Since social distancing requirements began in the US, many companies have turned to remote work to continue their daily duties. After seeing how remote work could save money for a company, many business owners have considered making remote work the norm for their employees. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding whether your team needs a physical office, or whether they can work from their homes.

Do you have client meetings?

Client meetings that occur in the office will need an alternative location if you decide to go remote. There are some spaces you may be able to rent out for a one-time fee, but this can be a costly option if you have frequent meetings. Instead, you may want to consider a long-term lease of a smaller office space.

Do you handle confidential information?

Some industries, like law, financial, and medical, all require confidential information to be stored in a secure location. If you regularly utilize confidential info, you may want to consider maintaining an office space for this documentation. Although there are secure digital options, they may be expensive, require a major overhaul of your processes, or even be higher-risk than keeping physical copies in an office.

Can your paperwork go digital?

Many companies still rely on physical paperwork to get the job done. Some of these companies have found it is not too difficult to convert their documents into digital formats. Still, if you have file cabinets full of useful info, you may want to consider slowly transitioning to digital, rather than missing out on an important file.

Would there be a large learning curve?

Going fully remote requires your staff to have a solid knowledge of technology and its uses. If you have a staff that struggles with learning new protocol or new systems, you may not want to immediately abandon the office. Instead, you may want to consider signing a short-term lease or finding a flexible office space that will allow you to train the team members who need extra support without throwing them into the deep end right away.

There are many reasons to take your company digital, but there are also some benefits to working in an office. Consider how your choice may affect your day-to-day operations and then make a decision based on all of the factors.