by Felicien | Jan 25, 2018 | Education
Do you like to dance?
Dancing is both a science and an art. The waltz is a beautiful and romantic flowing dance, the foxtrot involves intricate alternating fast and slow steps, and the tango is rigid with its pace starting slow and increasing in intensity. Each of these is recognized by their steps and a set pace, and partners must step in sync or the dance results in absolute chaos.
A brand’s presence on Facebook is much like the tango: Your content must follow intricately timed steps that the famous Facebook algorithm uses to decide the fate of your post. This algorithm has the final say in the reach of your content, thus impacting engagement.
The Famous Facebook Algorithm
The Facebook algorithm is nothing new to brands that use Facebook to drive traffic. This algorithm is complex (and a closely-guarded secret formula), and prioritizes posts based on the meaningful interaction and discussion they inspire (or not).
The Social Network was born in 2003 and evolved into TheFacebook.com. TheFacebook was initially only available to students at Harvard but was wildly successful, and the rest is history. Considering that Mark Zuckerberg was a computer science student at Harvard when planning TheFacebook, it makes sense that even 15 years later its algorithmic secrets are enigmatic. More than a student directory, TheFacebook project was an edgy and innovative way to take socialization to new levels, paving the way for person-to-person interactions beyond the walls of a classroom or dormitory hall.
Fast-forward to 2018, and Facebook is still testing boundaries and pushing limits. From its humble beginnings as a student-to-student connection channel to today’s content-filled environment where brands compete with bodies for attention in a user’s Feed, Facebook is still focused on social interactions, but is embracing innovation and changing things up on us – again!
Evolution of the Feed
Facebook users were recently sent a survey, with no incentive to complete other than Facebook’s request to understand how users “feel” about the product. Why is this important? Facebook is a business like any other, right? Wrong. Facebook is a for-profit entity with the idea to facilitate interactions between people and to bring them together. The fundamental foundation of Facebook is people.
Facebook Feeds are increasingly becoming more populated with posts from brands and businesses; even the media deliver news via Facebook. Less personal interactions are taking place, and the overall “feeling” from people about Facebook is becoming largely negative. This is not the perception Facebook wants users to have for long-term success.
The last presidential election is a great example of overwhelming Feeds with more news and branded content than actual social posts from friends and family. Facebook has also been blamed for the demise of friendships and destruction of relationships and marriages, with social profiles being checked for “dirt” by attorneys to use in legal proceedings. Social media has been accused of facilitating cyber-bullying and linked to lowering self-esteem. Efforts to combat negativity have been largely unsuccessful given the very public nature of the channel.
Where did the “bad” begin? Even the algorithm can’t pinpoint the precise moment that Facebook started to take a turn. Around 2013, Facebook eliminated the ability for users to have their privacy settings remain invisible to the public and not appear in searches. The notion was that having a private profile on a social network was counterintuitive – and users couldn’t argue since Facebook is a public website. The change came as an unwelcome shock for many users “flying under the radar,” but as in any situation, users adapted to this latest change from the platform known for shaking things up once or twice a year.
What we know for sure
One thing we know is that change is afoot at Facebook: Zuckerberg & Co. want to get back to basics. That’s not to say much will change for users posting content, but brands are going to feel the difference where it hurts. Facebook is responsible for a vast amount of referral traffic from brands’ organic posts on their individual Facebook Pages.
The algorithm will focus on the quality of content, and prioritize people over public posts, pushing for more person-to-person interaction with a focus on community over profit in post content. Facebook is listening to feedback where users are tired of click-baiting, a practice where teaser headlines get users to click to consume content and are sometimes tricked by misleading headlines.
What does this mean for brands?
The bottom line for brands is to evolve or die. Facebook is envisioning a few key outcomes:
Users – people – will spend less time on Facebook
A decrease in user engagement overall
An increase in sharing of personal posts
More lively discussion among users
None of these are making brands do cartwheels with excitement. Engagement is what drives users – again, people – to be on-platform longer. If people spend less time on Facebook, this means less attention is given to brand content and fewer clicks. This translates into a major impact on referral traffic. It’s also going to force brands to re-think their definition of engagement. How can brands still reach users and connect with them? Brands are going to be forced to adapt and change their social media strategies.
The fascinating part of all of this is that Facebook wants an increase in the sharing of personal posts and more discussion among users. These posts are what drive their ad targeting system—Targeted paid advertisements are the way Facebook wants brands to reach their audience.
The bad news for brands is that ad costs have significantly increased in the last few years, a trend that is likely to continue for a few reasons. Facebook is a wildly popular platform and well aware of its position. Even with user churn, Facebook’s user base continues to grow – there are more new users than those who become inactive or choose to leave – thus establishing solid logic for advertising prices, as well as continually increasing the potential reach for a paid targeted ad.
When a brand uses its Facebook Page to post content, the goal is to be in the Feed of every user. This is, in fact, something Facebook has been scaling back since before 2012. Dancing to the tune of the algorithm has long been a challenge brands must overcome to survive and maintain a Facebook presence. Adversely, Facebook has an eventual goal of Page posts reaching no user Feeds at all. This is rumored to be labeled “Facebook Zero” – where only paid ads and “sponsored content” (paid posts) will target user Feeds.
Did you know that brands can use Facebook Messenger for promotions? They can message their customers directly within the Messenger platform and sidestep the Feed rules. Like email marketing, when deployed strategically, engaging with Facebook users via Messenger can yield impressive results. Brands can also use systems to automate updates sent to subscribers and responses to inquiries – at least for now.
The Exception to the Rules
Over half of Facebook users are members of at least one Facebook Group. The numbers speak for themselves: The number of Facebook users hovers around 2 billion, and Facebook Groups have a user base of more than 1 billion active users every month. There are more than 100 million users in Groups considered “meaningful,” in that the discussions are deemed informative, insightful, and intellectual – and users find them very helpful.
Did you know that the total count of users who are members of Facebook Groups outnumber Instagram and Snapchat total subscribers combined?
Zuckerberg & Co. believe Groups are underestimated and underappreciated. There is value hidden within Facebook Groups. In 2017 Facebook hosted a Communities Summit that was free for U.S.-based Group members, with Facebook covering the hotel and food tab for attendees.
What is the benefit for brands? To be heard through the noise on Facebook, a brand is going to need to get (even more) creative. A brand can create a Group through their Page, and follow a few tips and best practices to successfully incorporate Groups into their overall strategy:
Don’t confuse brand “sales” with Facebook’s “Buy and Sell” when choosing a Group Goal; “Buy and Sell” is widely used for garage sale-type Groups.
Choosing a “Closed” Group setting as a privacy option helps create the feeling of exclusivity for users.
Be careful not to be too detached in choosing your cover photo; a cold photo expressly aimed at generating a profit isn’t going to send the right message.
Invite members through Messenger with a personalized message. This is still an element you can automate, but remember to convey the value a member can find within the Group
Active Group discussions are key drivers of “free” post visibility. Above, we learned Facebook wants to focus on lively discussions among users. Carefully crafted posts in Groups for targeted, engaged members will yield incredible reach, all while playing Facebook’s game!
Time to Tango
For users, in a perfect world, they would see funny memes and videos of cats and updates from friends and family. Facebook maintains that memes and videos don’t offer the satisfaction and fulfillment that user interaction holds —And since they control the algorithm, they’re leading this tango. Brands that choose to dance need to stay in step, or they’ll be forced to sit the next one out.
by Felicien | Jan 25, 2018 | Education
Healthcare is a complex and tightly regulated industry, which requires a careful and thoughtful approach to technology and its place within your organization. Technology has an incredible capacity to revolutionize the way you interact with patients and provide patient care, manage medical records and documentation, schedule and track needed follow-up and referrals, and share sensitive and critical patient data with other healthcare professionals.
Getting the most out of what healthcare technology has to offer while keeping your organization in line with the rules and regulations laid out by HIPAA means partnering with an IT provider who understands the ins-and-outs of your unique industry. {company} has been working closely with healthcare professionals since we started our business, providing the service and expertise practices and clinics need to operate effectively.
We pride ourselves on being able to offer:
The resources and solutions required to maintain the security and confidentiality of patient health information.
Fast and reliable access to medical records and diagnostic software from anywhere in your building, without compromising security.
Improved communication solutions to keep your team in touch with patients regarding their prescriptions and ongoing healthcare needs.
Service and support to keep your EMR and EHR solutions working the way they’ve been designed to.
Guidance and support to keep your healthcare organization compliant with regulations like HIPAA and HITECH, and meet Meaningful Use standards.
Our team of experienced, passionate, and dedicated technology professionals are uniquely positioned to offer your healthcare organization exactly what you need to be productive, successful, and secure.
Ready to work with the experts at {company} to meet your organization’s technical support and compliance requirements? Contact CCS today at {email} or {phone}.
by Felicien | Jan 24, 2018 | Education
The world of social media has only been around for about 15 years. From MySpace and LinkedIn to Instagram and Snapchat, there are a variety of social platforms to suit every person and every purpose. Younger generations not only accept that much of their day-to-day lives aren’t private, they willingly “live tweet,” or share up-to-the-moment play-by-play details – which is an entirely foreign concept to those who reached adulthood pre-Instagram (or likely before).
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of social media is the differentiation of the roles for each platform. While Facebook is the largest and most widely-used platform to share content, opinions, and thoughts with friends and family instantaneously, Instagram acts more like a family photo album updated for the digital age to allow for interaction.
LinkedIn stands out as it was launched with a different purpose–helping professionals connect. Today’s professionals can easily be divided into two groups: those that have integrated social media into their existing careers, and those who entered the workforce already has built a social network. Newer candidates just completing their academic career and entering their chosen profession have likely already amassed numerous connections across multiple platforms, and merely establish these same connections on LinkedIn – but is this the smartest approach? Conversely, established professionals and those labeled as experts in their chosen field with a decade or more of experience may have fewer connections, though not always. The chances are that these connections hold greater value, simply because of the time and energy invested in each relationship.
The concept of integrating social interaction into the professional world is far from new; however, digitizing social interactions revolutionized how business is done, and in nearly every industry. It’s also safe to assume these groups of professionals view Internet etiquette – or “netiquette” – differently.
Performing a quick Internet search will return hundreds of results on “how best” to represent yourself digitally. Beyond just having a profile, sharing content, and relishing each Like and Share, professionals look to LinkedIn as a resource to further their careers. Organizations share this approach, though through a lens of lead generation.
Ⅹ NO
Random connection requests
YES
Genuine connections
Think about why you want to connect with this person – especially if they’re not someone you’ve interacted with much. Will both of you benefit from the connection? Can you help each other, from a professional standpoint?
Tip: Brief but personalized introductions instead of templates will go much farther in a connection request. The time it takes you to send a cold, standardized template to connect is about the same time the target professional may take to decline your request.
Ⅹ NO
Social stalking
YES
Respect
Did you know that every time you visit someone’s profile on LinkedIn, if that person has a Premium membership, they will be alerted to your visit? Multiple visits can leave a lasting impression – and not necessarily the one you want to leave. Decide if you want to connect, either send the request or don’t, and then move on.
We know sending a request to connect and then being rejected can sting, but don’t try this repeatedly. If you sent a personalized message with your connection request, and the connection didn’t accept the request, they have a valid reason, and you should respect it.
Ⅹ NO
Selfies
YES
Content of value
There are many places for personal photographs – “selfies” – but LinkedIn isn’t one of them. Casual images are seen as unprofessional, and a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, those words speak about you and send the wrong message. Instead, share content that holds value. This content can be original, or shared from another source, but will offer information that your network will find useful.
Ⅹ NO
Strictly digital
YES
See beyond LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the premier forum to match professionals with shared goals. Make each connection count! If you’re in the same geographical area, take the time to meet colleagues in your network for lunch or a cup of coffee. Chances are this will result in you keeping you both closer to the top of the list down the road when the need arises.
Ⅹ NO
One-way communication
YES
Engage
By definition, a social platform is one where people communicate with each other. As already stated, use LinkedIn to post content that will have value to your network, but also respond to comments and engage with your network directly.
Did you know that when you respond to a comment on a LinkedIn post, the engagement is visible to the commenter’s entire first-degree network? Consider this a “free” boost to your visibility and take full advantage.
Ⅹ NO
Only use LinkedIn to find a new job
YES
Build relationships and network
Don’t make the mistake of confusing LinkedIn with an Internet job board. LinkedIn recognized that many users take advantage of the platform’s extensive professional user base to network and find new career opportunities, and now LinkedIn offers a separate mobile app with this in mind. The goal is to keep job posts and applicants from overloading the content feed, maintaining the primary function of LinkedIn.
Ⅹ NO
Post whatever content, whenever
YES
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s reach and Insights
LinkedIn has recently introduced a handful of robust tools for both individual users and organizations. They offer Premium features like Insights on a follower’s base and the reach of content posts, as well as paid content options for boosting reach beyond their network with sponsored content. Users can develop a sophisticated LinkedIn content strategy, allowing for deep audience analysis.
To pay, or not to pay? Sponsored content is LinkedIn’s version of advertising, but there are other paid options to expand your brand’s reach.
Ⅹ NO
All business, all the time
YES
A healthy balance
While any activity on LinkedIn should have a purpose, remember to humanize your posts with lighter content sprinkled in. What does this mean? So long as it’s clean and tactful, a sense of humor is welcome on LinkedIn! If an organization collectively volunteers for an Adopt-A-Road program and shows pictures or videos of staff picking up trash, it’s nice to see the faces behind the content posts.
Ⅹ NO
Irregular, varied content
YES
Be a brand ambassador
To represent yourself, and your brand, create a LinkedIn strategy and devise a content calendar. Whether you are responsible for your own individual LinkedIn profile, your brand’s profile page – or both – remember to own your brand, represent it nonstop, and truly embody how you want the public to perceive your brand. A strong brand ambassador is consistent and respected.
by Felicien | Jan 24, 2018 | Education
These days it seems like no one is safe from a cyber attack. Small businesses, however, are especially vulnerable because of their value and the fact that they’re easy to infiltrate. Larger companies tend to have better measures in place to prevent attacks. Individuals have less worth to steal. Smaller businesses are just right, to paraphrase Goldilocks. And when they’re hit, they’re hit hard.
According to the Ponemon Institute, an independent research institution that conducts studies on privacy, data protection and information security policies, the cost for small businesses to clean up after they’ve been hacked averages $690,000. Even worse, statistics show that 60% of small companies that suffer a cyber attack are out of business within six months.
So, what can you do to protect your business?
First, let’s look at a few facts.
According to IBM, small and mid-sized businesses account for 62 percent of all cyber attacks. That’s roughly 4,000 per day.
Most cyber breaches happen because an employee does something that they shouldn’t be doing.
The estimated annual cost for cybercrime committed globally is a whopping 100 billion dollars.
All businesses should have a plan in place in the event of a cyber attack. The worst mistake you can make is waiting until an attack happens to think about your security. Communicating with employees is also key. Business owners must have data security protocols, as well as policies and procedures in place that every employee takes seriously. In addition, having the latest security software, web browser and operating systems provide the greatest barricades against viruses, malware, and other online threats.
Encrypting data is a wonderful way to protect your most private information. Encryption is a process where data is converted and becomes garbled and therefore unreadable to anyone without access to a key or password.
If an attack should happen, you’ll also want to contact local and national authorities as soon as you can. Calling the local police as well as the Federal Trade Commission is a very important step. If you have access to an IT department, contact them immediately. The sooner they can investigate and clean your computer, the less damage to your computer and other computers on the network. If your company doesn’t have a reliable IT service, now is a great time to find one. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When looking into which IT company to go with, you’ll want to make sure that the company is reliable and can handle the needs of your unique business. Not every IT company is created equal.
Here are a few important questions to ask yourself.
Does the IT company provide…?
Backups
Patch Management
Proactive Alerting
Virus Protection
24/7 System Monitoring and Resolution
Proactive Alerting with Remediation
Unlimited In-Shop Repair
Data Backup and Recovery
Unlimited Help Desk Support
Routine Site Visits to Check Physical Devices
Short-term Loaner Workstations
Application Deployment
Firewall Monitoring
Unlimited On-Site Consulting and Support
These are services that you’ll want for your small to mid-sized business. Choosing a company that’s been in business for a while is also a good idea. Look for one that’s been around for at least ten years. The longer the better. Proven companies know their stuff because they’ve seen it all before. Look at what other people are saying. References from current clients are invaluable.
Hopefully, a cyber attack will never happen to you, but hoping won’t stop one from happening. Knowledge is vital. You did your homework when you decided to start your business. Now, be sure to do your homework by protecting your IT assets.
by Felicien | Jan 24, 2018 | Education
This is what people sometimes say when you start talking about machine language and artificial intelligence. Though it’s true that a computer can perform long, complex mathematical computations, it could never understand a small boy’s love for a cute puppy. All those emotions that humans have, all those irrational beliefs – it might be hard to find a robot who would get it.
As we’ve all seen in the movies, robots have no understanding of human emotions like love. There are many other esoteric concepts that humans display regularly. These feelings are much more a part of our existence than we think. We take them for granted. But would a machine understand why you’ve kept your mother’s old quilts for 40 years?
Perhaps someday our robots will be sophisticated enough to comprehend emotions like hate, love, revenge, forgiveness, and empathy. Today, however, we’re a long way from that happening. This knowledge hasn’t prevented technology experts from moving forward with innovative ideas. It looks like the future will be full of incredible things we can only imagine.
Artificial intelligence and the attorney
The legal field often deals with strong emotions like love, hate, and revenge. The motive for murder is frequently nothing more than simple jealousy. The motive for robbery or embezzlement is most commonly greed. Since the law so often deals with complex human emotions, will it be able to fully utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence?
Though it has represented a significant hurdle for our best and brightest experts, legal professionals are finding ways that it can be done. Almost any attorney would be interested in learning how a particular judge might rule in this case. Information like this is priceless. But so many lawyers today are unfamiliar with the technology and the terminology. For those who are intrigued by the possibilities available now in machine learning and artificial intelligence, it’s important to know the basic jargon.
The technology behind these applications can be overwhelming for anyone without a background in robotics. However, we can learn the basics about each type of technology and take advantage of the awesome opportunities just waiting for those who are willing to take a step into the future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This is a broad term describing a wide range of technologies that can perform complex tasks that were once only performed by humans. This includes self-driving cars, speech recognition, robotics, algorithmic stock trading, medical imagery devices and a few others. The list grows almost daily.
Artificial intelligence is having a deep impact on the legal field, the business community, the medical field, and the financial industry. As new advancements are made, it will become almost essential to understanding AI well enough to know where you can best implement it in your law firm.
In the legal profession, artificial intelligence is already making many of those time-consuming, redundant jobs much easier. AI can be used to analyze legal contracts, review documents, and manage billing tasks. One of the more exciting applications is in the area of data mining. AI is now being used to sort through millions of litigation documents to find the strategic insights that can help you win your case.
Though machines may never be able to replace a well-trained litigator, they can quickly comb through a mountain of data and extract the exact information you will need to get the right verdict. AI applications offer a wide range of possibilities, and yet they can be targeted to accomplish very specific skills. The trick is in learning which tasks are best done by a human being, and which ones should be completed by artificial intelligence.
Many of today’s law firms are using AI-based legal tools for research. They’re also using them to identify drafting errors, predict outcomes, identify litigation trends and much more. As law firms begin to understand the potential behind machine learning, expect them to venture out more into this realm.
Cognitive Computing and Augmented Intelligence
Cognitive computing is often used interchangeably with AI. However, there is a subtle difference between the two. In the field of cognitive computing, developers strive to simulate the human thought process. This technology utilizes data mining, natural language processing, and pattern recognition technology. The goal is to solve problems without human intervention. Using machine learning algorithms, this technology is continuously acquiring new knowledge. The hope is that someday it will be able to anticipate problems before they happen and provide working solutions.
Augmented Intelligence uses numerous AI applications as well. These include natural language programming, robotics, neural networks and virtual reality. While AI is more about replacing thousands of human actions using a computer program, Augmented Intelligence is more about enhancing the human experience. Humans would use virtual reality and robots to help them with complex, large and small tasks.
In the world of artificial intelligence, you might hear terms like “robot lawyers.” In the world of augmented intelligence, advanced technology would enhance a human attorney’s skills. At the end of the day, both technologies are necessary because there will be times when a robot lawyer might actually be a better idea.
For instance, think about the enormous time spent by judges who are dealing with small crimes like petty theft, speeding tickets, drunk and disorderly conduct, etc. Most of these crimes don’t require a judge and jury. They could easily be decided by a computer algorithm that measures the facts of the case against the written law pertaining to the case. This type of robot lawyer could process cases with better accuracy than a human judge and at a much faster rate. This would equal substantial cost savings to the city and law enforcement.
Analytics
Most people understand the term “analytics” now due to widespread usage of analytics programs that tell you how your website is doing. Today’s advanced analytics programs do more than just analyzing data. Using sophisticated tools, they parse through massive amounts of data and eliminate anything considered irrelevant or redundant. Next, the data is structured so that it can be readily used. Analytics is a field that constantly changes because new data is being entered and sorted each day. This process is building a colossal database of all knowledge.
An analytics program can be configured to work in specific fields like the law, medicine, sales, stock trading or any number of areas. You might profit from knowing how well appliance sales do on certain days of the week. This same technology could also tell you how likely a criminal is to commit additional crimes.
What does the future hold?
As we move forward, it behooves us all to learn about machine learning, augmented intelligence, analytics, and cognitive computing. As with every new advancement in futuristic technology, the more we know, the more readily we’ll be able to adopt the technology and accept it into our lives. There are already much easier and cheaper ways to accomplish most of our everyday redundant tasks.
You can tell your Roomba to “Start Cleaning.” You can ask Alexa where a restaurant is located and how late they’re open. You can help your teenager with a complex math equation. But, you can’t tell Alexa to pick up the kids from school.
Our machines may someday perform all our normal household and many of our work-related tasks. At the moment though, there are certain things that only humans can do. However, humans augmented by artificial intelligence will be able to complete those tasks much faster and with better accuracy.
by Felicien | Jan 23, 2018 | Education
Washington State’s New Proposed Telecommuting Bill
If you ask anyone about their daily commute, you’re likely to hear tales about traffic woes, time complaints, and grudges against gas prices. By contrast, someone who works from home will boast of a “commute” from their bedroom to their home office (or the couch with their laptop). The genuine smile they wear reveals just how they feel about telecommuting. Telecommuters are happier, and not just due to the lack of traffic troubles!
The Basics of Business
Compared to 75 years ago, organizations have evolved in many ways. Office layouts have changed, and organizational charts have expanded with departments that didn’t exist just a decade ago. But the greatest difference is that a private office for most of the staff is a thing of the past.
Now we use cubicles that lack privacy, but offer flexibility in a modular design that can be changed as spatial needs demand. A quick look at a typical office space reveals the basics for most businesses:
A central multi-function printer/photocopier
A breakroom
A myriad of desks or cubicles with computer monitors
The idea of cubicles originated from the need for efficiency –a way to accommodate a growing staff without expanding the office space. Staff levels were increasing, but organizations weren’t prepared to invest the time and money into purchasing additional property—Economic growth simply outpaced spatial growth. Cubicles offered a cost-effective and immediate answer, with more privacy and the promise of noise reduction compared to an open environment.
The Evolution of the Workspace
Cubicle workspaces have evolved with the changing business climate. In recent years, cubicle design has shifted to lower walls with the idea that an open-style workspace promotes collaboration and communication. Gone is the notion that an employee requires silence for productivity.
Desks still have room for family photos, but when a workspace lacks walls, it also lacks the ability for a professional to maximize productivity according to their individual needs. If someone needs quiet to focus on a task, the white noise that fills a workspace won’t help. A telecommuter, on the other hand, can set up a workspace in their home to their exact liking. The better part of this is in the adaptability to their changing moods. Does listening to Chopin help you write stellar emails? Does listening opera help you draft a blueprint? Does punk rock help you paint? Whatever you need, you can adjust your surroundings to your whims.
Happier staff by default decrease turnover, which decreases potential downtime for an organization. Happier staff are healthier and less stressed. This is more cost-effective in the long run. Attendance isn’t an issue if the staff doesn’t need to worry about a critical presence within a geographical location at a given time.
Benefits for Businesses
Employing a remote staff is good for business. Employers can position telecommuting options as an employee benefit with a focus on work/life balance. Plus, you can employ individuals from different cities and countries. A global workforce gives you a global view, with virtually endless resources for any need that may arise. Built-in translators, cultural experts at the grassroots level, and a more cosmopolitan outlook are all benefits of a global remote workforce.
Why should a company pay for property to use roughly 8-10 hours daily and for only part of the week? Whether leasing space on the floor of a skyscraper or purchasing an entire building, there are still invisible overhead costs like utilities and insurance to consider, and all this for consumption only half the time in a given day. With only so much real property either currently in existence or land to build on, these costs will only increase over time – as will the cost of construction and infrastructure. Decreasing, or eliminating real estate costs is a tantalizing option for any business.
Communication Considerations
Is the world of telecommuting perfect? Unfortunately, no – there are downsides to employing a remote staff. Less comradery and personal interactions exist, even without the added consideration of time differences. Teams must work that much harder to maintain a joint effort to complete projects and tasks. A unified vision is necessary to achieve goals or chaos will ensue. However, from a management standpoint, you can offset most of these concerns with a focus on communication.
Speaking of communication, a uniform platform is a must. Solutions like Basecamp and Trello for team project collaboration are quite popular today, and with good reason; these allow for timely updates and customized notification settings for each team member. While email is acceptable for communication, it’s nearly obsolete today purely because of its simplicity.
Remote teams still need to talk to each other, and not just over the phone. Even yesterday’s go-to programs like WebEx and GoToMeeting are used less often, replaced with the likes of Skype and Google Hangouts for online conferencing because of their adaptability. Need to attend a department meeting in your pajamas? Disable video. Need to drop off the kids at soccer practice? Install these apps on your mobile device and take your work with you.
The success of a telecommuting workforce also depends on a reliable Internet connection, a sufficient workspace, power, and technical capabilities. The burden of proof is on the telecommuter in this instance, rather than the organization – which is a bonus. This burden is offset by the telecommuter’s ability to claim a portion of these expenses on their annual tax return as home office deductions.
Money Talks
In truth, a company’s primary goal is to produce revenue. You’ve undoubtedly heard of “the bottom line,” an idiom born from profit and loss financial statements. The goal of the bottom line is to be “in the black” – representing a net profit, instead of “in the red” which represents a net financial loss. Staff salaries and property costs have a significant financial impact on an organization’s bottom line.
Considering the cost-benefit of telecommuting, one can’t ignore the tax benefits for both sides. For example, a U.S. senator from Washington state has proposed a bill that will incentivize organizations to allow for telecommuting. Under the bill, companies would be offered a $500-per-employee tax credit for each staffer that works remotely a minimum of 12 days per month. With the average number of weekdays in a month at 22, this encourages businesses to push for staff to telecommute 50% of the month or more. The bill caps incentives at $20,000 per year, but that’s quite a financial incentive!
The plan is that this bill will lessen the impact of traffic by minimizing:
Gridlock
Gas consumption
Greenhouse gas emissions
Vehicular accidents
Long-term impact on road conditions
The overall impact is immeasurable, but minimizing these issues is seen as a positive, incentivizing the first step. For Seattle alone, the average daily commute is 90 minutes due to a cheaper cost of living farther from the downtown area. Avoiding that commute twice each day provides the telecommuter 3 hours that they would have otherwise spent in traffic, resulting in an “extra” 15 hours every week.
Other states with traffic woes have passed similar legislation. Virginia implemented the Virginia Telework Expenses Tax Credit in 2013, and Georgia began testing tax incentives in 2007. Considering the gridlock in Northern Virginia, organizations with locations in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., quickly recognized the many advantages to incentivizing telework and took advantage of the financial benefits.
The Bottom Line
Switching to a telecommuting model can be a challenge. Whether staff works remotely only one day per week, or 100% of the time, letting employees work from home may not be the solution for some businesses. Every organization will undoubtedly weigh the benefits with the risks and make the decision that’s best for them.
