Yesterday, BBC Panorama asked a question many businesses are grappling with: should we still be working remotely? For us at MAMA.codes, the answer is an emphatic yes. 

Remote work isn’t just a practical choice for us—it’s the cornerstone of how we empower our team, drive productivity, and achieve our goals. Here’s why:

Empowering staff through flexibility

As a business founded by mums, remote working gave us the flexibility to achieve a great work-life balance, and it continues to do so today. No matter what stage you’re at in the parenting journey, your children’s needs change constantly.

Remote work makes it possible to care for a poorly toddler, do the school run, or simply be there when your child needs you most. For us, flexibility isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a core value. It’s about trusting our team to manage their time effectively and deliver results—on their terms.

This isn’t just a benefit for mums. Remote work supports all parents, caregivers, and even those juggling other commitments, like studying or volunteering, fitness or well-being goals.

Cutting costs without cutting corners

As a startup, cost savings are crucial. Remote work allows us to avoid the expense of a fixed office space, freeing up resources to invest in our team and our tools.

That doesn’t mean we don’t value meeting in person—we absolutely do. But rather than committing to a single location and its overheads, we make use of co-working spaces. This approach not only reduces costs but also helps us build new networks and connections in a variety of environments.

Breaking barriers to inclusive talent

Remote work has given us access to an incredible talent pool across the UK and beyond. Our team is diverse, skilled, and dynamic—a testament to the advantages of hiring without being bound by location.

By embracing remote work, we can bring together talented individuals who share our vision, no matter where they are, and their home setup.

Supporting staff wellbeing

Beyond the business benefits, remote work is better for our team. It saves them time, money, and stress—factors that can lead to greater job satisfaction and higher retention rates.

What’s the ​‘back to the office’ argument?

But what about the negatives that are often cited of remote working? Here we break down our views on some common arguments. 

Lack of collaboration and connection

Collaboration and connection are often cited as the downside of remote working. We often hear the ​‘water cooler’ moments don’t exist in an online environment and creativity can be a challenge. But there are other ways to foster connection and creativity, for example, daily stand ups, regular 1:1s with your team, opportunities for social connection, as well as good and clearly defined communication channels. 

We absolutely believe in the value of meeting up in-person, and we make the most of these times when we get together. But we don’t need to be all together in a physical space for a mandated number of days per week to achieve our goals as a business. 

Collaboration is about creating a culture that works for everyone, not trying to recreate an office environment online.

Access to personal development 

Some argue that remote work limits access to personal development, but we’ve found the opposite.

Through virtual shadowing and training, we’ve helped many of our tutors expand their knowledge and learn new languages to teach. As a result, they’ve gained new skills, increased their earning potential, and become even more valuable members of our team.

Productivity and accountability

Does remote work impact productivity? Some studies suggest it does, but our experience says otherwise. With the right tools, clear communication channels, and points of escalation, we ensure that work gets done smoothly and efficiently.

What about accountability? For us, it comes down to culture. By building a supportive environment and trusting our team, we’ve created a workplace where accountability is a natural outcome of shared goals and expectations.

We live by our Trello lists so our To Dos and productivity are transparent for all to see, and this reduces the need to waste day to day communications on checking in on progress.

Our conclusion?

Remote work isn’t without its challenges. You can’t simply take what worked in an office and expect it to succeed in a remote environment. It requires a shift in practices, strong cultural values, and clear boundaries.

But when done right, it’s transformative. At MAMA.codes, remote work is a win-win—for our team, our business, and the future of work.

And if you’re looking for a remote, flexible job keep an eye on our jobs pages or sign up to our newsletter and you’ll be the first to hear about opportunities. 

If you’re interested in our mission of delivering life changing, fun and engaging coding classes to children and your child is aged 3 — 13, then sign up your child to try one of our free taster sessions. You won’t regret it!