It used to be that for client work, I would travel to their offices for a day or several months to complete a project. While this was great when online collaboration wasn’t available, and I worked on one project at a time, it’s not feasible nowadays. With tools like Skype, Google Drive and Dropbox, many businesses are renouncing the need for a big office. 99.9% of the time I work with clients virtually.
I have many ‘offices’ in places such as Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and London. I’ve worked at a dozen different Starbucks around the globe, and when I’m home my office is a friend’s cafe. Anywhere there is wifi I’m able to work and respond to emergencies, client questions or new project requests. This saves both myself and clients time and money on projects as I can work on several throughout a day from anywhere. When I’m required to travel, I don’t need to put my business on hold, and can continue working between phone, ipad and laptop.
Some have asked how I’m able to work with clients despite changing time zones, and the answer is my working hours vary depending on my location. My phone and calendar keep me informed on what time it is back home, and then I’m flexible around my client’s schedule if I need to hop on a call.
Another answer to this is at the end of the day, I strive for inbox-zero. This doesn’t mean I’m able to answer every email, but rather I can prioritize appropriately. Quick, five minute questions I’ll answer immediately, and others in need of more thought I'll forward to my to-do list. This means immediate concerns get solved first, and small site changes or quoting new work happen later on.
This doesn’t mean I shy away from meeting clients in person, in fact I look forward to meeting a client for coffee or at their office, but it’s no longer the norm.
I’m curious on how you manage your work. Are you one of the businesses that have forgone the office in favor of remote workers, or do you prefer having everyone under the same roof?
