Remote Work Business Model – Lessons from the Pandemic

Many lessons can be learned from our response to the pandemic, not least of which is the evolution of the remote work business model that some of us have embraced. (And which some of us have tried to kill off as quickly and mercilessly as possible!)

On an individual level, powerful impressions have been made about our lives. These include things like the importance of meaningful work, the value of family, and how even the smallest gestures can have a huge impact on our well-being. (Ideas.Ted.com)

Perhaps most important; enjoying life and living in the moment are receiving greater focus as many come to realize the transient nature of life.

That being said, running a business and “going to work” have also been affected in ways we may never have anticipated.

The Work From Anywhere Model

Newly defined as the remote work business model or working from anywhere (WFA), the work from home (WFH) trend that began in the 70s has evolved into something much more organized and valued.

As explained in an article at the Harvard Business Review, “Without question, the model offers notable benefits to companies and their employees. Organizations can reduce or eliminate real estate costs, hire and use talent globally while mitigating immigration issues, and, research indicates, perhaps enjoy productivity gains. Workers get geographic flexibility (that is, live where they prefer to), eliminate commutes, and report better work/life balance.”

Of course, as with so many things, the new model is not all roses and sunshine.

“However,” the article continues, “concerns persist regarding how WFA affects communication, including brainstorming and problem-solving; knowledge sharing; socialization, camaraderie, and mentoring; performance evaluation and compensation; and data security and regulation.”

The question remains though of how all this remote working may affect the relationship between designer and client.

The Remote Design Business Model

Despite the difficulties outlined above, what's really striking right now, is that business in the interior design sector is strong. It's the way designers are engaging with their clients that have evolved and changed. Certainly, more is being done virtually than ever before.

From staff management to client relations, the menu of available virtual engagement tools has exploded in response to the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

Employee engagement software can be had as no-cost, open-source platforms to be used for increasing job satisfaction and retain talented staff. Even a free application can be used as “an essential tool to serve the purpose of employee surveys and classification, health checkups, and peer recognition and to keep the employees engaged for all the activities.”

The website GoodFirms.co, quoted above, also offers a list of seven of the best open-source employee engagement software solutions.

Remote Client Engagement

Promoting your brand and building relationships are particularly difficult when face-to-face meetings are either frowned upon, restricted, or forbidden. And, while this is true for virtually any business, it may be even more so for interior designers who normally need to be a presence in the client’s home or office.

As explained by the folks at NewBreedMarketing.com, “A customer engagement platform is a software that helps you engage with your customers through every touchpoint they could possibly have with your organization. It houses a database of connected content and tracks your audience as they transform from strangers to prospects to customers and eventually to promoters.”

In its simplest form, creating a Facebook Group (whether private or public) can be a useful brand building and engagement tool. Next, of course, the use of video conferencing tools has become almost ubiquitous for virtual meetings. Applications like Skype and Zoom have become so popular this year that there have been times when they could not support the massive amounts of traffic. Still, they are essential for remote client engagement.

However, complete and professional engagement with your clients will require more than basic video and audio service. Instead, “Customer engagement is about improving customer communication and interaction, making them more personalized, dynamic, and contextually relevant,” according to the software evaluation experts at Capterra.com.

In fact, in their article 6 Best Customer Engagement Software Tools, they do a great job of guiding you through the mind-bending assortment of hundreds of engagement software choices.

These applications will normally include customer relationship management (CRM), customer service, customer feedback, digital marketing, customer success, and even live chat software.

Are you already using a client engagement tool you love? Please share your experiences with other readers in the comments section below.

Business Coaching and Consulting with Ted Fall

Are you struggling to implement your own remote work business model? Have your lessons from the pandemic left you floundering for solutions while foundering to stay afloat until things return to normal?

With more than 25 years' experience in the luxury furnishings industry, Ted remains available for business consulting support to interior designers and furnishing store owners. Get in touch with TD Fall today.