As your business continues to expand, you’re going to reach
the point where you can’t cover all the bases yourself anymore. Eventually, you
will need to trust and depend upon your employees to cover some of the
expanding territory. This can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, considering
that those people you’ve spent so much time mentoring are now going out as
representatives of you and your business. You’ve given them all of the training
you can offer, but that doesn’t mean all of the preparations have been made!
Part of expanding your business and delegating duties means giving your
traveling employees the resources necessary to their success. If your employees
are hitting the road, you will need to establish a successful portable
workforce, and that entails the right technology for the job. Here are three
technologies that will help you launch your campaign to expand.
Remotely Accessible
Server
If you host your own server, you should set it up for remote
accessibility. Oftentimes a server is accessible only on site, which is a great
solution for its security advantages. However, as your employees hit the road
they will need to maintain access to the business information you store on the
server. Setting up remote access is relatively easy and can be tackled in an
hour or so by an IT professional. A remotely accessible server goes a long way
towards establishing a central hub of collaboration and communication,
especially if you have multiple employees out on the road traveling.
Portable Workstation
Many companies provide portable workstations to employees on
road trips. While the desktop at the office is great for most applications, it
certainly can’t be packed up and deployed easily by a traveler. A portable
workstation serves as a replacement for the desktop computer, and has the
necessary configuration to keep pace with desktop performance. Keeping a small bank of portable workstations is a
great idea. The HP Compaq 8510w, for example, is an inexpensive laptop
workstation. With an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz processor, 2GB of standard RAM, a
wide screen, and Bluetooth accessibility, the 8510w is a great choice
for a
portable laptop deployment.
Teleconferencing
Establishing a reliable line of communication between you
and your team is essential to ensuring maximum travel efficiency. With a
portable workstation and access to internet, you and your employees can have
large virtual meetings with no hassle involved. Many businesses use free
services like Skype or professional services like GoToMeeting for their teleconferencing.
Even if it is something as simple as establishing a telephone conference,
scheduling regular meetings will help you and your employees to keep tabs on
progress and maintain the sense of a relatively normal work environment. By
utilizing teleconferencing and allowing your employees remote access to your
server, you use technology to artificially bridge the physical distance placed
by travel. Allowing for a powerful portable workstation like the Compaq 8510w,
you will increase efficiency and will be well on your way to establishing a
great portable workforce.
