I've had the pleasure of building and leading an excellent remote team. More and more businesses are turning to remote workers but for some it can be scary. There's a feeling that you loose a little bit of control when your team is remote. However, remote team members often have the ability to be more productive and even happier.

These are some best practices I found helpful when working with a remote based team.

1. Multiple methods of communications - One of the most useful things we did as a team was to utilize multiple methods of communication. We had chat, email, phone, text and Basecamp. They each had different purposes but all were very important and ensured that my team not only stayed in touch with me but with each other.

2. Choose the right team - This is a long hard lesson to learn but choosing the right team members can make or break your remote team. Of course, a successful track record of working remotely is helpful. There are a few other qualities. Passion and enthusiasm for their job is a dead giveaway that someone will do well remotely. Flexibility and willingness to work with you during the interview process are also great signs.

3. Check in - We were very project focused so it was easy to get lost in projects and never know how your remote employees were feeling and doing. You can't see the visual clues like you do in the office. Each team member and I had a standing bi-weekly check in to talk about their role, how it was going and give them a chance to bring up any issues. This helped us squash potential issues before they became big problems.

4. In person meetings - One of the biggest issues for remote team members is feeling like they are part of the company and its vision. You need to have regular in person meetings to help bring them all together and involve them in the company.

5. Foster collaboration - Another difficult part for a remote team is collaboration. If you can get remote team members to work together, outside of your supervision, the quality of work will greatly improve. This can be done by asking them to tackle problems together or assigning them tasks together. Do this a few times and they'll start to do it themselves.

6. Share final product/work - Remote teams can feel disjointed and disconnected from the final product. Make sure they get to see the end result of their work and hopefully let them in on the positive effect it had.

7. Work-life balance - You'll likely get more than 40 hours a week from a full-time remote employee. Often remote team members eat at their desks and take rare breaks. Try to respect their time and keep evenings and weekends free so they maintain a balance. It can be hard to do when your working out of your home.