Remote working is the future of business

Remote working: we’re all doing it – says Chamber member Ruby Edwards. Owner of You Do Better PR, Ruby is an advocate for telecommuting. Indeed all of the You Do Better team work remotely and it’s the business model that’s underpinning the growth of the Agency into 2020 – and beyond.

Working remotely has grown exponentially in the UK (and worldwide) over the last decade. Its growth goes hand-in-hand with the benefits it attracts. For example, it’s widely reported that there are marked decreases in costs, travel and subsequent environmental impacts, sick days, stress and other negative effects on mental health and an increase in positivity, diversity, creativity, retention rates and talent-pool.

As noted in Forbes:

“Hiring remote means you are able to hire the best possible talent anywhere on the planet, and allowing those people to choose quality of life over the rat race is a serious draw for the person you are looking to hire.”

For those reasons, and more, remote working is here to stay.

Known across Worcestershire as the pay-as-you-go PR Agency, the team at You Do Better PR are based all over the country and often even further afield: one associate is currently taking a gap year and travelling across Europe, writing a piece of work and subsequently emailing it across to HQ prior to deadline.

Like others, the You Do Better business model is to work with associates rather than employees, enabling them to manage peaks and projects as well as tap into specialist talent when needed. Ruby operates a flexible approach and each associate is guided, supported and mentored as much or as little as they like, although all are encouraged to be creative and play to their strengths.

Indeed, the ethos of You Do Better is flexibility, from their pay-as-you-go approach to PR – making it easy and affordable for businesses to try out public relations and see how it fits with their organisation without paying expensive retainers or ongoing costs – to the way the team integrate with each other.

You Do Better actively promote collaboration both within the team and with their stakeholders. They undertake a variety of projects, from interim management of global campaigns for high profile clients to liaising with Sales Directors or Marketing Managers within Worcestershire-based SMEs and the management of regular press releases, blogs and social media.

Ruby says: “I’ve adapted my working life to fit with my priorities: supporting a child with a life threatening medical condition, including numerous spells in hospital, raising two children as a sole parent and wanting to continue a career – despite the odds. I’m passionate about supporting others through the various pathways of working life and learning whilst we go, so running the Agency in this way is the perfect fit for me and them.”

Teams who work remotely often tap into various methods of communication including Zoom, Slack and WhatsApp, Cloud-based storage and sharing options, short productive meetings in co-working spaces and are forward-thinking about how they work together.

Ruby continues: “Our overheads are low and our systems, processes and procedures are simple and robust. I have a laptop, a smart phone and a superb team of like-minded, creative and talented people who work hard: we don’t need to be in the same room, or country, whilst we do it.”

“Remote working really is the future of business.”