges faced by remote workers
• Keep a high level of engagement with your employees, clients, and vendors
• Utilize best practices to support your teams and help them support each other
• Avoid the pitfalls of burnout and isolation that is found in remote working
• Empower your distributed team members to deliver their best work

Contenu

Foreword xxvii

Introduction xxix

Chapter 1 You Can't Go to the Office: Where Do You Go from Here? 1

Disaster Strikes 2

How Long Will the Crisis Last? 3

COVID-19 3

Prepping the Whole Team 4

Management Work Policy 4

IBM and Yahoo! 5

Top Concerns of Management 7

Do Not Fight the Tide 8

Remote Working Is Older Than You May Think 10

Productivity and Job Performance 11

Adjusting to the New Work and Home Balance 13

Social Isolation 13

Employee Engagement 14

Maintaining Growth and Profitability 16

Let's Get to Work 17

Notes 21

Chapter 2 The Remote Workspace: Set Up Your Mind and Your Space 23

Your Work Zone: Distinguished from the Rest of the House 24

Choosing Your Space 24

Good Lighting 24

Broadband 25

Monitors 27

Grab a Seat 27

Invest in Yourself 27

Add Privacy If Needed 29

Set Healthy Boundaries with Family and Friends 30

No Is a Powerful Asset 30

Self-Motivation from Home Can Be Perilous 31

Productive Procrastination 31

Work and Play 32

Your Mental Space 32

Take Breaks and Don't Feel Guilty 32

You Are Not a Machine 33

Replenish Your Resources 33

Take Breaks Early 34

Take Better Breaks 34

Create a Morning Routine Different from When You Were Commuting 35

Set Daily Goals 36

Tasks vs. Goals 36

Longer-Term Goals 37

SMART Goals 37

Team Goals 38

Communication Habits: Respond Quickly and Use the Right Tools 39

Communicate Proactively 39

Set Expectations Early On 39

The Right Conversation Tools 40

Be Precise 40

Daily Check-Ins 40

Make Yourself Available 41

Get Dressed for Work 42

Dress the Part 42

Business Casual 42

Know Your Audience 43

Set Yourself Up for Success Right from the Start 44

Notes 48

Chapter 3 Office Technology: Stay Connected and Competitive 49

VoIP: From Desktop to Soft Phones and Features 49

Cloud Management 51

Automated Attendant 51

Forwarding and Follow Me 51

Soft Phones and Mobile Phones 52

Email, Chat, and Channels 53

Email 54

Chats 54

Channels 55

Voice Chat 56

Videoconferencing 56

Internal Meetings 57

External Meetings 59

Google Meet 59

Cisco Webex 59

Microsoft Teams 60

Zoom 60

Remo 60

Team Collaboration Tools 61

Trello 62

Basecamp 62

Asana 63

Teamwork and Teamwork Desk 63

Slack 63

Microsoft Teams 64

Google Workspace 64

File Sharing and Cloud Storage 65

Cloud Backup 66

Cloud Sync 66

Cloud Storage 67

Data Protection 67

Cybersecurity 68

Wi-Fi 68

Securing Devices 68

Two-Factor Authentication 69

Remote Wipes 69

Virtual Private Networks 69

Business Tech Advantages 70

Chapter 4 Choosing Technology: Getting the Right Digital Tools for You 75

Scale to Meet Your Needs 76

Reliability 78

The Five Nines 78

Performance 80

Locally Hosted 80

Local or Cloud 81

Focus on the Need 82

Integrations and Working Well with Other Tech 83

Look at Your Future 84

Look for Reviews 85

Compliance 86

First-Time

Setup 86

Configuration 87 ...