Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: remote work

  • 4 Types of Companies for Remote Work

    4 Types of Companies for Remote Work

    Updated from 2023

    Remote work has been around for as long as we’ve had the technology, but 2020 made work from home (WFH) a household word. Now, many startup companies offer remote work as a way to cut operating costs. Without a physical office, expenses are reduced. Remote work also offers many other advantages to certain types of companies. Let’s take a closer look at four types of companies that offer remote work.

    1 Technology Companies

    Technology companies (tech) are great for remote work because they tend to have the latest technology. Tech companies include software development companies, IT companies, companies that sell electronics, artificial intelligence or computers, and website development companies. These companies have the ability for their employees to communicate through virtual meetings and communications applications such as Slack. 

    During the pandemic, tech workers were more easily able to transition to performing work tasks from home, since the majority (if not all) of their tasks were completed using technology. 

    2 Customer Service Companies

    Customer service companies that offer services via online platforms, such as chatbots, are suitable for remote work. Customer service workers must be familiar with technology and have internet access to perform their tasks. Many businesses that hire customer service workers have customers from multiple time zones. To provide 24/7 service to these customers, they hire employees from different time zones to cover a wide range of work shifts. Similar to tech companies, customer service employees can communicate with supervisors or coworkers with communications software.

    3 Education Companies

    Education companies and companies that provide online education are perfect for remote work. These companies provide e-learning platforms for companies and educators. The course content is designed electronically, and IT programming is also handled online. Educators who use these platforms to design courses or offer tutoring work remotely to provide the content. The education is available at any time to anyone anywhere in the world with internet access. This form of education is especially handy for people who work during the day and take courses to upskill at night.

    4 Creative Agencies

    Creative agencies offer remote work for those interested in graphic design, advertising, marketing, and content creation. Work is completed through online collaboration and communication tools. Some agencies hire employees from the same city, while others hire freelancers from other cities in the same country or around the world.

    Key Takeaways

    Work from home has become possible because of the collaborative platforms and communication applications that we now have available to us. Many startups start as remote work companies, saving on the costs of having a physical office. In particular, companies that work with technology, customer service, and education, as well as creative agencies are well suited for remote work.

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  • How to Find Work-Life Balance in a Fast-Paced World

    How to Find Work-Life Balance in a Fast-Paced World

    In a world that moves at the speed of instant messaging and 24-hour services, burnout is almost inevitable. Especially with remote work people like me, the line between home and office often blurs when you’re answering a work email before bed. Striking the right balance isn’t about clocking out at 5 p.m. sharp every day—it’s about creating a schedule that supports both your professional goals and your personal well-being.

    Why It Matters

    When I first started working from home, I thought skipping my commute would free up more time for myself. It did, but I found myself answering late-night emails and checking Slack before breakfast. The lines between work and home life became blurred. Eventually, I realized that being always available didn’t make me more productive—it made me live in my office.

    Strategies for Better Balance

    1 Set Clear Boundaries
    It’s hard to set a clear work schedule (some people do) when you’re working with people in more than one time zone. I find it easier to work in time blocks. This way, I can still check my email at night after hours, but I’m not constantly responding to messages throughout the day, whenever they happen to land on my desk.

    2 Prioritize Tasks
    I like to start the day off with an easy task so I immediately feel like I’ve accomplished something. Then I tackle the tasks that must be done that day, and work on the tasks that don’t have deadlines last. If the time-sensitive task is something I loathe doing, I reward myself with a snack when I’m done.

    3 Take Breaks
    Working from home gives you easy access to YouTube and streaming TV. I use break times to watch a few videos, take a walk, or have a snack. (If the work that day is stressful, I take more breaks.)

    4 Make Time for What Matters
    Whether it’s reading a book before bed or having dinner with family, these moments are important. I block off a few hours a day for “me time,” social time, and study time. 

    5 Communicate Openly
    When you work remotely, the office isn’t as aware if you’re struggling with work issues. I need to take the responsibility of telling my manager when I’m stretched thin, and need deadlines adjusted and tasks reallocated. This is the best way to establish some boundaries and protect your mental health.

    The Takeaway

    Work-life balance isn’t always easy to achieve. Some weeks will be harder than others, but regularly checking in with yourself makes all the difference. By protecting your personal time, you protect your energy, creativity, and motivation.  

  • 4 Reasons Remote Work Is Challenging

    4 Reasons Remote Work Is Challenging

    Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), has been around since office workers had the technology to do their tasks from anywhere with an internet connection. It’s become more common now to have in-office, hybrid (a mix of in-office and remote work), and remote options for some companies. 

    The perks of remote work are numerous, but the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. The main difference is that WFH easily blurs the lines between work and home life. It’s easy to check work email after you finish a late dinner or throw a load of clothes in the laundry before a meeting starts.

    Remote work also comes with its unique challenges. If you haven’t tried working from home yet, consider these four challenges before you start. If you work from home, what do you think about these challenges with the lifestyle?

    Lack of in-person interaction

    Remote work is perfect for those who love to work without interruption. You can avoid water cooler conversations with coworkers (although you might have them with those you live with). You can work in peace and get what you need done on time. The time you save from your commute is spent on other tasks, instead of sitting in transportation.

    For those who love socializing, you will miss having lunch with a co-worker. You’ll miss the conversations you have whenever you collaborate with a team. You’ll have virtual team meetings, but you must stick to the topic and finish on time before people leave for other meetings.  

    People who are just starting in their careers will find the lack of in-person interaction difficult. You cannot casually walk up to someone to ask for help. You cannot sit with coworkers who have similar jobs during lunch and pick up career tips. To get the support you need, you’ll either send messages to a coworker or schedule a meeting.

    No division between home and work

    Working from home is quite literally working from your home. It may be difficult to draw a distinct line between your home life and work life. A home office with a door can create a physical separation between your two lives, but if your desk is in your living space, such as your kitchen, that distinction is harder to make.

    You may be expected to check your work emails first thing in the morning, as well as last thing in the evening. Remote companies with staff that live across the country function best when people are more flexible about when they work and when they check messages. You may need to be more adamant about your office hours and when you check messages if you want set hours away from work.

    Work may also feel more intrusive because your coworkers have a window into your personal life when you have a virtual meeting. They can see one wall of your home office, and they can hear family in the background. (Although one time a coworker reached into the wall of the virtual background and produced a takeout order delivery.)

    Living where you work has its perks. You don’t have to spend time packing your lunch the night before. No need to figure out what food is good to transport in your lunch bag and convenient to eat in the office. 

    During coffee and lunch breaks, you can be more productive: you can throw a load of dishes in the dishwasher, take out the trash, or pay a phone bill. Best of all, if you have a flexible schedule and if you’re drowsy, it’s easy to take a comfortable nap.

    Lack of support OR too much micromanagement

    When you don’t see your boss on a daily basis, it can be difficult to get the kind of support that you need. Your boss may not be aware that you’re struggling with something at work, or affected by something in your personal life. Unless you speak up, they can’t tell that you’re struggling. If you work in an office, your boss and coworkers see you regularly and are better able to notice if you lack your usual energy. Similarly, if you work in an office, you have a better sense of whether your coworkers are experiencing challenges. For example, if you’re both dealing with unsupportive management, you can support each other. But if you work remotely, you are like an island to yourself. You may not know if a coworker is facing a similar issue as you are.

    Some companies don’t trust their remote workers to do their jobs and set up systems to monitor them. For example, using a camera to check if their worker is at their desk, or tracking mouse clicks to monitor productivity. The issue, of course, is if your job requires you to be creative, do some research, or brainstorm before you start writing. You could be productively thinking away, but your mouse isn’t moving and you’re just staring into space. It may look like you’re not working even though you are.

    Constant need to learn tech skills

    As a remote worker, you’ll encounter tech issues with internet availability, virtual meeting microphone or camera issues, or security access issues with your computer. Some remote companies require you to learn how to use AI programs or collaboration tools. 

    Without someone from the company’s IT department to save you, you’ll need to resort to your own resourcefulness to fix tech issues or learn new tech by watching videos. An IT person won’t show up to provide advice over your shoulder. 

    Key Takeaways

    Does working from home appeal to you? Those who prefer it love the flexible work hours, the short commute, and the relaxed dress code. Those who dislike it hate the isolation, the lack of support, and the blending of home and work life. However, with today’s technology, remote work will continue to be an option in the workplace.

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  • How has technology changed your job?

    How has technology changed your job?

    Daily writing prompt
    How has technology changed your job?
    View all responses

    Technology has changed the way I work, giving me more flexibility, and saving me valuable time and energy.

    Technology has made it possible to do an office job by working from home. When I work remotely, I am more focused. Without the distractions of side conversations or office noise, I can concentrate better on my work. Having flexible hours makes my days less stressful. If I’m tired, I sleep in and work later, for example. I also get to wear comfortable clothes and walk around the office in socks or slippers.

    Collaboration on projects with individuals in different time zones has also become much easier. Tools like Slack, Google Drive, and project management software allow for quick communication and file sharing, reducing the need to meet in person. This means work can continue around the clock as team members contribute at different hours.

    Another major advantage is the elimination of a lengthy commute and dealing with traffic jams. Travel time is now used for more useful things, like finishing work earlier, doing some housework, and running errands.

    Technology has also allowed me to make better use of breaks. Instead of being stuck in an office breakroom, killing time until I go back to my desk, I can spend fifteen minutes quickly completing some chores so I don’t need to do them later. This flexibility has greatly improved my work-life balance.

    Another great benefit is not having to worry about the weather. No more stressful drives through heavy rain or snow! I can avoid the hazards of bad weather and go out when the weather is better.

    Lastly, technology has made me more aware of online safety. Part of my job now includes being aware of cybersecurity and data protection. I take extra precautions to safeguard company files. It’s no longer sufficient to just show up at the office, turn on the computer, and type away.

    Overall, technology has significantly improved my work life, making it more efficient, comfortable, and globally connected.

  • 5 Tips on Working for a Virtual StartUp

    5 Tips on Working for a Virtual StartUp

    Nowadays, it’s possible to go to an office address and find that the company you’re looking for doesn’t physically exist there. At all. Technology has enabled the employees of an entire company to work from home. 

    Some of these companies are startups that are 100 percent virtual. These companies are great if you hate commuting and love working in your own space. But, as startups, they also have their drawbacks.

    Keep these five tips in mind if you’re thinking of working for a 100% remote startup company. These tips can improve your success at working for such a company in the long term.

    1 Believe in the mission and vision

    Look into the company’s mission and vision before you go to your job interview. The company’s goals should completely line up with yours. Of course, you want to work for a company with a purpose you believe in. With a startup, it is even more crucial that you aren’t working for the paycheque. Here’s why.

    Startups are start-ups. The journey can be bumpy as the company experiences growing pains. Roles for each person may constantly change. Policies and procedures may frequently update as the company tries to determine what works and what doesn’t. Even the company’s products and services may change as it adjusts to become a better fit for its ideal customers. 

    If the company’s goals are goals you fully support, it makes the constant shifting and adjusting easier to bear.

    2 Be flexible and open to change

    If you’re going to work for a startup, you absolutely must embrace change. As the company grows at a rapid pace, more people will join the team. Roles and responsibilities will shift. You may find yourself working with more team members or find yourself managing a team. You may have more tasks on your to-do list. Or you may have fewer, more specialized tasks as your role becomes more defined.

    Procedures may also improve and change over time as the company experiments with different types of software. Instead of tracking your hours on a simple spreadsheet or table, you now need to learn to use customer management software (CRM software) such as Salesforce. Instead of casually mentioning in a chat that you finished a task, you’ll need to write your update in a project management tool, such as Trello, Asana, or Click Up.

    3 Take initiative

    A startup company is still figuring out many things. Just picture a company that is settling into its office on moving day. Office equipment and office furniture are everywhere as people try to figure out where everyone will sit and what will go in each room.

    Some startups don’t have a human resources (HR) department or a clear line of authority. In these cases, you may need to be more assertive than you’re comfortable with. For example, if the person you report to is disrespectful to you, you’ll need to figure out who you could talk to about your boss. Similarly, without an HR, you won’t have someone to speak to about disrespectful treatment by a coworker. You will also have to take the initiative about getting a raise because the company is still figuring out what the pay raises, bonuses, and benefits should be.

    4 Be prepared to put in extra hours and effort

    Working for a startup could mean working extra hours and putting in more effort. Depending on how established the startup is, the company may require you to work longer days to get procedures set up. They may be short staffed, so you’ll find yourself taking on the role of more than one person.

    At some companies, they will appreciate the extra effort and reward you with a promotion, such as a change in job title or responsibilities, or better pay. At other companies, particularly those that aren’t well organized, your extra effort will be required but will go unnoticed. They will expect you to work weekends and evenings in addition to regular office hours.  

    5 Invest in yourself

    If you’re working for a virtual startup, you may feel a bit disconnected, especially if you’re a social extrovert. You may only know the person who brought you into the company after the job interview. You’ll also know the people who you work with regularly. But everyone else will be just a name in a chat group. You don’t get to meet people casually in the hallway or during lunch break. 

    The people you work with may not remember to introduce you to key members of the team or remember to show you how to use the software you’ll need. 

    It’s up to you to reach out and remind them of your skills if you want a promotion or pay raise. Your supervisor may not remember these details, especially if the team has been growing and your supervisor has changed and there is no HR department. 

    Learning new skills is important, especially when it comes to technology. No one from the IT Department is going to knock on your door to help you set up your computer or connect to your internet. If you lose your internet connection or your computer breaks down, you lose your lifeline to your virtual job. 

    Key Takeaways

    Not all startups are the same. Leadership affects how the company treats its employees. If there is strong leadership, the startup will grow quickly while providing the support that each person needs. People will feel acknowledged and appreciated for their work. If you’re considering working for a virtual startup, be prepared to put in extra effort and be ready for rapid and constant change.

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