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Why Build a Satellite Office in a Coworking Space?

Why Build a Satellite Office in a Coworking Space? - The Collection

Setting up a satellite office is a major decision; there are many aspects to consider. With the rise of coworking spaces, these buildings may be the perfect location for you. Read on.

 

Not only is it often a costly one, but creating a satellite office can require:

 

  • A rigorous hiring process
  • The creation and transportation of a crew of employees to the new location
  • The legwork of scouting for a good location
  • Beginning negotiations on a lease, and getting started on stocking up on all the necessities of a basic office

 

Sometimes, the need to be present in a specific state or area is transient rather than permanent, making new offices far too expensive to justify (while still requiring a physical presence, often through frequent back-and-forth transport across state lines).

 

What is a Satellite Office?

A satellite office is an office located in a different location than the company’s main corporate location. They are used for many different reasons including:

 

  • Expanding into new markets
  • Opening a new branch
  • To increase sales across many locations
  • To benefit employees in terms of locations offered, commute, etc
  • Create more local presence

 

While we live in a time of telecommunication and an increased reliance on outsourcing and cooperation between large companies and freelance contractors, it’s important not to understate the value of physical presence.

 

Satellite offices are necessary for expanding companies, especially when they choose to double or triple their operation by expanding to a new and underserved market. Yet for most startups and SMEs, the cost of doing so is simply prohibitive. This cuts into the potential of many companies, who feel constantly outdone by the better-funded competition.

 

But the ability to move into pre-made and managed flexible office spaces eliminates many of these problems. Coworking spaces have grown rapidly in the past few years, expanding across major cities all over the globe, giving smaller companies the chance to set up a physical presence across state lines and national borders in ways previously unimaginable, at a far lower cost.

 

There are a variety of reasons to start a building satellite office in coworking spaces:

 

1. It’s Much More Cost-Effective

Setting up a satellite office can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, yet necessary for many growing businesses wishing to take advantage of potential markets, partnerships, and opportunities only afforded to those physically present within certain locations across the country – or across the world.

 

Satellite offices are still easier than planning a mass migration – which is often a logistic nightmare – but they require the acquisition of an office, and the obligatory setup that follows.

 

Shared office buildings for a satellite office are far less expensive, and allow companies to not only reduce costs, but cut entire items off their list of potential costs, from cleaning services to utility costs, the acquisition and installation of new gear, and the upfront cost of a year-long lease.

 

2. Better Productivity for Satellite Office Workers

Studies and polls show that coworking spaces are boons for productivity, in comparison to traditional office spaces.

 

The lax environment, melded work culture, availability of amenities, and focus on providing a welcoming atmosphere. This is combined with the perks of interacting with workers from different industries focused on different projects. In turn, this helps in providing a further benefit to worker creativity, leading to better results.

 

Shared spaces allow companies (and satellite workers) to approach work in a new way – instead of enforcing their own office culture, the workers set the pace among themselves.

 

They become comfortable with their environment, which in turn helps them perform better.

 

 

3. A Chance at Cooperation

Having workers from different companies working under one roof might, in the eyes of some, further a more competitive and hostile environment – but the opposite has been true.

 

Regardless of what they’re working on or who they’re working for – and plenty happen to work for themselves – many who choose to come to coworking spaces to work tend to be more open to cooperation and socializing.

 

They enjoy broadening their horizons and sharing ideas in a way that is productive for everybody involved.

 

Fostering connections between people is something companies have learned not only to appreciate, but to take advantage of. All companies in these spaces enable the cooperation of workers through:

 

  • Scheduled social events
  • Networking events
  • Training programs, and more

 

And all this has born fruit in the form of better results for the companies involved.

 

4. Coworking is a Growing Phenomenon

The numbers speak for themselves. Previously centralized in developed countries – particularly the US – coworking is becoming a global phenomenon.

 

By 2022, up to five million estimated workers will be working in coworking offices.

 

As the lines between life and work further blur, and as workers seek ways to minimize burnout, our idea of the workspace is constantly in flux.

 

It is undergoing rapid shifts as companies scramble to find ways to address the pressing questions brought about by:

 

  • Digitalization
  • Continuous urban sprawl
  • High real estate costs
  • Automation

 

With all that in mind, a fleeting look into a potential future grant us a vision of the world with a new way of thinking surrounding how and why we work, especially when it comes to the smaller, locally-based satellite office.

 

As more and more industries and jobs are using automation, companies, and ventures will go out of their way to either find:

 

  1. Workers who are willing to put their health and safety on the line for meager pay,
  2. Or, workers who put the time and effort into honing their individual abilities to come up with smarter and more efficient ways to contribute to their respective employers and partners.

 

It’s not just a matter of putting in the hours or devoting yourself to the leg work. You can’t clock in and expect to do well. There will be days when you’re feeling unproductive, and the need to recharge your ideas becomes critical.

 

Conclusion

Coworking offices are a prototype of this new working environment, where professionals gather to share ideas, inspire one another, create a welcoming and personable environment that remains conducive to productivity and creativity. Take advantage of this trend for your satellite office, it is not just a smart business move, but an eventuality.

 

The work culture of tomorrow has to emphasize creativity and adaptability, and flexible office spaces maximize both by bringing people together from various backgrounds to work on a variety of projects and potentially meld ideas in ways previously unexplored. There’s no way to know what exactly the future has in store for us, but coworking is a definite part of it.

 

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What to Consider When Choosing Your New Office Space
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Office Space

What to Consider When Choosing Your New Office Space

While all of us are still in the middle of a pandemic, there are certain factors to consider when choosing a new office space. Read everything you need to know below.

 

Workspaces exist to serve numerous purposes: to be a place for productivity and cooperation, to provide the right stimuli for creativity, to foster positive working relationships between colleagues, and to improve and maintain the mental and physical wellbeing of a company’s most crucial and important asset – the worker.

 

Yet there are significant financial considerations and constraints for small-to-medium enterprises seeking a place of their own. Commercial real estate is not cheap, and the financial commitment behind creating a space for your own company and vision is tremendous and requires capital many companies do not have right now.

 

The need for flexible workspaces and low commitment, high-quality workspaces is higher than ever, especially as some employees look towards a future where work-from-anywhere policies become the norm and wish for a company culture that embraces flexibility in an uncertain market. When looking for workspaces in a post-pandemic world, flexibility should be the first critical condition.

 

Choose Workspaces with Flexible Leases

 

Small and medium businesses struggling to turn things around after a difficult year might not even be considering the costs of having their own office space, let alone the time and capital needed to fully outfit and adapt the space to the company’s identity.

 

Existing purely virtually has its drawbacks as well. Many employees are struggling to remain productive from home, are feeling alone and isolated from their company, and want to reap the benefits of working face-to-face with others, from the learning experiences provided by a real living workspace to the important social aspect and camaraderie that every company needs to keep its spirit and culture alive.

 

Rather than getting a full space of their own, smaller companies (and larger ones looking to spread out across a greater region or bring their employees back into workspaces without breaking social distancing nor risking huge commutes) should embrace flexible workspaces that offer fully furnished, sanitized, and prepared offices for short-term leases, cutting out the huge financial commitment while giving businesses the chance to leverage the benefits of a fully outfitted workspace.

 

Rather than a full floor plan, consider a few smaller private spaces for your business within an agile piece of commercial real estate, such as a coworking space or flex space. No year-long leases, no time and capital spent developing a digital infrastructure, no need to tackle issues like property upkeep and cleaning.

 

Find a Workspace That Attracts the Best

 

Hiring fresh talent is a critical part of success for any growing business that recognizes the importance of its workforce. As such, being able to attract talent and keep it around is vital.

 

A coworking space would help smaller companies afford to spend more on their best talent and invite them into a company that has already begun to adopt and embrace flexible working conditions, a blend between the virtual and the physical.

 

Coworking spaces are always short-term solutions but can work as a long-term plan by shifting locations and teams around to suit the company’s needs and goals and give employees the freedom to work from flexible spaces near their own residence or continue to work from home as well.

 

Coworking spaces are also often outfitted with the best amenities to attract the greatest freelance and single contractor talents, giving them not only the best space in town to work at, but giving companies the chance to collaborate and work alongside great talent outside of the company, forging partnerships and business relationships that could last for years to come, and providing unique local networking opportunities.

 

Another plus is that these spaces help small companies spend more time working together, and less time worrying about coffee and snack supplies, interior design and decoration, and workplace ergonomics. These spaces take care of all that and much more.

 

 

A Workspace That Prioritizes Health and Safety

 

Even with vaccines entering the picture in countries all around the world, concerns surrounding the virus haven’t completely abated, and the social impact of the coronavirus is sure to be felt for years to come. Some might not feel comfortable returning to the way things were and will seek out workspaces that prioritize de-densification, and allow employees to keep their own space and distance from one another.

 

Basic hygiene concepts, such as more frequent surface cleaning and better-quality HVAC solutions, will be important moving forward. Some might want to make the most of outdoor working spaces, especially during the warmer months, and want to work in spaces that sacrifice the open office floor plan for private offices and better integration of natural light, air, and plant life into the everyday office setting.

 

Many coworking spaces have had to radically adapt to the coronavirus by prioritizing clean and well-ventilated spaces, separated rather than open, with larger common spaces meant to host small groups that keep socially distant, and roving cleaning crews that ensure that the most-used surfaces are sterilized multiple times a day.

 

Consider Multiple Workplaces for Convenience

 

By saving considerable time and capital when choosing a coworking space, small-to-medium businesses and large enterprises alike can benefit from having multiple workspaces connected to one another virtually. This allows different teams in different neighborhoods, cities, regions, states, and even countries to collaborate both physically and virtually through coworking satellite offices and telecommunications tools like Slack, Meets, and Zoom.

 

The hub-and-spoke workspace model has been growing in interest for years and might help provide a solution against the time loss caused by long commutes.

 

Going Back to Work During the Pandemic

 

Not everyone has had the luxury of continuing to be productive during the pandemic. Many have struggled to stay focused while working from home and feel the need to collaborate and communicate with their team members on more than just a virtual level in order to function properly. But we cannot just go back to the way things were, not in the near future, and definitely not now. While it does feel like we may be getting a handle on the pandemic, we are still in the middle of it, and smart, safe concepts are needed to keep ourselves healthy while we work together.

 

Coworking spaces could play a central role in this process, providing companies the chance to rent clean workspaces for small teams in private and ventilated offices, while working virtually with teams in other locations around the country.

 

Read More:

How to Stay Productive in a New Working World
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Office Space

What are the Advantages of Renting an Office Space?

If you’re curious about renting an office space for you or your employees, then you’ve absolutely come to the right place. Here are all the advantages to know.

 

Even before the onset of the pandemic, remote work was on a meteoric rise – and rentable offices such as coworking spaces were following suit.

 

Work from home concepts evolved into work from anywhere concepts as advances in connectivity and communications have enabled companies to organize teams that could continue to productively cooperate while letting each individual team member pick and choose the location that best suited their workstyle.

 

Furthermore, small companies in need of flexible workspaces at a lower budget could turn to rented office spaces and coworking opportunities as a viable and attractive alternative to the prospect of laying down precious capital for expensive commercial real estate.

 

Now that we have seen firsthand what an abrupt move into remote work can do to workers unprepared for the distractions and challenges of working from home, companies are looking for safe alternatives to help their employees boost productivity, combat social isolation, and reintegrate them into the team without endangering their safety.

 

Rentable office spaces will be an important part of a comprehensive workplace strategy for small and large businesses alike, whether they’re looking to expand, rely on affordable workspace solutions after a hard-hitting pandemic, or need an alternative to team members who cannot come back to the office, nor stay at home. Let’s go over some of the other advantages of utilizing rentable office space in 2021.

 

Flexibility and Affordability

 

Flexibility is critically important in this climate. Many companies aren’t sure whether they will have the means and opportunity to grow, invest, or survive the month, let alone a year.

 

Rentable and flexible workspaces give companies the ability to expand when it is necessary, scale back down when it isn’t, and rely on a lean philosophy to build revenue and invest.

 

For businesses who have experienced a boom in the last few months, rentable office spaces provide them with the opportunity to rapidly rent the space needed to put their growing number of hires to work without lengthy lease contracts and risky investments in commercial properties they may not be able to make much use of.

 

The ability to expand and shrink as a business based on how the wind blows will be important, especially for smaller companies and startups weighing their options during the pandemic.

 

Access to Prime Locations

 

Affordable rentable spaces mean smaller companies will have the means to rent a space in a prime location, along with the opportunities that location presents. This allows startups and SMEs to reach for the stars without investing every last dime on premium real estate, while still having the option to scale back down to something else on short-term notice.

 

The professional image afforded by hosting meetings and conferences in a prime location can also open doors to partnerships and business opportunities that might be harder to earn when hosting a call from a busy coffee shop or your own apartment.

 

Fewer Liabilities, Fewer Headaches

 

Rentable spaces are a simple deal – monthly or biweekly payments for the right to use the space as a preconfigured and established workspace, with useful amenities, meeting rooms, roving cleaning crews, a reliable and speedy internet connection, and a central location that cuts down on commute time for your coworkers.

 

This can be in stark contrast to what you might expect from more long-term leases, where you can customize a space that you can call your own, but at an immense financial cost, alongside countless insurance and tax considerations that pile up and eat into your revenue.

 

A rentable space can help you minimize and even eliminate most liabilities tied to commercial real estate and give you additional freedom and flexibility.

 

Reorganize and Invest Working Capital

 

A space of your own is tremendously expensive, restricting your ability to invest capital into better tools for the company, more talent, and better opportunities. A good idea can only work so long as you continue to scale up and invest in it, and office space becomes a major hurdle to overcome for many startups that need the space to host new talent to meet the growing demand they’re facing.

 

Rentable workspaces and coworking space give your business the ability to scale better and faster and expand at a lower cost.

 

No Real Estate Liabilities Means Fewer Tax Headaches

 

Owning an office space of your own means taking care of both legal and tax liabilities, and potentially taking out loans to finance your new real estate investment in the company. On the surface, owning commercial real estate comes with several attractive tax deductions. But managing your costs and responsibilities and keeping track of it all while managing a growing business can be needlessly complex.

 

This in turn can lead to complicated local, state, and federal taxes come tax season – and paperwork that mounts until it becomes an unavoidable and expensive challenge for a tax professional and accountant to solve, at a premium price.

 

 

Cooperation and Networking Opportunities

 

Even during the pandemic, coworking and shared rental spaces provide an opportunity for companies, freelancers, and contractors to network and exchange information and opportunities, discover and hire new talent, or build long-lasting and meaningful business partnerships that could help you both grow.

 

Improved Productivity

 

Being surrounded by like-minded professionals in a space that caters specifically to people trying their hardest to get things done and make sacrifices for their dreams can drastically improve your productivity, especially if you have spent the last few months working in isolation or surrounded by distractions when you were trying to prioritize your work.

 

There is nothing wrong with spending time with the people we love, but we must make clear distinctions between the time we spend working and the time we spend at home, and that can be difficult for people who have to work from home.

 

Rentable office spaces don’t ask you to sacrifice your productivity for the opportunity to work away from company headquarters.

 

Better Onboarding

 

It can be tremendously difficult to onboard new hires in a virtual environment and make them feel like they’re part of a human crew through Zoom meetings and online ice breakers.

 

Rentable workspaces and coworking locations can be leveraged as short-term onboarding spaces to help mentor and integrate new hires into the company and give them some time to feel welcomed into the team and develop a sense of self within the organization before continuing to work remotely or from a different location.

 

The flexibility afforded by rentable spaces means companies can afford to rent out space in multiple locations at once to cater to different talents across a region, country, or continent, while still spending less money than a commercial space of their own might cost.

 

Don’t Skimp on Safety

Rentable office space does not have to be a hazard during the pandemic, and it should, quite the opposite, be a way to reduce the risk for employees by eliminating the need to travel to a location that might require a lengthy and dangerous commute through public space (by finding spaces within a bike ride of your team’s homes, for example), and without undoing the work you’ve done to de-densify the main office and make it a safe space for those who can still opt to work at headquarters.

 

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6 Benefits of Utilizing a Flexible Workspace This Year

Maybe you’ve heard how popular utilizing a flexible workspace is getting. That said, this could be a solution or an enhancement for your business this new year! Read below.

 

While the pandemic is entering its final stages, its impact is sure to be felt for years. This includes the changes it has forced in the workplace. More workers than ever are looking to continue working from home. But others would like to blend the benefits of remote work with the productive and social environments of the office.

 

Meanwhile, diversification and a growing commercial real estate market, as well as a looming recession, mean cheaper and more flexible office spaces. In addition, a generation of businesses that aren’t keen on long-term leases and crowded headquarters.

 

Regardless of whether you’re a freelancer, a solopreneur, or the team manager for a larger corporation, there are multiple reasons to invest in flexible workspaces this year and consider a coworking space over the more traditional satellite office or office space.

 

Let’s cover some of the more significant benefits of flexible workspaces this year.

 

1. More Availability and Diversity Than Ever

 

Despite a rough year for everyone involved, 2020 still provided plenty of opportunities for the flexible workspace, coworking, and commercial real estate market. Companies looked for ways to keep their remote employees in productive spaces without violating social distancing rules and putting their employees at risk.

 

For businesses employing multiple employees with a long commute, flexible workspaces provided a safe alternative to working from home.

 

Others opted to implement a “work from anywhere” strategy, either making flexible workspaces a key part of a larger hub-and-scope system or giving employees the freedom to choose where they wanted to work from whenever the main office had reached maximum allowed capacity.

 

When supply outstrips demand, prices drop. And with greater availability comes a more diversified selection of flexible workspaces. In addition, a lower share of workspaces owned by larger, more dominating companies (meaning greater competition).

 

These are all good things for companies looking for workspaces that provide greater benefits or cater more specifically to their needs, or individuals seeking a particular workspace to suit their preferences and help keep them productive in the new year.

 

2. A Premium on Niche and Flexible Usage

 

Flexible workspaces can cater to businesses looking for specific benefits, including industry-specific offerings (catering to law firms, or businesses in the healthcare branch, or cannabis startups, or new music producers, etc.) or location-specific benefits – such as access to a large outdoor space for thinking and collaborating in the fresh air.

 

By leaning heavily into niches this year, individual flexible workspaces can set themselves apart from one another. In turn, entrepreneurs and businesses won’t need to struggle to find a space that caters to them.

 

3. The Role of Flexible Workspaces for Remote Employees

 

Working from home isn’t a viable solution for everyone. Some employees struggle to concentrate on work due to at-home distractions, while others struggle with the isolation that comes from working alone at home.

 

Some report feeling distanced from the company culture, as a lot of the day-to-day between workers is lost in the transition towards a remote workstyle.

 

Then there are the other issues that come from working from home, from the potentially unreliable internet access to the lack of usable workspace, or the inevitable blending of family and work lives. This leading to an increased risk of burnout as the necessary separation between the private and the professional slowly ceases to exist.

 

Flexible workspaces offer an alternative for these workers to continue to be productive and work in an environment with others, without causing the main office to exceed its capacity. Especially if these shared, flexible workspaces are relatively close to home.

 

4. Flexible Workspaces Prioritize Safety and Hygiene

 

With the onset of the pandemic, businesses were urged to massively reduce customer-facing contact and maintain a safe distance between employee workstations, as well as employ more rigorous hygiene protocols to minimize the risk of transmitting the virus at work, from mask-wearing to roving cleaning crews and more.

 

Flexible workspaces can further serve as safe working environments by offering isolated spaces and private offices rather than an open floor plan, enabling remote collaboration within the office itself, while keeping individuals or small groups safe from one another.

 

5. Flexible Workspaces Facilitate Face-to-Face Onboarding

 

A sense of community is critical for recovery – whether for an individual, a company, or a country. While we can come together remotely, it’s especially important for a business to show a more human side when welcoming a new person into its ranks.

 

To this extent, flexible workspaces provide the perfect opportunity to onboard new hires, by providing a short-term space to integrate a new hire into the company and ease them into the remote working process, without necessarily expanding office space.

 

This way, brand new hires feel a greater connection to the company and experience the sense of being wholeheartedly welcomed, and can continue to work from home (or from the same flexible workspace) after the onboarding process is complete.

 

6. Flexible Workspaces Provide a Risk-Averse Office Space for Larger Companies

 

Flexible workspaces remain a great option for businesses who need a low-commitment option they can lease for the foreseeable future. They won’t need to worry about the considerable financial obligation a traditional office space would bring.

 

As a recession looms before us, many companies are looking at tightening the belt and figuring out how they might be able to cut costs and continue operating at full capacity.

 

Opting for more flexible leases would give them the ability to lean out when necessary and seek out more space for a growing company workforce when the opportunity presents itself.

 

Businesses who are doing well can look at flexible workspaces as a better option for safe and simple expansion when their main offices aren’t enough. They can be especially useful for companies looking to expand into other cities or regions.

 

Instead of retrofitting older office space to adhere to COVID-19 measures, companies can leverage safe and secure flexible workspaces to act as satellite offices for their new operations away from headquarters, at little to no risk.

 

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How Will Coworking Help Build Corporate Sustainability?

Coworking spaces provide many benefits, but did you know it can help build corporate sustainability as well? Read more below for helpful details and information you’ll need to know for business growth.

 

The definition of corporate sustainability has altered contemporaneously to the coronavirus. A sustainable business must not only live in harmony with its environment, reduce its impact on climate, and ensure a balance between increasing stakeholder value and upholding critical social, cultural, and ethical standards, but also find a way to minimize the risks associated with continuing to do business during an ongoing pandemic. We are in uncharted waters, facing a challenge with no parallel in living memory.

 

The impact of this virus is not to be understated. Not only have lockdown measures harshly affected the economy, but the virus itself has impacted millions of lives through death, illness, grief, and hardship.

 

For every death, there are dozens of survivors whose lives have been made more difficult by COVID. No ethical nor responsible company would seek to illegitimatize the threat the virus continues to pose.

 

How the Corporate World is Coping

 

Nevertheless, we must find ways to continue to function and provide for one another. And many have, especially by way of remote solutions. Work-from-home policies have been changed overnight because of this pandemic. More Americans are working from home than in any other period in modern history. This unprecedented change has not come without its fair share of challenges and struggles. In addition, the many lessons learned from an imperfect and sudden transition.

 

With time, we have also come to see the limits of remote work. We realize that many of the productivity gains made during the early weeks of the pandemic were at the cost of sanity and work-life balance, with terrible aftereffects. We are social creatures, and remote work solutions made possible only through forced and continued isolation breed burnouts and anxiety.

 

People need to come back to work – but they need to do so slowly, sensibly, safely, and without endangering themselves and others. Careful hygiene protocols, strict social distancing measures, dedensification through coworking, and a progressive blend of remote and face-to-face solutions will all play their part in making this return possible.

 

COVID-19 Has Ushered in a Remote World

 

There’s no denying that the impact of the coronavirus on how we approach and involve remote work in our businesses will far outlast the virus itself. Some companies have vowed to continue implementing remote work policies for over a year, while others are switching to remote work “forever.”

 

Others yet will likely relax their rules on the concept of work-from-home, especially as collaborative and communications tools continue to improve in terms of usefulness and ubiquity.

 

This brave new remote world isn’t without its drawbacks. The sudden and unceremonious shift towards remote work has negatively impacted thousands of people, paving the way for issues related to isolation, constant home-related interruptions, and connectivity issues.

 

Make no mistake – there are many people who feel far more comfortable conducting most of their work from home, while remaining productive and feeling far more in-charge of their lives.

 

But there are far more people who haven’t made the most graceful transition, and who dearly miss working in an office environment where they can seamlessly communicate and collaborate with coworkers, and save themselves the hurdles of online communication.

 

 

A Remote World is Not Sustainable

 

There is no perfect replacement for face-to-face coworking – even when everything goes right, and connectivity issues or user-related errors aren’t leading to missed meetings or wasted hours. There’s still a lot that goes lost when relying on virtual tools to collaborate and communicate.

 

It’s much easier to onboard a new hire in the office than over Zoom. And it’s still much better to leave a lasting impression on a client during a physical meeting than over the phone.

 

When working together, there’s no replacement to a well-maintained and productive office environment. Some have turned to large-scale “work gym” Zoom calls to get the feeling of being in a room with other people.

 

Of course, the challenge there is obvious – how can we return to the office in any meaningful capacity without risking a violation of social distancing rules?

 

Keeping one’s distance is still the most effective way to minimize the spread of the virus. In addition to frequent handwashing, masks, keeping surfaces sanitized, and practicing good sneezing and coughing etiquette.

 

Any company that wants to bring at least some of its workforce back into the office must ensure that there’s never more than a few people in any given room at once.

 

However, there is a way to ensure a de-densified office without buying more office space. That is by leveraging coworking spaces.

 

The Role of Coworking in a New Normal

 

The coworking industry was slated to grow extensively in the next few years before the pandemic hit. Yet, COVID has forced many coworking spaces to shift gears and focus on making their spaces safer for companies looking for short-term leases, flexibility, and a well-maintained office. This includes offering private rooms and regular cleaning crews.

 

Coworking spaces are emerging as an important partner to both small and large enterprises looking to get more people back into the office.

 

Rather than crowd a company’s headquarters, companies can elect to work with nearby coworking spaces to reserve space for a few of their workers in key areas around the country. This includes setting up a hub-and-spoke network of satellite teams working independently, yet in coordination with one another, helping workers come back into an office environment without endangering them.

 

Furthermore, coworking spaces enable workers to avoid excessive commutes by choosing coworking spaces that are located closer to where they live. So even workers without a car of their own can reasonably and safely walk or pedal to where they need to be, without having to work solely from home.

 

Those who feel most comfortable remaining remote can choose to do so. While those that thrive best in an office environment can now opt to work in one via coworking.

 

The Ethos of Flexibility

 

Coworking spaces will play a role in a “new normal” dominated by choice – where employees are demanding more choices than ever, so they can ultimately work from wherever they’re most comfortable and productive.

 

Coworking spaces also allow companies to reap the benefits of bringing workers back into the office without endangering them or breaking social distancing rules. Meanwhile, those that continue to feel most comfortable working at home can continue to do so.

 

As we’re continuing to head towards an uncertain future, flexibility will continue to be the key to staying afloat and remaining successful.

 

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Office Space

Spacious Coworking Offices: Why It’s Needed Now More Than Ever

It’s true that working from home isn’t for everyone. But what’s the solution while still living in a pandemic? Spacious coworking offices are needed now more than ever. Read more below.

 

The shift towards remote work for employees following the onset of the pandemic was unprecedented.

 

Although there had been a trend towards more liberal remote work policies for years, particularly in the tech industry, the coronavirus forced thousands of companies to ask millions of office workers to perform their daily tasks from home, whenever applicable.

 

Now that companies all over the world are beginning to gain confidence in the idea of returning to the office, many companies are considering a permanent change to the way they handle remote work going forward. And thousands of workers are embracing remote work as a new way to live.

 

But for many more employees, the return to the office is a godsend – provided it can be done safely. While the pandemic has shined light on the benefits of remote work, it has also exposed the weaknesses of what can happen when employees are forced to telecommute without preparation, and without choice.

 

Many of us still rely on the interpersonal dynamics of the office to develop a bond with our team members and managers. Many of us seek the physical boundary between family and work to separate the personal and the professional. But none of us want to bring the virus into our midst or play a role in its continued spread. Spacious coworking offices may play an important role here, albeit an unexpected one.

 

Adjusting to the Pandemic

 

COVID-19 is an illness that is transmittable through droplets in the air, and through physical contact. To help mitigate its spread, companies and governments have turned to strict social distancing rules. And the use of simple but effective methods to minimize transmission. This includes frequent handwashing and mask-wearing.

 

It goes without saying why preventing the spread of COVID is critical to ensure worker safety. Not only does the illness cause worker absenteeism, but its spread to anyone – including young and healthy employees – and could potentially lead to the infection of someone at risk for serious complications.

 

Without proper adjustments, the office can easily become a hotbed for the virus. But these adjustments need neither be extravagantly expensive, nor overly complex. They involve:

 

      • Thorough screening of incoming and outgoing employees for symptoms.
      • Frequent handwashing.
      • Encouraged mask-wearing.
      • PPE whenever the job calls for it (i.e. for the cleaning crew).
      • Temporary barriers between desks and stations (plastic sheets), whenever private offices aren’t available.
      • More trash receptacles for cleaning materials, masks, tissues, etc.
      • Discourage sharing any equipment, from phones to notepads, pens, desks, and so on.
      • Frequent cleaning of all personal and common spaces (from floors to desk surfaces, computers, keyboards, mice, door handles, stair railings, and more).
      • Maintaining a safe distance at all times.
      • Altering or improving in-office ventilation (largely through natural ventilation, and selectively through better filtering HVAC systems).
      • And more.

 

Other adjustments may depend on local workplace requirements, and potential health hazards identified at work. Local and state resources exist to help businesses adjust their workplaces to meet minimum safety requirements.

 

But by far the greatest and most effective adjustment is the de-densification of the office, wherein companies are encouraged to minimize the number of workers returning to the office in order to ensure that employees can maintain a safe distance at all times, and safely cooperate and do their work without coming into contact with one another.

 

Spacious coworking will play a vital role in giving companies the option to allow employees to return to work in a safe and controlled office environment, either within the company headquarters or in a coworking space acting as a satellite office.

 

As such, coworking spaces have been adjusting accordingly – making the necessary changes to accommodate businesses looking for additional office space for employees, without breaking social distancing rules.

 

 

 

Why Return to the Office?

 

Given that the pandemic is not at an end, some might question any attempts at returning to “normal”. But a return to the office does not constitute a return to old practices and habits.

 

While some employees are able to work remotely on a long-term basis, others are not. It’s clear that the COVID-related effects of long-term remote work are beginning to rear their head in thousands of workers struggling to avoid stress-related problems with performance and mood.

 

A safe return to the office not only helps workers who cannot continue to function while isolated, but it also helps revitalize a struggling economy by employing more people in public transport, janitorial services, and much more.

 

With the right precautions and an emphasis on de-densification, companies can make a return to the office possible. And help workers who feel isolated seek an alternative to working from home for another six months or more.

 

Why Spacious Coworking Remains Invaluable 

 

In the early days of the pandemic, coworking spaces took a hit as people were encouraged to stay at home, isolate, and avoid contact with one another.

 

But many coworking spaces have since pivoted to allow for a safe return to coworking, via roving cleaning crews, in-office rules for safety and sanitation, separated workstations, improved ventilation systems, an emphasis on social distancing and safe private offices, and more.

 

As companies are looking to help encourage workers to come back to work away from home, coworking spaces become an excellent and cost-effective alternative to leasing more office space.

 

It’s clear that the near future will include a shift towards supporting work-from-anywhere policies, emphasizing a de-densified office, and ensuring that workers have enough space and a visibly clean office to work from without fearing infection, and without fearing that they may be endangering their loved ones.

 

Coworking companies that have quickly made the shift towards a safety-oriented and pandemic-proof workspace will play an important role in helping make these changes possible, allowing workers to re-engage with their team members and coworkers, and reap the multiple other benefits of renting a coworking space.

 

And if you’re in need of finding a quality shared creative office space, feel free to contact us here at The Collection located in downtown, Los Angeles. We’re happy to assist with your coworking needs.

 

 

Read More:

Businesses Turn to the Hub and Spoke Model Due to the Pandemic
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Office Space

The Key to Inspiring Innovation Through Your Office Space

Inspiring innovation is always something employers are trying to factor in to each working day. So read below on how utilizing office spaces can help and be beneficial to your employees.

 

It seems far-fetched to associate innovation with office spaces, especially given that the generic image conjured in each of our minds when we think of the typical office space is the kind of place where innovation goes to die – cordoned by grey cubicle walls, drenched in awful white light, and built for hive-like efficiency.

 

But the space we work in is integral to the work we do, and how we do it. Our workplaces and office spaces can be bountiful sources of inspiration, if built to facilitate it. The keys are flexibility, framework, and freedom.

 

But reconciling these features with a space that still improves productivity and adheres to modern-day safety policies in a post-pandemic world can be challenging. Let’s define how office spaces can help inspire innovation in our day-to-day work.

 

Flexibility

 

Workplace flexibility is a quality that can be interpreted in different ways. A flexible office is one that can be transformed and adapted to serve multiple needs and purposes.

 

It is a modular office, one that provides what is needed for the perfect setup but does not presuppose what that setup might look like. Allowing for that level of flexibility without completely devolving into a chaotic setup that leaves everyone confused as to where to work requires a design approach that provides a natural framework for how spaces and furniture are meant to be setup, while leaving room for creativity to help fill in the rest.

 

An example would be a common area with multiple seating arrangements and different kinds of furniture, several outlets, movable chairs, sofas, and tables, and plenty of space to move between them. This encourages people to congregate and separate as needed and use a large and open common space to collaborate and interact between tasks, or lounge while looking for inspiration.

 

Outside of the common area would be the individual, private spaces – conference and meeting rooms, smaller offices, and rooms set up for small teams to work together, or for individuals to take a break from others. Booths that exist between these separated rooms and common areas give workers the option to work alone while still being in an atmosphere surrounded by others.

 

Flexibility is a concept that moves beyond the workplace as well and minimize restrictions while adhering to social distancing rules. Encouraging employees to work from anywhere, including coworking spaces, cafes, the main office, or home, can give workers the option to decide which space best complements the work they’re about to do.

 

Framework

 

Flexibility is only a boon when an established ruleset exists. Otherwise, like muscles without bones, it all just collapses into itself.

 

Office setups meant to boost innovation are supposed to help workers surround themselves with the environment that best fits their needs that day – a room with a view, a common space among others, the atmosphere of a café, some quiet time at home, or a brainstorming session with the team in a private meeting space.

 

A proper and innovative office space framework builds around popular concepts such as the hub-and-spoke model to create a variety of spaces for companies and people to move between depending on their creative and productive needs, including the main office and satellite offices such as coworking spaces. Only through a robust framework can flexibility shine.

 

Freedom

 

Freedom permeates the concept of innovative and effective office spaces by avoiding preset styles and instead encouraging companies and teams to freely build around a loose framework. But freedom is also an important part of fostering innovation by encouraging office spaces to reflect each employee’s needs to manage their own work and play time.

 

Play is an established part of the creative process. Rather than being antithetical to work, the importance of play in developing unique and innovative ideas is recognized and implemented in offices and workspaces around the world, including renowned tech companies like Google and Dropbox.

 

Again, framework plays a role here – employees are encouraged to manage their time and utilize the space around them as a source of inspiration, but are still expected (and incentivized) to bring results to the table, and focus effectively on work over leisure.

 

Play is a restorative activity in this sense, much like an afternoon nap or a nature break. Restorative activities can help reinvigorate and prepare us for new tasks and refocus between endeavors.

 

 

Hard Boundaries and Soft Rules

 

Creating and utilizing an office space that inspires innovation requires the right balance of hard boundaries and soft rules. There are still standards to keep – deadlines to meet, work that must get done, policies that go unbroken, and a divide between common and private spaces, where employees are encouraged to interact and cooperate, or huddle and focus, as a group or alone.

 

But between the hard boundaries and clear lines are gradients and soft rules, suggestions and arrangements – furniture, toys, break spaces, coffee machines, snack bars, large open spaces and tables meant to bring people together and make in-office conversation inevitable.

 

These invite creativity and customizability, to encourage workers to make themselves comfortable and mold their own ideal space with the options at hand, in every sense.

 

The Collection emphasizes this blend of flexibility, framework, and freedom in its coworking spaces, providing community amenities and an open common space to emphasize collaboration and encourage innovation between tenants and company members, while also offering a variety of individual spaces blocked off from one another with noise reduction features and natural light.

 

Safety and Security

 

Office spaces must adhere to current rules regarding social distancing and basic personal protection to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

 

Coworking spaces are well-equipped to handle these policies by providing a variety of private rooms with individual ventilation, modular common areas that can easily be adapted to social distancing rules, a reception ideal for screening workers for temperature and symptoms, and the ability to employ roving cleaning teams to keep the space safe and disinfected between uses.

 

As companies continue to operate partly via remote work and partly via de-densified office spaces, coworking spaces and other flexible working arrangements will play a long-term role in reducing harm and providing greater safety in a post-pandemic world.

Read More:

7 Ways to Foster Creativity and Innovation (and Why You Need To)
Categories
Office Space

New Workplace Strategies Can Help Expand Flexibility

As we adjust and live in our new normal with new workplace strategies in place, it’s important to be aware of its expanding benefits now and for the future. Read more below.

 

If current polls are to tell us anything, it’s that many employees wish for greater workplace flexibility moving forward. Particularly, if it can help provide them with more safety in these turbulent times.

 

Calls for more flexibility, however, can be interpreted in many different ways. And it’s important to have clear strategies in place to understand how to best implement post-COVID workplace guidelines.

 

The main takeaway from the data that’s been gathered in the face of the ongoing pandemic is that people want a better mix of remote and office-based work moving forward. The ability to control how, when, and where they work is a benefit many employees would like to retain. Even more interestingly, it seems that many employers agree with these sentiments.

 

It seems that many people want the ability to work from both home and the office, depending on the circumstances and needs demanded by their work and personal lives.

 

Furthermore, companies are looking for ways to safely bring employees back into the office without jeopardizing their individual safety, while making the most of the space they already have. Reconciling remote work and office work might not be as difficult as first anticipated, given the growing role that coworking spaces may play in mediating between the two.

 

Coworking Spaces Can Help Maintain Social Distancing 

 

Companies seek to cut down on the number of workers coming back into work while keeping many workers involved via remote work. The need for flexible spaces to provide an in-between is greater than ever.

 

Coworking spaces present the perfect opportunity for small and large companies to rent space on flexible terms for workers who need to work in groups or work closer to the main office, without crowding the office or requiring them to work solely from home.

 

Coworking spaces provide an excellent third place between home and office. They are perfectly positioned to not only provide commercial real estate, but also provide services essential to ensuring that their spaces remain safe. This includes strict social distancing guidelines, individual offices and private spaces, separated and well-filtered HVAC systems, better total airflow, roving cleaning crews, mask and glove policies, and much more.

 

Coworking Spaces Can Helm the Responsibility of a Clean and Safe Environment 

 

While companies are still scrambling to find the right way to deal with the increased demand for flexibility now and moving forward, coworking spaces can helm the responsibilities of keeping a safe and clean environment.

 

Companies with existing office space will have to continue to COVID-proof their own space, but they won’t have to worry about buying or leasing even more office space to support de-densification, or worry about forcing a large portion of their workforce to work only from home.

 

Coworking spaces and flex spaces provide the optional space needed for any company that seeks to keep the number of workers working at the main office sparse while giving other employees the option to work at a coworking space or from home. To that end, the flexible and short-term lease and rent options most coworking spaces provide are excellent for addressing a business’ immediate needs and providing the level of flexibility needed in these uncertain and volatile times.

 

In a hub-and-spoke model, where companies maintain a centralized location and utilize smaller spaces as spokes in a wheel, coworking and flex spaces will remain and continue to be a useful service for companies seeking ways to reduce overhead costs and outsource the creation of a safe workplace dedicated to employee wellness and health.

 

 

Employees Want Flexible Hours to Accompany Flexible Spaces

 

Our time away from the office has led to many managers and employers finding themselves uncertain of how to track their employees’ hours, and instead rely on tracking their results. This has paved the way for the idea of revisiting the working week and judging an employee’s performance on the results they bring rather than the sheer volume of the hours they put into their job.

 

In this sense, employees are also looking for greater freedom to attend to their private and personal lives, destress, and find more time for themselves and family. In turn, seeking the kind of security and serenity needed for greater productivity at work, and a more efficient use of company time.

 

Work-from-anywhere policies can also include an amendment to the working week and develop better concepts of productivity based on data.

 

Developing new ways to track employee productivity and promote wellness and health first, in order to cultivate greater results, can also reflect well on a company’s priorities and help workers feel that their employers are putting the wellbeing of their team ahead of the business’ bottom line, without sacrificing profit, simply by placing greater trust in the team’s own motivation to do good work, and to work effectively.

 

The Ecological Footprint of Flexible Work

 

Another boon provided by a tenuous return to the office and new ideas of what it might mean to put flexibility at the forefront of emerging workplace concepts is that companies can begin to reduce their environmental impact and save time in the process.

 

Reduced commutes and reduced office space translates into reduced emissions and less resources needed for energy and heating, while keeping employees interconnected and allowing them to work together, even during emergency situations and weather disasters.

 

Remote Work and the Future

 

Much is still uncertain about how COVID will continue to impact our work culture, and our workspaces. But we know that, as we’re getting through this first inning, remote work is more important than ever. And much of the progress we’ve made towards adapting to it will not be lost the instant things go back to some degree of normalcy.

 

To that end, many workplace strategies will rely on remote work as an option for further de-densifying the office space, cutting down on the amount of space needed for a company to function, and placing greater value in virtual communication and collaboration technologies.

 

Remote work will not replace the office, and for some people it will always be an inferior option. But for those who seek the flexibility to work from home or anywhere else, it’s more than likely that many smaller and larger businesses will try to accommodate that wish moving forward, for both the safety of their workers and for the benefits that remote work can bring to the table.

 

Read More:

4 Reasons COVID-19 Made Coworking Spaces Important
Categories
Office Space

4 Reasons COVID-19 Made Coworking Spaces Important

Believe it or not, coworking spaces are beneficial to the working force right now and for the future. The pandemic has forced us all to think outside of the box. This is no exception, which you can read all about below.

 

With the shift towards remote work getting a sudden boost due to the limitations imposed by COVID-19, many companies are adopting post-COVID policies to make it easier for their workers to work from anywhere – reducing the need for expensive and underutilized office space.

 

Rather than endanger the coworking industry, COVID-19 may bring us to embrace coworking as one of the key players in a workspace revolution meant to minimize infectious disease and subsequent public health scares. In addition, leverage the technologies that allow millions of us to work from anywhere.

 

We are going to see more changes to the way we work not only with a better and more optimistic outlook towards remote work, but with renewed interest in cost-efficient and well-maintained flexible office spaces.

 

1. Managers and Leaders are Seeing the Importance of Workplace Flexibility

 

As offices throughout the world shuttered in response to the novel coronavirus, thousands of industry leaders and company heads had to rapidly shift towards limited capacity remote work, encouraging their workers to continue working from home whenever applicable.

 

As a result, just about everyone who could work from home did work from home during the lockdown (42 percent of the US labor force, accounting for about two-thirds of the entire American economy). And while businesses have had the opportunity to gradually open up again, many managers have been made aware of the benefits of not only remote work, but workplace flexibility as well.

 

An empty office is an expensive liability. Now that managers and employers have seen that they can continue to run a business while their employees remain productive from home, many are considering an overhaul to their work-from-home policies. Reducing the number of employees being called back into work on an as-needed basis, while the rest continue to remain productive and safe within their own four walls.

 

In doing so, many companies will come to realize that they need far less office space than previously imagined. Policymakers and business leaders also understand that COVID-19 is unlikely to be the last pandemic – and understand that a shift towards improved readiness via better remote work policies and flexible workspaces can mitigate loss of life and economic losses in the future.

 

2. People Can’t Work from Home Forever (and Many Can’t Work at All)

 

The shift towards popularizing remote work and improving its efficiency (via improved telecommunication tools, improved infrastructure, as well as policies to assist employees in setting up basic home offices) will undoubtedly remain a major topic for the next few years.

 

However, it’s also important to remember that only a portion of the American workforce can operate at 80-100 percent efficiency remotely. Millions of Americans need to interact with customers and/or equipment to do their job. And while certain jobs are at least partially possible remotely (such as via telehealth and virtual reality), the post-COVID world will not see the disappearance of the office, or urban infrastructure such as public transport. Inequality is at an all-time high.

 

Meanwhile, many of us who have been working from home are beginning to feel the strain of spending 24/7 within the same four walls. And while many employees will relish the option of spending a few days a week working from home, few will consider staying at home indefinitely (though most will certainly want the option).

 

Workspaces must be adapted to accommodate fewer workers in a safer way, encouraging many to continue to minimize their contact with others (particularly in crowds) without ignoring the fact that millions of Americans must come to work to have a job at all.

 

 

3. Companies Need Less Office Space

 

When it comes to office spaces, coworking spaces are better at dealing with the unique demands of a post-pandemic world. This is by taking the hassle and cost of managing and cleaning a large office space for a reduced workforce out of the hands of companies, allowing them to save massively on the overhead of a post-COVID office while reaping its benefits.

 

Larger firms are working on “de-densifying” the office, having fewer employees return, and investing in safer office spaces. Big companies and small businesses alike can turn towards coworking spaces to provide safe and frequently maintained flexible office space for workers who need to cooperate in-person for a set time.

 

Fewer costs, fewer overhead, fewer people coming in, fewer headaches. Companies will seek ways to grow their business without clustering their employees, and without encouraging employees to rely on mass-transit to come to work.

 

Flexible office spaces can rent out space to companies as needed, allowing them to cut costs on space they will no longer require as a larger portion of their workforce works remotely. Larger companies can also spread their forces out between different spaces rather than investing in one large space, allowing them to maintain a greater presence in more cities and regions at once.

 

4. Cost-Effective and Safe Office Spaces Will Become a Premium

 

It is neither simple nor cheap to keep an office hygienic and safe during (and after) a pandemic. But coworking businesses are well-positioned to invest heavily in air filtration, individual private offices, better cleaning protocols, and other renovations to implement and enforce social distancing even after a COVID-19 vaccine has dropped.

 

At first glance, it would seem like a worldwide pandemic would deal a serious blow to the coworking world. After all, it’s a nascent industry, and “shared workplaces” sound less hygienic and more dangerous than the status quo. Furthermore, most of us are still busy staying at home and trying to minimize our contact with other people, and offices (as well as the associated commute) serve as vectors for disease.

 

But it is exactly that point that makes innovation in the workplace such an important part of the post-COVID world, both during the immediate recovery period and in the long-term. The ‘status quo’ is the corporate open office, a perfect storm for infection and unhygienic behavior, sharing a single HVAC system and lacking the frequent turnover that helps make constant roving cleaning much simpler to schedule and enforce in coworking spaces.

 

Categories
Office Space

6 Tips for Balancing Work and Family at Home

Balancing work and family in the same space has become the new normal. But if you’re seeking tips on how to manage the two in the best possible way, then read below for some helpful details.

 

Research indicates that remote working is not only a great way for companies to save space and reduce costs, but it tends to improve worker productivity. However, this is may be due to an added caveat: many employees who work remotely tend to work longer hours, as well as odd hours. This hints at the darker side of remote working, which is that it’s incredibly difficult to manage one’s time properly without outside structure.

 

However, this problem can be addressed by imposing some structure of your own. Remote workers can be just as productive or even more productive than their in-office counterparts and maintain their productivity over time. It will take some planning and a lot of proper time management.

 

By balancing work and family at home, remote workers can learn to have the best of both worlds, remaining productive while spending time with their loved ones and making a little time for themselves. Otherwise, the benefits of remote working can be cut short by an increased risk of burnout and overall stress.

 

1. Set Real Boundaries

 

As hard as it may be, it’s important to consistently and clearly distinguish between work and home – even when both take place within the same four walls. Set aside a room, a corner, a desk, or anything you can to designate “the office.” Set a schedule where you should not be disturbed.

 

With kids in the house, this can be very difficult. If you live with a partner or a spouse, coordinate with them to find the best three to four-hour window for you to get most of your concentrated work done, so the rest can get done intermittently between breaks. Put up a sign or lock the door or use headphones to put yourself in a different space.

 

Both physical and temporal boundaries are important for your mind to distinguish between work and home living. To that end, it’s also important to be away from work when you’re done with work. Stop checking emails or responding to messages after a set time and be sure your clients and/or employers know exactly when that time is. If needed, you can make exceptions for emergencies, but it’s important to discuss and properly define an “emergency.”

 

It might not seem like a big deal to be aware of what kind of communication you’re receiving from work while not technically working, but whenever you respond to an email or go over a coworker’s comment you are in fact “at work.” And being at work constantly is a detriment to your work-life balance.

2. Create a To-Do List

 

When at work, you’ll want to get as much done as possible. To eliminate the guilty feeling that accompanies being distracted and stuck on tasks while working from home, you need to set up a step-by-step process for each daily task and work through your responsibilities incrementally.

 

To-do lists are helpful here, as they let you quickly plan out the goals for the day, allot time for each step, and execute it without having to go over what you’ve done and what you need to do every hour or so. This will also help you jump right back into work if you’re in an environment with a lot of distractions or forced breaks, like home. You’re not always going to get your three hours of peace and silence – but if and when you do, a to-do list can help you capitalize on that time.

 

3. Start Work Very Early (or Very Late) 

 

If your sleeping schedule is inherently flawed nowadays, you might as well take advantage of that fact and figure out a good way to capitalize on the time you’re spending awake while everyone else is asleep.

 

Either pick the graveyard shift or wake up much earlier to get started with work while everyone else is still asleep. This way you can knock most of your tasks off your to-do list early on in the work day, then get to the tasks that don’t require quite as much focus throughout the rest of the work day, as everyone else is waking up.

 

 

However, don’t underestimate good sleep. A good night’s sleep is absolutely critical for mental performance, and research shows us time and time again how underrated sleep can be, and how even a little bit of restlessness can cost us cognitively.

 

If you’re waking up early to get an extra hour or two of quiet time in before everyone else is getting up, make sure you can get organized to go to bed an hour or two ahead of everyone else as well. This is easier said than done, and you will need some support from the rest of the family depending on how everyone’s household tasks are divided.

 

4. Elicit Help for Chores 

 

When working from home, one of the tougher challenges is juggling work life with the need to keep the home clean and tidy. If you and your partner are both working from home, the logical answer is to split the housework, doing a little more or a little less depending on which one of you is busier. Some weeks, the workload is heftier than other weeks. Some days, a work task might take priority and require a little overtime. Remaining flexible for any variation in schedule is important here, so don’t get too stuck on who’s job it is to do what.

 

If you have kids, find age-appropriate chores for them to complete. Young children can learn to practice cleaning up after themselves, fold clothes, bring used clothes to the hamper, and organize their rooms. Older kids can do laundry and the dishes, keep the floors and windows clean, and help in other ways.

 

5. Find an Effective & Healthy Way to Wind Down 

 

The “quarantini” has become a trend for a reason, but don’t get too attached to coping styles of that sort. They’re called “maladaptive” coping mechanisms for a reason. Finding a form of “me time” that helps you relax and is good for you can be somewhat of a challenge but is important when working from home.

 

It can be anything therapeutic from working with your hands (a little baking or stitching) to working with your mind (sudoku, puzzle games, online video games), or letting off some steam (yoga, boxing, exercise).

 

Pick a handful of simple half-an-hour to one hour-long activities that you can rely on to cap a day off, either after work or after spending time with your family and make them a priority. It might seem selfish to spend time solely for yourself when there is probably plenty else to do, but you need some way of staying sane.

6. It’s Okay Not to Be as Productive 

 

Given the context and the news around the world, as well as the sudden and abrupt shift to remote working for many, these are still extraordinary circumstances.

 

As we inevitably shift more towards a remote work environment and the continuing growth of the work-from-anywhere trend, it will be important to get used to circumstances such as these and manage an effective rhythm from home.

 

But for now, cut yourself some slack. It’s okay to take a little time to adjust and figure out the best way to organize yourself in chaotic times like these.

 

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