Switching to Remote Work: A Simple Guide
In 1995, Kathy Durfee started TechHouse. She needed to work from home due to family obligations and her job didn’t allow it. Now, over 20 years later, many of us are working from home.
What has TechHouse learned?
Stay Connected
You don’t need to be in the office to work together.
Use contact management systems like Dynamics 365 or Power Platform to keep track of everyone’s contact info. This becomes your central address book.
Next, keep track of what everyone is doing. Record emails, phone calls, tasks, and appointments. This way, everyone knows what’s happening. You can even track inbound emails automatically for some contacts or employees.
Use workflows to follow tasks and data. When one step is done, the next one starts automatically. Everyone can see where things are at and what needs to be done next.
Lastly, use alerts and reports to keep everyone informed. This ensures everyone can see what is going well and where help is needed.
Move to Cloud Apps
While the cloud didn’t exist in 1995, it has certainly made remote work easier!
QuickBooks Desktop can be moved to QuickBooks Online. There might be some issues if you use advanced features like inventory tracking or multi-company features, but QuickBooks has tools to help with the move.
Microsoft Access apps also need to be moved. This is a bit more complex and there’s no set tool or path. You’ll need to move data and forms separately. It might be easier to start fresh with PowerApps.
The Human Side of Remote Work
Working remotely isn’t just about tech. It’s also about people. We need to communicate and support each other.
At TechHouse, we stay connected in three ways:
- We chat for an hour every week.
- We meet in person once a month for a day and twice a year for two days.
- We make sure everyone gets a chance to speak in meetings using round-robin and similar approaches.
Work-Life Balance
Working from home can mix up work and personal time. It’s important to have a regular schedule and clear boundaries.
In the end, remote work can be great for everyone if we address both the tech and human sides of it. Let’s do this together!
