A good remote work setup for a business rests on five things: a suitable device for each person, a dependable internet connection with a backup, cloud tools for communication and files, secure access to company systems, and someone responsible for keeping it all working. Desks, chairs and monitors matter for comfort, but the decisions that decide whether your team can actually work are technical, and this guide covers them from the point of view of an Irish employer.
TL;DR
- Match each device to the work the person does, and plan for a service life of several years rather than buying the cheapest option.
- Use business-grade broadband with a mobile hotspot or second line as a fallback, and decide in advance which tasks cannot stop.
- Put company files in managed cloud storage, such as Microsoft 365, rather than personal drives or messaging apps.
- Protect access with multifactor authentication, device checks and least privilege, so that only the right people on the right devices reach company data.
- Give staff a short written policy, a named contact for problems and a support arrangement that covers home workers as well as the office.
Table of Contents
- What a business remote work setup actually includes
- Choosing the right device for each role
- Connectivity: plan for the day the broadband fails
- Tools for communication and collaboration
- Secure remote access for employees
- A remote work security checklist
- Backup and recovery for people working away from the office
- Scaling the setup as the team grows
- Putting rules and rights in order
- Our perspective
- How we can help you build it
- FAQ
- Sources
What a business remote work setup actually includes
Most search results for this topic show beautiful desks. For an employer the question is wider. Your people need to join a video call at nine, open a shared spreadsheet at ten, print nothing, and reach the accounting system at four, all without sending customer data through a personal account.
The guidance gathered by the American Employers’ Group lists a computer with enough processing power, reliable internet, a webcam and headset, a phone solution, video conferencing, messaging, cloud document storage, project-management tools and VPN access to internal systems. HP’s small business checklist boils this down to five foundations: a reliable computer, stable internet, a communication and collaboration platform, cloud storage and basic security.
We use the same five as a working frame with Irish clients, and add a sixth: ongoing support, because a setup that nobody maintains slowly stops being secure.
Choosing the right device for each role
The most common mistake we see is buying one laptop model for everyone. A bookkeeper working in Microsoft 365 and an accounting package needs a very different machine from a designer handling large image files or an engineer running modelling software.
One remote-work toolkit recommends choosing specifications from the workload and planning for a three-to-four-year service life. That is a sensible rule of thumb. Work out three groups of users and buy for each:
| Role type | Typical work | What to prioritise |
|---|---|---|
| Office and administration | Email, documents, video calls, web-based systems | Reliable processor, enough memory for many browser tabs, good battery life |
| Finance and management | Large spreadsheets, accounting packages, confidential files | Encryption support, fast storage, a second screen at home |
| Design, development, engineering | Heavy applications, large files | Workstation-class performance, dedicated graphics, extra storage |
We supply HP desktops and laptops, and as an HP Amplify Partner we can help you match models to roles instead of guessing. If some of your team need demanding performance, our HP workstation review explains what to look for. You can browse the range on our HP desktops and laptops page.
Peripherals that make calls work
A headset with a decent microphone does more for call quality than an expensive webcam. Add a second monitor for anyone who works with several documents at once, and a docking station so that the laptop connects with a single cable. Buying these centrally also means every home desk looks the same to your support team, which makes problems quicker to diagnose.
Connectivity: plan for the day the broadband fails
Home broadband in Ireland varies enormously by area. Wicklow towns can have fibre while a few kilometres away a household relies on a much slower line. Check what each employee can really get before you assume video calls will work.
HP advises a business-grade or fibre connection where consistency matters, with a mobile hotspot as a backup. A published small-business connectivity guide sets out a simple sequence that works for any size of firm:
- Identify the work that cannot stop, such as taking customer calls or processing payments.
- Choose a backup connection sized for those tasks, not for everything.
- Configure the switch-over and test it.
- Keep your provider’s support details somewhere that does not depend on the internet.
- Test the failover again from time to time.
For the office end of the connection, remote staff are only as well served as the network they connect to. If your head office has ageing cabling or an overloaded switch, every remote call into it suffers. Our notes on office network cabling standards and planning cover what a sound foundation looks like.
Tools for communication and collaboration
Cisco’s small-business home-working guide recommends combining voice, video, web meetings and messaging where possible, with encryption protecting data in use and in transit. For most Irish small businesses the most practical way to do this is a single platform, and Microsoft 365 with Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive is the one we deploy most. As a Microsoft Cloud Service Provider we handle licensing, migration and configuration. If you are still choosing, our comparison of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace sets out the differences, and our guide to Microsoft 365 migration for growing businesses explains how a move works in practice.
Tools alone do not make a team communicate well. Distributed teams still misread each other, and research and practice on why workplace communication fails even when the message seems clear is worth keeping in mind when you agree how your team uses chat, calls and email. A short agreement on which channel is for what, and how fast people are expected to reply, prevents many problems that no software can fix.
Keep company files in company storage
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office says centrally controlled corporate cloud storage can reduce the risks created by personal storage and messaging services. The Irish data protection regime is separate, but the practical point carries over: when the approved tool is easy, staff are less tempted to email files to a personal address. Our overview of cloud services for small business shows how to structure this.
Secure remote access for employees
This is where a remote work setup is won or lost. The old model was a VPN that put a remote laptop on the office network. The current model checks who is asking and what device they are using before granting access to each system.
Microsoft’s remote-work guidance describes the elements: multifactor authentication, centralised identity management, Conditional Access, device-compliance checks and least privilege. In plain terms:
- Multifactor authentication (MFA) asks for a second proof of identity, so a stolen password is not enough.
- Conditional Access sets rules, for example that sign-ins from an unmanaged or out-of-date device are blocked or limited.
- Device compliance confirms that a laptop is encrypted, updated and protected before it connects.
- Least privilege gives each person access only to what their job requires.
Cisco makes a related point: where staff need only particular applications, application-specific access is better than broad network access. If your business still runs its own servers, ENISA recommends a VPN, encrypted communications, strong passwords and MFA where applicable, plus clear guidance and support for employees.
The ICO’s employer checklist adds two housekeeping points: limit remote access to the people who need it, and disable default administrator accounts where possible.
If you want to go further, read our zero trust guide for Irish businesses and our piece on passwordless authentication. If you use Remote Desktop to reach office machines, our remote desktop security sprint covers how to lock it down.
A remote work security checklist
Canada’s Centre for Cyber Security recommends that employers set policies for acceptable use and corporate information, name a security contact, and train staff on phishing, strong passwords and secure Wi-Fi. It also lists MFA, antivirus, VPN use, automatic updates, secure backups, encryption and least privilege as technical controls, and asks employees to report lost or stolen devices and never leave devices unattended.
ENISA’s small-business checklist names strong passwords, antivirus, automatic updates and backups as its “BIG FOUR”. It also advises staff to lock devices when unattended, avoid unknown USB devices, check links before clicking and use a business phone hotspot rather than open public Wi-Fi.
Combining these, here is a checklist you can adopt:
For the employer
- Write a short acceptable-use policy and name one person to contact about security.
- Enforce MFA on email, cloud storage and any remote access.
- Use company-owned, supported devices where feasible, with disk encryption and automatic updates switched on.
- Keep antivirus and device management centrally controlled.
- Back up company data regularly and keep a copy that a compromised laptop cannot reach.
- Remove access promptly when someone changes role or leaves.
For the employee
- Lock the screen whenever you step away.
- Do not plug in unknown USB devices or open links you were not expecting.
- Use your phone hotspot rather than public Wi-Fi in cafés and hotels.
- Keep work on company systems, not personal accounts.
- Report a lost device or a suspicious message immediately, and do not wait to see if it matters.
Our wider article on cyber security for small businesses in eight steps goes into each control, and our guide on securing business PCs without slowing work deals with the balance between protection and speed.
Backup and recovery for people working away from the office
Remote staff create more data in more places. Canada’s guidance says sensitive information should be backed up regularly and securely, encrypted, and available only under least-privilege rules. HP likewise recommends cloud storage with automated backups.
Two practical points follow. First, Microsoft 365 holds your data but is not a substitute for an independent backup, so consider a separate one: see our guide to choosing a Microsoft 365 backup solution. Second, a backup you have never restored is an assumption. Our article on how to test disaster recovery shows a simple routine.
Scaling the setup as the team grows
What works for four people on shared passwords will not work for fifteen. Three habits keep growth manageable:
- One identity per person. Centralised identity management with MFA and Conditional Access lets Microsoft’s model monitor devices, identities and applications and automate policy enforcement as you add people.
- A device register. Remote device guidance recommends recording each device’s assignment and security status, and enrolling devices in mobile-device management before they are shipped. New starters then receive a laptop that is ready and protected on day one.
- A planned leaver process. Access to every system should end the day employment does.
If you are comparing in-house IT with an outside provider as you grow, our article on managed IT versus in-house IT sets out the trade-offs.
Putting rules and rights in order
How remote working is requested and handled is not only a technology question. In Ireland, the Workplace Relations Commission has published a Code of Practice for employers and employees on the right to request remote working, which gives guidance on how such requests are made and handled. If you are formalising arrangements, read it alongside your IT policy, and take advice from an employment law specialist or HR adviser on your own obligations.
Our perspective
After thirty years of supporting Irish organisations, we have seen remote working move from an exception to an everyday arrangement, and the businesses that cope best share one trait: they treat the home office as part of the company network, not as something outside it.
That means a standard, supported device for every person, identity and access controls that check both the user and the machine, and cloud tools that are configured once and managed centrally. It also means monitoring. A proactive managed service sees an out-of-date laptop or an unusual sign-in before it becomes an incident, and that is where we believe most of the value lies for a small or medium-sized firm that does not have an internal IT team.
Our aim is to act as an extension of your own team. We design the setup, supply and configure the equipment, secure access through Microsoft 365, and support your people remotely or onsite when something needs attention, so you can concentrate on running the business.
Carl
How we can help you build it
We help organisations across Ireland from our base in County Wicklow, covering device supply, Microsoft 365 and cloud services, security, backup and disaster recovery, and proactive support. Our Silver, Gold and Platinum Support plans combine remote and onsite assistance, and you can see how they work on our managed services page. Pricing is agreed around your needs, so contact us through lancast.ie for a conversation about your team.
If security is your first concern, our security services include vulnerability management, threat risk assessment and penetration testing. For day-to-day support of a growing team, see our managed IT services for small businesses.
FAQ
What equipment does a small business need for remote working?
Each person needs a suitable laptop or desktop, a headset, reliable broadband and access to cloud storage and a collaboration platform. Add basic security: MFA, antivirus, encryption and automatic updates. Choose specifications by the work being done and expect devices to last three to four years.
How do I give employees secure access to company systems?
Use multifactor authentication, centralised identity management and device-compliance checks, and give each person access only to what they need. Where a business runs its own servers, a VPN with encrypted communications is the usual route. Microsoft 365 with Conditional Access suits most small firms.
Should staff use their own devices?
Company-owned, supported devices are easier to secure, and Canadian government guidance recommends them where feasible. If personal devices are allowed, enforce MFA, screen locks and updates, and keep company data in managed cloud storage instead of local files.
What happens if a home internet connection fails?
Plan for it. A mobile hotspot is a practical backup, and a second connection can be added as the business grows. Decide which tasks cannot stop, configure the fallback and test it periodically.
Sources
- Remote Work Readiness: Preparing Your Business, American Employers’ Group
- Small Business Tech Essentials, HP
- Remote Work Toolkit: Essential Tech for Success
- How small businesses can build a stronger internet setup
- The Essential Guide to Working from Home, Cisco
- What is secure remote access? Cisco
- Working from home security checklists for employers, ICO
- Enable secure remote work, Microsoft Learn
- Checklist for Small Businesses, ENISA
- Security tips for organizations, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
- Remote device management, Rippling
- Code of Practice on the right to request remote working, Workplace Relations Commission