One of the big financial outlays for businesses when they first start is finding a suitable location from which to operate. You need to rent or buy an office, then you need to get the hardware like computers, printers and phones in, not to mention hiring the right staff to get you off the ground in the first place.

The way businesses operate is beginning to change quite radically.

More and more offices nowadays are not in one location but spread across different ones. In some cases, there are workers in various part of the world, all collaborating together, the same way they would in a traditional office environment. The reason this is possible, of course, is the development of technology that provides the support and infrastructure which is needed to successfully work remotely.

We have smart devices that can be hooked up to our desktops and we can work anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection. We have platforms where specific staff can be hired to do a specific job like work on marketing, develop a product or simply answer the phone as in the case of virtual assistants. Team members can work from home, or the top of the Empire State Building if they want, and conference via a variety of video calling platforms if they need to.

There are some big key benefits to be had from setting up a business today using remote working:

- First of all, it’s a lot cheaper than renting an office and buying all that hardware. Team members use their own location and their own devices to work for you.?

- Secondly, you don’t have a restricted talent pool – you can recruit from anywhere in the world and pick the perfect team to suit your purposes.

- Thirdly, you can, if you wish, employ people as and when you need them for specific jobs rather than employing them full time.

- Freelancers generally work for a range of different companies and are self-employed so have the responsibility of managing their own tax affairs and other administrative issues that generally go with running a business.

Are there any downsides to starting a business and setting up remote teams?

Well, yes there are. You have to choose the right team and get them in place and then co-ordinate them effectively. This can often be a case of trial and error, particularly in the early stages of a business. It takes work and a good strategy but so does employing a team in the real world. The other slight issue is keeping team members motivated and involved in the business as well as managing things like disputes between different members. This can easily be solved though with a good strategy of conferencing and meetings that make individuals feel less isolated.

There’s no doubt that many start-ups are choosing this approach primarily because of the low costs in administering the business. It does, however, take a certain mentality to get right. You also require the appropriate technology in place and choosing the perfect remote access and IT provider is almost as important as the team you put together. You want to be sure you have the support you need should things go wrong and you definitely need a system that can cope when you have a busy period. Finally, you want staff to be able to operate securely, wherever they are in the world.

Get all that right and you have the infrastructure in place and the team who can help your business thrive well into the future.