Sure, it sounds sexy to say, “I work from home.” People envision a pajama party and Netflix for lunch. But the truth is working remote is serious business. Choosing to launch my company with a 100% remote team was a risky move, but the best decision I ever made. Here’s why:

Flexing the Creative Muscle

Studies show creative teams who work remotely are 20% more productive than those in a traditional office setting. Win for us! Most creatives have a “zone” and there is no set time for entering and exiting it. Personally, I have waves of creative zone time from 3pm – 7pm and 10pm – 2am – not very conducive to a traditional 9am – 5pm office environment. Not to mention, the “zone” includes cuddle time with my dog, Twizzlers, and cafe con leche – all welcomed in my remote workspace. Everyone who works with Koi has the same flexibility to capitalize on whatever “zone” they’re in too and for their space to reflect that kind of work.

The Client Wins

A remote team keeps the bottom line down, which results in better pricing for our clients. We can cut through the clutter of paying for office space, a rainbow of paperclips and the water-cooler. Instead we can focus on items like project management tools, Skype credits and bi-annual, in-person planning retreats. According to a Forbes report, big business is taking notice of the cost savings of a remote team too. After offering remote work options, American Express reported a savings of $10 – $15 million.

Working With Top Talent

When I launched Koi I knew I wanted to deliver top-notch work to our clients, which also meant I had a handful of people from past projects I knew I wanted to work with again. The Koi team is currently spread across five different states in three time zones. Requiring everyone to be in a single city would mean not being able to work with many of them, or risk losing them later on due to a move. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice working with my dream team over location. By allowing everyone to work from their preferred city I was able to assemble a team of experts who love what they do and have the flexibility to love where they live too.

By giving each member of the Koi team the flexibility to work where and how they want everyone is able to stay engaged and achieve a sense of work-life balance. While this creates positive benefits for us it also helps us produce great work for our clients because engaged employees = happy employees. While we understand having a 100% remote team isn’t the norm (yet), we know from experience it works well on all ends.

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Dianna Romaguera

Dianna is an accomplished marketing professional and strategic leader. Her experiences working with international brands such as Coca-Cola and Heineken have enabled her to develop effective, comprehensive communication strategies for clients across the globe.