7 reasons why your business needs an office on the go

Want a happy and productive workforce? Paying your staff on time will help, as will bonuses and incentives. But providing your employees with an office on the go can be just as beneficial as those other incentives – and perhaps even more so (well everyone wants to get paid on time, so maybe not that one…).

Mobile technologies and cloud computing have changed the game meaning your employees don’t have to be stuck in the office. The use of mobile phones, tablets and laptops as well as cloud services mean you don’t need to have everyone in the same place to get things done.

This article will provide you with seven great reasons why having an office on the go can benefit not just your employees but your business as a whole. It also offers three tips to help you put it into practice.

1. Bad weather

Stuck in the middle of a snowstorm and there’s no way some of your employees can make it to the office as the trains aren’t running and the roads are too slippery? No problem.

If your business is using cloud tech, your employees can work from the comfort of their homes without attempting to brave the elements and you can relax in the knowledge that your company can continue to be productive.

2. Train and bus strikes

They don’t happen too often (thankfully) but when they do, you might find your business grinds to a halt. The 30-minute journey to work for your employees suddenly becomes three hours and your company loses out on doing some much-needed business.

Instead of your staff spending hours on a cramped bus or train (once they’ve eventually managed to fight their way on), allow them work from home or at a nearby coffee shop. That way, your business keeps ticking along nicely and you’ll keep your customers happy.

3. Sports day at school

The annual sports day. You don’t want to disappoint a troupe of kids who want their parents to watch them take part in the egg and spoon race (or the 100m dash if they’re older). And you don’t want to deprive the mums and dads in your office from doing battle in the parent races, do you?

Offering flexible working is a great way to keep parents on side. And it means if they have got sports day, parents’ evening, school plays, hospital appointments or other events to attend with their kids, they can fit work around them.

And you might even find some will take their mobile phone or tablet and work while they’ve got one eye on their kids doing battle on the sports field.

4. Take it to the beach

It’s the hottest day of the year. No one wants to be cooped up in the office. Rather than turn up to work to see half of your staff have pulled sickies, why not take everyone to the beach (or the park if you’re miles away from the seaside)?

It could be a great way to get work done while enjoying the weather. Just be careful the sand doesn’t get into your equipment…

5. Break down silos

One thing that can slow your business down is a silo mentality. If your finance and operations teams are sitting separately and working in their own bubbles, there’s a good chance your business won’t be as efficient as possible.

By creating a hot-desking environment where your staff are able to freely work around your office, they can work with different people in different departments. What you’ll find is they’ll start sharing and bouncing ideas off each other that will be beneficial to your business.

And as those silos break, your business will be much more productive.

6. Travelling to events

Do your employees need to travel to a meeting or a work event? Don’t let travel time turn into wasted time. Instead, the train can become an office on the go for a few hours.

By using connected tech, they can keep working and add real-time insights to any necessary docs ahead of that big presentation that your finance director needs to give.

7. Retain your staff

Is one of your employees planning to relocate to another part of the country (or world) but still wants to be a member of your team? By using cloud computing, you don’t have to say farewell to them.

They can work remotely, attend meetings using video conferencing services and make real-time updates to documents saved in the cloud.

Just don’t get too jealous if they’ve moved somewhere hot and are posting pics while working by the pool…

Three steps to take to have an office on the go

To help your business in its bid to have an office on the go, cloud computing, using cloud accounting software and giving your employees the power to work where (and when) they need to will be beneficial. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Adopt cloud computing

Having your data stored in the cloud rather than individual devices means information can be accessed anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. By adopting cloud computing, your employees will be able to work when and where they need to.

2. Use cloud accounting software

By using cloud accounting software, your finance teams can easily create reports, process VAT and international payments, view business finances and keep up with the financial legislation.

And having access to all of that real-time information while they are on the go means your business can keep moving as they do.

3. Empower your employees

Give your employees the opportunity to work from a different location if they want or need to. Give them the tools to do this (laptop, tablet, mobile phone, cloud computing solutions, etc) and let them flourish.

Does your business have an office on the go? Where do your employees work when they’re not in the office? And is your business embracing cloud tech and flexible working? Let us know in the comments below.