Working remotely for small business owners and accountants

As a Sage customer it’s never been easier to work remotely and empower your business and customers through cloud-based technology. We’ve put together a list of tools and helpful tips to keep your business on track during challenging times.

Setting up your remote workstation

If you’re setting up your remote workstation for the first time, there are a couple of technical steps you might need to take care of before you get started.

Connecting to a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows for employees to access their work computer remotely and securely through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

This option can be particularly useful as it would allow employees to access all their files remotely in addition to their Sage program and data.

We recommend working with your IT technician for assistance with the setup.

Setting up your remote employees for success

Thanks to technology it’s quite easy for you or your employees to get set up at home. Here’s a handy checklist to keep in mind to help you prepare.

• Put together a call sheet with the contact details of every staff member.
• Ensure each staff member has the correct software and equipment to work from home.
• Make sure you have a chat client such as Microsoft Teams or Skype for everyone to communicate and share files seamlessly.
• Write up an instruction manual to help users connect to the company network.
• Do a dry run to make sure no one has any connection issues when the policy is implemented.
• Make one staff member responsible for letting employees know you are implementing the work from home policy.
• If you have any advance notice that you might have to implement the policy, ask your employees to bring their devices home each night as a precaution.
• Why not go one step further and start a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in your workplace.
• Send an email daily to your stakeholders, informing them of any updates or challenges to the company’s ecosystem. For example supply chain rerouting of a customer, advice from government or professional bodies and when working from the office will resume.

Strong technology roots and good communication processes mean your business can continue to operate effectively even when working remotely.

Couple this with a supportive flexible-working culture, which empowers and enables colleagues to make the right decisions, and you’ll be on your way to business as usual.

Cloud connected tools

With Sage 50 you can utilize the following tools to maintain productivity and stay in contact with your partners or employees, regardless if you are working at home or in your office.

Sage Drive

Sage Drive allows you to access your accounting from anywhere. Easily install Sage 50cloud on a second computer or laptop (all subscriptions come with one complimentary download). Your company data automatically pulls in and any changes are automatically synced, allowing you to stay connected while working remotely and avoid risky file transfers that lead to lost, damaged or stolen data. Learn how to set up Sage Drive here.

Automated bank feeds

Simplify your processes with automated bank feeds. These establish a secure online connection with your bank, where real-time transaction data is accurate and can be easily downloaded.

Cloud Backup

Cloud Backup with Office 365 helps ensure your data and files are always securely up to date from any location. There is no need for manual backups or saving data to USB drives. You can easily store your data with the backing of Office 365 and schedule automatic backups throughout the week. In fact, up to 1 terabyte (1 TB) of data can be saved to Microsoft Cloud.

Office 365

Additionally, if you use Sage 50cloud’s integration with Office 365, you can leverage apps like Outlook to see customer contact and vendor information, access powerful financial reporting in Excel, and conduct virtual meetings and instant messaging with Microsoft Teams.

Sage Support

Whether you’re working from the office or from home, our support team is there to help you. Please, refer to this link for support information.

This article is part of our Managing uncertainty series which offers practical advice and support to help you keep your business moving as we all navigate these unprecedented times.