The sudden transition to remote working has meant that virtual tools and technologies are now uppermost in most business leaders minds. From chat and video to file sharing and more, there’s lots to consider when it comes to empowering teams to work efficiently from home.

Businesses need to adapt existing elements of the business tech stack to make them more remote work friendly – as well as tackle new security and licensing issues. 

To help make the transition to remote working, there will also inevitably be new tools to adopt to optimize workplace collaboration. Most of all, employees need a central hub where everyone can communicate, maintain productivity, and keep company culture intact.

In this post we’ll outline key tools you need to have in your remote work tech stack

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1. A project or work management tool

When it comes to remote workforce management, it’s essential to ensure each team member can track a project’s progress and see which tasks they should be focusing on. 

Just because a team is decentralized it doesn’t mean projects have to be. So a shared portal for all your work is key in order to minimize the time lost switching between different apps and tools – and so everyone can work together in real time.

Collaboration tools like Google’s Suite or Onehub allow teams to connect and share documents, slides, and sheets – and let members comment. 

Certain project management apps offer users a way to collaborate on design or use roadmaps, as well as create mock-ups. These are particularly suitable for design agencies and developers. 

Others allow remote teams to use virtual whiteboards so they can get as close as possible to face to face working – with the ability to provide feedback in real time. 

2. A CRM system

Without the ability to engage in person with clients, a good CRM system has become even more important. Your customer relationship management system is a place to keep you on track as regards maintaining regular contact with customers. That way, you can continue to support and nurture them effectively. 

CRMs enable you to log interactions at all touchpoints so you don’t overlook any red flag situations. 

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A CRM is essential for your sales team, so that reps can keep up with where they are in the sales process and work out which communication methods are working best. 

You’ll want to provide everyone with access to your CRM, too, as well as sales. For example, the marketing team will need to upload content to support the sales team, while the accounting team can use the CRM to ensure customers pay their invoices on time. 

Providing all necessary stakeholders with access will increase transparency company-wide. Now that we’re working more remotely, team members must be trained to troubleshoot issues with the system themselves –  since they can no longer ask IT for physical support.  

Make sure your CRM integrates with your contact center cti software so you can provide customers with a personalized experience when they call. 

3. Video conferencing tools

Just a few months ago, video conferencing tools were only used sporadically. Now they’re used for the majority of meetings. Video conferencing allows people to talk together in real time, thereby helping to facilitate better, more empathetic conversations and keep teams connected. 

Because you’ll now be using this type of software a lot more, you may have to rethink how your current tools are organized as well as assign new access or permissions to users. 

You may have to change or upgrade your video hosting platform to keep up with usage requirements and ensure high quality of visuals, too. Quality is not only essential for live meetings, after all. It’s essential so that you can record and distribute content whenever needed. 

If you opt for a higher level plan you’ll be able to increase the number of users who can access the video conferencing tool. You will also be able to add in new benefits such as customer support and onboarding. These can help teams transition seamlessly to remote meetings. 

Make sure your video conferencing software can integrate with third party apps like Google Calendar. This will ensure everyone is reminded about upcoming meetings. 

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It’s also helpful if your software integrates with your CRM. That way people can book virtual meetings with you in place of face-to-face meetings. And if possible integrate your video conferencing system with your project management software so teams can collaborate asynchronously.

Your video conferencing software doesn’t have to be used just for work-based meetings. You can use the video chat tool to set up virtual coffee breaks with colleagues or group lunches. This will help boost morale and boost productivity. 

4. A chat tool

When you’re working remotely it’s easy to get lost in endless email threads. To work efficiently you need to be able to have conversations in real time so you can make decisions quickly, share information, and get instant feedback from multiple team members and stakeholders. 

This is where a chat or instant messaging app comes into its own. It enables you to keep the conversation flowing and projects progressing. 

Make sure your instant messaging app integrates with your project management tools and your mobile operating system. That way, team members can collaborate across different platforms, increasing productivity. 

Look out for certain features in a chat app, such as the conversation layout. Being able to follow conversations easily is essential when working in groups. Also, it will pay to choose an app that sends out clear alerts and reminders. A good chat tool will make it easy to tag someone in a conversation, too, so they can be notified when they’re outside the app. 

It’s also crucial to make sure your team’s conversations are kept private so select an app that keeps outsiders out. 

These are some essential tools to have in your remote tech stack. Having these systems on board will guarantee your business continuity and ensure your digital ad spend is working hard for you.

John Allen, Director, Global SEO at RingCentral, a global UCaaS, VoIP Technology and contact center software provider. He has over 14 years of experience and an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs. He has written for websites such as Ceoblognation and 3dcart.

A virtual data room, or VDR, is a secure virtual storage space typically used by companies to store valuable documents, confidential information, and data pertaining to their business processes, employees, and/or clients. VDRs help companies increase their reach and productivity without compromising professionalism or security.

However, not all virtual data room software is created equal. Keep reading to learn how to spot an inadequate VDR amongst the never ending list of virtual data room providers (and why it’s crucial that you do).

Potential VDR Pitfalls 

Finding a VDR isn’t difficult. But finding a service that meets your needs without sacrificing security or professionalism takes time. Here are three major signs of an inadequate VDR provider.

1. Poor quality

Have you ever been disappointed by an off-brand version of a product? The same can happen with virtual data room providers. If you notice a lower price but also a less than professional design, limited features, or a long list of online complaints, the monetary savings aren’t likely worth the risk.

At the same time, opting for a VDR provider simply because they’re the most expensive won’t guarantee the best experience either. When searching for the best VDR, focus on quality before any other criteria. 

Is the provider’s website professional or rather lackluster and filled with spelling errors? Do past and current clients praise their services or complain of shortcomings? Take a tour of the provider’s services and listen to your gut. At the end of the day, a poor quality VDR will never give you (or your clients) a professional and positive experience.

2. Poor security

With the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. reaching $8.19 million in 2019, online security should be a main focus of all virtual data room providers. But you’ll likely find that this isn’t the case.

Signs that a VDR lacks security include:

• Minimal security features
• A history of data breaches
• Hard-to-find contact information

A VDR provider that prioritizes the security of your stored data and documents will have an impressive number of security features available. Look for automatic encryption (for data both at rest and in transit), passwords and two-factor authentication, the ability for document owners to revoke viewing privileges as required, and activity audits.

Even if you feel the data you store isn’t sensitive in nature, understand that a leak of any sort could end in serious litigation brought on by clients or a severe loss of revenue after damage to your brand.

When browsing virtual data room providers, explore their websites, looking for pages dedicated to their commitment to providing a secure storage solution. And to cancel out any doubt, speak to them directly to learn about the precautions they take and how they handle security threats.

3. Limited options

A VDR is designed to make your work processes simpler, whether it’s a merger and acquisition or just sharing project updates with clients. So when you come across a provider that seems to have more restrictions than options, it can be a red flag that their limited approach will leave you feeling frustrated and constricted.

When searching for a VDR, look for personalization options, including the ability to add logos, brand colors, and custom messages to portals. Look out for red flags, like being forced to use the provider’s organizational schemes instead of being able to sort and arrange folders and documents based on your company’s protocols. 

Browse past updates and announcements on a contender’s website as well. Are they continuously adding new features and listening to their clients for suggestions or do they seem stuck in a rut that leaves their services feeling a bit cold and outdated?

A VDR that evolves alongside your business will always be a better option.

How to Know You’ve Found Your Perfect VDR Match

It certainly takes time to find the perfect VDR service provider. And while there’s no singular magical sign showing you when you’ve found the perfect match, there are certain features and services that tend to be found in superior providers.

Here’s a list, though not exhaustive, that will help you narrow down your search and take a step closer to finding the perfect VDR match for your business.

• Data rooms should be secure, anonymous, and easy to set up.
• Uploading shouldn’t be overwhelming. Look for drag-and-drop features that can have your documents uploaded in a matter of minutes.
• Activity trackers that keep you up to date on every file interaction should be included.
• Don’t accept basic preview options. Make sure your VDR allows employees and clients to preview a variety of file types without downloading additional software or apps.
• Bank-level encryption should be a basic feature for data in transit and at rest, combined with invitation-only access to data.
• Communication within a VDR should be simple and seamless. Look for features that allow viewers and editors to post messages within each workspace.

Think all of these features can’t be found in one VDR provider? Onehub offers all of these features and more, including the ability to assign multiple levels of permissions to documents and customization features that make your brand the star of the show. With no long-term contract lockups to worry about, scheduling a free trial of Onehub is the best way to see a winning virtual data room solution in action.

So, Does It Matter Which VDR You Choose?

Put simply, yes — it absolutely matters which virtual data room you use. There are plenty of virtual data room providers out there, some much stronger than others. But a little research is all it takes to weed out the inadequate providers and find one that matches your needs and budget without compromising your brand or online security.

To see Onehub’s VDR setup and features up close, schedule a free demo today.

Startups are what the American dream is made up of. Perhaps that’s why there were nearly 31 million small businesses in the U.S. in 2019.

While the typical small size of a startup allows it to be more versatile and agile than its oversized competitors, they often face unique challenges as well. Between never-ending to-do lists, funding fumbles, and navigating industry technology, startups can crumble before their foundation is even poured.

There are services and tools that can help startups not just stay in the game but come out ahead of their competitors. One such tool is Onehub, a cloud-based platform offering secure file sharing and collaboration tools for startups in a variety of industries.

If you’re a startup struggling to keep your head above water, see how Onehub’s file sharing solution for startups can help.

5 Common Startup Challenges (with Solutions from Onehub)

Of course Onehub can help startups store and share files securely and confidently. But here are three ways the file sharing service can help with other common startup challenges.

Limited funding

Startups aren’t known for having piles of cash available for marketing, supplies, and payroll. While raising funds should always be on a startup’s radar, finding ways to stretch the budget they do have is important as well.

A cloud storage solution like Onehub won’t directly put money in a startup’s bank account. But it can help in several indirect ways.

For example, studies show that the equivalent of one working day per week is wasted by employee’s searching for job-related documents. Onehub can help make every payroll hour count with their organizational and document search features. 

Onehub’s collaboration and personalization tools can help startups impress and secure more clients, ideally growing their financial resources for the future. 

Onehub’s virtual data rooms can help startups go through fundraising rounds to earn more capital and has the features you require and expect from data rooms, all without breaking the budget.

And finally, Onehub also offers users four different pricing tiers, allowing startups to choose the features they need without going over budget.

Time management

Research has shown that up to 70% of a CEOs schedule is spent on tasks that don’t add up to great time management skills. This can be especially true in a startup, where the to-do lists tend to grow and the hours in a day stay the same.

Onehub helps teams, whether made of a sole CEO or a small army of hungry entrepreneurs, boost productivity levels by simplifying several common business processes.

Need to send an email to a client reminding them to sign their contract? Just send a message through your client portal in Onehub that not only nudges your client to sign but lets them view all submitted documents, including the original proposal, in one place.

Do you need to send the new employee handbook to your team? Securely share a link in a matter of seconds that will have everyone updated on company policy. Don’t want employees having access to such documents if they leave the company? You can revoke viewing privileges at any time. 

Can’t find the rough draft of a lead magnet you were working on? No worries. Once it’s stored in Onehub, you can search through your files to highlight text, saving you time and stress.

Onehub might not be able to help the new intern make coffee any faster, but it can shave off time from multiple tasks throughout the day, adding up to better time management and improved productivity.

New startup smell

A 2019 survey found that ⅓ of Americans say that due to financial struggles, trusting a brand is more important than ever. Consumers with tight purse strings aren’t likely to take a risk buying from a brand that seems inexperienced, or “too new.” If you want potential customers to stop focusing on your fresh foundation, take advantage of Onehub’s personalization and branding features. These include:

• Logo and custom colors – Create a designed virtual space that customers will instantly recognize.
• Branded emails – Nothing turns off a potential customer faster than a generic email. Onehub helps you send branded emails that build trust.
• White label support – Onehub can be your best-kept secret with white label support, which removes all Onehub branding from your account for a seamless customer experience.

Offering a more personalized experience can increase sales 20 percent. Onehub can help startups, including those in their infancy, create trusting relationships through personalization features that quickly build a professional and consistent brand.

Is Onehub Your Startup’s Missing Ingredient?

You’ve already proven you have grit and determination by getting your startup off the ground. Just keep in mind that there’s no reward for taking a harder road than your competitors. Leverage every available tool, including file sharing for startups, and you’ll be better equipped for success. 

If Onehub could be a catalytic tool for your startup, reach out today with your questions or ask for a free demo.

Google Drive has over one billion users and houses more than two trillion files. While the system proves to be popular, there are certain caveats current and potential users should be aware of. 

Here are some potential pitfalls of the cloud storage platform and alternatives to Google Drive that should be considered.

Google Drive’s Shortcomings

When choosing a file storage system, strong privacy settings should always be at the top of your checklist. If you are currently or considering using Google Drive, the following privacy concerns should grab your attention.

Google can read your documents

What type of documents are you storing on Google Drive? While the sharing platform does encrypt all stored data, Google’s crawling bots can openly explore your documents. Google admits that their system scans all uploaded documents and uses any collected information to create user profiles, personalized search results, and targeted ads. 

Your documents can be altered

Google’s privacy agreement explains that their worldwide license allows them to “use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works […], communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute” any of your stored documents. The company also considers voluntary use of their services as agreement to data sharing with unspecified third parties. 

You can lose track of documents

Documents stored on file sharing platforms are often shared with fellow employees or clients. However, Google’s sharing permissions can leave you with little control over shared documents. 

While there are sharing permissions you can adjust, you won’t receive notification if a shared document is re-shared with a new group of users. Public documents can also be found through Google searches. 

Google Drive Alternatives to Consider

There are several alternatives to Google Drive, all with their own benefits and concerns to consider. Here are a few to review.

Email

What about good old fashioned email attachments? While this will keep your data private from Google’s crawling bots, you’re still taking a security risk with this file sharing method. Once you hit send, there’s no telling where your document might end up. But if this is the only option you have, make sure you at least encrypt both your email and attachments.

Disk drive

A removable disk drive can help keep your documents private, especially if you store the device in a secure location. But unless a team member is in the cubicle next to you, it can be virtually impossible to quickly share documents with this storage method.

Cloud storage alternatives

Google isn’t the only cloud storage service available. Here are a few others to consider.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a free file synchronization and sharing service that only takes a few minutes to set up. Users can share files with just about anyone, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. However, your data can be deleted if your account becomes inactive. 

Box

While Google and Dropbox are designed for professional and personal use, Box is designed with businesses in mind. There are several team-related features, including monitoring tools, user account management, and impressive integration capabilities. But many users complain that it takes time for both employees and clients to learn the system.

Onehub

Onehub is another professional file sharing service to consider. It offers a variety of features that allow you to share, edit, and collaborate with confidence.

Uploading files is nearly instantaneous. With drag-and-drop, simply move files from your desktop to cloud storage. Once uploaded, you can then organize files according to your preferences with customizable folders. If you have more than just a few files to upload at once, Onehub’s secure FTP gateway for mass uploads makes the process quick and painless.

Onehub makes it easy to share folders and files with your colleagues and clients so you can collaborate on work and access your files from anywhere, on any device. You can invite users to a specific folder or file and manage access levels so you always know your most confidential business files are secure.

Onehub is strongly focused on security. Users are greeted with dozens of security features, including audit trails, two-factor authentication, session timeouts, and role-based permissions. Such security measures offer full control over who can view, edit, and share stored files.

Onehub also offers a user-friendly app that allows for secure file sharing and viewing on the go. And unlike Google Drive, Onehub users can share documents with team members and clients without asking them to download or open additional software.

Ready to Kick Google Drive to the Curb?

If you currently use Google Drive to store and share files, consider the privacy risks you’re taking. And while there are several Google Drive alternatives to consider, few can provide the levels of privacy and security Onehub is known for.

Set up a free trial today to learn more about how Onehub can help you eliminate the privacy risks associated with Google Drive.

Client portals are virtual spaces a business shares with clients. Within a portal’s virtual walls, digital files can be stored, organized, and shared as needed between a business and their clients. This not only makes it easier to share important information but for a business to provide services to their clients.

Though client portals are becoming more popular, not every business puts enough thought into their client portal design. Just as you would put resources into the design of any physical space within your business, virtual spaces like portals deserve the same approach. Here’s how to design a client portal that will impress.

The Science Behind Client Portal Design 

Branding your business is important. While marketing experts will tell you that branding is more about the customer experience, don’t make the mistake of assuming a company’s visual representation no longer matters. Making sure that online spaces, including client portals, are visually branded is important to both your reputation and bottom line.

Research shows that when it comes to online spaces, visitors form an impression of your brand in just 0.05 seconds. Anything less than a great first impression could push clients to explore similar services offered by your competition.

A great custom client portal design can help you impress and retain clients. There are several elements you should take into consideration when designing your virtual space, including:

Logo 

Your client portal should always display your logo. Logos are the most recognized piece of your visual brand and can help clients feel comfortable using a portal, especially if they believe certain client portal myths. A portal without visual branding elements can feel like a cold and separate space while a branded portal simply feels like an extension of a company’s physical space. 

Colors

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to client portal design, focus on your branding colors. Using a signature brand color can increase brand recognition by 80%.

Font 

Does your portal allow you to customize its font? If so, make sure you’re using one that matches your business. A fun and whimsical font may be appropriate for a children’s photographer but could come off as unprofessional for an accountant.

Voice 

The voice used in your content is a part of your brand. Every business should have its own, dependent on its industry, products/services, and target audience. Just make sure that the voice used in your portal’s content matches what clients are already used to from your website, newsletter, and social media. 

When it comes to strong client portal design, remember that consistent presentation of a brand can increase a company’s revenue by 33%. In other words, it’s certainly worth taking the time to appropriately design your portal based on client needs and brand expectations.

How Onehub Can Help 

Onehub offers a variety of business solutions, including client portals. We also offer the ability to customize workspaces and portals. Here are a few options you’ll come across when designing your company portal.

Logos and colors 

Onehub allows you to perfectly match colors to create a visually seamless experience. Your logo is the most recognizable visual of your brand. Let it serve as a welcoming symbol in your portal.

Branded emails

Automatic communication is a favored feature in portals. Inform clients of updates with branded emails that are professional and trustworthy.

White label 

We’ll help you create a custom portal but we don’t need to take any credit for it. With our white label feature, you can remove all Onehub markings and let your brand be the star of your virtual space.

Custom domain 

Phishing scams are on the rise and clients may be wary to input personal information into a page that looks different than those on your website. A custom domain will assure them all is well.

Dashboards 

Over 60% of consumers stop purchasing from a brand if they feel their experience isn’t personalized. Our portals include dashboards that allow you to put up welcoming messages that start the user experience off on the right foot. With a personalized experience, you can boost business in several ways. 

Ready to Design the Perfect Portal?

A recent user experience survey found that by 2020, user experience will have overtaken price and product as key brand differentiators. The time to create a flawless user experience is now.

With a visually appealing client portal, you can quickly build trust with clients as you create an experience that puts you a step above the competition.

Reach out to Onehub to set up a free trial and see how we can help you create a winning client portal design.

We’re excited to announce the launch of the new Onehub iOS app! We’ve spent most of the year rebuilding the app from the ground up to make it look, feel, and work even better than before. The new Onehub for iOS is faster, easier-to-use, completely redesigned, and packed with new features.

With the redesigned Onehub app you can be as productive on-the-go as you would be in the office. The new app offers the essential features you require and expect from Onehub. Now you can easily preview files directly on your devices, upload files directly to Onehub from other installed apps, open files in other installed apps, and so much more! Here’s what else the new app can do for you:

• Data Room indexing and reordering
• View and access your secure Workspaces
• Invite new users to your Workspaces, folders, and files
• Send secure links to your folders & files
• View user activity
• Wirelessly print files

The new Onehub app now also supports the newest iOS features and devices, for a beautiful and seamless experience. These new features include:

• Face ID & Touch ID for enhanced security of your files
• High resolution thumbnails
• Dark Mode

We hope these changes and updates help you be unbelievably productive anytime, anywhere. For questions or help with the new app, reach out to our support team support@onehub.com.

Download the new app today from the App Store!

Working from home has become the “new normal” for many business owners and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet businesses have found new ways to share work without slowing down productivity through file sharing services. 

While cloud based file sharing services provide easy and convenient access to work-related documents for employees anytime and anywhere, that’s not to say there isn’t a level of risk that comes along with the practice.

Finding a secure file sharing service doesn’t always happen on the first try. But having one central place to share, edit, manage, and complete projects is crucial for small and large businesses alike, especially those with no return-date to the office just yet. If you’re looking for a secure file sharing service, consider the following five important criteria to look for.

1. Security requirements 

A 2020 Data Risk and Security Report revealed that organizations named data security as their top IT priority in 2020. And for good reason. America experiences a hacker attack every 39 seconds.

Security should be one of the top criterion to research when shopping for a file sharing service. You should be greeted with transparency and plenty of security features, including but not limited to:

• Role-based permissions (not every team member needs to access every document)
• Custom session timeouts (prevent curious passersby from accessing company data)
• Revoke access (prevent employees with ill-intent from doing irreparable harm by revoking their document privileges)

2. Collaboration 

Collaborating easily and efficiently is key to the day-to-day operations of your business. Difficult collaboration will only add to the frustrations your employees may be feeling when working from home, especially if they’re simultaneously caring for their family. In addition, research shows that improving collaboration can help raise productivity as much as 25 percent.

Look for services that not only offer plenty of collaborative features but are always developing new ways for teams to work together, whether they’re in the same office or in different countries. 

When searching for a secure file sharing service, the following collaborative features are a must:

• Comments (share thoughts in any file or folder without having to leave the platform)
• Workflow tasks (make sure everyone knows the next step without the back and forth)
• Notifications (know exactly when a task has been completed and avoid “checking-in burnout”)

3. Mobile functionality 

It is not worth having a file sharing service available to your employees if they cannot access it on different operating platforms or mobile devices. Keep in mind that in a work from home setup, employees might not be sitting at a desk for a certain number of hours as they would in a traditional office setting.

Your employees will appreciate the ability to edit and share their company files on mobile devices – at a minimum, Apple, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Before choosing a provider, see if they offer an app for better mobile access.

But working on mobile devices, especially if they’re using several different networks, comes with risk. Providers that offer secure links and high levels of encryption to keep your company data safe are always worth consideration. 

4. Synchronization 

What makes file sharing so convenient is having the ability to move files between a file-sharing environment and local resources, such as a mobile device or desktop, in a matter of seconds. 

As long as security measures are in place, a great file sharing service should allow multiple team members, multiple devices, and countless documents the ability to synchronize in real time.

Nearly half of 1,000 surveyed full-time U.S. workers admitted they have difficulty finding documents when they need them. By finding a file sharing service that makes it easy to move, organize, and search for documents, you can remain confident that a team working from home can get just as much, if not more, done in a day.

5. Auditing abilities 

While you want to make sure your team is remaining productive, you don’t want to spend a substantial amount of your day checking up on which documents were downloaded or uploaded, who commented on a file, or who updated a list of tasks.

A secure file sharing service with auditing abilities will help you check in without being invasive or inconvenienced. Audit trails will also help you protect client data by confirming only permitted employees are privy to confidential information.

What are the signs of the wrong service?

Maybe you’re already using a file sharing service. Does it tick off all the boxes or is it lacking in several features?

There are many signs to look out for, all which point to using the wrong file sharing service. If you’re worried about loss of control over your data, continuously experiencing glitches, or spending a large portion of your day calming down frustrated employees, you’re likely with a less than superior provider. 

Your file sharing service should give you the ability to communicate with your employees, your clients, and all members of your professional circle securely and seamlessly. If it does not, it’s time to shop.  

Whether you’re looking for a secure file sharing for the first time or have come to terms that it’s time to find a new provider, keep your team informed that you’re looking for a new service and, above all, maintain transparency with your clients. It may take a little effort to train your employees and adjust to the new system, but in the end it will secure your company’s work and client base.

Reach out to Onehub to learn more about their features and what makes them a secure file sharing option.

In light of current events, working from home has become the new norm for many businesses. This reality comes with new challenges, including how to help employees collaborate with their co-workers in the same ways that they were comfortable with in a traditional work environment. 

Even though work trends are changing, there is still opportunity for remote team collaboration and unity amongst co-workers. It’s important that this opportunity not go to waste.

On average, 39% of workers think their team members at work do not collaborate enough and 97% of failed work-place projects can be traced back to a lack of collaboration, making the art of connecting with team members more essential than ever. 

Unfortunately, with the new reality of working from home, collaboration may feel like more of a challenge than ever. That’s why we put together 5 unique remote team collaboration ideas to help you bridge the gap between employees and avoid a decrease in production levels.

1. Video Conferencing Platforms

Even though this seems like the classic response for how to stay in touch during work from home, there is still opportunity to connect with co-workers at the next level on these platforms. 

Holding meetings and discussing projects via video conferencing is a great way to keep productivity and accountability in check. But don’t be afraid to have a little fun.

Hold a video lunch hour where employees can just catch up. Host theme days, like Crazy Hat Day or Bring Your Pet to Work Day (all virtual of course). Working from home can be isolating and taking the time to put a bit more excitement into typically mundane video calls can make all the difference.

2. Progress Check Points

This remote team collaboration idea might not work for every industry. But if you have team members working towards similar goals, consider adding check points with rewards. 

For example, if you have a team working towards putting together a new marketing campaign, set up milestones ahead of time. As the team completes them, surprise them with small rewards. Send out ice cream coupons or, if you’re on schedule, give them the next sunny afternoon off. 

Working from home can cause employees to lose motivation. Simple rewards boost motivation and make team members feel appreciated, especially when they’re juggling additional home responsibilities with work.

3. Handwritten Letters 

It may sound a bit old fashioned, but handwritten letters can go a long way when team members are working from home. As an employer, you can simply send out thoughts of well wishes to your team members for a mental boost, along with a working agenda for the next week or so.

Or, if your team is oversized, consider starting an optional pen pal program. This may be especially beneficial to team workers who live alone and are looking for an additional outlet to connect with others. 

Even though writing letters or sending cards can be a time consuming task, a deeper connection can be made, whether you’re discussing work-related topics or not.

4. Start a Facebook Group 

Chances are, you’re letting your team work on individual schedules best suited for their unique situations. For example, if you have employees who are suddenly working from home while also having to homeschool several children, asking them to stay on a traditional schedule may be next to impossible. 

A great way to share information that employees can access on their own time is through social media. There are a few options to consider but starting a Facebook Group will likely give you the options you’re looking for while connecting as many team members as possible (not everyone uses social media, despite its popularity – avoid making it a requirement). 

Share updates in the group (send out in email form as well) and get the conversation going. Let employees have a little more fun in a relaxed virtual environment without losing focus of company policies and project goals.

5. Make Decisions Together

The decisions you make as a business owner will affect employees more than ever if they’re working from home. Without the comforts, both physical and mental, a traditional office provides, employees can quickly lose their connection with their fellow employees and career path.

Now, more than ever, involve your employees in decision making, whether it’s what video conferencing tool to choose from, what types of rewards they would love to earn, or how they want to share files safely while working on their own devices.

Many of us found ourselves working from home with little time to prepare. Let your employees know you want to navigate these uncharted waters together.

Remote Team Collaboration for the Win

Working from home presents new challenges to workers, as some may struggle from feeling disconnected from both their career and their co-workers. 

Even though collaborating virtually presents new challenges, there are many ways to establish rapport with team-members in unique and engaging ways, including remote team collaboration. Whether it is a handwritten note or a pajama-themed morning video conference, finding ways to stay connected is the best way to keep productivity and morale in check.

Need a way to safely share files when working from home? Schedule a free trial with Onehub to see how you can boost your productivity in minutes.