How To Run Your Remote Business The RIGHT Way
How To Run Your Remote Business The RIGHT Way
What are the benefits of running a remote company?
We're a fully remote company for several reasons. I live on an 80-acre farm in rural Vermont, so it's beneficial for me to work remotely rather than flying to places like Silicon Valley, Salt Lake City, or New York City. Initially, the remote setup started because I needed to figure out how to deliver services from such a rural area. Then I realized there are many people in similar situations—living in rural areas without much local economic opportunity.
This setup works great for clients in places like Silicon Valley or New York City, who are used to paying $300-$400 per hour for high-quality services. They only pay us around $125-$150 an hour for the same quality, so it's a great deal for them. At the same time, our consultants benefit by earning big paychecks compared to their neighbors, who might not have the same opportunities.
Why is a structured decision-making process necessary for evaluating ideas?
Everyone has great ideas, but at some point, you need a decision-making process. As the leader of the company, I receive a lot of ideas, and I have to decide if it's something we should pursue or pass it down to my leadership team for consideration. For us, it comes down to using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to manage the business. We have five key objectives we focus on every quarter. If an idea isn't aligned with those objectives, it goes on our "great idea" list, and we might tackle it next quarter.
Why is it essential to hire industry-specific experts for complex projects?
Each company is highly complex. Take healthcare companies, for example—they use electronic medical records, specialized ERPs and have to comply with regulations like HIPAA and high-trust certifications. Things can get complicated quickly. If you bring in a project manager without experience in that industry, they might unknowingly cut corners, potentially violating HIPAA regulations. That's why it's crucial to have experts who truly understand the field. You need to know your area of expertise and keep deepening that knowledge. While pivoting and adjusting are important, it's equally vital to understand your guardrails and stay within them.
How can business owners drive growth during a crisis?
When COVID hit, it was a challenging time, but for us, it led to 1700% growth. It would have been easy to panic—after all, I had just started the company a year prior. But instead of backing down, I leaned in. I talked with my team, trusted them, and saw it as an opportunity. We asked ourselves what changes we could make to help people navigate this crisis. Our values drive all our decisions, and if we're not helping a company or its clients, we don’t take on the work. COVID forced us to focus on what services we would offer and how we could best serve our clients. We stayed committed to that focus and kept moving forward.
Why is building trust harder in remote business, and how can it be improved?
The biggest challenge is quickly gaining trust with new customers. In person, it's easier—you can make face-to-face contact, shake hands, and read body language. But it's much harder to do that remotely, and we haven't found a perfect solution. We've had to build trust over a longer period. It's important to set expectations with clients upfront, letting them know that trust won't come easily. Sometimes, a trip at the start can help establish that initial connection. As a team, we also meet periodically in person because you can't fully replace face-to-face interaction.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
