The traditional concept of the entrepreneur summons a person tied to their desks, expected to manage every aspect of their business in person. But today, innovations in technology are breaking the figurative chains that have held entrepreneurs down and made it much easier to balance leisure—and even global travel—with the demands of running a business.
In the e-commerce industry, in particular, entrepreneurs no longer need to stay put and oversee their operations on-site to be as effective as they like. All the same, for an entrepreneur who wants to jet-set or go on frequent business travel while keeping up with their business obligations, planning and preparations are very much required. Managing an e-commerce business remotely comes with its own set of challenges, such as maintaining team communication, ensuring smooth operations, and monitoring business performance from afar (and perhaps even from a different time zone).
This guide will illustrate how jet-setting entrepreneurs like you can structure and run your e-commerce operations efficiently. Through innovative tools and well-thought-out strategies, it will be possible to keep your business thriving while you explore the world. Here are a few remote e-commerce management approaches you can consider:
1) Cement Your Team Structure
Hiring a strong and independent team would be the goal of any business. But with a remotely managed team, the stakes are higher whenever you can’t be physically present to oversee your operations. To ensure you leave behind a well-oiled machine whenever you need to travel, you should do the following:
Hire the Right People for Each Position
When you’re away, having reliable and skilled employees in your workforce will be crucial for smooth operations. If you need to people your staff, look into platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn to help you find the right talent for various roles. Give yourself enough time before your next big trip to finalize your most urgent hiring decisions, as you’ll need time to train your new staff and build chemistry within your team.
Set Clear Responsibilities and Expectations
Once you have your team in place, clearly define their roles and responsibilities. For an objective assessment of their performance and fewer ambiguities about what their day-to-day duties are (which will be all the more stressful when you’re traveling), set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to help everyone stay aligned with your business objectives. In addition, regularly update your team on their performance and provide feedback to them both before and during your travels to ensure they are on the right track.
2) Invest in the Right Technology Solutions for Remote Management
Technological innovations are precisely what will make remotely managing your e-commerce business possible. Here are a few tech upgrades you should make as soon as possible:
Ensure Smooth Checkouts with Payment Solutions
One thing an e-commerce business must get right from any place in the world they service is the checkout experience. It should be seamless, secure, and user-friendly—and you have to ensure it stays that way when you shift to remote management.
Consider a payment solutions provider like Maya Business in the Philippines to engineer a checkout process you’ll seldom have to worry about. Online payments processed through Maya Checkout are facilitated by easy-to-install plugins that are compatible with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Maya’s payment gateway accommodates traditional credit and debit card transactions as well as payments through digital wallets and QR codes, guaranteeing excellent customer service for online shoppers.
Even without a dedicated e-commerce website, you can still provide customers with the option to pay through Maya’s payment links, which offer the same professional and user-friendly interface. You can send payment links to customers using their preferred messaging app, providing a versatile payment solution even outside an e-commerce site. Just make sure your staff members are aware of any payment technology upgrades you make and can ably direct customers to complete their purchases in your absence.
Utilize Cloud-Based Applications
Cloud-based tools are also essential for managing your e-commerce business remotely. They’ll provide you untethered access to your apps and company database, as long as you have an internet connection.
Applications like Shopify for storefront management, QuickBooks for accounting, and Salesforce for customer relationship management (CRM) will allow you to access crucial business data anywhere. This flexibility will enable you to make the most responsive decisions for your e-commerce business on the go.
Take Advantage of Automated Solutions
Automation has become a game-changer for busy traveling entrepreneurs who want to remain productive in their respective corners of the world. In terms of managing your monthly expenses, for example, you can schedule automated payments for recurring bills like your phone bill, electricity, supplies, and other expenses through a disbursement account. This will prevent late payment fees and ensure your good standing with your suppliers.
For marketing and daily operations, on the other hand, you can look into apps designed to automate repetitive tasks such as order processing and consumer follow-ups. If these rote tasks can be done reliably, you’ll have much less to worry about while you’re away from business headquarters.
3) Focus on Open and Smooth Communication with Your Team
Whether the rest of your team will work remotely or not while you’re traveling, effective communication practices should be established from the start. Make it a part of your work culture to ensure your team members are all on the same page across shifts, countries, and time zones.
Check-in Regularly
Schedule regular check-ins using video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. These check-ins can help you address any issues promptly and keep your team motivated and focused on their tasks.
Use Collaborative Tools
Project management and collaboration tools like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com all prove to be useful for remote work. These platforms will allow you to assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate with your team in real-time. What’s more: effective use of these tools means that projects stay on schedule and everyone knows what they need to do.
4) Be Proactive about Monitoring Your E-commerce Business’s Performance
Keep an eye on your e-commerce operations from afar through various tools. To ensure an objective view, you can implement the following strategies:
Review Analytics and Reports
You’ll want to be able to regularly review insights from your business analytics tools to get a comprehensive view of your business performance in the period that you’re away. Use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and your e-commerce platform’s built-in analytics to glean valuable data on sales, traffic, and customer behavior. This will keep you sharp about identifying trends, optimizing your marketing strategies, and making more data-driven decisions without being a step behind.
Monitor Your Financial Transactions
Never take your eyes off your business’s financial health, even when you’re gone from HQ. Take advantage of online business banking applications and cloud-based accounting software to track your income, expenses, and profit margins. Regular financial reviews will allow you to stay on top of your cash flow and keep the pulse on your business’s financial stability.
Not only will it be possible to manage an e-commerce business remotely while you’re traveling—choosing to do so may be incredibly rewarding for both your personal and professional life. This guide should give you a better idea of how to plan your business and build it up to run without requiring a micromanager, thus allowing you to meet your targets no matter where you are in the world.
