How to run a business without office?

[clemens]

I'm looking into to expend our business. But as I the last day read about a company with 1100 employees without a office and headquarter I got surprised and inspired.

How would you run a company say with just 10 or 15 employees without a office but still have control of each and everyone of them as well as be productive?

Is there any platform you would use for it or would it just be a mix of all kind of communication tools on the market?

I'm looking at putting a International Team together.

 

[troubled soul]

GitHub goes fully remote

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/09/github-lays-off-10-and-goes-fully-remote/

I am not expert ...but It depend on your business type....Like Amazon FBA can run fully remotely without any headache as Many software company....

Collaboration software for software, IT and business teams and Zoho - Cloud Software Suite and SaaS Applications provide every software you need to run company remotely

Communications software -

Accounting software-

Project management/collaboration software

HR/recruiting software

all are available from them......If you are low on budget , Just google search ...You find many free alternative with full or limited features....
Hope this helps

 

[JohnLocke]

That would be something I could consider too!

 

[JackAlabama]

I'm looking into to expend our business. But as I the last day read about a company with 1100 employees without a office and headquarter I got surprised and inspired.

How would you run a company say with just 10 or 15 employees without a office but still have control of each and everyone of them as well as be productive?

Is there any platform you would use for it or would it just be a mix of all kind of communication tools on the market?

I'm looking at putting a International Team together.

Well that can be done pretty flexible and achieved in multiple ways and its very common to work that way in software companies. Even tho you might have an office, most work is done purely remote.

In short:
* Discord or slack for having chat functions for everyone.

* You can create a type of pyramid structure whereas a lead from a subteam communicates with mainly you and the subteam itself runs their own online meeting schedule. So you have like a team of 3 and the others are being instructed indirectly.

 

[Sols]

How would you run a company say with just 10 or 15 employees without a office but still have control of each and everyone of them as well as be productive?

It comes down to how good you are being a CEO/founder and who you bring in. Hire good people, starting with good managers. Hold them accountable. Avoid big teams if you can. Reward good work. Treat and pay your employees well.

You shouldn't have to worry about controlling everyone. If you have to control your employees, there is something else that's wrong.

Is there any platform you would use for it or would it just be a mix of all kind of communication tools on the market?

Most companies use something like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, or Matrix for day to day communication, in addition to email.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

Upwork works really well and it simplifies accounting too.

 

[TheCryptoAnt]

I'm looking into to expend our business. But as I the last day read about a company with 1100 employees without a office and headquarter I got surprised and inspired.

For reference, over 90% of Binance's workforce is remote.

How would you run a company say with just 10 or 15 employees without a office but still have control of each and everyone of them as well as be productive?

I use Discord (4 people + me), but tbh I dont have to micromanage them. You can already see if they are being productive on a week by week basis.

They also dont have a fixed schedule, just tasks to do.

Is there any platform you would use for it or would it just be a mix of all kind of communication tools on the market?

Discord, Slack, Webex, etc

I'm looking at putting a International Team together.

Best of luck! Idk what you do but maybe you could consider Africa, I did and the results have been very positive.
Nigeria and Kenya.

 

[clemens]

Nigeria and Kenya.

you're serious ??

I use Discord (4 people + me), but tbh I dont have to micromanage them.

where did you hire them from? Nigeria and Kenya?

I need Google marketing experts, Business strategy people and people like that.

Upwork works really well and it simplifies accounting too.

only works for specifyed project's I believe. It's not working for developing a business in a growing direction.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

only works for specifyed project's I believe. It's not working for developing a business in a growing direction.

I have been doing exactly that for years and employing some 200 people there. Just remember that Upwork monitors your chats.

 

[Don]

I'm looking into to expend our business. But as I the last day read about a company with 1100 employees without a office and headquarter I got surprised and inspired.

How would you run a company say with just 10 or 15 employees without a office but still have control of each and everyone of them as well as be productive?

Is there any platform you would use for it or would it just be a mix of all kind of communication tools on the market?

I'm looking at putting a International Team together.

It is indeed inspiring. Like the guys from ride-hailing unicorn company Bolt started operations in Nigeria and other African countries without ever visiting the countries until the operations had already been running smoothly for some time. Now have 20k drivers in Nigeria.

Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr can work well. It might also be worth establishing a separate "operating company" for hiring tons of freelancers directly, as it can expose your company and assets to certain risks.

Estonia (home of Bolt) is a great jurisdiction for hiring globally remote working or offshore employees. By effectively planning your total tax burden on salaries, it is possible to pay 0% salary taxes in Estonia if the work is completed outside of Estonia and the employee is not a registered Estonian tax resident. In Estonia, you pay CIT only on profit distributions, so you have the possibility for indefinite tax deferral, and effective 0% tax.

 

[TheCryptoAnt]

you're serious ??

Very. They also cheap

where did you hire them from? Nigeria and Kenya?

They came recommended by a guy a met in Dubai some time ago.

I need Google marketing experts, Business strategy people and people like that.

not my thing tho but i dont see why you couldnt get them. Try job boards.

The education level is obvs lower than Euro but that doesnt mean they are incapable of working efficiently.
For the price they good imo.

 

[Mike Forman]

People working full time from home is challenging and you will continously have people who do non work related tasks or even side jobs during working hours. That's our experience and it's with any profile and any jurisdiction we have noticed this (our own business but also many other businesses, even people working for amazon) . This is human nature.

Having tasks where the output is easy measurable e.g. your staff has to handle 25 emails a day or 30 phonecalls makes it more easy than a manager remote.

Some people are dedicated and focused but how will you know? Many employees are good at pretending to work and to be available.

A powerful tool is teramind, which records every keystroke and full video recordings. This leaves no privacy to the employee and is not allowed in certain countries. There are also less invading tools that merely measure productivity

Beside this tool it is recommended to use integrated collaboration tools such as Microsoft office365 with security setup, so breaches are detected and blocked.

 

[Don]

People working full time from home is challenging and you will continously have people who do non work related tasks or even side jobs during working hours. That's our experience and it's with any profile and any jurisdiction we have noticed this (our own business but also many other businesses, even people working for amazon) . This is human nature.

Having tasks where the output is easy measurable e.g. your staff has to handle 25 emails a day or 30 phonecalls makes it more easy than a manager remote.

Some people are dedicated and focused but how will you know? Many employees are good at pretending to work and to be available.

A powerful tool is teramind, which records every keystroke and full video recordings. This leaves no privacy to the employee and is not allowed in certain countries. There are also less invading tools that merely measure productivity

Beside this tool it is recommended to use integrated collaboration tools such as Microsoft office365 with security setup, so breaches are detected and blocked.

There are many people exploiting this (also known as overemployment) and there are even special anonymous communities for this. It is one of the easiest ways to make 1 million a year if you know IT.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27454589

 

[RealDude]

There are many people exploiting this (also known as overemployment) and there are even special anonymous communities for this. It is one of the easiest ways to make 1 million a year if you know IT.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27454589

I will try that out next. Thank you.

 

[clemens]

There are many people exploiting this (also known as overemployment) and there are even special anonymous communities for this. It is one of the easiest ways to make 1 million a year if you know IT.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27454589

the discussion here confirms my fears of remote workers.

I have been doing exactly that for years and employing some 200 people there. Just remember that Upwork monitors your chats.

You say you have build your business around people on the Upwork platform? That means you have specific tasks like the example give above already?

You can't use people on Upwork for business stragey development for instant or to discuss parts of your business to build a strategy to grow or can you ?

 

[JackAlabama]

the discussion here confirms my fears of remote workers.

Not everything you read online is true even if its stated on ycombinator.
Wont be an issue if the leadership is good.

You say you have build your business around people on the Upwork platform? That means you have specific tasks like the example give above already?

You can't use people on Upwork for business stragey development for instant or to discuss parts of your business to build a strategy to grow or can you ?

You can, but its best to keep leadership decision to your very close circle and let them execute.

 

[MiddleEuroAsia]

To run a company without an office, you can utilize remote communication and collaboration tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. These tools allow you to have regular virtual meetings, share files, and communicate in real-time. You can also utilize project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and progress.

In addition to communication tools, you should also have a clear understanding of each team member's roles and responsibilities. This helps to avoid confusion and ensures that everyone is aware of what is expected of them. Regular check-ins and performance reviews can also help you stay on top of your team's progress and provide them with constructive feedback to help them improve.

For me personally, I utilize a Local HR Manager to outsource local talents in countries that I operate in. I find such HR talents in local groups or in their LinkedIn profiles. There are also websites like Indeed and Glassdoor where you can search for HR managers and other jobs in the country of your choice, making it easier to gather data about these HR managers.

Another thing is that it's very important to have a flexible and adaptable approach. Remote work can come with its own set of challenges and obstacles, so it's essential to be prepared to adapt and overcome these challenges as they arise. This may involve adjusting your communication plan, reassessing your tools and processes, or finding new ways to keep your team motivated and engaged, after that, you will find that you can effectively manage a remote team, even with a small team of just 10 or 15 employees. The key is to stay connected, informed, and working together towards a common goal, no matter where each team member is located.

 

[RealDude]

To run a company without an office, you can utilize remote communication and collaboration tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. These tools allow you to have regular virtual meetings, share files, and communicate in real-time. You can also utilize project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and progress.

In addition to communication tools, you should also have a clear understanding of each team member's roles and responsibilities. This helps to avoid confusion and ensures that everyone is aware of what is expected of them. Regular check-ins and performance reviews can also help you stay on top of your team's progress and provide them with constructive feedback to help them improve.

For me personally, I utilize a Local HR Manager to outsource local talents in countries that I operate in. I find such HR talents in local groups or in their LinkedIn profiles. There are also websites like Indeed and Glassdoor where you can search for HR managers and other jobs in the country of your choice, making it easier to gather data about these HR managers.

Another thing is that it's very important to have a flexible and adaptable approach. Remote work can come with its own set of challenges and obstacles, so it's essential to be prepared to adapt and overcome these challenges as they arise. This may involve adjusting your communication plan, reassessing your tools and processes, or finding new ways to keep your team motivated and engaged, after that, you will find that you can effectively manage a remote team, even with a small team of just 10 or 15 employees. The key is to stay connected, informed, and working together towards a common goal, no matter where each team member is located.

That is a lot of work

Out-/Near-Sourcing to another company could also be a solution.

 

[TheCryptoAnt]

There are many people exploiting this (also known as overemployment) and there are even special anonymous communities for this. It is one of the easiest ways to make 1 million a year if you know IT.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27454589

yeah this is a possibility.

In order to go full remote you have to be cool with this cause its inevitable. In my case I fully embraced it and even gave them no fix schedule but tasks to perform on a daily and weekly basis.

I understand not everybody can do this but if you can its great as you dont have to be constantly managing people. focus on finding self governing people and you good.
Euros are good at this but also expensive.

 

[Roamer]

I have big experience with that since 2014. The hardest part is not so much which tool to choose for project management and team hub (ClickUp vs Asana vs ABC v DEF...)

The hard part is coming up with solid SOPs that you then need to hire people to follow. And turnover is huge since there is no community feel. Employees/contractors feel disposable, they're looking elsewhere too, and you will spend a lot of time filling holes. Some people make it work, I manage to do fine but it's definitely not the dream. Granted, I'm quite bad a managing people.