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Social distancing still appears to be the norm as no visible end is in place at the moment to ensure that people can cluster without the fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
Some offices have been closed since the quarantine began due to the pandemic.
However, the eagerness to get back to a central office structure has been expressed by some individuals, especially startups who don’t really have a relatively big team.
Returning to the physical office by now might appear not to the right option especially with the second wave of the pandemic.
While some businesses are operating some onsite activities, collaboration and meeting with certain clients are preferably done at the physical offices.
Based on existing factors on what we know about working remotely while making a better decision for your startup team, you need to ask yourself these questions:
- How has working remotely affected your communication?
- Is your startup team thriving at a distance?
- What about the money you could have saved on rent?
How has working remotely affected your communication?
Has your startup remote team limited your communication ability? This is an important question to ask yourself.
Most remote teams didn’t quickly get a grip on how to handle remote communication in the early days of the total lockdown, but moving down the line, a lot of teams have appeared to have adapted quickly.
The tools to use for effective remote communication were already in place prior to the pandemic.
The most used video conferencing app, Zoom has served millions around the world.
Teams can communicate with one another and their clients without necessarily seeing them physically.
Going into 2021, indications are that the COVID-19 pandemic may not go down anytime soon, so if remote working hasn’t affected your communication, then it’s highly advisable to stick with it.
Is your startup team thriving at a distance?
Your startup team might have adjusted to remote communication, however, are you assured that they are thriving under the new normal atmosphere created by the advent of the pandemic?
With all sincerity, this can prove a daunting task to measure, because the stress some individuals pass through are definitely different.
However, after some weeks into the lockdown, some team members were able to improve their work performance. This was noted through:
- The duration in completing a major assignment
- The frequency of coming up with creative ideas
- Creating ideas to improve work output
Once it appears that your remote team are doing well with this, then you may reconsider your option
What about the money you could have saved on rent?
What about those months of total lockdown, what significant amount would you have saved on office rent?
This is a good question for your consideration.
In perilous times like this, the cash that would have gone into rent could have been used to bootstrap some significant aspect of your startup that requires attention.
That cash would help you with the following:
- Work with more experienced consultants
- Obtain a licensed software that would help your team
- Hire significant position(s) you couldn’t afford while operating physically
- Improve your benefits package for your team and potential employees
The amount you spend on rent alone can help you execute some things you haven’t imagine before.
As a startup founder or a major business owner, you have a big decision on your table in times like this.
Currently, it may not be the best of ideas going back to your physical office.
Your team might as well be doing fine with communication and thriving in the new normal atmosphere due to the pandemic.
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