Empowering Your Small Business with Remote Working UK US & Worldwide
Years 2020 and 2021 highlighted how empowering your Small Business with remote working UK or US or Worldwide can help your business continue to offer services even under lockdowns conditions that are and have been in place in recent times.
Empowering Your Small Business with Remote Working UK US and Worldwide
If your business is already using Microsoft 365 or Office 365, you can manage your business, your employees and your customers remotely online. To collaborate effectively online, have everyone install Teams on their devices (Desktop PC, Laptop PC, Android Smartphone or IOS iPhone or Tablet). You don’t need to be a computer administrator to install Teams – any user can install it on their device.
If your business doesn’t yet use Office 365 or Microsoft 365, you can sign up for 1 Month Free Trial here.
When you use Microsoft Teams, you can easily see who is available and free, you can send instant messages, post notices, share files and hold meetings. You can also make Teams phone calls between devices.
When you’re ready invite your customers to Teams, so you can collaborate with them in real-time. Your customers or potential customers can join the meeting using a browser without installing extra software.
Save Documents files to the Cloud: Microsoft recommends that you store your files in the cloud using OneDrive for personal files and SharePoint for team or group shared data files. This allows everyone to have access to important business documents all the time. Your documents files will be more secure and protected in the Microsoft Cloud even if something bad happens, for example your hard drive crashes on your local computer.
Reach Out to Your Customers: Use your website or social media to keep your customers or potential customers updated. And provide information of how they can reach you. For instance, use Microsoft Forms to collect their queries and Microsoft Bookings to book Appointments or Consultations.
Secure and Protect Your Business: For extra protection for your business and customers, add a second form of authentication, apart from a user password, when signing into your Microsoft 365 / Office 365 account.
Also ensure that your devices (PC, Mobile Phone or Tablet) are password protected, updated regularly. Also ensure you’re running a security program like Windows Defender.
Make sure Home Networks are password protected. And make use of VPN (Virtual Private Network) if you’re using public Wi-fi.
Practise Safe Computer Use: By not clicking on links or data files sent from unknown sources. And never share personal, financial or sensitive business information.
Say YES to Secure Remote Collaboration with your Employees and Customers?
Using Teams for Small Business
Microsoft Teams is really a collaboration App that can help you, your employees and customers to stay connected, share files and work together. With Teams it is possible to reach someone quickly by sending a chat, which includes images and files. You’re able to chat one to one or in groups.
Quickly see who’s available, away or occupied based on presence indicators set on the users’ profile. Start audio or video phone calls with anyone on Teams.
To call any phone number, add a calling plan to your subscription. Plan meetings with anyone, workers and customers; Plus, they can join your meeting by phoning in or make use of the free Teams App. While in the meeting, you can share your screen or documents files; turn on video and even record your meeting for later use.
Microsoft Teams is also a Hub for conversations file sharing and frequently used apps (these apps are quickly available through tabs). Most of the resources you need for the team project are accessible from the team channels.
For your next project, occasion or customer engagement, create a team to bring it all together. Begin by inviting your employees. After that turn ON Guest access, and invite your customers or potential customers and clients.
When everyone joins the team, they are able to view or add posts, work on files together with a common focus, make use of the exact same apps (like Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and make Teams telephone calls between devices.
Organize your teams by using Channels that separate conversations, documents or apps. You can make a Channel private to secure sensitive business information or conversations.
The files you add to a team are securely stored in the cloud in order that everyone can access them, and work on them together, from any device.
Create teams for all of your projects with new team members and guests, organize it the way you like.
And then stay on top of your new communications messages, replies, @mentions, likes and voicemails with the Activity Tab.
Start using Microsoft Teams for your business by installing and setting up the Teams App, chat and meet.
Join or create a team, invite members and guests and collaborate in today’s Workplace in Microsoft Teams.
Benefits of Remote Working UK US and Worldwide
Some small businesses were already setup with Remote Working capability in the event the workforce was unable to get to the office, to ensure some of their operations could carry on with employees working from home.
The Covid-19 Pandemic triggered a lot of small business owners to seriously consider implementing remote working for their employees. Remote working because of covid-19 has allowed even small businesses to continue providing some services to their customers.
Those small businesses with Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscriptions and their tenants setup correctly are able to do as described below.
Connect with employees and customers
You can still connect with your employees, customers, clients, and partners, even if you can’t meet in person. Use Microsoft Teams to continue conducting business and connecting with your customers.
Meet up in Teams
Host audio, video, and web meetings with employees, customers, or partners through Microsoft Teams.
Store and share files
Put your business documents in the cloud and share them securely, both internally and externally.
Upload and share files | Start sharing
Collaborate with customers
Invite workers and customers to a team so that you can work directly with them – coordinating and collaborating in a single place.
Enable guest access | Create a team
Manage and secure your business to run remotely
Just a few steps can help you keep your business secure, even with remote employees and guest users.
Secure your users
Use multi-factor authentication to protect your data and devices you use to connect to the Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription service.
Turn on multi-factor authentication
Secure your devices
Remotely manage PCs and phones and ensure that they are protected and up-to-date. Requires Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
Say YES to Secure Remote Collaboration with your Employees and Customers?
Related Articles: Microsoft 365 for Business UK – Basic Standard Premium and 365 Apps