Work Remote From Home or Abroad

Work remotely from Home or Abroad

As an IT Consultant I spend a lot of time out of my office working with customers. One of my biggest problems is keeping up with e-mail, faxes, invoices, appointments and general documentation that I can only do while sitting in front of my computer.

I do use my Blackberry for e-mail and appointments, but for updating documents and creating invoices and websites the humble mobile phone has a long way to go, so I simply use my laptop and remote into my office computer and work that way as though I was sitting in front of it.

So, now I can check and reply to e-mail, create quotes and invoices, update websites, juggle appointments, read and create newsletters, send & receive faxes and much more. So, how do I do it? The size of your business will determine the best method to use, however for this article I will assume you are like me, a small business, you want it simple and easy and you only want access once computer, yours. 

I have used most methods of remote access over the years to connect to my computers and I have found that the easiest and cheapest way is using a FREE on-line service like LogMeIn FREE.        

Features:

Remote Desktop - Unattended Access - Session Logging & Auditing - Secure, Encrypted
You have access to all services and peripherals connected to the remote PC

Unless you need to transfer files from your laptop to your computer or print to a printer on your laptop, LogMeIn FREE is the best solution. Did I mention that it’s FREE. I have used it for over two years and have never had an outage, or a problem connecting to my computers. 

So, you have the remote access setup and your typing up a proposal from the air conditioned comfort of the Hawaiian Hilton at Waikiki Beach when all of a sudden you remember that you had to call your most valuable client. So you whip out your trusty headset (with mic) and plug it in to your laptop and start up a great little program called Skype.

www.skype.com

Skype is a FREE Internet Phone service that allows you to make and receive phone calls, instant messages and video calls from anywhere in the world. Now the FREE version only allows you to call and talk to others who are also using Skype, which makes it a great incentive to install it at home, at work and on each PC you have in your business as well as your customers.

Skype offers many extra features that you can pay for such as Skype Out for calling landlines and mobiles, they can also offer a local number your customers can call which is switched to your Skype service as well as a business centre for keeping track of all your Skype accounts. Check out their website for more details, or drop me an e-mail.

Now, you’re on this international business call when your most valuable customer tells you he is sending you a huge order by fax. You think, how will I get that here in my comfy chair over looking Waikiki Beach?

Well it just so happens that you subscribed to a Digital Fax service (Fax 2 E-mail) that provides you with a virtual local number that sends all incoming faxes to your mail box for only $11 per month. You get the e-mail with order attached, open it and process the order and send to your suppliers all before finishing your Strawberry Daiquiri . Another successful day in paradise.

Working remotely away from the office is a very powerful way of keeping your office running when you’re not there, please remember that there are so many other options available to you and the ones I have discussed are the simplest, cheapest and easiest to setup.

If you have any questions, or would like help setting up remote access for your business please feel free to contact me, I would be all to happy to help.

Thanks

Troy