establishing the virtual office

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Establishing the Virtual Office BatchBlue Software We Mean Business Conference November 5, 2007

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Page 1: Establishing the Virtual Office

Establishing the Virtual Office

BatchBlue Software

We Mean Business Conference

November 5, 2007

Page 2: Establishing the Virtual Office

Intro to BatchBlue

• Pamela O’Hara, President; Michelle Riggen-Ransom, Communications Director

• Working parents, .com veterans

• Telecommuters

• Lifestyle company focusing on small businesses

• Organize Your Business. Live Your Life.

• Our employees have lives!

• Pregnant

Page 3: Establishing the Virtual Office

BatchBabies (well, 2 of 8)

Page 4: Establishing the Virtual Office

The Workplace of the Future

• 2007 Survey* of 1,000 small business owners showed 42% would find survival without wireless technology a major challenge.

• 55% indicated they expect to depend on wireless technology even more two years from now.

• 61% percent said they were likely to conduct business while away from the office.

• 56% percent believe it's important to have flexibility to mix work with personal business in their daily routine.

• Half (49%) said they are optimistic about wireless technology giving their business a competitive advantage.

* source AT&T Small Business survey conducted July-August 2007

Page 5: Establishing the Virtual Office

Working Virtually

• Telecommuting - What is it?

• Working full-time from your home or…– Checking e-mail from home– Checking e-mail on cell phones, Blackberries,

Palm Pilots etc.– Accessing on-line business bank accounts – Having 24/7 access to your tools and data– Hence “The workplace of the future”

Page 6: Establishing the Virtual Office

Telecommuting

• What are you doing?

Page 7: Establishing the Virtual Office

Benefits

• Flexible schedule• Balance life commitments• Family hours • Alternative work arrangements

– Injuries, travel• 24/7 access to information• Better for the environment - no commute!• Security/Safety

– Natural disasters– Theft – Lost laptops

Page 8: Establishing the Virtual Office

Drawbacks

• Not for everyone – need discipline and focus• Can’t micro-manage• Lose face time• Feeling disconnected from the team• Ability to unplug• No place to host clients, interviewees, etc.• Information in many places (office, home,

mobile)

Page 9: Establishing the Virtual Office

Coming Up with a Plan

1. Requesting remote work

2. Managing virtual employees

3. Starting a virtual company

Page 10: Establishing the Virtual Office

Requesting Remote Work

• Technology is making remote work more feasible for more companies

• Companies will need to be more flexible

• Present a written plan– Availability– Contact info– Coverage

Page 11: Establishing the Virtual Office

Successful Telecommuting

• Overcommunicate but

• Make emails short, to the point with good subject lines

• Offer to take meeting notes during conference calls

• Encourage everyone to use an instant messaging service

Page 12: Establishing the Virtual Office

Managing Virtual Employees

• 1-1 meeting

• Weekly touch-ins with the team

• Be accessible

• Judge employees by productivity, not hours

• Good job descriptions

• Foster a community – Coffee shop, nights out, online network

Page 13: Establishing the Virtual Office

Starting a Virtual Company

• Finding the right people– Disciplined, self-motivated– Problem can be working TOO much

• Setting the right tone– Expectations of work schedule – Expectations of communications

• Surrogate Space– Coffee shop, restaurant, co-working

• Finding the right tools

Page 14: Establishing the Virtual Office

Finding the Right Tools

Online software/SaaS– What is it?– Concerns

• Data security• More secure than the average small (or sometimes

large) company’s environment

– Advantages• Data is available from anywhere, anytime• Data is secure• Data is backed up

Page 15: Establishing the Virtual Office

Software available

Communications• Tracking all communications between staff,

customers, suppliers, etc.

Business Management• The work of your business

Admin • Keep the shop running • World doesn’t need to know your location

Page 16: Establishing the Virtual Office

Communications Software

• Instant messaging – Skype, Yahoo, AIM, Google Talk

• Voicemail/Conference Calling – the Conference Center, WebEx, Vello

• Wiki - trak

• E-mail - Gmail, Yahoo, iMail, Webmail

Page 17: Establishing the Virtual Office

Business Management Software

• Project Management - Basecamp

• Document sharing – Skype, Google Docs, WebEx

• CRM/Contact Management - BatchBook

• Customer Communications - Constant Contact, Zoomerang

• Customer service - Copilot

• Industry software – what are folks using?

Page 18: Establishing the Virtual Office

Administrative Tools

• Accounting – Freshbooks, QuickBooks online, Cashview, online banking

• Calendar - Google calendars

• Knowledgebase - Lore

• Mail delivery - FedEx, UPS Store

Page 19: Establishing the Virtual Office

Setting Up a Home Office

• Computer– Purchase and set-up– Maintenance

• Internet Connection

• Ergonomics

• Security

• Tax information

Page 20: Establishing the Virtual Office

Local Networking

• Find local groups– Colleges – Government

• EDC, BIF

• Small Business– Chambers

• Industry– Geeks, Ladies Who Launch

• Don’t forget Boston

Page 21: Establishing the Virtual Office

Online Networks

• Small Business– SmallBusiness.com – RI resources– Bank of America – Small Business Online Community

• Professional Networking– Linked In– FaceBook– Sassy Ladies

• Industry– RI Nexus

Page 22: Establishing the Virtual Office

It’s Worth It!

• It can be done if you:– Are flexible; learn new things– Are organized; manage your data– Are communicative; ask for help

• Good for you, good for employees

• Good for the planet!

Page 23: Establishing the Virtual Office

Questions & Resources

• Any questions?

• Visit www.batchblue.com/presentations for link of resources and copy of presentation

Thanks!