It’s common knowledge that the petrol costs have made a big impact on running a business. We are seeing more and more businesses choosing to keep employees at home or limit the travel they undertake for work purposes.

 

If it is something you may be thinking about for your employees, here are a few ideas to ponder over that can make working from home truely effective.

 

One is to give your employees remote access so they can work at home using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). If your company has a server or unattended PC you can work from any internet connected computer on the planet and achieve the same amount of productivity. 

 

With the use of a VPN you can securely connect to your office network and access the same resources as if you were sitting at your desk. You could read and send/receive email, finish or review budgets, create documents or use core software from your remote location without having to leave home at all.

 

Not only can this provide a cost saving in business running costs it utilises your server technology in the way it was designed - as a productivity tool. 

 

To setup remote access you will need your IT support company to configure the work server to allow remote access. You will also need broadband connectivity at your residence and a network enabled PC or handheld device.

 

You can take this method of remote productivity further by using instant messaging software like MSN. By using this one can communicate with work colleagues instantly over an Internet link. If being able to see the person whilst talking is your preferred option install a web cam (from as little as $25) to allow you to interact with work colleagues on a one to one basis.

 

If staying at home is not an option then there are other ways to take the office with you, and that is by using handheld devices like PDA’s, blackberry’s, and mini note PC’s. 

 

Not only do these devices require less power to run they are pretty much a mobile office by being able to be taken anywhere. Today connecting to the internet using these devices is as simple as the pressing of a button. You can create, edit and review documents as well as send / receive email from anywhere with mobile phone coverage.