We live in an age where there are businesses coming into existence purely as remotely-run operations, but be that as it may, it doesn’t mean it’s as easy as deciding to start a remote business and you’re on your way to a resounding success. There’s still a method to all the madness, the very basics of which method come in the form of some tools you’d need to make up the bare essentials.

A website

It’s amazing how many budding businesspersons overlook a mere website as a bare essential of running a remote business. This is a requirement for any business which is operational in this day and age, but crucially so in the case of a remote one. Fortunately these days getting your own website can be as easy as organizing a monthly web hosting service, purchasing a domain name and playing around with the elements of a CMS (Content Management System) template from the likes of WordPress.

The important bit is that your website delivers information about your operation in addition to displaying your contact information.

Online document editing and sharing facility

Even the most automated businesses run remotely need human staff overseeing key components. This necessitates the use of online document editing and sharing facilities to record and store important collaborations. There are several solutions available, some starting at $0 and scaling with your growing needs. Google Docs is becoming a preferred solution, offering record-keeping, live editing, and features akin to Microsoft’s Excel spreadsheets, including simple folder storage and organization. Plus, especially for Excel, businesses have the option to use pre-built templates, similar to this Excel template financial models for startups, making it easier to use such data organization software for diverse company operations.

It gets better with the likes of Google Docs since there are time-stamped records of any and all editing done and it really isn’t expensive at all. You may also want to look at software such as Sharepoint where you can create and manage SharePoint lists and libraries that will support what you need to do for your business. Whichever software package you go for you will need to research it, including the add-ons, to be assured that it is the right area to be in.

Video-calling software solution

There will be some instances in which your network of globally based employees and key collaborators will need to get together in more of a traditional conversational sense, so you’ll need video calling software which can be accessed and used by all involved. Skype is a great option, especially since it’s free and you can use a number of add-ons to record sessions if needs be.

There will also definitely be some instances in which clients and prospective clients would need the visual reassurance of dealing with an animated human face, so this should definitely be something to add to your set of basic tools.

Cloud-based data storage and back-up facility

Cloud-based data storage and back-up facilities allow everybody involved in the operation of your remote business to access important information instantly, but it also acts as somewhat of a public ledger/repository system to allow you to keep track of where you all are with your projects. Dropbox is a popular choice, but then again so is Google Docs which can perhaps be used as an extension of your online document storage and editing facility.

Additionally, your business might also require a data centre that can be operated and accessed remotely, as all your cloud applications would need to be hosted over a server. This is where a hybrid cloud service comes into the picture, with its storage maintained locally and off-site. With easy access to data stored in the cloud, both remote and on-site workers can enjoy the flexibility of use through a better control over data and workloads.

Now, it is important to know that regular data centers can be bad for the environment as they let out a lot of harmful emissions. And since having a data center is almost mandatory for any business working with cloud data, it is better to ensure that it is environmentally friendly, at the very least. If you don’t already have one, you can contact professionals similar to Walt Coulston who can help businesses create sustainable data centers for their processes.

A permanent office address location

The greatest advantage of operating remotely with your business is that you can be location-independent, but you’ll at least need a registered business base. Use your residential address.