5 Ways To Ensure Your Remote Team Stays Productive

remote team
Toni Ristovski

Toni Ristovski
Founder of Next Generation Company
April 20, 2020

During these tough times and the aftermath of the world crisis, the world economy is shaking. As a result, remote team and virtual work are emerging as the ‘new reality’ to help companies. Accounting, also, is one of the industries that has started with operating remotely. Moreover, the whole industry has just begun to move the whole process to the cloud.

In some cases, accounting is still based on processing bills, reports, and records in hard copy. Consequently, it’s very hard for CPA’s to keep up with the transition to a remote team.

So, here is a guide every CPA needs to follow to minimize losses and maximize productivity while working remotely with a remote team. 

1. Encourage better communication among your remote team

If you’re working in remote mode – working with virtual teams, communication management is probably the first barrier that comes to mind. The reality is – good communication does look different or maybe difficult when working in a virtual environment. But, that doesn’t mean good communication isn’t possible.

In fact, simply working to facilitate good communication may result in better workflows. Alternatively, it can be better than the office workflow with your in-house employees.

Staying connected with your virtual team (bookkeepers, for example) is very critical if you want to improve productivity. For that purpose, you can use video conferencing applications. Slack, Skype, and Zoom can get you feedback and updates from your virtual team. A constant flow of communication in a central place that everyone can access is important when you’re managing an offshore remote team.

2. Start with Cloud accounting

Whatever sector you work in, technology is a driving force for every CPA. Furthermore, migration to the cloud is one of the fastest-growing trends that every accounting firm wants to advise its customers to move to.

Cloud-based accounting software can help you share and view client records from anywhere in the world. Even so it can be with assured confidentiality while working remotely with clients. Therefore, migrating into the cloud is the first step towards improving productivity and profitability for accountants that are outsourcing tasks to the virtual teams.

3. Share numbers, calculations, and important notes

Accounting is all about managing numbers while you’re working with a virtual team. Accordingly, apps like Google Sheets offer both easy calculations and end-to-end encrypted sharing between the accountant and the bookkeeper, for example.

Collaborating on files, deadlines, and processes are nearly the same virtually as it is when working with your in-house team. A file-sharing server is easy to set up. You can use Dropbox and Google Docs or ClickUp.

Adapting to all the tools that technology is providing us, you can make efficient calculations/ In the same time, your bookkeeping team will serve the client’s needs remotely.

4. Keep track of your goals

Accountants need to keep an eye on their goals to ensure efficient management and constant productivity of their virtual team. Apps like Trello, Asana or Liscio.me come in very handy in managing goals and daily tasks. Besides, it doesn’t matter if you are working with small or large virtual teams.

Achieving small goals is the best option when you’re trying to avoid disorganized workflow within your distinct team. Setting daily targets is a practice that every CPA, that outsources tasks virtually, needs to incorporate. Under those circumstances, things will run smoothly and they will boost the productivity.
If you want to learn more about our internal KPI’s, you can read here.

5. Build a Culture of Trust and Accountability for your remote team

There are many benefits of working with a remote team, but it requires a certain level of trust and accountability to truly flourish.

If you are a CPA with a remote team of remote working bookkeepers, you need to let every team member take ownership of their work. It is no brainer that distributing work among responsible team members reduces the workload. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build a positive culture in your firm early on. On the other hand it can be nearly impossible to improve if you try to force your previous culture into your new remote environment.

While you are in the business of handling accounts for various clients, switching over to working with a virtual team isn’t as bad as it sounds. Therefore, with a little adjustment, mostly by leveraging technology into your current working model will not only make the tasks easier, but better. Once you successfully transition into the remote or virtual working culture, you can see a significant improvement in your delivery.

Apart from the increased productivity, with access to a skilled workforce, lower operational costs, time savings and efficient allocation of resources. Additionaly, you can increase profit margins and business growth for you and your clients.

If you need help stabilizing your pipeline in a remote environment, or simply want advice on how to outsource your bookkeeping tasks to a virtual team, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or reach out at https://nextgencompany.eu/contact-us/.

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