Goodbye Commute, Hello New World of Work!

Let’s start off with an anecdote:

Three years ago, a business owner reached out to me needing support. He ran an apparel business and had just found out that his controller was retiring. So, he had to replace this person. In our conversation he stressed how critical it was that the work be done on-site at their offices.

Unfortunately, they were based in Manhattan and our team was out in Long Island, NY. After some back and forth, we negotiated that the work be done on a hybrid model where we would be on-site two days of the week with the remainder being done off-site by Team Dash. We found common ground and were prepared to move forward.

Then the controller decided to stay, and our conversation ended.

One year later, he reached back out to us. This time, he’s serious! His controller is finally retiring. We had a similar conversation, reinforcing to him the benefits of working remotely. This time, we narrowed the assignment down to one day a week on-site, the balance of which we’d be remote.

Lather, rinse & repeat: the controller doesn’t leave and so we halt the conversation, again.

Then, the pandemic hits. We get a call. Guess who it is?!?! Now, the controller is definitely leaving. The business owner who was so adamant that the work be done on-site, has completely shifted his perspective. He’s ready to go 100% remote with his accounting team!

“When can you start,” he asked?

And we’ve been working with him for the year & a half now!

So, what’s different?

Well, the pandemic clearly forced the whole world to reexamine their beliefs & behaviors around the world of work. What we all discovered, frankly, was that the only real difference was the willingness to change.

Granted, there are valid reasons for keeping the work on-site, ranging from how the technology was (not) being used to protocols around how documents were handled (manually), or even the ways in which communication occurred.

Fast-forward to today, even major global corporations are demonstrating that they could migrate massive workforces to a work from home (WFA) model. Case in point, one of the Big 4 accounting firms, EY, has actually taken a stance that this approach is “the way forward.”

So why do we think that it is more ideal for businesses to have remote accounting teams as opposed to on-site?

Well, here are a few points to consider:

Remote teams get the same amount of work done, if not more, without increasing costs, all the while decreasing the stressors associated with the dreaded commute.

Even if you don’t hire a full-time accounting professional, but rather utilize someone on a part-time basis, this remote status creates greater flexibility on scheduling and communication.

To put it another way, you don’t have to wait until their designated on-site office hours to address issues. Like our team, simply shoot us off an email or give us a call and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

This shift in time utilization offers your team greater flexibility to achieve work-life integration; and, we all know that happier teams provide a greater level of customer support.

Plus, you have access to a broader range of talent to support your business’ needs.

Finally, as was the case with our new-found client above, you could even let go of the office space entirely and save a ton of money. This freed-up cash flow can allow you to invest in other aspects of your business, including yourself!

What the shift to remote requires, though, is a commitment to exploring new technology and an open mind to embrace new ways of working with your team. So, if you’d like to explore the benefits of moving your team to a remote model, please reach out. We’d be happy to support you on your journey towards the new world of work.