Using a Remote Team to Bolster Your Home-Based Business

Working from home can be a welcome change for the seasoned office worker. You can eliminate the commute, find more flexibility throughout your workday, and run a successful business from the comfort of your home. As you begin to imagine your new business, remember there are plenty of ways to grow by hiring remote workers and harnessing easy-to-use workflow platforms. Here are some great tips to get you started.

Building Your Business

When you’ve decided it’s time to live and work on your own terms, you’ll want to take the first few steps to establish your business.

Before you launch you’ll need to refine your business idea and write a business plan that includes goals, strategy, and overall mission. Describe your ideas in your plan, and think long term — how do you see your business growing in a year? By laying the blueprint now, you’ll have it to reference during periods where you’re lacking motivation. 

Don’t forget to jump through the legal hoops; register your business with your local government and the IRS. Assess your finances and establish a business budget that can track spending, earnings, and taxes. If you need financial help to get started, research funding sources such as investors, small business loans, or bank loans.

Grow Your Team

It’s unlikely you’ll take care of all aspects of the business on your own, so think about ways to grow your team and improve your business. One option is to hire remote workers and manage your team by using online platforms, such as Slack, to keep an eye on workflow. 

Along with workflow platforms, remote work collaboration can be improved with video conferencing and regular check-ins. Communication is a vital part of any business, so set up a system that allows you to easily stay connected to your workers. It’s important to build trust in your leadership and amongst your team; one way to foster this is by allowing your team to work independently and avoiding micromanaging your workers.

Additionally, you can make it easier for your staff to handle the business’s finances – as well as maintain security and customer satisfaction – by integrating Plaid’s top notch API products. 

Hire Freelancers

For parts of your business where you need occasional help, consider hiring freelancers through online job boards. Freelance workers can be helpful for tasks such as graphic design, virtual assistance, or web design.

As you build your business, you’ll want to develop a strong marketing strategy to sell your services or goods. While some companies hire an agency to do this, it’s likely that you’ll save money by hiring a freelance marketer instead. This person can help design a plan for advertising, outreach, and content creation that will help craft your online presence.

Every business should have a website, and while there are platforms that can help you build your own without a lot of effort, you’ll be limited in what you can do without deeper web design knowledge. Before you hire a designer, be sure to decide on a few key aspects you’d like for your site, whether it’s an online store or portfolio. Just make sure you hire someone who understands the importance of keeping your business’s information secure.

If you have the budget for it, consider hiring a freelance virtual assistant. Not only will it free up time for other important tasks, but it will also allow you to stay organized as you juggle the many requirements of running a business.

When you’re ready to get your business idea off the ground, don’t forget about the basics of setting up a solid business plan that details your goals and strategies for the future. Remember that your business will be stronger with a solid team, so hire remote workers. Stay on top of projects and workflow by using platforms such as Slack, and be sure to research possible freelancers to help with tasks such as marketing, web design, and virtual assisting.

About the Author

Clarence Wilkins has wanted to be an entrepreneur since he was a kid. He started his first business — a neighborhood lawn mowing venture — at 13 and hasn’t looked back since. He created Bizz Pop to offer advice and business growth and development resources to other entrepreneurs.