As companies continue to incorporate working from home during the ongoing pandemic—and with renewed stay-at-home orders a definite possibility in the event of a “second wave” of COVID-19—now is an excellent time for Orange County small business owners to optimize their work-from-home configurations and processes. Let’s discuss a few more “best practices” for businesses seeking to establish a safe and productive system for helping employees work remotely.
Encourage Dedicated Office Spaces
In addition to establishing set work hours for your employees, it’s also helpful for teammates working from home to have a dedicated office, or something as close to that as possible. Encourage your team to carve out space in their homes that is set aside for work. This is easier for some than others, but it will help your employees produce more consistent work at home.
Provide Necessary Equipment as Much as Possible
The more your employees are conducting business on company-owned devices, the more consistent and secure your workflow becomes. Not every small business has the budget to provide everything to equip home offices for all employees, but remember that every device you provide, you control. The less company work is being conducted on personal devices, the more security and peace of mind you’ll have.
Consider a Managed IT and Managed VOIP Service
One possible solution for the previous point, and a great all-around solution for remote workers, is to hire a third-party managed IT service to coordinate your remote infrastructure. A good managed IT service not only monitors and maintains your network, but can also provide and maintain necessary hardware (e.g., computers, phones, printers, firewalls, etc.) for each remote office, along with needed tech support for all components. In addition, implementing managed VOIP services to keep secure, consistent communication between employees and your clients, and your VOIP system can be scaled to your needs.
Don’t Forget Cybersecurity
One glaring vulnerability in maintaining a remote workforce is that there are many more avenues for cyberattacks and hackers to gain entrance. Increased out-of-office devices operating on different WiFi systems, all with varying levels of encryption, can present a cybersecurity nightmare. Fortunately, a managed IT service can provide solutions here as well, by making sure every working part of your remote network is covered with multiple layers of security.
When you’re ready to optimize your remote working structure for maximum productivity and security, NetServ is here to assist. For more information, call 1-877-NetServ.