By David Clare, Managing Director at The Monarchs
After working for almost a decade in hybrid workplaces, I knew that when setting up my own company, it would be a wholly remote business. Nevertheless, it was an easy decision to make; I’dI’d seen it work before, even before the pandemic.
Now that the conversation has switched to “should we return to the office”? I can confidently respond by saying no, the ship has sailed. The advantages of remote and hybrid working models are numerous for both the business owner and employees.
At The Monarchs, we all work remotely. That doesn’t mean working from home, it means working from anywhere. We keep in touch with daily check-up calls where we talk about priorities of the day, whereabouts and challenges. And we meet quarterly for in-person meetings that can be two to five days long, depending on our schedules and projects. At these, we work together, run workshops, and we, of course, socialise over dinner, theatre shows, and most importantly, each other’s company
Our lack of an office ensures a reduced work cost for the company as we don’t think about rent, especially energy and gas bill these days. The money we save we invest in hosting great quarterly meetings, ensuring we have the best tools and services, and better equipment for our team with a top-notch tech stack.
Many studies have shown that remote working is beloved by many because they find themselves more productive. Building a healthy work environment will ensure that the people will work productively and deliver results. Having employees that are confident in their ability, have full autonomy over their work, and are relaxed and happy will make for a much better culture and working environment.
Another benefit of the remote model is allowing you to have an international team. A diverse group brings you a multilingual staff that will enable you to grow your business in more parts of the world and increases your knowledge in local markets. Another plus is that this is possible to have a company that is open 24 hours a day because of the different time zones. Sure, there will be more travel costs when getting together or travelling to client meetings, but this is easily offset from the lack of office.
The international team will help with personal and professional growth as you learn about many cultures and increase the diversity in your group. In addition, the team will have the opportunity to grow their general knowledge and discover new cultures, ways of working, and traditions. Finally, by broadening their worldview, you will have experienced global-minded people.
Of course, not everyone has a home where they’re able to recreate a traditional office. However, the main thing people need is an area which allows for some peace and quiet, allowing people to enter the right headspace to work. Furthermore, remote working does not mean working from home; employees are free to work from anywhere. As an employer, you could even give people incentives to create the best place to work in.
A huge benefit of this model is the complete removal of any sort of commute. If you are working from home, you can have a much more relaxed morning, healthier homecooked meals, and more free time to spend exercising, relaxing, or simply being more present in their personal life and nurturing their relationships.
The financial cost of the commute also disappears, meaning more disposable income for employees. Less fuel costs also mean less carbon footprint. By hosting your team remotely, no matter where in the world, you’ll be saving a significant amount of travel and emissions.
we, as a global community, had to go through a global pandemic to change our views about a much comfortable work environment. However, it is reassuring to see that people are fighting for their right to work from anywhere and feel empowered to make such requests.
With this in mind, the only way forward is a hybrid offering, at the very least, where those who choose to work from home can, and those who prefer the office may have that option too. We’ve chosen to go a step further and offer our employees the to work from anywhere.
Uma Rajagopal has been managing the posting of content for multiple platforms since 2021, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune. Her role ensures that content is published accurately and efficiently across these diverse publications.