Tip #286: How Telecommuting Can Benefit You & Your Business

Telecommuting Can Save A Business Money.

Think about it. Why shell out for an employee's work-related expenditures, like gas, if they can perform their tasks just as efficiently from the comfort of their own home? Furthermore, money can be saved by downscaling the office space required to run your business.

5 Things To Consider About Telecommuting:

1. Telecommuting As Compensation - As I mentioned earlier, telecommuting is on its way to becoming a norm in the workplace. Work-related costs, such as gas, are causing many businesses to compensate employee expenses. Among their various options, telecommuting is one of the most affordable.

2. Is Telecommuting Viable For You? - As nice as it would be to call a trip downstairs your ride to work, not every job can be performed from home. This is something you should consider before hastily pitching your telecommuting proposal. But if your job can be performed via e-mail, remote desktop, internal messengers and/or video conferencing, telecommuting might be right for you.

3. The Cost To Telecommute - Telecommuting can be cost effective, yes, but that does not mean it is 100% of the time for 100% of the businesses out there. For as much as you think telecommuting could save you, it could also cost you. Think of what you may need at home: an extra phone line/work cell phone, fax machine, work-dedicated computer, broadband internet connection and the proper space to conduct your work.

4. Document Your Expenses - One of the perks of telecommuting is the potential for a home office deduction come tax time. However, claiming a home office deduction can be tricky. There are a lot of IRS hoops to jump through for this claim. The best thing you can do is to get everything in writing. Get a letter from your employer outlining how the arrangement benefits the business, not just you. Also, keep tabs on all your work-related expenses, like those mentioned above in Tip #3.

5. Put Your Employer's Needs First - When proposing a telecommuting arrangement, always spin your angle so it emphasizes the benefits of your employer and not what it can do for you. Be sure to present some hard facts, like statistics, as they tend to strengthen your cause more so than an emotional appeal.

Summary: The rapid onset of new technologies in the past forty years has drastically altered the office landscape. Soon it will be just as common for a business to operate virtually as it is to run one conventionally. There are several things to consider before making the switch to telecommuting, however. In particular, focus on how telecommuting benefits the business, not you. Make sure you will be able to do your job just as well at home, without any loss to productivity or efficiency.