Small businesses often face a difficult challenge when competing with large employers for talented employees. Big companies may have larger recruiting budgets, higher salaries, extensive benefits, and recognizable brand names. Fortunately, small businesses have another powerful tool available to them: remote work.

Offering employees the ability to work from home can help small companies compete for talent, reduce costs, improve retention, and create a workplace that employees value.

Expand Your Talent Pool

One of the biggest advantages of remote work is the ability to recruit beyond your local area. Small businesses are no longer limited to candidates who live within commuting distance of an office.

Remote positions allow managers to search for the best candidate rather than simply the best candidate nearby. This can be especially valuable when hiring for specialized positions or when a small business operates in an area with a limited labor pool.

A remote-work policy can also make a small company attractive to experienced professionals who might otherwise overlook it in favor of a larger employer.

Compete with Flexibility

Large companies may be able to offer higher salaries, but compensation isn't the only factor employees consider when choosing a job. Flexibility has become an important part of the overall employee experience.

Working from home can eliminate commuting, give employees greater control over their schedules, and make it easier to balance professional and personal responsibilities.

For a small business, offering meaningful flexibility can help offset the advantages a larger employer may have in salary or benefits.

Reduce Overhead Costs

Remote work can also improve a small company's bottom line.

Maintaining an office requires rent, utilities, furniture, maintenance, cleaning, and other ongoing expenses. Depending on the nature of the business, allowing employees to work remotely can reduce the amount of office space required or eliminate the need for a traditional office altogether.

The money saved can potentially be redirected toward employee compensation, technology, marketing, training, or business growth.

Improve Employee Retention

Employee turnover can be particularly challenging for a small company. Losing one experienced employee can have a noticeable impact on productivity and place additional responsibilities on the remaining staff.

Remote work can improve retention by giving employees a level of flexibility they may be reluctant to give up.
An employee who appreciates the convenience and autonomy of working from home may be less likely to leave for another position that requires a daily commute.

Build a Stronger Employee Experience

Small businesses have an advantage that large corporations sometimes struggle to provide: a personal workplace.
Managers at smaller companies can often communicate more directly with employees, recognize individual contributions, and give employees greater responsibility.

Combining that personal environment with remote-work flexibility can create a compelling reason for employees to choose a small business over a large corporation.

Focus on Results, Not Location

Remote work also encourages managers to rethink how they measure performance.

Instead of judging productivity by how many hours an employee spends in an office, managers can focus on results, deadlines, customer service, and measurable contributions. One of the best tools to measure productivity levels of off-site employees is our cloud-based software, MySammy. Designed to be used in full transparency with remote workers, MySammy not only provides valuable information for managers – it can motivate employees to perform at their highest productivity level.

This results-oriented approach can create greater accountability while giving employees more independence.

A Competitive Advantage for Small Businesses

Small businesses don't need to compete with large employers on every level. They can compete differently.

Remote work gives small companies an opportunity to attract talent from a larger geographic area, reduce overhead, offer greater flexibility, and create a workplace built around trust and results.

For managers and small-business owners, remote work isn't simply an employee benefit. It can be a strategic advantage that helps level the playing field with much larger competitors. Take the first step toward preparing your company to successfully compete with others by signing up for your FREE trial of MySammy today!