We are right in the middle of a bit of a flexible working revolution. More employees than ever are starting to work from home a few days a week or are working from trains and hotel rooms, to have things work around their lifestyle. In fact, by next year, it is predicted that around thirty per cent of people will be working freelance or working remotely, the majority of the time. The people that are currently doing it are talking about the benefits and the better work and life balance, where they can get life admin done, and things like caring for children or elderly relatives, as well as being able to provide. It can save commuting time and costs, which can make for a much-less stressed workforce, and a more energized workforce. But the advantages to you as an employer aren’t always as obvious, as they do need to be looked at more long-term. 

So would your business benefit from a more flexible way of working, where it gives your team, as well as yourself, the chance to work from home and work flexibly? Here are a few of the reasons why it should be something that you should consider adopting, as it could boost your small business in a number of ways. 

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Improved employee retention

One massive thing that costs a lot of money, for businesses of any size, is recruitment. It can take up time, resources, and money, and it is something that can be tougher for small businesses, as things are so strained anyway (whereas large companies have a whole team that will deal with recruitment). There are some outdated things that can make current team members look for work elsewhere, and one of those things is the opportunity to work flexibly. So if you want to stay current with your team, then it needs to be an option for them. Life can change for people, and in order to have an enhanced work and life balance, then it needs to be considered as a way to keep employees with you. 

Travel

On a similar note, the chance to work flexibly can help your business if it is a business that involves a lot of client meetings, and even a lot of travel to manufacturers and so on. Those days of travel can be completely wasted days if you let them. But if people are set up to work remotely, then they can access a business network as they travel. VPNs like Betternet are things that are frequently used by business travelers so that they can get onto their business’ network when not in the office. Plus, if you are going abroad, it means you can get onto your home county’s network, as certain things will only be able to be done in this way.

Lower costs

For any small business, saving money is going to be key to your profit. But there aren’t that many things that you can do to cut costs, except that flexible working is one of them. If you normally rent a large office space, you could rent a smaller one if you make it mandatory that people have to work from home twice a week, for example. That can be a huge saving.