Almost three in five SMBs now have employees who are working away from the office, according to a new survey.
The survey of over 1000 small businesses found that companies with employees working largely off business premises – teleworkers – were 24 percent more likely to see a rise in revenue.
“This speaks volumes as to why empowering employees to work outside the traditional confines of an office is becoming increasingly prevalent. Businesses are realising the bottom line benefits and rewards from more engaged employees,” says Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB.
Over 40 percent of small businesses without teleworkers saw a fall in revenue over the past year, compared with 30 percent whose staff often worked remotely.
However, an increase in revenue isn’t the only reason to let employees work outside the office.
Business owners noted an improvement in employee satisfaction and the reduction of travel costs as benefits, with 12 percent also highlighting the reduction of their business’s carbon footprint.
Almost 30 percent of employers also reported having more productive employees.
The technologies most often used to facilitate teleworking include email, computers, and smartphones. Just 6 percent of respondents reported using video conferencing.
Reed has urged employers to consider introducing teleworking to their business.
“Technology is a key enabler of teleworking and noawadays you don’t need to spend much money up front to get started,” he says.
“The initiatives emerging from the Federal Government’s National Economy Strategy should also make the move an easier process. The government is running a range of programs that support its efforts to reach a target of one in eight Australian employees having a regular telework arrangement by 2020.”
