As businesses begin to adjust to the new normal of flexible work, understanding the productivity hacks and digital tools required to fast track recovery becomes vital. Here are our top suggestions to streamline working from home: whether you’re solo or a team of twenty.

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a great leap forward for many businesses in the transition to a model of remote and flexible work. Millions of Australians are now working from home, and they like it. Even when COVID-19 restrictions ease and a vaccine is established, many Aussies have suggested they would like to ditch the daily commute and work from home permanently.

For small business owners, this necessitates a shift in the way they work. Virtual meetups and video conferencing have replaced face to face contacts. Conversations take place on Slack, and projects and hours are tracked in a myriad of apps. To make the most of this new world order, businesses need to embrace digital solutions that will allow them to stay connected with their staff. Solutions that will support them to work efficiently and effectively.

In April 2020 Captiva released research which suggests the coronavirus crisis has accelerated digital transformation of Australia’s small businesses. The report found 72 per cent of companies are now digitising some or all their offerings.

The adoption of new software tools and applications is a driving force in this transformation. Since lockdown, 41 per cent of small businesses have bought or installed software to enable their teams to work remotely. In addition, 22 per cent plan to purchase new solutions shortly. For small business owners, the case for digital transformation is clear.

Sandy Young, head of merchandise (technology) at Officeworks, agrees.

“Embracing digital technology allows small businesses to get greater insights into their customers. It gives them the ability to reach new customers, helps them to understand how best to talk to them via their communications channels and can potentially be more productive with automation.”

Whether you’ve already gone remote or your considering making flexible and remote work a permanent solution, here are our top tips to maximise the productivity of your team.

Not all networks are created equal.

For your employees to work from home efficiently, they need to have a reliable network connection. While ADSL may cut it for some others will need NBN in order to achieve the speed and stability they need for videoconferencing and file transfers. To make this possible, they will also need a modem or router with a suitable speed. You can find out more about networking solutions here.

If your business involves the collection of sensitive data, you may also need to ensure VPN access for your staff. Then they can securely connect to files on the cloud or your server while working remotely. You might also want to consider encryption so you can send files more securely.

Arm your staff with the right tools

While your staff may be working remotely, they still need access to the right equipment in order to work efficiently and effectively. If your business was not set up with a mobile workforce before COVID-19 – chances are you will need to spend some money equipping your employees with the right gear to work from home. At the very least your staff need a computer to work remotely.

“Digital solutions can range from the right software to using the right platforms to reach your customers or help manage your workflow, through to hardware,” says Young.

“Starting with the basics that allow you to run your business, such as accounting software, online collaboration tools and the right desktop monitors can have a great impact on the productivity of your team.”

A laptop can be a better investment than a desktop as it provides greater flexibility for staff to work on the go. Alternatively, employees could bring their device, but you’ll need to make sure they are secure before they log in to any sensitive business systems. A second monitor is also well worth the investment as the New York Times reports dual monitors can increase your staff’s productivity by up to 30 per cent. And if you are spending a lot of time on Zoom, a dedicated webcam will make your meetings look more professional.

Check their home-office setup works.

If your staff have room at their house for a dedicated home office setup, then check-in to make sure that their desk and chairs meet ergonomic requirements. You don’t want to have to foot the bill for their physio should they be working on tables and chairs that aren’t up to scratch.

Workplace health and safety regulations say you must work to minimise work health and safety risks even when your staff are remote. So, organise a workstation assessment to make sure your team aren’t risking a musculoskeletal injury while working from home. If their desks and chairs aren’t up to par, you can allow them to borrow equipment from your office or workplace. Or you can invest in equipment to set them up at home with new desks and chairs. Remember, you can make use of the government’s instant asset write-off to claim a deduction.

Keep in touch with digital tools.

Just because you can’t be in face-to-face contact with your team doesn’t mean you need to be out of touch. Virtual meetings can be just as effective as those done in person, as long as you set the proper guidelines.

Begin by choosing a communication tool that suits your goals. There is numerous goal tracking, project sharing collaboration tools that will make it simple for you to connect with your staff. Free solutions like Slack and Trello are simple to use, or you may already have Microsoft Teams or Google for Business in place. While Zoom, Skype and Webex also offer paid and free solutions for videoconferencing.

The Federal Government has also just announced a Digital Business Plan to enable Australian businesses to take advantage of digital technologies to grow their businesses and create jobs as part of its economic recovery plan. Find out more here.

Shop now for the solutions you need to stay productive while working from home

This article was first published on Small Business First. You can see the original content here.