Choosing your professional working backdrop

Remote working

It may seem a little strange to be talking about choosing an ideal working backdrop when currently hauled up in our homes during lockdown. But this is actually the best time to broach the subject. Once the world returns to the new normal you will most certainly be fed up with working from the confines of four walls in your home.

Most of us aren’t missing the travelling or the exuberant costs associated with commuting but we are missing working with others and being in a professional environment. For parents who are once again thrust into the role as teachers, the mere thought of being in a workplace, with no children seems like blissful peace.

For many working remotely was seen as one of life’s luxuries, a day or two at home was liberating. But in the long-term working remotely is not just about working from home, it’s about working from anywhere.

Traditional Office

The hustle and bustle of a traditional office can be overwhelming, especially when trying to put your head down whilst working on a project. Attempting to concentrate with so many distractions can be frustrating. Not forgetting squabbling over who jammed the printer and jostling with others to get to the photocopier.

Whilst these are all part of office life, it can be a draining place to work often returning home with a headache from the noise, travel distance and the glaring spot lights.

Workplace you create

So, what if you could choose your own backdrop and work locally. A concept most commonly mastered by those running a small business. In the last decade the serviced office market has been flooded with corporate offerings and smaller, unique, affordable places to work.

There is a solution for everyone regardless of size or budget. As business owners assess their workspace needs, large sized, expensive, luxury offices are simply no longer profitable. This is where localised offices can help bring together teams for a day, a week or months. Consumers are in the driving seat looking for flexibility at a price they are willing to pay.

Travel

The bonuses for working in such a local environment means no stuffy train carriages, removal of endless transport cancellation stresses and no waiting on cold darkened platforms during the winter months. Being local allows you to travel by whatever means suit you.

Walking, cycling, driving and running are four examples. All seem so much more appealing and are certainly more cost effective. Plus, they are kinder to the environment, something which more business owners are aspiring towards.

Being closer to your town or village makes leaving to collect children from school or when they are sick easier. Not forgetting feeling apart of your community, something which had changed dramatically during the pandemic.

Meetings

When lockdown is over video conferencing will not be going away. But like any fad, this way of collaborating with colleagues is quickly become tiresome. Staring at your team via a screen is exhausting, as is hearing the continuous reminders that some are on mute.

Behaviours are changing as people become more comfortable with using video app technology resorting to unprofessionalism. Switching camera’s off, not paying attention and generally falling foul to complacency.

Whilst this approach has enabled businesses to communicate during the COVID pandemic, it cannot all together replace the need to be face to face nor does it offer the right appearance. Holding a meeting around a proper table, in the right environment, seated in comfortable chairs and having access to office technology cannot be so easily replaced. Especially when preparing to entertain and meet with prospective clients.

Workspace

Having spent almost a year sitting at kitchen tables with just a laptop and a phone, business owners will be on the lookout for more amenable ways to situate themselves and their staff. Office space capable of holding the required numbers without teams feeling over crowded.

Space has become vitally important, not only due to health and safety but also because to work efficiently workers need to breath. Opening windows to allow in fresh air has been added to the list of recommended guidelines by the government fighting the COVID pandemic.

These effective measures serve as a reminder that where and how you work matters. Taking a stroll, getting exercise in the countryside has become a valuable commodity and helps to reduce stress. Serviced offices are situated in a multitude of places giving you the chance to pick the right environment for your team both inside and out.

Ergonomics

Offices are designed with comfort in mind helping to reduce the burdening effects of pain when sitting and working for long periods of time. Chairs which can be manipulated to suit your posture, the angle of your computer and the height of a desk. All these accumulate into providing an ideal workstation and increased productivity.

When working from home we can often become lazy in our approach. Lounging on the couch, in bed or using chairs designed for primarily mealtimes will be causing strain over time. Those who work from home in the short term are unlikely to spend money on such aspects considering them to be luxuries rather than necessities.

Add in the dangers of wiring multiple devices, with cables stretching across communal areas, parts of the home quickly become a hazardous place to work. Properly implemented ergonomic solutions are often overlooked but when working from a serviced office, they are essentially included in the price.

Costs

Whilst workers may feel they are saving money by not leaving their homes, this doesn’t mean the bills are not stacking up. In a traditional environment we take such things for granted, expecting to find stationery, printing facilities, heating, air conditioning, tea, coffee, cleaning products and toilet rolls. All are to be provided by yourself when working from home.

Not to mention frustratingly unstable Wi-Fi connections meant only to serve for entertainment purposes such as watching TV or limited usage. Home broadband packages are not always designed to equip multiple workers with the right speeds they are used to in an office.

Costly heating and electricity bills, plus wear and tear in the home can become expensive and takes its toll overtime. At a serviced office you get all you need to work efficiently, removing unnecessary cost and pain points from your day to day.

Home is home

Let’s face it, most of us feel comfortable in our homes, a man’s home is after all his castle. A long stressful day in the office can often be put aside the moment one steps inside their house providing a comforting, relaxing and inviting feeling.

This is when homeworkers can often get unstuck, moving from the home office to other areas in the same vicinity doesn’t have the desired effect. Home workers are known to work longer hours, unable to shut off creating a disproportionate work life balance. Feeling pressured, knowing a response from a boss or client will be expected even late into the evening, adds to the stress.

Conclusion

Freedom and choice, have become new words to uphold. This has been witnessed first-hand by millions and supports the notion working remotely does work. No longer do business owners or employees need to be crammed into stuffy expensive offices. Instead, workers are looking to choose their own environment, opting for fresh offices and open spaces.

Working locally from a serviced office cuts commuting time. Having essentials on hand whilst being in professional surroundings can do wonders for mental health and productivity. As can the notion a simple chat with a colleague or meeting new people will give your mood a welcomed lift.

It’s the ability to be have the choice which makes remote working so appealing. 9 to 5 may still be required by lots of companies, but this shouldn’t also be limited to where you work. Create your own back drop, find a place where you can thrive and feel at home without being confined to the four walls of your house.

Now is the time to consider breaking out of the traditional mould, giving you the control to work from wherever you want in the future.