Guest Post - How to Optimize Your Work Environment and Make Your Office Space More Efficient

Every successful business is fueled by high efficiency. But, as everyone knows from everyday life, attaining that much necessary efficiency is difficult if the space around is full of clutter and not that well optimized. Just like you can’t finish any job in your house if you are constantly tripping over stuff, the workers can’t fulfill their tasks if they are surrounded by chaos.

So, let’s take a couple of neat ways to optimize the work environment and make your offices far more efficient.

Split the space into open zones

By open areas, we mean the recreation area, productivity hubs, places where people can take a break and hang out for a bit, sofas, collaborative spaces, and so on. The benefits of such an open design are numerous. First, by tearing down the artificial boundaries, you are getting a lot more space to use more productively. Second, when your workers feel tired, they will be able to easily transition to some other, more comfortable workstation without taking an active break. Open space also feels less constraining, as well as encourages chatter and brainstorming.

Cut the excessive storage

In previous decades, the main goal of every space – offices and homes alike – was to squeeze in as much storage space as possible to keep the clutter under control. Fortunately, the offices no longer have that millstone around their necks. Namely, by focusing on Cloud tech and digital documents, modern offices are cutting their print volume and reducing the number of necessary equipment (e.g., shredders, bins, etc.). This solution is also very eco-friendly, innovative, and in tune with the modern business environment, so there's no good reason to skip it.

Start from the scratch

In some cases, trying to adapt the existing space that simply wasn't built with productivity in mind takes too much time, money, and effort to pay off truly. If you are facing this problem, you should consider starting from scratch and building your offices around the specific needs of your company and your staff. This solution can prove to be more financially beneficial in the long term as well. Take, for example, a modern modular building that packs excellent price, strong durability, and all other requirements necessary for utilitarian constructions like offices.

Maximize natural light

In terms of interior design, natural light is a true blessing that should be utilized to the fullest extent.  First and foremost, expanding the available window space opens up the room and makes the enclosed, dark environment seem larger. In turn, allowing more natural light into the office cuts the need for bulky light fixtures and reduces the energy bills. Finally, natural light has a very positive impact on the overall mood in the office. According to recent research, exposure to natural light has a very positive impact on the sleep, activity, and quality of life of the workers.

Use multipurpose furniture

In one of the previous sections, we have mentioned that you should keep the number of storage pieces at a minimum. But every office needs some storage to be functional. That is why you should put more focus on the multipurpose furniture pieces like, for instance, storage islands with a work surface that double-down as a neat co-working space. Storage units can also be squeezed underneath the sofas, desks, and even chairs. Wall-mounted foldable desks and standing pieces with casters are the ideal solutions when you need an on-the-go place to perform some critical duty.

Resort to small-scale furniture

Last but not least, we have to mention the size and scale of your furniture. Since you are aiming for optimization and efficiency, you should try to get the pieces that are as slender as possible. This also goes for the large multipurpose units that will be the centerpieces of your new, reorganized office space. As for the decoration, this is the case where you should try to be conservative as possible. If you want to make your office trendier, decorate strategically with wall-mounted units. Using expansive mirrors will open up space even more while raising the overall visual impression.

Wrapping up

We hope these few tips gave you some general idea about the ways you can declutter and open up your small and cramped offices. Human beings are not well-adjusted to chaos. In order to thrive, they need a peaceful and organized surrounding. So, if you want to keep your workers at the optimal level of efficiency, be sure to make their offices as clean and as organized as possible.

About the author: Mike Johnston is an avid blogging enthusiast and experienced freelance writer. He’s a regular contributor to numerous online publications where he writes about real estate, construction, home improvement, and interior design.

Home Areas With the Largest Renovation Expenses

We would all love the ability to renovate our houses whenever we get tired of seeing the same old thing. Unfortunately, expenses are all too real, and the only way to avoid them is to refrain from incurring them at all. Some projects do tend to take up more money than others, however. If you plan to renovate soon, you should understand what kind of monetary situation you’re getting yourself into. Here are some of the home areas with the largest renovation expenses to look out for.

Kitchen

Your kitchen will always be a room where a lot of extra work needs to take place. Your appliances alone make the renovation process much more difficult and time-intensive. Fully gutting your kitchen could cost you tens of thousands of dollars as you move elements like water lines and gas lines. If you want to renovate your kitchen, prepare yourself for a large expense.

Bathroom

Bathroom remodels, especially with fancy add-ons like spa amenities or large showers, can cost quite a pretty penny if you’re not careful. Despite often being a smaller room, a remodel often requires you to move or replace water lines and electrical wires. This kind of work often translates to higher renovation costs.

Floors

One area with a large renovation cost is your flooring. Flooring gets surprisingly expensive, especially if you opt for higher-end options like hardwood or tile. The labor involved in tearing up the old flooring can also skyrocket the price. Of course, these prices are completely subject to the square footage of the area you want to replace. The larger the floor plan, the more it will cost to redo.

Windows

Homeowners will often replace their windows to improve their home’s energy efficiency. It’s a good thing this renovation provides that benefit, as replacing your windows can cost you thousands of dollars depending on the material you use. A cheaper material like vinyl will save you some money, but fully wooden windows can quickly drain your bank account.

Roof and Siding

Whether you hire a professional for your roofing or decide to do your own siding work, the cost can quickly go over what you’d prefer. This is a popular renovation for house flippers because it can drastically improve the home’s outside appearance. However, replacing a roof or redoing exterior siding can cost thousands of dollars and quite a few hours of labor for a quality job.

Guest Post - How COVID has Shaped Co-Working Spaces

Over the past year, coronavirus has seen many of us change the way we work, whether it’s our hours of work, the location or work attire. Although, for many people the change of routine, may become their normality, as many businesses plan for life after COVID.

With organizations looking to trim their expenditure, a key factor that many business owners are beginning to consider is the cost of running their office. As workforces have demonstrated their ability to communicate and work from home effectively, many businesses have begun to adapt their plans as a new era of ‘the office’ begins to form.

As a large majority of businesses begin to implement a part-time or full-time working from home policy, the need to find a flexible office space has increased. 

A study by Andcards stated that 1,688 global coworking spaces were due to open in 2020. As a result, the coworking industry was predicted to grow by 6.2%. This demonstrates that many organizations are becoming increasingly reliant on these types of offices, as they look for a cost-effective option when needing a professional space.

Although businesses with large teams are using collaborative workspaces. Coworking spaces can often be seen as a workplace for freelancers and start-ups. In truth, this demographic often makes up a relatively small portion of the flexible workplace community. As many businesses are utilizing these facilities to have access to a professional environment, whilst lowering their yearly spend.

There’s a variety of ways that collaborative workspaces can benefit, even more so in a time of a Pandemic. We’ve highlighted four ways that the coronavirus pandemic has shaped coworking spaces, into a popular option for many businesses and freelancers today. 

The requirement for flexibility 

The majority of businesses were forced to send their workforce home when the news of the pandemic broke. This sudden change to the normal working environment saw many employees begin their year-long period of working from home and relying on technology for collaboration. 

During this time, the vast majority of offices remained vacant, which resulted in business owners thinking about their long-term office requirements. As employees demonstrated their ability to work remotely, many CEOs considered adopting this model more often with 47% allowing their team to work remotely full time. 

As a result, many organizations began using alternative office solutions to have face-to-face meetings. One solution that is becoming increasingly popular was flexible office rental. By using these facilities, businesses were able to cut costs, whilst having access to a professional environment to host client meetings and interviews, albeit whilst observing COVID safety rules 

The go-to option for freelancers 

The coronavirus pandemic saw a number of elements change within businesses, some of which were their employees. With businesses facing a financial strain, some organizations were forced to reduce their workforce. As a result, many individuals began freelancing within their industries, which led to an extra 84,000 businesses created. 

As more businesses were being formed, the interest in coworking space for rent grew. Freelancers and start-ups needed a flexible place of work away from their homes that offered the benefits of a private office, without being tied down by an office lease and the expense that comes with it.

The opportunity for collaboration  

As business owners look for flexible office rental, they may have overlooked one of the key features to consider. Parallel to being a cost-effective option, many shared office space companies offer the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the business community.  

Using these facilities opens a wide variety of opportunities for members of this community. As freelancers and businesses share communal facilities, it allows for collaborative conversations to take place. Due to the flexibility of office rental, each week can see a high volume of different businesses come together, that wouldn’t normally cross paths. This gives both freelancers and businesses the opportunity to grow their client base.

The cost-effective choice for many businesses 

The past year has seen many organizations search for coworking space for rent as flexible office rental has proven to be hugely cost-effective, due to only paying for the time you use the facilities. Additionally, unlike the traditional office, businesses don’t have to worry about the cost of purchasing or renting furniture, or the expense of IT infrastructure, which can often add to the large budget needed to maintain a private office. 

Alongside cutting costs for equipment, by using coworking spaces, businesses have been able to save money and stabilize their finances. This is due to only having to pay for office space when meeting clients and hosting team meetings.

Are you thinking about your return to the office? 

If your team is due to return to the office in the coming months, or you’re looking for a better finical solution for your business then. With a flexible desk and office rental, there’s a range of options available for every member of our community. Whether you’re a freelancer looking for space away from your home, or a larger organization looking for a part-time meeting space, our modern facilities can accommodate your needs.

Author Bio
Sarah is a marketing consultant at Agora, a leading office and conference room rental in Southampton. Her extensive experience in marketing and promotion of flexible office space businesses has helped her clients to flourish.

A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Your Kids Busy at Home During COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way kids play and interact with one another. Although the end of the pandemic seems to be in sight, keeping children entertained and out of trouble for the past year has been an ongoing battle. Eventually, families start to run out of new things to try that don’t require going outside.

Reexamining your strategy to entertain your kids will go a long way toward making the remainder of the pandemic more bearable for everyone. Simple steps like allowing moderate amounts of social media and keeping laser printer toner on hand for print activities go a long way toward giving your kids the freedom to entertain themselves.

Arts and Crafts

Online schooling has made an effort to include art activities and education, but parents can add more. Tap into existing supplies at home or buy new ones to give your kids something innovative to try. 

You don’t necessarily need to buy entire kits or tools designed for only one type of surface. A few acrylic paint colors go a long way since they can be mixed and applied on wood, canvas and t-shirts and old sneakers, paper, cardboard and more. You can use glue to add new dimensions to projects or even make slime.

Encourage older children to watch online tutorials to learn new art skills. For younger children, a fresh stash of coloring pages can keep them occupied. Instead of running to the store to search for new coloring books, keep a stash of paper and printer ink on hand.

Have a supply of Canon printer ink or a similar brand ready for printing photos for scrapbooking. Young creative minds will love the opportunity to create their own colorful photo album featuring their family and friends.

Favorite Subjects

Kids who are less artistically inclined can still incorporate their interests into their games and online time. Students with an appreciation for science, history, language arts or math can take deep dives into specific niches that don’t get explored in-depth in school curriculums. For example, you may find that your budding young scientist has a particular interest in gemstones, rainforests or deep sea creatures.

There is a massive range of online educational games and even more apps for tablets and smartphones. Look for games that have a multiplayer or competitive angle to them to keep your child engaged. Join them when your schedule allows, even if it’s not your favorite subject.

You can also branch out into less-academic subjects like travel, sports and current events. Kids of any age can start researching places they want to travel and create a collage of their favorites. Many museums and other institutions have moved some of their features and exhibits online during the pandemic, so encourage your kids to find ways to digitally explore new places.

Siblings, Cousins, and Friends

Just because your child needs to avoid in-person contact doesn’t mean they can’t interact in other ways. Video and phone calls are great ways to stay connected without losing the ability to show things to each other or even play games.

Video calls take up a lot of internet bandwidth, even on Wi-Fi, so you may need to set limits or ask your kids to schedule their calls, so everyone gets a turn without interruption. Phone calls are a great option as well, especially since so many providers now give unlimited minutes for smartphones.

Sibling interactions can be a challenge if they are prone to fighting or have wildly different interests. Instead of forcing bonding time, it may be better to allow them to cool off as needed, and then come back together to play when they’re both in the mood. A quiet activity like a craft may also help smooth things over without forcing interaction.

Allowing Social Media

Social media serves as a necessary connection between your child and others during this pandemic. Although there are important age limitations to consider, allowing some amount of social media helps give your child exposure to different opinions and ideas.

Facebook is one of the safest ways for teens to stay connected since parents can easily see who they’re connected with. Thanks to its restrictions on mature content, Tumblr may be another good option for teens who want to connect with fans of TV shows, books, movies, games and more. Both platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13, and parents should still make sure to talk to their teenager about the dangers of communicating with strangers online.

For younger children, try one of the moderated social media apps specifically designed for children. Some allow kids to post their own artwork and blogs, but since everything is moderated, it requires minimal parental oversight. Sites that allow kids’ art and writing gives them something to do other than browsing through others’ content, so they’re an excellent choice for encouraging creativity.

If you want to create a more curated experience for a large group of family or friends, consider setting up a Facebook group or a Discord server. Older relatives will probably be more familiar with Facebook, but Discord has more functions for video calls and streaming games, making it more popular with teens.

Taking Breaks

As the weather gets nicer, you can find even more activities to do outside. If you don’t have a big backyard, try to take the family to a park, outdoor event, farmer’s market or another environment where they can get some fresh air and feel less isolated. Even a weekly outing can make a huge difference in a child’s morale and energy levels.

Keeping children occupied may be an ongoing struggle, especially when children miss major social milestones and events. It’s important to continue to listen to your child if they have interests they want to pursue and give them a viable alternative if something isn’t possible due to cost or logistical constraints. With some patience and creativity, you can weather the last few months of the COVID-19 pandemic and make the most of your time at home.