How small businesses
can navigate hybrid
work to their advantage

Sign

Contents
Introduction: 
Hybrid work’s big opportunity for small business

Chapter 1: 
It’s a great time to be in small business sales

Chapter 2: Hiring in a remote world

Chapter 3: 
Managing distributed teams

Chapter 4: 
Security from a distance

Chapter 5: 
Regaining a speed advantage in a distributed world

Conclusion: 
This guide is just the beginningAs Sun Tzu put it in the 5th century BC, “In the midst of chaos, there is

Introduction

also opportunity.” This couldn’t be more true for small businesses
today.

Hybrid work’s big
Yes, the world has undeniably changed. Yes, the pandemic, its ensuing

opportunity for

lockdowns, and a pending new normal have created a slew of newchallenges. And yes, every business has had to adapt in its own way.

small business

However, these circumstances have leveled the competitive landscapefor businesses of all sizes, slowing operations while everyone figuresout how to keep going. And this is where small businesses can gain ahuge advantage.

While big businesses take an age to change legacy processes andsystems, small businesses are fast to pivot and familiar with adapting
on a dime. It's why there's no better time than now for small
businesses to challenge slow-moving incumbents.

But to capitalize on this opportunity, small businesses must rely on
their greatest strengths—agility, flexibility, and innovation—to figureout this whole hybrid work thing faster than larger competitors.

So we’ve put together this guide to help small businesses
navigate hybrid work. In it you’ll discover

Remote work’s unique sales opportunit
Hiring in a virtual-first worl
Managing distributed team
Keeping operations secure from a distanc
How to regain your pace advantage in a distributed world

Let’s go!

“Small businesses must rely on theirgreatest strengths—agility, flexibility, andinnovation—to figure out this whole hybrid
work thing faster than larger competitors.”

Chapter1

It’s a great time to be insmall business sales
With such a level playing field and customers with an appetite forchange, small businesses have a unique opportunity to challenge
There’s no denying it, customer buying habits have gone digital.

Since the start of the pandemic, 84% of customers report using

digital channels more and 40% admit to buying more online thanbigger competitors and take a larger market share. But to do that,your digital buying experience needs to match your consumers’

digital expectations.

they used to.

More interestingly, customers are more open to shopping around,with 75% of consumers trying new stores, brands, and shopping

experiences during the pandemic. And this behavior isn’t confined toeCommerce stores: 70% of B2B decision makers are open to making

84%

40%

fully self-serve or remote purchases over $50,000, and 27% over

$500,000.

While more inquisitive consumers promise more opportunities forsmall businesses, this mass digitization is also closing the sales gap

between small and big businesses. Big-wig sales teams can nolonger fly out to cities and wow their prospects with fancy dinners or

impressive demonstrations. Instead, every salesperson is working

with the same set of tools—a laptop, a webcam, and a sales deck.

use digital channels

buy more online

more often

than they used toDelivering a remote sales
experience customers want
Whether you’re marketing services or products, customers
expect two things from their buying experience.

Access to the right information 

This means improving your sales process by asking questions like:Can customers easily find all the information they need on my
websiteDo they really need to talk to a salesperson
Where are customers dropping off the sales process and why
Do they want a demo before they buy
Can I make my sales process completely self-service?

A fast and easy way to buy
For small transactions, buying is simple. But for complex purchases,
like services and licenses, the buying process can involve multiple
documents and signatures. Even once you’ve guided customers to
the point of purchase, they expect an easy way to sign agreements.
Presenting customers with a clunky print-sign-scan process or
third-party signing application can lead to frustration which leads
to a lost sale.

Converting customers demands a fast signing process. And
eSignature tools are the best way to get deals done fast. Withsophisticated eSignature tools like Dropbox Sign, customers caneven sign contracts directly on your website, converting them
instantly. 

When your buying experience is that fast and easy, it makes you thevendor of choice, giving you a leg up on the competition.

Customer story

CGIA closes deals 17% faster with eSignatures
Traditionally, selling insurance has been a long and admin-prone
process for both customers and salespeople. With so many
documents, signatures, and approvals to manage, any reduction in
paperwork is a huge improvement to the customer experience. 

By integrating the Dropbox Sign eSignature API into their insurance
workflow, CGIA completely digitized the signing process, removing
slow and frustrating manual steps for its customers.

“HelloSign’s [now Dropbox Sign] seamless signing experience has
allowed us to deliver evidence of insurance in real-time and we’veseen a reduction in the time it takes to close a sale. HelloSign [nowDropbox Sign] has become a necessity for our business as online
shoppers demand a hassle-free way to buy,” says Bob Negrey, VP ofInformation Technology at CGIA. 

And it’s greatly improved CGIA’s speed of sales, too. "WithHelloSign [now Dropbox Sign] we’re able to close sales about 17%
faster compared to the manual signature process,” says Miguel
Huizar, producer for CGIA.

Chapter2

Hiring in a remote world
What employees want is shifting. As Stacey Marx, President ofWith such a level playing field and customers with an appetite for

National Business and Channels at AT&T explains “Now thatchange, small businesses have a unique opportunity to challenge

employees have successfully adapted to working on non-traditional

bigger competitors and take a larger market share. But to do that,schedules in fully remote environments, their priorities have shifted.

your digital buying experience needs to match your consumers’

They expect, and often need, this new flexible work environment todigital expectations.

continue after the pandemic.”

The allure of a fancy corporate office at the nice end of town isn’t asappealing to the average worker as it once was. In fact, it’s become aturn-off for many employees today—46% say they’re likely to movebecause they can now work remotely.

84%

40%

Remote and hybrid work gives all businesses a massively expanded

talent pool to choose from. Even in instances where employees needuse digital channels

buy more online

more often

than they used toto be in the office for certain tasks, introducing a mix of at-homework with in-office time can significantly reduce the burden of daily

commuting and make you a more appealing employer.

But to take advantage, small businesses need to build fast hiringexperiences that lock candidates down before larger businesses getthere first—because the top 10% of candidates typically become

unavailable in just 10 days.

How to build a fast andsimple hybrid hiring workflow

Take stock of job requirements 
Before you start searching for candidates, you need to take stock ofexactly what employees’ geographic obligations will be—becausenot

every job is compatible with remote work.

Do employees need to be in the office once a week for a teammeeting, near enough to commute in an emergency, in the sametime zone, or can they be completely virtual

Likewise, how remote can the employee be? Will work suffer ifthey’re not in the same time zone? Can you support the logistics

of meeting in person when business requires it

Attract more talent A hybrid work schedule that reduces the number of days employees

need to be in the office makes commuting more manageable, which

can extend the geographic radius of your talent search. For fully

remote roles, your talent pool becomes massive, so cast a wide net, so

get your flexible work message out there on every job board available.

Finally, have you completed the right paperwork and registered

your business to hire from a different state, province, or country?

This is something that’s easily overlooked but can come back tobite you if ignored.

Shortlist talent A wider net means more talent, so an efficient shortlisting process iscritical to weed out the best candidates for the job. Video screening
Once you’re clear on exactly what’s needed, then you’re readyto start searching.

tools like Vervoe let you get a feel for candidates—and gauge theirdigital savviness—by asking them to submit video interviews. Not only

will this save you hours in scheduling and hosting interviews, but you

can also share them with your wider team to get a second opinion.

Lockdown top prospects fast Once you’ve found your ideal candidate, you need to lock them down
quickly or risk them going elsewhere. This is where your digitalprocesses must be on point. Using eSignature tools like Dropbox
Sign, you can send out documents like employment agreements,
NDAs, and W9s, and have them signed fast.

“The allure of a fancy corporate
office at the nice end of town isn’t asappealing to the average worker as it
once was. 46% of employees saythey’re likely to move because they
can now work remotely.”Customer story

How Workstream hires fast with eSignatures
When it comes to hiring, a candidate’s experience matters. Just ask
a small business that’s in the business of hiring, like Workstream.
Without a smooth, integrated process, hiring is slow and frustrating
for both candidates and employers. 

But adding eSignatures to its agreement workflows, Workstream
gets agreements signed and returned fast.

As Desirene Neo, Marketing Executive at Workstream explains,"HelloSign [now Dropbox Sign] helps us to draft employment
agreements between our clients and their new employees. It allows
them to easily sign the agreements online quickly and efficiently.
Online signing gets done really quickly, allowing our clients to move
applicants through the hiring and onboarding process much fasterthan their previous manual workflow.”Chapter3
Managing distributed
teams
Globally, productivity has taken a dip, with 1 in 4 businesses
experiencing a decline since the pandemic. A lot of this is attributed
to fatigue and unhealthy working behaviors.

Set a clear flexible work policy
The results are in: over 70% of workers want flexible remote work
options.

“Remote work has been a very difficult transition for small businessowners. A lot of small business owners are used to managing by
walking around and seeing everybody in their seats. We have to get
rid of this idea that jobs are about how much time employees spend
at work. It’s about the value employees contribute each day,” says
Barry, Small Business Expert.

While larger businesses can absorb productivity fluctuations, forsmall business owners, even a small drop in productivity can have aserious knock-on effect throughout the business. 

But flexibility means different things to different employees—for
some, it’s the option to work from home 50% of the time, and forothers, it’s a completely remote set-up. It’s why your policy mustclearly outline your expectations and business needs, so employees
are aligned on what flexible working is and isn’t.
What flexibility means in your business
Where employees will work—both in the office, at home, andgeographically
When employees will work—both hours and time zones.

To avoid such disruptions and keep your team producing in top gear,

Understanding the specific laws and regulations for the different

you need to put the health and welfare of your team(s) front andregions your employees work incenter. Here’s how:

How employees will work and collaborate with the wider teamremotely
Empowering managers and leaders to adapt these policies to fit
their specific team needs and expectations.

Create flexible working norms
With different time zones and the immediacy of instant messaging

To prevent unhealthy work behaviors and build tighter-knit teams,

tools, flexible working can often start to feel like “always-on”

small businesses can develop company-wide norms, such as:working for many employees. This can encourage unhealthy
behaviors where employees feel they can never truly log off for the
day or are missing out on important discussions.

And it’s a rampant problem among remote workers, with an

Setting clear expectations around work and employee hours
Configuring meeting rooms to optimize for remote participants
Encouraging onsite participants to join video meetings as soon
as they enter the room, so remote participants don’t miss out on

estimated 62% of calls and meetings happening unscheduled or

the informal banter crucial to social and team connection.

conducted ad hoc. More troubling, Microsoft found that 50% of

Optimizing calendars so everyone has visibility over teampeople respond to chat messages within five minutes or less—aavailability and time zones.

sign work intensity and employees’ perceived expectations aretrending in an unhealthy direction.

When employees feel overworked, micromanaged, or the need to bealways available, chances are they’ll start looking for newopportunities elsewhere.

“Flexibility means different things to different employees…Your
policy must clearly outline your expectations and business needs,
so employees are aligned on what flexible working is and isn’t.”Your virtual-first toolkit
Managing distributed teams is a big topic. So big, we couldn’t cover
everything in this guide. Fortunately, Dropbox has built a full-fledged
virtual-first toolkit to help businesses navigate the digital world. In it
you’ll find practical, virtual-friendly exercises—from setting better
goals to improving your team’s well-being—to help you thrive in
distributed work.

Check out the virtual-first toolkit

Chapter4

Security from a distance
What was once one office internet connection, is now every employees’ home internet
connection, plus that café your employee works from once a week, and don’t forget about
the public co-working Wi-Fi. 

But it’s not just the number of places employees access the internet that’s changed, thevolume of internet interactions has increased too. As Stacey say, “On an average day now,
about 465.6 petabytes of data cross [AT&T’s] network—up 40% year-over-year. That’s
countless video conferences done from living rooms, lessons taught from classrooms todining rooms, eCommerce transactions, virtual doctor visits, and calls for aid from first
responders.”

This also means the digital nature of remote and hybrid work has significantly expanded
the surface area for cyber attacks.

Rising cyber threats
The problem is, this increased volume and241,324$8,100$20 - 40k

Incidents

on average

per hournew entry points have raised businesses’
exposure to threats. This might bemanageable for enterprises with entire teamsof security experts, but for small businesses
it’s another big cost and challenge.

Phishing attacks doubled in

The average ransomware

The cost of a DDoS

2020 to nearly 241,324

attack cost $8,100 and total(distributed denial of service)incidents according to the FBI.

ransomware costs are expectedattack averages between

to reach $20 billion in 2021.

$20,000-$40,000 per hour.

“The digital nature of remote and hybrid work
has significantly expanded the surface area forcyber attacks.”
But by far the most pressing threat to small businesses is fraud.
Businesses with fewer than 100 employees report 28% of all
instances of fraud—a higher rate than medium and large businesses—and suffer greater losses relative to their size. In a hybrid
environment where you have even less oversight and control overyour business operations and employee actions, there’s an evengreater risk of fraud. But by adopting secure tools, like eSignatures,
small businesses can protect themselves to the level of enterprises
with dedicated security teams.

Protect your business against
fraud with Dropbox Sign
Embezzlement and other fraudulent activities require paper trails toperpetually go undetected. One common scheme is to set up faketransactions and manipulate bank statements and invoices withediting software before printing and filing them for review.

But with Dropbox Sign, you can make this behavior much harder on
criminals. Dropbox Sign comes with built-in audit trails that ensure
every action on an electronic document is thoroughly tracked andtime-stamped, so you know if it was ever modified or tamperedwith without your knowledge. To make things more secure, Dropbox
Sign uses hashing technology that creates a copy of every version
of a document that you can use for comparison should aquestionable version ever appear.

Dropbox Sign also encrypts every document and stores it in a SOC
1 Type II, SOC 2 Type I, and ISO 27001 certified data center. Accessto this data center is strictly controlled by security staff equippedwith video surveillance, multi-step authentication, and state-of-theart intrusion detection systems

Chapter

5
Regaining a speed
advantage in a
distributed world
Traditionally, small businesses have had a sizeable speed advantage
over bigger businesses that can take an age (and a million
discussions) to make simple decisions.

But the pandemic has closed this gap, and businesses have had tostart from scratch as they figure out how to communicate andproduce remotely. 

But adopting new technologies at speed can help regain thisadvantage. Technologies like:That’s where cloud storage has changed the game.

Self-service cloud storage 
Much of business speed is about the availability of information. So ina world where you can’t just turn to the person next to you for answers
and insights, things inevitably slow down.

Rather than waiting for fellow employees to email over documents orfiles, information management is becoming self-service. Anyone witha modern device and the right permissions can find the exact
information they need at any time.

Multiplayer collaboration apps 
The better (and faster) teams collaborate, the more gets done—and
there’s nothing faster than real-time. Small businesses canencourage faster collaboration using tools such as:

Slack to bring instant messaging to the workplace
Dropbox Paper to let teams collaborate in one document in realtime—eliminating the need for version control
Next-generation spreadsheets like Rows that make datacollection and modeling a collaborative process instead of an
isolated spreadsheet.

SaaS applications  
The days of building your own software—or enduring a lengthy
implementation—are over. Today, small businesses can access nearly
any tool they need as fast as they can sign up and input their credit
card information. Dropbox Sign, for instance, is ready to use as soon
as you’ve signed up for an accountWhen you can get the exact tool for the job
almost immediately, your business can moveeven faster than pre-pandemic speeds.

A framework for making
smart technology decisions
When you have a pressing need for a solution and a dozen tools offer
an answer, it’s hard to know which ones you need, which ones are
effective, and which ones integrate with your existing stack. So to
help, here’s a framework for making the best decisions for yourbusiness. 

Ask yourself:

Will I need this technology in 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years

Option A

What are the upfront and long-term costs

Benefits

Does this technology align with my business strategy andCosts

desired outcomes

Limitations

Is it proven to be secure?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, it’s worth reconsidering

Option B

Once you’ve identified the technologies that’ll help you operate at top
speed,
 you’re ready to capitalize on all the opportunities out there.

your technology decision before you buy. And if you’re still left withseveral solutions after this test, here’s a simple matrix for you tochoose the best solution for the job:

“When you can get the exact tool for the job
almost immediately, your business can moveeven faster than pre-pandemic speeds.”

Conclusion

This guide is just the
beginning

As businesses are expected to execute pivot upon pivot to keep up
with unexpected changes, everyone is still figuring out exactly how
to respond to all this change, because no one has before.

It’s why this guide can’t solve hybrid work for small businesses. But it
can offer a roadmap for how you can use technology to make every

Make Dropbox Sign
your signature move

pivot easier to manage as the world continues to change.

One way to increase your business’ adaptability through uncertain
And the faster you can make these changes, the better positioned
your business is to challenge slow-moving organizations.

times is through a faster signing experience for customers and new
employees. That’s what Dropbox Sign is here for. If you need an
eSignature to speed up your hybrid work plans, let’s talk.

Dropbox Sign simplifies work for millions of individuals. Companies
all over the world rely on the Dropbox Sign API to power theirapplications, making it easier to close deals faster, onboard newhires, save developers time, complete documents without error, andmuch more. For more information visit the Dropbox Sign website.