The COVID pandemic has led to a lot of changes for businesses. Perhaps the most significant change has been the increase in work-from-home arrangements.

According to a study by FlexJobs, 43% of businesses have asked employees to start working from home because of Covid. This number will likely continue to grow. Why are so many small businesses sticking with work-from-home arrangements post-Covid?

A High Percentage of Small Businesses Are Going to WFH Permanently

Working from home has become so popular that some businesses find it hard to return to a traditional office environment. As a result, it's become increasingly important for small businesses to find a work-from-home solution that offers some protection from being location-Specific.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of work-from-home arrangements will not provide any such protection. This survey of Inc File's data shows that 66 percent of all small businesses reported negative returns from the Covid-19 crisis.

With that in mind, working from home can be an excellent option for companies with a certain level of comfort with remote work. If you do not want to move to a remote location to work remotely, work-from-home options are still available.

Working from Home Can Help Reduce Stress Levels and Improve Mental Health

While the direct connection between working from home and reducing stress levels is long-standing, the modern workplace has made it clear that this doesn't always happen automatically.

This can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution (News - Alert), when the rise in automation due to steam-powered technology increased stress levels. This, in turn, led to the development of anti-anxiety drugs and other serotonergic medications.

Today, we see this in the rising popularity of meditation and other self-care practices among employees. Working from home can help reduce stress and improve one's mental health.

Employees' mental health is vital to a business. Having an expert on staff to guide them through difficult times can help a business avoid the unfortunate side effects of depression and anxiety.

There's no Need for Expensive Office Space or Equipment

Most office layouts maximize the space needed to house a small staff. This is good for large businesses with thousands of employees, but it can lead to frustration for smaller businesses with only a few employees.

At a time when office space is at a premium, it's easy to understand why so many businesses are opting to work from home. This makes sense from the business' point of view.

Working from home doesn't require the space of an office, only the equipment needed to run an office (most notably a computer). It only takes up around 20% of the space in your home.

Employees are More Productive When They're Working in Their Own Environment

The popularity of remote work since the pandemic can be mainly related to two things:

• The convenience of the arrangement — workers don't have to commute home whenever they want to take a break.
• The second is the potential for more creative work styles that allow workers to work remotely. These work styles also allow for increased employee collaboration, which can help solve problems and develop new ideas.

When employees can work from home, they can set up their own office while connecting with coworkers remotely. This can help facilitate creativity because individuals are not bound by time and space.

It's a Great Way to Test Out Whether Remote Work is a Good Fit for Your Business

Working from home can be a great way to determine whether remote work is a good fit for your business. Suppose you own a small business with only a few employees. In that case, you could consider making remote work a part of your business model to see if it offers any additional benefits. If you operate in the private sector and can choose whether to work remotely or in an office, it can be an effective way to see if the switch will improve productivity or market share. If it does, it's a great way to prove yourself as a valuable employee representative.

So why are so many small businesses sticking with work-from-home post-Covid? The main reason is that they know it's the right thing. Working from home can be a great way to earn more money, improve your health, and gain a better work-life balance, to name just a few advantages.