Business, like a child, goes through different stages of development. It must grow and change. It also requires care and attention from its founder, as from a parent.
But there is a period when the owner can move away from work “on-site” and devote their life to other stuff like travel managing the business remotely. For sure, this demands top-notch company preparation: building a remote management system, equipping the business technically, getting rid of the stereotypes that employees will become lazy if you don’t breathe down their necks.
Today, let’s take a closer look at how to set up a remote control and live a full life without losses for yourself and the company.
The key moment of remote company management
Obviously, we would greatly surprise you by saying that there is a magic button that allows the independent operation of the business like clockwork without any control. In reality, to establish remote business management, you will need hard work, patience, and the will to achieve your goal.
The transformation of a business from the state of “owner = manager = everyday presence in the office” to the state of “owner = strategic development of the company from anywhere in the world, even while traveling” will require from 6 to 15 months, depending on the size and nuances of your business. In general, this process requires a clear regulation of all business processes, planning, reporting, a well-functioning task setting system, and much more.
However, if you are planning to go abroad for a one-time vacation but don’t want to abandon business management, use the tips below. They really work.
Tips to help you manage your business while traveling
If you build a management system correctly, then you will be as effective remotely as in the office. To do this, you need to do 6 basic things.
#1. Make a timetable
As a company owner or manager, one of the essential things you should do before going on a vacation is to make a calendar for your trip so that you organize your days and know when you will be able to work and when you will have to focus on your agenda. You must ensure that your timetable is practical and allows you to control your business whenever necessary while still fulfilling the goal of your trip. It’s crucial that you stick to your plan and manage your time so that you can prioritize your tasks without overworking yourself.
#2. Delegate as much as possible
It may be a good idea to delegate work until you return from your trip. A competent person should be responsible for each action in each process. They can take on several tasks – the main thing is that they don’t interfere with each other. Make sure that everybody you assign work to understands what they’re doing, and that they know they can come to you in case of emergency.
#3. Create the effect of the presence
It doesn’t matter if you are in a neighboring city or ten thousand kilometers away, your employees and those who are now at the helm should know that you are still in the loop and take an active part in all business processes.
There can be many options for creating this effect of presence – look for the one that is convenient for you. One of the most popular ones is to attend all-important meetings, briefings and so on. Via video calls or audio conferencing. And do it regularly. The voice and the feeling of your presence can work wonders with the remote team. No email, chat in Telegram or Slack, or endless chains of messages will do this.
#4. Create job descriptions
The purpose of the instruction is to agree on the ideas of the manager and performers about the goals of the work, the process, the available tools, and the measurement of the result. Instructions must be unambiguous and understandable. The more detailed you describe the actions of the employee, the higher the chance that the work will be done exactly as you intended.
You can do it in Google Docs and share the access, make a presentation or take advantage of video-making tools and record the screen on Mac or Windows. Thus employees could make video notes and return to the visual materials whenever they need this.
#5. Prepare technically
For the control system to function, you need to technically equip your business – introduce online tools for setting tasks, accepting results, and accounting for all assets and processes.
For example, it is convenient to conduct sales in CRM systems. There is total funnel control, marketing reports, and trade analytics in a convenient form. Everything that the sales department does will be under your control.
To manage business processes, BPM (business process management) systems are used, in which you can see every step of an employee – the system will control and register everything up to the upcoming business meetings so that the employee doesn’t cheat. Management accounting is maintained in enterprise resource planning systems.
The best CRM, BPM, and ERP integration with each other and produce cross-cutting analytics, which is also quite convenient for the remote boss.
#6. Stay focused and get inspired
It’s easy to get distracted while traveling, but being focused and disciplined is critical to running a successful company while traveling. If the optimum time to do business is in the morning, it may be necessary to forego the dawn on an island, for example.
However, the benefit of traveling while working is that you will never run out of ideas. Take this inspiration from your surroundings and apply it to your business to help it develop and expand. However, don’t forget to set aside time to brainstorm and consider fresh ideas.
Wrapping up
Remote control only looks like a complicated and risky undertaking. There are tasks that have to be solved personally, but most issues can be solved remotely.
If you are ready to free up your office chair for the long-awaited trip, just prepare the company following our advice. And then you won’t have to worry about anything.
