The COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized how businesses operate and popularized remote work as most employees worked from home. While the pandemic is no longer an issue, many companies have retained the work-from-home policy to save costs, boost employee productivity and maintain business continuity.

Here are some must-have remote work tools to make working remotely easier and more productive.

1. Project Management Tools

Project management tools allow you to manage your projects effectively and collaborate with other team members. You can create tasks and assign workloads to other team members, track progress, and set deadlines. Project management tools also enable real-time communication and file sharing. Consider the following project management tools for your remote work:

• Asana
• Trello
• Basecamp
• Monday.com
• Microsoft projects

2. Time Management Tools

Telecommuters are subject to distractions. As such, a time management tool is necessary to help you stay grounded and ensure you complete all your tasks on time. You can also use time management tools to prioritize tasks, schedule your work, set goals, and monitor your time usage. They also provide an excellent way to know how long it takes for a job to be completed. Some of the time management tools you can consider when working remotely include:

• RescueTime
• Toggl
• Google Calendar
• DeskTime
• ToDoist

For remote employees, time management and tracking tools foster accountability, transparency and reduce stress.

3. Cloud Storage

Working remotely requires you to have the ability to easily access and share files wherever you are. Cloud storage is among the most important remote work tools for keeping your documents and files safe. It also saves you space and costs and makes data recovery easier after a loss.

Since you store your files in the cloud, you can retrieve them whenever you want as long as you have an internet connection.

Besides file storage and sharing, these tools allow you to collaborate with other team members, track any changes, and make edits together. Depending on your storage needs and budget, here are popular common cloud storage options:

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• OneDrive

4. Communication Tools

The key to successfully working remotely lies in good communication. Whether you are getting in touch with your team members or employer, having a communication tool ensures that you are always on the same page, regardless of your location. What’s more, most of the available communication tools support multiple users at a time, making meetings a breeze. Examples include:

• Zoom
• Skype
• Slack
• Google Meet

The good thing about these tools is that you can share your screen, record meetings, and send messages instantly.

With the above remote work tools, you can stay on top of your work, enjoy a better work-life balance, and boost your productivity in the long run.

Remote work is here to stay for many businesses. Since it was so effective at cutting costs and providing social distancing during the pandemic, many firms have adopted it as a new norm. A strategic way to maximize remote work is to communicate with remote workers through periodic performance reviews.

How Remote Work Makes Worker Evaluation Difficult

“Dunbar’s number” theory suggests people have a limit of about 150 relationships they can manage. With online jobs, a company might have hundreds or thousands of remote workers. Dunbar’s number falls to 50 when it comes to remote or hybrid work. These dynamics present significant challenges for communication with remote workers.

Fairness in the Remote Performance Review

Modern employers that offer online or hybrid work must emphasize fairness and flexibility. Since labor shortages can occur when workers suffer job burnout, it’s crucial to show team members you care about their well-being.

Academic organizations have long used a work performance system called Organizational Network Analysis (ONA). This model allows for team members to ask each other questions and offer advice. It further allows for objective positive or negative commentary. The data-driven ONA approach reveals which players want to be major or minor contributors.

Steps Toward Meaningful Remote Worker Evaluations

Follow these steps on making evaluations worthwhile for the company to help determine the best talent:

1. Prepare each review by gathering relevant employee documents
2. Schedule the employee review and let them know what to expect
3. Take notes during the meeting
4. Advise the worker on improving performance
5. Use reality-based evidence to support your evaluation

At the end of the meeting find out the best time to meet with them on a regular basis to reiterate goals and measure progress.

Tips for Successful Remote Performance Evaluation

Here are major keys to making remote performance evaluations valuable for your operation:

• Avoid judgmental language
• Be clear in your communication
• Learn about each worker’s background
• Emphasize your company’s culture and core values

An emerging fresh approach to performance evaluation is the performance appraisal method. It involves tracking performance metrics on a regular basis. Offering monetary incentives for achieving goals is a reliable way to stimulate team spirit.

Summary

Managers can build a loyal and productive remote team by interacting with workers through performance reviews. The key is to view workers as assets. Successful team building means identifying and rewarding the talent that matches your company goals.

Forming a business partnership is one of the keys to building a successful entrepreneurship. Two teams working together can often generate more productive results for both groups. Here are essential insights to consider before partnering with another business.

Why a business partnership requires research

You should know a potential partner’s business reputation and financial history before entering an agreement. You can be held liable for a business partner’s actions, especially if you collaborate on manufacturing, distribution or promotion.

Questions to ask when considering business partners

Here are some questions to ask about the capabilities and reliability of potential business partners:

1. What are the owner’s qualifications? – Does the owner have expertise is their field or do they have limited knowledge? Another consideration is if they’re already part of a business network.
2. Can the company continue to operate without its owner? – If the owner were to die or become disabled, there should be a successor in place.
3. What are issues involved in partnering with a family business? – Find out which children of the owner, if any, plan to stay in the business. It’s also helpful to know if the owner has a life insurance policy that lists children as beneficiaries of the business.
4. How does the owner plan to retire? – An owner with a clear retirement plan is usually more financially stable to work with.

Keys to working cohesively with partners

It’s important for each partner to know their responsibilities and commit to them. Dividing responsibilities among the operations should be based on existing strengths and weaknesses. The ideal partnership allows both parties to participate in ways that help each other grow. There should be enjoyment and flexibility in the relationship to allow for creative collaboration and mistakes.

Short-term vs. long-term effects from a partnership

Part of building a successful entrepreneurship is assessing both the short-term and long-term effects of business decisions. Forming a partnership can impact your organization’s perception among the public, as well as financial obligations. Be clear on the roles and insurance responsibilities of each partner to avoid surprises.

Conclusion

Your entrepreneurship goals can accelerate with the help of a business partner. It’s wise to avoid rushing into a partnership and first learn the entity’s background, goals and financial outlook. Once you’ve concluded the candidate would be a great fit for your business with minimal risks, then you can unite and begin collaborating.

More than 30% of job applicants find new opportunities through referrals and professional connections. Successful networking can open doors to unexpected opportunities that would otherwise prove out of reach. However, you should understand the differences between networking and randomly meeting new people on a night out. Below are a few things you should know to benefit from successful networking.

How to Make Networking Easier

Starting conversations with new people in an organized setting is certainly nerve-wracking. Introverts specifically find it challenging to approach and chat with strangers. However, you should proactively reach out to others to find new opportunities, investors, partners, and employees. Networking is also a primary tool for businesses to gather feedback. Below are a few ways you can make networking easier:

• Prepare appropriate conversation openers – you should consider the context of your networking opportunity and prepare in advance.
• Ask follow-up questions – asking follow-up questions helps keep the conversation alive after the introduction statements. Take advantage of the fact that most people like talking about themselves. While at it, be an active listener and deploy tactical empathy.
• Don’t give up – like other skills; you get better with networking skills with more practice.

Finding the Right People When Networking

While connections are beneficial, knowing the right people to connect with can prove challenging. Below are some tips for finding the right people when networking:

• Visualize your goals – networking is only beneficial if you know your goals for networking. Knowing what you want to achieve helps you focus on meeting the right people.
• Research professionals before meeting them – technology and social media have made it easier to find out more about professionals before contacting them.
• Focus on developing friendships – networking becomes easier if you focus on becoming friends. Interact with people socially before advancing your requests.

Importance of Networking and Making Connections

Networking is beneficial in the following ways:

• Presents new opportunities – connecting with new people opens the door for new career and business opportunities.
• Support from high-profile persons
• Boosts self-confidence – meeting and interacting with new people builds self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Develops long-lasting beneficial relationships – while networking might prove difficult at first, mutual connections can lead to long-lasting relationships, which might benefit your career or business.
• It makes you noticeable – those seeking publicity for business or political benefits can leverage networking.

Conclusion

Networking is good for job seekers and entrepreneurs. However, most people make the mistake of networking only when they urgently need something. Ideally, you should network before there’s a need to network. Doing this allows you to connect naturally with different people in your field without your networks thinking you want to use them.

Remote and hybrid work continued to grow in 2022, since it’s a good idea for cost-cutting. Thanks to cloud computing, remote work has contributed to business continuity through the pandemic. Here are developing trends that will impact the workplace in 2023.

How the workplace looked in 2022

A recent Gallup survey of over 8,000 employees found 6 percent wanted to only work in-office. Many professionals of various industries have found that working from home allows them the flexibility and work-life balance they desire.

The rising cost of living forced many Americans to demand higher wages the past few years. In 2022 employees gained leverage by further demanding safer and less stressful workplace conditions. Labor shortages for specific skillsets have forced employers to be more cognizant of employee concerns, health and well-being.

What common trends we’re seeing about how the workplace will look in 2023

Micro-training will be the key for many job seekers finding new work in 2023. That means taking quick courses on industry-specific skills emphasizing the basics. A key focus of people pursuing new careers should be to pick something they can learn quickly at an affordable price.

Instead of pursuing a four-year degree, individuals entering new fields should concentrate on certifications and meeting employer requirements. Jumping into software development can start with coding bootcamps.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has identified “productivity paranoia” as a common trend among employers, leading to the deployment of increased digital surveillance. But many professionals now want to avoid overbearing workplaces. A Gympass survey found that in 2022 nearly half of employees saw their well-being decline.

What this could mean for the job market and employment in the new year

Job growth has been strong the past year, along with employers paying closer attention to workplace flexibility and work-life balance. Despite the abundance of job openings in 2022, economic uncertainties such as a possible recession present challenges for many businesses. Big tech companies have already planned to lay off thousands of employees in 2023.

Nevertheless, positive trends affecting employees and the workplace persist. Rising wages, salary transparency and better benefits all factor into what will be meaningful career opportunities for both new and experienced professionals.

Conclusion

While 2022 was an optimistic year for career-minded workers, 2023 poses economic challenges for both employers and employees. The most resilient businesses have focused on choosing the right talent and technology to streamline their operations.

Coworking spaces have gained much attention in the business world due to the rapid rise of their popularity. These spaces are known for their unique designs, including wide-open office layouts and relaxing work areas for people from various fields. Coworking is a crucial part of the business strategy for an entrepreneur, and it can make the difference between success and failure.

What is a Coworking Space?

A coworking space is an office that is employer-independent. Entrepreneurs and employees of different companies can work in traditional office settings. This movement developed and grew throughout the early 2000s and accelerated significantly following COVID-19. As coworking becomes more popular, large companies are reducing office space costs and encouraging employees to work from home.

Advantages of Using Coworking Spaces as a Business Owner

So, how will a coworking space improve a business owner’s chances of success?

1. Sense of community

A coworking space provides business owners a sense of community they may miss while working from home. A coworking space allows them to interact with like-minded individuals and gain a rounded perspective.

2. Improves creativity and productivity

Business owners can develop the most creative solutions when they interact with others. The experience of working with multiple teams in different fields and industries can provide you with new perspectives and thought processes. A fast-paced office environment may motivate some entrepreneurs, especially if their colleagues are also productive.

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is the main benefit of coworking spaces since it has a wide range of different office and desk layouts that you can choose from to suit your specific needs. Considering that many people and teams share office spaces, your business can easily adjust its coworking plan to accommodate fewer or more employees and only pay for what they need.

4. Networking opportunities

Coworking spaces are social environments that create meaningful connections when workers interact and share ideas. It is incredible how quickly a simple problem-solving conversation can develop into a business opportunity, and a friendly working relationship can grow into a closer friendship.

How Coworking Is Quickly Becoming the Future of Workspaces in Many Career Fields

It’s undeniable that the workplace is changing. Even before the global pandemic, companies were increasingly embracing remote working, and it’s now a trend. But that’s not all. In a time where technology is propelling businesses forward, hybrid work structures are taking root, and coworking spaces are thriving, today’s workplace looks very different than it did years ago.

Coworking spaces play an essential role in supporting the future of work since they are ideal for hybrid work. Coworking spaces have seen rapid growth, which is expected to continue. In addition, these spaces offer business perks and benefits that are becoming increasingly important to entrepreneurs today.

Conclusion

Coworking spaces can play an essential role in the future of workspaces. Through these spaces, business owners foster collaboration by sharing knowledge, collaborating, and supporting one another. There is no doubt that coworking spaces will play an essential role in the future of work due to their many benefits.

While running a business during economic uncertainty is challenging, it is also a unique opportunity for businesses to grow by providing innovative solutions. This guide help business owners figure out what to prioritize and consider as they navigate a challenging and uncertain national and worldwide economic situation.

The desire to become an entrepreneur is admirable, but like any significant venture, it takes time and work. You need the right ingredients to succeed as an entrepreneur. So, if you’re considering starting your business, here are the ingredients of successful entrepreneurship.

Successful business depends on strong leadership and workplace improvement. Management must aim for streamlining approaches to make the operation as efficient as possible. Without regular tracking of employee performance, a business can fall behind on its goals. Here’s why it pays off to make workplace efficiency a central theme.

Email marketing is the most effective way to engage and reach your customers. With projected revenue of over $10 billion in 2023, email marketing is a powerful tool to grow your business revenue. The adoption of automation significantly increases the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. If you are a small business owner, here are the best email marketing practices you should keep in mind.