12/11/2010
Some small business owners are not allowing their employees to work from home, despite many of them being aware of the benefits, citing a lack of technology as a deciding factor.
An online YouGov survey, commissioned by business communications firm NewVoiceMedia, suggests that just 23% of SMEs allow their staff to work from home.
Of the SMEs which said they would not allow employees to work from home, 12% said it was because they lacked the necessary technology. 85% said that they needed their staff on-site, while 11% claimed workers would be less productive if they stayed at home.
Interestingly, the business owners in favour of home-based working cited increased productivity (60%), higher staff motivation (60%) and improved employer/staff relationships (58%) as the main advantages.
"At a time when the technology is available and affordable to all SMEs I can't believe that so many senior people don't trust their teams enough to let them work from home, or cite technology as the sticking point," Fresh Business Thinking quoted NewVoiceMedia boss Jonathan Grant as saying.
Grant says that SMEs should not see technology as an obstacle, and suggests that cloud computing is one way of allowing employees to work from home and sill remain productive.
"Cloud technology has made it possible for businesses of all sizes to implement flexible and scalable telephony solutions that allow staff to work from home and remain accountable."
Cloud computing allows businesses to access and store data on internet servers, saving the need for complex IT infrastructures that can only be accessed at the workplace. Cloud technologies are becoming increasingly affordable, and SMEs can use invoice finance to free up funds to invest in cloud systems.
"Cloud-based telephony is perfect for SMEs as there is no requirement for on-site equipment or ongoing maintenance costs. Supervisors can effectively monitor staff regardless of their location and have the flexibility to add or remove users as the business demands," Grant added.
Joseph Jeffries