Working remotely is, of course, very different from running a business from a stable, bricks and mortar location. It opens up plenty of new opportunities but it can also come with challenges – one of those is keeping your back office running smoothly while you work from anywhere and everywhere in the world. So, how can your company keep things together effectively?
It’s no secret that remote working is becoming more and more common (and now thanks to COVID-19!). In 2015, a survey conducted by AfterCollege found that 68% of their millennial respondents were more likely to increase their interest in an employer if they offer remote working as an option (which is now turning out to be true!)
It’s great to have freedom in the way that you work and where you work but it can be all too easy for that freedom to be a free pass to neglect other areas of your business, such as all the responsibilities that come with running your back office. After all, if care isn’t taken, it’s easy to work on the things you love about your business and let other aspects fall by the wayside.
The operation of your back office can have a direct impact on your brand
A back office is the backbone of any organisation. Without it, businesses crumble and that is obvious when things start to get overlooked. Not sending out invoices on time? Taking too long to pay your suppliers? Waiting until you get prompted from your employees or contractors to pay them? All of these things have a negative effect on the way you are perceived – your organisation brand starts to suffer. No business is exempt from having an employer brand but all businesses have a chance to control their brand and to gain a good reputation. Failing to pay your people on time or cooperate with suppliers are missteps that will have a ripple effect further than you can see.
If your business (and you) have a reputation for being unreliable, hard to reach and a little complacent, it’s likely that you will struggle to find suppliers wanting to work with you and it will be even more difficult to find great employees who are willing to put their livelihoods into your hands.
The solution? Delegation.
Delegation is every employer’s best friend but in the case of keeping your back office running smoothly, it actually could be the difference between the success or failure of your business. It’s valuable to understand how your back office operates but there’s no need for you or your employers to always be the ones who operate it.
So, why does it pay to delegate?
- When you have someone taking care of your back-office needs, you’re free to be chin-deep in the work that you really love doing. Not everyone has the skill set to manage the back office of a business and that’s okay – the sooner we all acknowledge it, the better. Instead of ignoring it or wishing it would go away, simply delegate to people/companies who love getting their hands dirty in back-office operations; everyone wins!
- Even if you do happen to like getting involved in the back office, the simple fact of the matter is that it can be time-consuming. It’s just another thing to do in the never-ending list. Instead of being pulled in a thousand directions each day, stay on task and let someone else handle the things that slow your day down. This includes your back office.
For instance, at Pendragon, we are happy to outsource our IT as that would take us hours, or in fact forever to solve, if we didn’t outsource. So, why not outsource all of your back-office processes that you do not like doing, to keep your office running smoothly?
Keeping your back office running smoothly is all about being a reliable, trustworthy and efficient business that your suppliers’ clients and employees will trust. Start neglecting this area of your business and you’re likely to find yourself in quicksand sooner or later. Maintaining an efficient office means staying on top of things.
If you’re ready to get your back office running smoothly, Pendragon can help you to manage everything so that you can really focus on your work. To know more about outsourcing your back-office responsibilities, don’t hesitate to contact us… or reach us at [email protected]
Contributing Advisors
Myles CulmerDirector, BDO Advisory Services