The modern digital world means companies are less tied to the traditional structure of hiring full-time, local employees. IT solutions enabled them to collaborate with remote or freelance workers from anywhere in the world, presenting the opportunity to tap into expert work while saving on costs of salaries, benefits, office supplies, and more.
If your company has been looking for ways to trim its budget without losing quality, remote or freelance employees might just be an answer.
How IT Is Making Remote Work a Viable Business Option
Think about what makes your business flow. Your day-to-day work likely contains meetings, calendars, internet connections, information sharing, collaborative documents and projects, content management systems, databases, and other digital business tools — all accessed from a desk in a cubicle or office.
The rise of IT means much of your work could likely be conducted from anywhere with an internet connection. Getting team members into a collaborative, organized mindset no longer requires physically looking over their shoulders to ensure productivity. Digital solutions abound, including:
- High-speed, secure internet connections that allow all members to complete their work digitally.
- Video conferencing to help non-office members join essential meetings and discussions.
- Chat programs enabling team members to ask questions, give comments, or even get to know each other.
- Project management software to organize projects, improve workflow, and keep team members looped in on current status and next steps.
- Collaborative document options that allow employees to work on projects simultaneously.
- Databases that can be accessed from anywhere, tracking company metrics, clients, and projects.
- Secure logins to protect company information.
Real-time IT support mean companies no longer need to incur the costs involved in staffing solely in-office workers. This saves more resources than one might think, too.
The Savings Involved in Hiring Remote
Consider the expenses involved in hiring a full-time employee. He or she needs a salary, paid time off, gas stipends, a phone, phone number, computer, internet connection, digital security and virus protection, subscriptions to Adobe or Microsoft Office, supplies, printing resources, electric and water usage, and other company-issued goods like business cards or branded clothing.
It’s safe to say these things add up.
Now consider the costs involved in paying a remote freelancer with the same skills, experience, and passion for creating an eye-catching end product. The only difference is that he or she performs the same work at a fraction of the cost.
Freelance workers charge by the hour or project, meaning your firm saves the cost of a salary. They sign up for their own benefits, provide their own internet, security, and supplies, and pay for their individual daily needs. Your company offers access to databases, work accounts, and other software — sometimes shelling out additional fees to add an account to those services — but the costs are minimal compared to those of hiring someone in-house.
Imagine the impact your company could have allocating those saved dollars toward other innovative solutions.
The Bottom Line
IT has made it possible to hire the best workers from anywhere in the world, without breaking your company’s budget. If you’re interested in learning more about how IT enables remote work, or whether it could save your firm some extra money, contact an IT specialist today.
