Christopher Webb 07/11/2024 Christopher Webb 07/11/2024

What are the main challenges of remote working for small businesses in the UK?

No doubt working from home is convenient, but it’s not without its set of challenges, especially for small businesses.

Remote work was something that was, initially, widely accepted and seen as a new way of working, even praised as forward-thinking. Countries shaped entire new laws around the whole “work-from-home” momentum, people bought homes in the countryside where they were cheaper. We all prepared for something that seemed permanent. It wasn’t long before everyone realised we may have made hasty decisions.

The 'new normal' they said, where we would all be working in our pyjamas forever. Wasn't that something? It wasn’t long before companies started to change tune. Quietly at first, then with a bit more insistence. Almost like the remote experiment didn’t quite pan out the way we all thought it would. Maybe we got a bit too excited, too soon. No doubt working from home is convenient, but it’s not without its set of challenges, especially for small businesses.

Remote work still an incentive when hiring

Offering remote work when hiring new people is probably still one of the most common ways to draw applicants’ attention. But from the perspective of a small business, where operations need to be tight, remote work can be both challenging and beneficial.

According to Forbes’ own survey, a good number of people in the UK still work from home or have some sort of hybrid work hours. That proves people are willing to work remotely, and businesses are willing to let them do it. The problem is – workers and businesses don’t necessarily always have the same goals. While people undoubtedly look for remote jobs, there’s a shortage of offerings, according to LinkedIn reports. A 23% drop in remote job postings, compared to 2023. Businesses are not so eager to offer fully remote positions, which implies there are logical reasons behind that.

However, we don’t need any surveys to confidently conclude remote work offers great work-life balance, and thus remains popular in many industries. It is especially true for tech and gaming industries, where flexibility and productivity are key. For instance, game developers and designers can easily collaborate remotely, continuing to expand gaming platforms, offering users the chance to play their favourite games, whether it is to play a video game or to play Megaways at Pink Casino.

Main challenges of remote working, from a small business perspective

In some ways, remote work has given small businesses a fighting chance, but in others, it’s made things more chaotic. There's the lingering issue of communication. Something that is especially critical for startups and small businesses. You’re trying to get the team on a Zoom call, half of them are on mute, the other half have bad Wi-Fi that cuts out at the worst possible moment. Not to mention – it happens daily.

Lack of office camaraderie is also a problem. Workers miss chats by the kettle, where they would talk about everything and nothing at the same time. Sure, messaging and emailing can be efficient as well, but there’s always something lost in translation. Plus, managing productivity remotely is a bit of a guessing game. You trust your team, obviously, but if we're honest, there's always that nagging feeling of wondering whether they really work or watch Netflix. Then there’s a legal side of things. Health and safety regulations, ensuring staff have the right equipment, and ergonomic chairs. Who would’ve thought that would be a business expense now? Remote work sounds simple on paper, but the devil's in the details.

For some small businesses, it's also about control. Managers want to see their employees’ faces, and there’s also some reports that productivity is better when working from the office. There's also something called company culture. It’s hard to have a spontaneous chat when you need to schedule a meeting just to ask, "Hey, how's it going?"

Companies are starting to realize that those accidental interactions in hallways or during lunch breaks actually matter. It’s hard to build a strong team spirit when everyone’s just a face on a screen. Despite all the tools available, small business owners can start to feel like they’re losing touch with their team, and have a hard time keeping progress of what everyone is doing.

Remote work reats the spirit of small business

Small businesses are specific in a way that makes them more personal. Like a corner coffee shop where the barista knows your order before you even walk in. Their management is often a bit more hands-on, with the owner juggling ten different things at once. You don’t have departments passing memos like in some faceless corporation. You can’t remote into that, can you?