Encouraging a team to work remotely off-site creates an ideal platform for commercial growth, according to Pete Goold, MD of PR, search & social media agency Punch Communications.

The team, which is looking for individuals seeking jobs in PR, has grown to 11. Originally founded in 2003, the business has evolved significantly in recent years, incorporating search marketing and social media consultancy alongside traditional PR expertise.

Punch has developed an IT infrastructure and a team ethos around locational flexibility which enables the team to maximise time, irrespective of whether an individual is based in the office, at home, with a client or at an event.

As the team has grown in recent years, mobile working has become a central component of the business’ IT acquisition strategy, with users able to access email and documents in a number of ways from a variety of devices, as suits circumstances on any given day.

Similarly, a cultural environment has been created which allows individuals to walk away from their desk in order to find quiet space, whether on or off site, in order to focus on the task at hand. In turn this personal autonomy has allowed individuals to focus on effectiveness rather than time, resulting in an entrepreneurial attitude across the team.

Pete Goold commented: “As we’re growing to a size where additional offices are now firmly on the agenda, it’s been interesting to see how some of the past decisions that we’ve made as a team will ease this transition.

“In terms of both IT and personnel, I think that flexibility has been the key to date. Certainly we have a highly transparent, open culture which, whilst imperfect, does treat individuals with respect whilst ensuring healthy competition across the team.”

For more information regarding traditional or digital PR, please call 01858 411 600, or visit punchcomms.com.