New technologies are providing opportunities for completely changing the business worlds that our companies operate in. The Matchstick Group is no exception and in fact, we rely on technologies like video conferencing via Skype, file sharing via DropBox and YouSendIt, and project management systems like BaseCamp to operate virtually in a much more efficient manner. This saves us money on overhead and gives our creative teams the flexibility to work at a frequency, time and pace that works for them. All in all, we save ourselves – and our clients – time and money.
At the same time, there is something inherently human about our business. The Agency Creative teams can’t function in a silo and Agency/Client relationships that are conducted solely via email are fraught with ‘miscommunications’. People do business with people that they like and they trust and nothing builds a stronger relationship faster than a face-to-face conversation.
In this article in Return on Performance magazine, founder Melissa Wildstein was interviewed by Jodi Ferguson on the ins and outs of operating with a virtual workforce. I recommend setting clear guidelines and expectations all around, communicating frequently and always going out of your way to grab a beer with a co-worker.
