Post 1 of 4 … Stay tuned for post 2 of 4 on Thursday!
By: Tommy Stephens
Accountants and other professionals are migrating to mobile offices like never before. Some do it in an effort to cut costs, others do it to provide better client/customer service, and still others do it for the sake of personal convenience. No matter the reason for moving to a mobile office, to be successful you must first address a few technology necessities, as outlined in this series (Note that other issues such as policies and procedures, workflow, and legal implications of working remotely are also necessary considerations; however, the scope of this blog series focuses on technology considerations only.)
Properly handling these items significantly enhances your chances of success with a mobile office, and conversely, failing to manage these items almost guarantees that you will not be as happy or as productive in a mobile office as you could be.
Going mobile offers many great benefits such as reduced costs, increased productivity, and the ability to serve clients/customers better. As a mobile worker myself, I can personally attest to these benefits. I can also attest to the fact that simply using a laptop or tablet does not constitute an effective mobile office. Rather, you must address numerous technology issues in order to ensure the success of your mobile office. Once you manage these mobile office necessities, you will be well on your way to working effectively and efficiently in your rendition of the mobile office.
The term “mobile office” means different things to different people. For some, not maintaining a traditional office and working exclusively from home constitutes the mobile office. For others, mobility constitutes working from the office a portion of the time, working from home another portion of the time, as well as working at client/customer locations. Before addressing the technology necessities for a successful mobile office, you should consider what “mobile office” means to you, because the technology required can vary depending upon your definition. For example, if your idea of the mobile office means splitting time between a traditional work environment and a home office, your Internet connection needs are much different from those who will work from many locations, including client/customer premises.
To hear Tommy address more on the best practices of implementing a mobile office, as well as how it can help you maximize partner income, sign up at attend the TechFest Winter Conference today!
Mr. Stephens is a shareholder in K2 Enterprises, where he develops and presents continuing professional education programs to accounting, financial, and other business professionals across North America. You may contact him at [email protected].