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How to Take Your Business Mobile & Make Telecommuting Friendly
- 1. Welcome! Our meeting will begin shortly…
- 2. How to Take Your Business Mobile & Make Telecommuting Friendly Presented by: Tim Geigner
- 3. What is telecommuting and how can it help my business? What are the benefits of a mobile ready business? How you can easily take your business mobile Portable devices that make business commuting more efficient How to make remote working successful for your business What you will discover:
- 4. “What is Telecommuting and How Can It Help My Business?”
- 5. Telecommuting Allowing employees to work from home, in remote offices, or while on the road.
- 7. Why consider telecommuting? Offers a way to continue working after hours
- 8. You can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills Why consider telecommuting? Offers a way to continue working after hours
- 9. You can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills Why consider telecommuting? Increases employee productivity lowers stress levels improves retention Offers a way to continue working after hours
- 10. You can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills Why consider telecommuting? Increases employee productivity lowers stress levels improves retention Work from home vs. a raise Offers a way to continue working after hours.
- 11. You can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills Why consider telecommuting? Increases employee productivity lowers stress levels improves retention Work from home vs. a raise Allows you to keep great employees that need or want to relocate Offers a way to continue working after hours
- 12. “How Can You Take Your Business Mobile?”
- 13. Create a mobile plan with specific strategies for your business How can you take your business mobile? Devices that keep you connected such as mobile devices, software, internet connection - Suitable for your business. Cloud computing Internet connection
- 14. What Are The Benefits of Taking Your Business Mobile
- 15. The ability to work anyplace anytime whenever needed Benefits of a mobile ready business The ability to work after/before work hours more efficiently Being able to stay connected to your team Staying up-to-date on the latest The ability to continue operations if a disaster occurs
- 16. How to Stay Connected Smartphones Tablet VoIP Intranet Pano remotes (USB) WebEx, CudaTel, etc Internet Connection
- 17. Smartphones
- 18. Smartphones Access to your critical information when out of office. Can keep data in sync at all times Faster communication Personal organizer
- 20. Benefits of Tablets Access to your critical information when out of office. Can keep data in sync at all times Note taking Hand-held computer Video conferencing
- 21. VoIP Voice Over Internet Protocol Video: VoIP Explained
- 22. Features of Voice Over IP (VoIP) Carries voice calls over the internet Allows you to dial and receive calls when offsite Allows you to dial and receive calls when offsite
- 23. Intranet Internal computer network within an organization. Similar to internet, access only available for internal group Incorporates a working, interactive custom environment
- 24. Benefits of an Intranet Better internal communications Document publishing and management Sharing of resources and best practice Better access to accurate information Reduction in paperwork
- 25. Pano Remotes (USB) Allows you to work offsite as if onsite Windows PC + Internet Connection Cost effective and simple
- 26. Virtual Meetings WebEx CudaTel Communication Server Intercom
- 27. “How do I effectively connect these gadgets ?”
- 28. Internet and the Cloud
- 29. What is Cloud Computing?
- 30. What is Cloud Computing Internet “Storage” site Computing Cloud Computing refers to computing on the internet
- 31. Applications For Use In The Cloud Email Databases Storage Backup CRM Project Management
- 32. “How can I properly secure my mobile device?”
- 33. Secure Your Mobile Devices Set a password on your devices that is required to use Never connect to untrusted WiFi access points Don’t skip software updates Set up remote locate, lock and wipe services (available for almost all mobile devices)
- 34. “How can I make remote working successful for my business?”
- 35. How to Make Remote Working Successful Outline a remote-friendly training plan
- 36. How to Make Remote Working Successful Outline a remote-friendly training plan Assign an in office peer mentor for guidance
- 37. How to Make Remote Working Successful Outline a remote-friendly training plan Assign an in office peer mentor for guidance Communicate Frequently designate time for quarterly evaluations keep everything well documented note accomplishments along the way
- 38. How to Make Remote Working Successful Outline a remote-friendly training plan Assign an in office peer mentor for guidance Communicate Frequently designate time for quarterly evaluations keep everything well documented note accomplishments along the way Schedule face-to-face meetings
- 39. Special Offer Free Remote Access Consultation Send your contact info to: webinars@digeratigroup.com • Home Office/Remote Office Checklist to help you verify the home or remote office is a safe and productive environment for the employee to work. • Employee Agreement Template to outline the rules for your employees when working from home. • Employee Equipment Issue Agreement to outline the rules of use and maintenance for any computer equipment, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, printers, etc. that are issued to the employee working remote Bonus: Home Office Action Pack
- 40. Questions?
- 41. Thank you for joining us!
Editor's Notes
- Welcome and thank you for joining us for today’s webinar about how to take your business mobile and make telecommuting friendly. My name is Tim Geigner and I’m an account manager with Digerati Group. With me are Andrew and Gabe, who are also account managers. Let’s get started.
- Today we’re going to define what telecommuting is and how it can impact your business, we’ll outline the benefits of a business that can go mobile, how to take your business mobile, what kinds of technology you need to accomplish that, and some practices for making your remote work force a success.
- Telecommuting is a fancy word for allowing employees to work from home, in remote offices, or while on the road. While this is not a new concept, recent advancements in remote access technology and security have made it very affordable and easy for even small business owners. Why would a business want to do this? Some businesses are being forced to because they’ve run out of office space or to accommodate “road warriors.” But many are doing it for these other reasons…
- Telecommuting is a fancy word for allowing employees to work from home, in remote offices, or while on the road. While this is not a new concept, recent advancements in remote access technology and security have made it very affordable and easy for even micro business owners. Why would a business want to do this? Some businesses are being forced to because they’ve run out of office space or to accommodate “road warriors.” But many are doing it for these reasons… One of the biggest fears many business owners have about allowing people to work from home is the loss of control they have over that person. They believe that without someone standing over them, employees will goof off during work hours and become LESS productive. But the hard results prove very different… Telecommuting has grown at a steady 3% per year for more than 15 years. Currently, more than 23 million people are working from home at least one day a week. The increase in teleworking programs is no accident – it really IS working. Admittedly, original telecommuting experiments were “do-gooder” projects focused on being earth friendly and generating business savings by reducing use of high priced big city office space. However, when businesses started seeing how it drastically improved turnover and productivity, this “fad” became a hot trend.
- Business owners (and key managers) working 60+ hours a week are using it as a way to continue working after hours and on weekends from the convenience of their home office.
- Allowing employees to work from home means businesses can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills – and according to a recent survey of small businesses, nearly 40% of small and medium businesses have (or plan to) cut down office space and allow employees to work remotely from home to save money. Not only is this lowering overhead, but it’s making for happier employees who no longer have to fill their gas tanks.
- Telecommuting can actually increase employee productivity, lowers stress levels, and improve workforce retention. Contrary to what you may believe, employees who work from home tend to work more, not less. Because the computer is right there in their home, they will often put in extra hours during the evening and on weekends when they normally wouldn’t be able to access the network. Plus, employees working on detailed programs, graphics, and projects tend to get more done when they don’t have to deal with office distractions.
- Some companies are allowing their employees to work from home two or three days out of a week instead of giving them a raise – a bonus many will gladly take over more money. This also works well if you have limited office space because employees can rotate desk usage.
- It allows you to keep great employees that need or want to relocate, need to stay home to take care of a sick family member, or who are sick, injured, pregnant, or otherwise unable to physically come into the office.
- So let’s talk about how we get to a mobile-ready business setting.
- First, you want to define who you think can or should be able to work remotely in your business and how you want that mobile workforce to operate. Sales staff often work remotely, either due to cutting overhead costs or to keep them close to their territory, for instance. You also want to define what devices you want your mobile staff to have. These should be things or services that keep your remote workforce connected, like smart mobile devices, remote access software and internet access. You should also consider what you can move to the cloud, since cloud based services and environments are inherently congruent with a mobile workforce. And, obviously, your mobile workers are going to need internet access from wherever they’re working.
- Let’s talk in more detail about some of the benefits of a mobile workforce.
- Certainly, not every company needs a storefront or an office. The most obvious type of business that could go mobile is a sales-oriented one. by going mobile you can eliminate the cost of a brick-and-mortar office space and the infrastructure needed to keep it going by having employees work out of their homes and/or on the road. Imagine: no lease, no furniture, no utility bills. And with the right technology, your staff will be as connected as though they were in the office, but with the ability and likely the inclination to work beyond the normal 9-5 work hours. In addition, you mitigate the risk of a site disaster at the office, since your workforce is mobile and you’re likely invested in cloud-based technologies and services.
- Keeping your mobile workforce will require devices like smartphones and tablets. A VoIP phone system will keep phone costs at a minimum while an Intranet can centralize company resources and documents. Thin and zero clients like Pano devices can act as terminals into hosted servers so your workers can work innexpensively, while remote demonstration software like WebEx allows you to connect with clients and prospects. And, as ever, workers will need an internet connection.
- Smart Phones have reached the point of nearly being ubiquitous, so you have several options for what to get.
- Smartphones combine the functionality of PDAs, wireless PCs, phones, and even digital cameras in one handset, making them a powerful business tool. Many smartphones offer functions and apps so you can remain productive no matter where you go. smartphone handsets can function as personal organizers, with electronic diaries, contact lists, and automatic reminders Personal organizer: Note-taking and calendar apps with reminders help you stay organized and make sure you don't forget important tasks. Faster communication - web access is quicker than in previously available mobiles, making it easier to access e-mail and information from the Net. Some models and carriers offer an 'always-on' internet access service making connection easier
- The Apple iPad does not run Adobe Flash. If your small business must access sites or applications that only run with Flash, you should avoid the iPad as it will become a source of never-ending frustration. That said, since Apple has sold millions of iPads, there is no shortage of apps and websites that conform to the next generation HTML5 specification and can deliver Flash-like experiences without actually using Adobe Flash. Also from an App developer perspective, Apple does allow Adobe's AIR, which is essentially a Flash runtime to be embedded inside of apps. That means that if a developer really wants to, they can just go the AIR route, build a native iPad app and deliver the same experience. all three tablets (minus the ipad) can be found on buytech.com,
- Tablets offer a lot of the same functionality of smartphones, but because of their size and power, they can do a lot more as well. They’re essentially a handheld computer, that allows for note taking, video conferencing, and with the right applications can even serve as a mobile demonstration device for presentations.
- I mentioned voice over internet protocol systems, but let’s dig a bit deeper.
- Regardless of the size of your business, uninterrupted voice communication is important. VoIP typically includes: caller ID, call transfer, find-me follow-me, auto attendant, voicemail, call forwarding, fax to email. Many systems can also integrate with soft phones, meaning that your mobile workers can make their calls with a simple headset and their computer at home. Soft phones can also be loaded onto smart phones, meaning you don’t need to require mobile workers to use their cell minutes just to function. From the perspective of the person being called, they don’t see any of this. All they see is John Doe from ABC Inc. calling, whether John is calling from the office, his softphone on his desktop, or the softphone on his cell.
- An intranet allows you to centralize company documents and resources. It’s a single location accessible only by your authorized workers where they can get the documents and information they need. Let’s take a look at typical uses of an intranet.
- Document publishing management - delivering information and business news as directories and web documents, viewing, printing and working collaboratively on office documents such as spreadsheets reduction in paperwork - forms can be accessed and completed on the desktop, and then forwarded as appropriate for approval, without ever having to be printed out, and with the benefit of an audit trail sharing of resources and best practice - a virtual community can be created to facilitate information sharing and collaborative working training - accessing and delivering various types of e-learning to the user's desktop workflow - automating a range of administrative processes front-end to corporate systems - providing a common interface to corporate databases and business information systems email - integrating intranet content with email services so that information can be distributed effectively
- Zero client terminals like Panologic devices are low cost, low resource terminals that allow you to connect to a remote desktop through an internet connection. They are simply built because they don’t require much in the way of resources. They often have little to no processor, RAM, or hard drive…because they don’t need it (explain further). These are ideal for mobile workers because they let the worker do everything he/she needs to do, but they have a long life cycle with few mechanical issues.
- Have a clearly defined plan for what should happen, before, during, and after the meeting.
- So now let’s discuss the most effective ways to connect your workers and their devices.
- The more resources you put in the cloud with a competent cloud services provider, the easier and more productive your mobile workforces are going to find operating. Most small businesses may have servers in their offices, and most will also have a method for remoting into those servers….but they don’t have the redundant bandwidth providers, security provisions, backup and DR plans, and support staff of a competent cloud service provider. Going with that kind of service is going to minimize interruption of your mobile workforce.
- I mentioned “Cloud computing” which is becoming prevalent enough that we’ve probably all heard it mentioned. There are commercials for consumer grade products that mention the cloud, businesses are using it more and more, and so on. But, like many aspects of emerging technology, it helps to understand what we’re dealing with before deciding if it’s something beneficial for our individual companies.
- Cloud computing basically refers to “computing on the internet” What does “ computing on the Internet?” mean? We simply mean that you can log onto a website or remote location to do whatever you might normally do on a local PC or local server. Cloud computing lets us do all of our computing on the Internet as a viable alternative to buying, installing, upgrading, uploading, downloading, backing up and otherwise maintaining local machines that can limit the way we work and what resources are available to us.
- These are some of the common applications we see businesses offloading to the cloud.
- Treat mobile devices similar to the way you would treat your computer. Set your phone to lock, or time out, after a certain period of inactivity, requiring a password to get back in. All of the major smartphone operating systems support this function. You'll want your password to be something hard for you to forget and easy to type since you'll enter it frequently throughout the day, yet difficult for someone else to guess. Remote wipe, plus the aforementioned password protection, is the bare minimum that most IT departments will require, although the specific steps you'll need to take very much depend on the level of security at your company. Devices like the iPhone, iPad and Blackberry can be remotely tracked, messaged, locked and even wiped: Remote wipe means that if your phone is lost or stolen, you can remotely clear all of your data--including e-mail, contacts, texts, and documents--off of the handset, thus keeping that information out of the wrong hands. You or your IT department can set this feature up for any of the major OSs, as well as use Microsoft Exchange to wipe the device (provided that you have an Exchange account). Those people without Exchange accounts or IT departments have other, simpler options.
- Let’s talk now about how to make all of this remote functionality benefit your business.
- Helping establish a plan for employees who travel often or have to work from home for extended periods of time is crucial. First it is important to make sure they are fully equipped with remote working essentials: a good internet connection (a backup if possible) a secure laptop or computer, phone (smart/softphone) , It is also helpful to recommend that they schedule their day out of for greater efficiency, set limits for work by designating a start and end time each day. Also suggesting that they simplify their schedule. One of the pitfalls of working from home is the tendency to try too hard in order to prove your really working. This can result in doing too much. By simplifying your tasks you are able to do what you really need to get done each day.
- Don’t neglect your remote workers. The old saying "out of sight, out of mind" may not really be true in practice, but it can feel that way to remote workers who aren't physically in the room at staff meetings and chatting with co-workers. Even if your usual on-boarding process is largely self-guided, ask any recent hires and, if they're honest, they'll tell you that they spend a lot of time learning from others in the cubicle or office next door. Assigning an in office peer mentor can help the remoter worker feel more part of the team, keep them up to speed on new processes, news, etc.
- Communication is key whether in office or not. For those who are frequently out be sure to designate specific times of the day for questions, concerns, new info, etc.
- Face to face meeting with your mobile staff can give you ear to any issues or problems your mobile workers might be facing. These will likely be similar to in the office staff meetings.
- At no charge, we will come to your office to review your current situation, business practices and needs and provide recommendations on how you can quickly and easily set up remote access for you and your staff. We will also discuss your options, clarify any grey areas, and answer any questions you have. We will also map out the costs and steps involved so you know exactly what to expect. You are under no obligations to do or buy anything; this is simply our way of introducing our services to you and demonstrating how we can make your remote access project a complete success. If you sign up for a consultation by Friday, June 29th we will include a FREE “Home Office Action Pack” just for meeting with us! This package include: Home Office/Remote Office Checklist to help you verify the home or remote office is a safe and productive environment for the employee to work. Employee Agreement Template to outline the rules for your employees when working from home. Employee Equipment Issue Agreement to outline the rules of use and maintenance for any computer equipment, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, printers, etc. that are issued to the employee working remote.