As a result of the current global situation, millions of people are having to face working from home for the first time. But how is this going to impact startups? Is the future of online startup operations at home, rather than in rented office space? Let’s take a closer look.
Are Startups Built for Remote Working?
There is certainly an argument that online startup firms are already best-suited for working from home. Startups working to build software, for example, will only need a handful of hardware and software. They may already have this to hand in their own private home offices.
Ultimately, modern technology relies less and less on having to run through a physical location. The emergence of cloud computing, for one thing, is helping millions of people to move away from their office cubicles quickly.
Statistics show that between 2005 and 2012, there was a growth of around 79% in remote working in the US. The benefits of running startups from home are plentiful. However, while many innovative startups are actually born at home, many require fieldwork and reconnaissance.
How Can All Online Startups Adapt to Home Working?
Therefore, let’s assume that more and more online startups are home-based. What can those who have physical offices learn from the trailblazers? If the lockdown of 2020 has taught them anything, it will be that they can do more at home than they might initially have presumed.
For those online startups yet to ‘go home,’ they should think carefully about flexibility. Startup services such as PointClickCare, for example, work on a principle of fluidity via the cloud. Is an online startup too dependent on physical servers and storage?
There is also the matter of autonomy. A large startup running a workforce of hundreds might find it challenging to adapt. However, they could take inspiration from flexible startups in the way that they delegate work. Using emerging apps and technology, it is becoming easier for managers to keep track of their employees from afar.
Technology, through services such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, to name two examples, allow for greater autonomy. If the only reason that startups work in offices at all is for employee oversight, there are ways and means around such issues.
Can Home Startups Still Be Innovative?
Of course! Crucially, some of the significant benefits of working for a startup from home lie in the fact that it offers the ultimate in flexibility. Home startup innovators have the time and space they need to work on new products and to deliver new services. What’s more, there are none of the physical or travel constraints office-based startups would otherwise experience.
Therefore, it is likely that home-based online startup companies will continue to emerge. Investors will be able to look for innovators through a variety of channels. For example, they may wish to look for a database of recently funded startup companies through services such as Fundz. In the meantime, startups new and old will continue to learn and adapt throughout lockdown.
SOURCES
https://www.eu-startups.com/2020/03/8-ideas-for-startups-to-give-back-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/
https://hubblehq.com/blog/most-innovative-work-trends-startups
https://www.fundera.com/resources/working-from-home-statistics
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/working-from-home-coronavirus-workers-future-of-work/
https://qz.com/work/1392302/more-than-5-of-americans-now-work-from-home-new-statistics-show/
