While remote work offers many attractions, it also presents challenges and potential pitfalls. It may be tempting to run after the shiny parts - flexibility, no commuting, no dress codes, etc. - but you don't want to take your company remote on a whim.

You should consider a number of factors as you make the decision, and if you decide to go remote, it will require careful planning.

Most of the obstacles to going remote fall into one of two categories: structural and cultural. I would argue, however, that it is possible to overcome many of these obstacles, although it can be difficult. In some cases, it simply isn't possible.

The obvious structural obstacle is that not every job can be remote. If you want to be a winemaker, you have to spend a good deal of time out in the vineyards and in the winery with the presses and other equipment.

Similarly, manufacturing requires people to be in the production areas. Of course, manufacturers employ non-production people, such as accountants and marketing professionals, and they may be able to work remotely.

Another structural obstacle could be that the right tools are not available or too expensive. To be successful in a remote model, you need to be sure your employees have resources such as computers and internet access. It's also important for them to have a designated workspace.

In the early days of the COVID pandemic, many tried working from their couch and experienced back problems -- or the irresistible temptation to turn on the TV. If your company can't afford to help employees get set up properly at home, you may need to pass on remote work.

Cultural obstacles may be harder to overcome than structural ones. Going remote requires a change in thinking, and not everyone is prepared to make that change. Adapting can be overwhelming for both leaders and employees.

For example, some leaders believe that they can't manage what they can't see. Some don't believe that their teams have the right talent or mindset to work independently.

Both of these obstacles can be overcome but overcoming them will require additional work by leadership and management. You can develop and monitor performance metrics to manage the team, and you can provide coaching and training to help your team become independent.

However, these are just a couple of the many tasks you would need to take on in order to be successful in going remote. If you don't have the time or bandwidth to plan and execute deliberately, remote may not be the right choice for you.

Another obstacle in being remote is accommodating rapid growth. In some ways remote is ideal for growth; for example, you don't have to find a larger office or invest in new furniture.

You will, however, have to overcome the challenge of onboarding and training a number of new hires, simultaneously, who are in different locations. Teleconference platforms like Zoom and Google Meet can help with this but translating your existing training program into an online format will take time and effort.

Another apparent advantage of the remote model is that you can hire talent who lives just about anywhere. But that presents problems, too. If your company is based in Colorado and you want to hire someone who lives in California, your human resources team will have to come up to speed on California employment laws, and that is no small challenge.

Another difficulty you'll face is working across time zones. If your entire team is in the continental U.S., you usually can find an hour in the middle of the day to gather online for a meeting. But this could cause issues with clients and translating time zones can be confusing. If you can't make this work, you probably don’t want to go remote.

Building remote teams requires that you create new processes and structures. Routines will need to be built, refined and rebuilt. Expectations need to be updated and communicated. It takes much more than installing Zoom. You'll need to think carefully about what your new model will look like, then plan the execution carefully, and continue massaging the model moving forward.

Consider meetings for example. You'll need to determine how meetings will work and ensure everyone has and knows how to use the right technology. In addition, you'll need to be very organized to create and carefully follow a clear agenda.

A meandering, loosely structured meeting won’t hold participants' attention in the virtual world. Highly organized meetings can help you be more efficient in the office or virtually, but they also require time and effort in planning.

Going remote is not for the faint of heart. It's not enough to send people home with a laptop. You must change your thinking, re-imagine your organization, and develop different kinds of leadership skills.

It requires a significant investment of imagination, emotional intelligence, commitment and perseverance. If you don't have the time and energy to do it well, you're probably better off staying in the office.

Chris Dyer is Founder & CEO of PeopleG2 and author of new book Remote Work (Kogan Page)