Credit: Shutterstock photoWhen giving business advice my first line of questioning to businesses that are in financial difficulty is whether or not they have a business premises. For many small businesses a business properties are an unnecessary and costly expense, and one that many small businesses can ill afford.
Having a business premise was once essential; after all, how else could your staff meet, information be shared and hours tracked? These days amazing technological advancements mean that you no longer have to be in the same building, or even the same continent as your employees or colleagues in order to do all of these things.
As more and more of our management and content systems move online, an office seems an outdated and unnecessary place to do business in. If your business isn’t backing up all documentation, accounts and information online it is an absolute necessity to do so. I see businesses fail each and every day due to a disaster occurring, albeit a fire, theft or computer malfunction, with their business being left in tatters.
Carrying out your business online is not only secure, and imperative to ensure the safe keeping of all documentation, it is also efficient, and time effective and can actually increase productivity. Working from a home office, and allowing employees to do so, gives you the pick of the best employees in the world, not just those 20 minutes away from your office.
There are, undoubtedly, some professions who maintain the necessity for an office; but as our priorities shift, work/life balance becomes more important and we begin to care more for our environment, I have no doubt that there will be a fundamental shift in the way we work. Will you be an early adopter of this way of working?
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
