Rest and relaxation are crucial for your physical and mental well-being. If you can completely unplug from your business to enjoy your time off, that’s fantastic. However, for many small business owners, relaxing is difficult if you’re constantly worried about missing important messages or new order-fulfillment opportunities.
Fortunately, modern technology offers a suite of tools that help you manage your business from anywhere. Whether you’re working from home or a remote location, you can stay connected without being chained to your desk.
Here are our top tips for managing your business effectively while you’re out of the office.
Use a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Partner
For an e-commerce business, one of the biggest challenges of being away is managing order fulfillment. A fulfillment company, or small business 3PL, can handle this for you. They manage your inventory, pick and pack orders, and handle shipping. Partnering with a 3PL ensures your operations run smoothly, even when you’re not physically present, giving you true peace of mind.
Leverage Remote Desktop Software
Need to access a file on your office computer? Remote desktop programs let you connect to your work computer from any device with an internet connection. Tools like GoToMyPC, TeamViewer, or Chrome Remote Desktop give you full access to your files, emails, and applications. This means you can handle urgent tasks without having to be in the office. Just ensure your work computer is left on and connected to the internet.
Set Up a Personal Wi-Fi Hotspot
Gone are the days of searching for a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi. Now, you can carry a personal Wi-Fi hotspot in your pocket using your smartphone’s data plan. This allows you to connect your laptop or tablet to the internet securely from almost anywhere. Be sure to keep a portable charger handy, as using your phone as a hotspot can drain the battery quickly.
Organize Your Email with Folders and Rules
An overflowing inbox can be overwhelming. Take control by creating email folders and setting up rules on your smartphone or tablet. This simple step helps you organize communications and prioritize what needs your immediate attention. Most email clients, like Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail, allow you to create rules that automatically sort incoming messages, so you can easily separate urgent requests from less important ones.
Utilize Cloud-Based Collaboration Tools
Stay in sync with your team using cloud-based platforms like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, or Asana. These tools allow you to share documents, communicate in real-time, and manage projects from any location. By centralizing your workflow in the cloud, you ensure that everyone has access to the information they need, whenever they need it.
It’s Your Time
You’ve earned your time away from the office. With the right technology and partners in place, you can step back when you need to, confident that your business will continue to run efficiently. By using a fulfillment company for your logistics and leveraging remote work tools, you can return rested, recharged, and ready to take on what’s next—without a mountain of work waiting for you.
Contact our team at Medallion Fulfillment today to take the stress out of fulfillment.