Payroll day has a way of sneaking up on you. Even when things are running smoothly, there’s still that moment of holding your breath—Will the software cooperate? Are the numbers right? Is everyone getting paid on time? And if something does go wrong, it’s on you to stop and figure it out. Fast.
If you’re using QuickBooks Desktop 2022, you need to know (if you don’t already): Intuit officially pulled the plug on it this weekend.
That means no more access to payroll, payments, online banking, live support—or even security updates—as of yesterday. You’ll still have the software… but the tools you depend on to run your business? Gone. (Unless you upgraded to QBO or QB Enterprise.)
If you’re running a remote (or hybrid) business, especially, this is a big disruption. When your systems go down, your team feels it. And when payroll is late or unreliable, it doesn’t just hurt morale—it erodes trust.
Which is a pressure a lot more business owners are feeling now. Before 2020, remote jobs made up just 4 percent of the U.S. workforce. Now they account for over 15 percent, and that number’s only going to go up.
So, having solid backend systems matters. You need tools that work, and a financial partner who helps you stay focused on the bigger picture (both things my team and I can help you with: calendly.com/l-karam/prospect-schedule ).
Then, once you have that foundation in place, you can shift your focus to finding ways to run your remote business better. I’ve got a few strategies for you in that arena today…
3 Keys To Running a Business From Your Home More Efficiently
“Working from home is not a luxury, it’s the future of work.” – Alison Green
As you’ve probably figured out, the freedom of running a business from home isn’t frictionless.
Yes, you get perks like flexibility and lower overhead. But behind the scenes, it can look like constantly chasing down team members, struggling to keep productivity up, or having client relationships that feel “off.”
If that’s you, you’re not just dealing with minor hiccups. You’re bleeding efficiency, profit, and trust.
And the three specific struggles I’ll hit on today are what stall most remote businesses from growing. The good news? They’re fixable – with the right systems and structure in place, of course.
So, let’s look at how to turn those friction points into momentum builders – so your remote business can grow faster (and with way less chaos).
Struggle #1: Keeping a team culture.
One minute, everyone’s logging into video calls with pep in their step. The next? Your team is ghosting daily standups, productivity is tapering off, and you can feel the culture dissolving. That’s not a good feeling.
But don’t be discouraged – maintaining strong culture while running a business from home isn’t impossible. Your remote team CAN have a thriving culture – they just need a different kind of nurture.
So start by putting it in writing. Use a slide deck, a PDF, a Word doc – whatever works best for your team – and define:
1. How your business operates (decision-making, workflows, client communication norms)
2. What you value (transparency? autonomy? fast iteration?)
3. What success looks like (what does “great work” mean here?)
This is how your team knows what they’re part of and what they’re accountable for.
Then, build collaboration habits that stick: Daily asynchronous standups via Slack. Weekly video meetings. Monthly virtual hangs (bonus points for playing trivia).
And never belittle feedback. Because most remote employees don’t slack because they’re lazy – they go quiet because they feel invisible. And that disconnection tanks morale and increases turnover risk.
Recognition, praise, even a “just checking in” message are oxygen for a remote culture. I recommend setting up regular one-on-ones for status updates AND relationship building.
Struggle #2: Burnout.
Without the physical separation of travelling to an office building for work, the pressure to “be available” all the time quietly creeps in – and with that dynamic, burnout follows close behind.
And burnout isn’t just exhaustion – it’s a productivity killer, a retention risk, and a business liability.
So, you and your remote team need guardrails. Start with the calendar. Block time for deep work, meetings, admin tasks, AND personal time (including lunch, breaks, and big-picture goal-setting). Because if it’s not scheduled, it’ll get swallowed by the urgent-but-unimportant.
Then move your team toward output-driven performance. KPIs > hours clocked. Not every role will have easy-to-measure outputs, but your aim is to define expectations. Project completions, client satisfaction scores, sales conversions, turnaround times – defining what success looks like is key.
Platforms like ActivTrak or Hubstaff can be helpful to keep an eye on productivity. These tools can flag signs of burnout early – like skipped breaks, missed PTO, or a noticeable decline in focus time.
That’s your cue: check in.
Struggle #3: Building client trust.
When your business is remote, you don’t have lobby chairs or conference room coffee to smooth over service gaps. Client confidence has to be hard-earned in the digital sphere.
So what builds trust in a remote setting? Communication and consistency.
You need to overcommunicate – early and often. That means onboarding guides, welcome emails, project dashboards, and video messages. Clients want to see a face, hear a voice, and feel like there’s a human on the other end. Studies actually show that people are up to 3.5x more likely to become or stay a customer of a brand that uses personalized video.
Next comes experience design. Create a documented journey: what clients should expect in Week 1, Week 2, Month 1, etc. Spell out milestones, deliverables, meeting cadence, and key contacts. Not only does this minimize confusion, but it also preemptively answers the questions they’d otherwise have to email you about.
Sure, running a business from your Westchester County home gives you freedom – but without the right systems, that freedom can turn into friction fast. Tackle the right problems with smart strategies, and you won’t just stay afloat – you’ll build a remote business that actually grows.
Smart strategies don’t happen overnight. They take some careful planning and implementation. If you’re running a remote business and need some support to think through logistics or just to sit down and go over your financials, that’s what I’m here for:
calendly.com/l-karam/prospect-schedule
Helping your business run smoother,
Lynn Karam