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Working Smarter Through Remote Working

One of the few upsides of the economic downturn is that more companies are looking at the advantages of remote working. A survey by OnePoll suggests that 43% of small to medium sized British businesses would consider working entirely online, cutting overhead overnight to virtually nothing, scrapping business rates, rent, utilities, service charges, etc.

That was the business model for business development and marketing firm Achieving Quality leads 5 years ago. AQL determined the revenue released from paying overhead could be used to attract high quality staff who preferred to dispense with commuting and work from home, and at the same time keep charges to clients down, increasing competitiveness.

At the time the technology wasn't quite there yet, but AQL helped develop an integrated call management and telephony system that allows it to realize its business model and keep tight control over the business. AQL consultants work from their home office, linked through their internet browser to the AQL remote server. Although they use their own telephones, they have a company phone number and each call is recorded. The system also logs when the consultants are on the system, what they are doing and when.

This method of working has helped differentiate AQL from call centre based telemarketing.

"Making qualified senior level sales appointments is not a smile & dial telemarketing call," according to AQL director Larry Miller. "It requires research, listening and question skills and solid business acumen. It let's them use their marketing abilities to create intelligence led warm calls. Our team includes an HR executive, a solicitor, and a marketing manager with 20 years experience at the sharp end. Remote working gives us access to a level of professional who wouldn't consider a job with a telemarketing company, being seen as a telemarketer, or an automated
cold caller. "

Remote working helped AQL attract a number of women as consultants who'd held key positions in British businesses, but left to raise a family. This was recognized in January, when AQL received an award from the Prime Minister at Downing Street as the top small UK company for bringing mothers back into the workforce.

Many companies already incorporate a form of remote working, however economic necessity is pushing the practice increasingly into the mainstream. This is backed up by the OnePoll survey which says the majority of SME's (54%) believe that allowing employees to work from home using the internet to access web conferencing and online screen sharing will help them beat the recession.

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