More SMEs choosing to work remotely, according to research

More SMEs are now choosing to work remotely, according to research from internet-based phone service company Nimvelo.

The research showed that 66 per cent of small businesses are now choosing to operate from a remote location or employing remote workers.

Beneficial

The research follows previous studies that found that workers believe that operating from home is beneficial to their business.

Nimvelo’s study highlighted the benefits of businesses operating remotely, with one of the main advantages being that it enables them to cut costs.

According to the research, more entrepreneurs are opting to use more affordable phone systems, such as VoIP (Voice over IP) systems to cut down on costs.

70 per cent of workers saved £10 or more a month and 40 per cent nearly £20 by using a VoIP telephone system rather than a traditional landline, whilst business owners said that not having to maintain a physical office allows them to save a significant amount of money.

Expensive

More business owners are also cutting down on how much they spend on office equipment, choosing instead to put more money into building their teams and investing more into their product or services.

Nimvelo Founder and Managing Director Charles Chance said that infrastructure costs are becoming “increasingly expensive” for businesses in the UK.

“In our own start-up business, we’ve found that using remote software tools to establish remote ways of working has lowered our overheads and allowed us to invest more into improving the quality of our service,” he said.