Remote work supports global entrepreneurship

Knowledge work is branching from the busy metropolis to bedrooms and coffee shops across the globe.

“In health insurance, Fortune 100 provider Aetna has nearly half of its 35,000 U.S. employees working from home. In accounting, Deloitte, which has about the same number of employees, has a staggering 86 percent working remotely at least 20 percent of the time. At Intel, 82 percent of their people regularly work remotely” (Fried, pg. 86).

Remote work applies to big business, and it applies to small startups. It is rising in fields like accounting, consulting, design, government, insurance, and more (Fried, pg. 85). The entrepreneurial pursuits of the future will almost certainly take advantage of remote workers, as employees, consultants, and customers.

Remote work can be isolating. The sense of being part of a bigger operation is present in a bustling office, but extract a worker from that environment and encase them in a silent bedroom and they can begin to feel like they’re in ‘their own little rowboat’ (Fried, pg. 103). A team with remote workers who makes no effort to connect them to the business can lose talented and motivated employees. A business who can solve the challenges inherent in remote work has access to global talent and experience. This is true not only of software engineers, but is true of business partnerships, consultants, and customers.

All of us in the class are aware of several challenges and opportunities available to us through remote work. I can write this post from Panera Bread(c), my couch, on a plane, or in another country. As entrepreneurs, we define our work schedules just as we do as students. And for most of us we will work remotely or work with employees or clients remotely. Therefore I am freshly convinced that the skills and disciplines necessary for this class and for working with my colleagues from home will benefit my future as an entrepreneur.

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