Remote working: best practices for small teams

Remote working is no longer unusual. Most small organisations I work with have at least some staff working from home, coffee shops or client sites some of the time. The challenge is keeping it secure and productive without the infrastructure of a large company.

Here are the practices that make the biggest difference.

Secure the connection

Use a business VPN for sensitive access

If staff access file servers, internal tools or anything behind your office firewall, they should connect through a VPN. For cloud-only organisations (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SaaS tools), conditional access policies and strong MFA may be enough, but a VPN is still worth considering for admin tasks.

Lock down the home network

Most people never change their router's default admin password. Encourage staff to:

• Change the router admin password from the default.
• Use WPA3 (or WPA2 if that's the maximum available) WiFi encryption.
• Keep the router firmware up to date.
• Disable WPS, it's a known security weakness.

Protect the device

Treat the home desk like the office desk

• Lock the screen when stepping away, even at home.
• Don't let family members use the work laptop.
• Store the laptop in a locked drawer or cupboard when not in use.
• Use a privacy screen if working in shared spaces or public places.

Be careful with public WiFi

Coffee shop and hotel WiFi is fine for browsing, but not for accessing business accounts or sensitive data without a VPN active. Train staff to treat public networks as untrusted.

Keep communication clear

Default to the right channel

• Urgent, complex or sensitive: video call.
• Quick questions: instant message (Teams, Slack).
• Official records, agreements or anything that might be referenced later: email.

Mixing these up creates noise, delays and misunderstandings.

Document decisions in writing

Remote teams lose the "we discussed it at the desk" safety net. Get in the habit of confirming decisions, action items and deadlines in writing, even after a call.

Support the person, not just the technology

Ergonomics matter

A kitchen table and a laptop is fine for a day. For sustained remote work, staff need:

• A proper chair and desk at the right height.
• An external monitor at eye level.
• A separate keyboard and mouse.
• Good lighting and a headset for calls.

These are not luxuries. Poor ergonomics cause real, expensive health problems.

Check in regularly

Technical support is only half the job. Remote staff can feel isolated or out of the loop. A regular, brief check-in, even if there's nothing wrong, helps catch issues early and keeps people connected.

If you'd like help setting up secure, productive remote working for your team, get in touch.