Tips for managing a remote team

I founded and run a niche digital strategy agency that is a bit different to most digital/creative agencies out there. It’s different because we don’t have a ‘real’ office (we do have a shared office space in Dubai as part of our business license setup but it’s barely used) and we don’t have a ‘real’ team — a team that works together from a ‘real’ office. By ‘real’ I mean other people’s perception of how a digital agency should be structured — a large office, a group of employees all sitting together in that one large office, face to face daily meetings, etc, etc.

Yet, this has not stopped my digital agency from 1) being profitable, 2) working with talented team members, and 3) growing a diverse (happy) client base, regionally and internationally.

I have structured my business in such a way that whilst the ‘HQ’ are based in the UAE, the team is based globally, and most are freelance or part-time team members. I consider myself a ‘lifestyle entrepreneur’ in the sense that I want the freedom to travel to and work from different locations without that negatively impacting the agency or our clients.

I’ve managed to achieve this on a small scale thus far — ‘Boguslavsky & Co’ is currently working with clients based in the UAE, Singapore, and South Africa, whilst the team members are located in South Africa, Dubai, and New Zealand.

If you’re in the process of considering launching a business that will involve managing a remote team, here are a few of my own tips:

• Hire carefully. When managing team members remotely, it is essential that you can trust them, rely on them, and communicate effectively with them, otherwise it will not work out. The startup mantra of ‘hire fast, fire fast’ is my own business mantra — with my agency’s core focus being on adding value to our clients, if just one team member is not pulling his/her weight, that will have a direct impact on the work done for clients.
• Use online collaboration tools. The ones I recommend would include Slack, Google Docs, Hootsuite, HelloSign, Dropbox, and Skype.
• Be clear and consistent. This is vital for effective communication — from clearly communicating roles and responsibilities, to managing expectations, and having a continuos loop of honest and constructive feedback. Also, make sure everyone is clear on the different time zones within which each team member operates so they can support each other effectively.
• Lead the salary/compensation discussion. This is my own way of making sure we avoid needless negotiations. I try to avoid asking for a quote — I communicate the scope of work involved along with the tasks, followed by my exact budget for their work/services. This works 90% of the time as I have a good grasp on competitive industry rates for each specific region. This way our working relationship begins in a positive way instead of negative money negotiations.

Do you have any awesome tips for managing a remote team? Would love to add to this list.

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