How To Make The Most Out Of Your Office Space

Finding an office area

The first thing you need to establish regarding office spaces is where the physical location of your office will actually be. Usually, you’ll look for a space for lease in a commercial establishment or a building.

However, if you have long-term plans of establishing your company with a large headquarters, or you simply want your own office building, you might want to consider looking for infrastructures that you can convert to an office building, such as warehouses, abandoned buildings, or even former churches. There are some accounts of former churches that have been transformed into an office space because of their high ceilings, which can be remodeled to create multiple floors.

Some churches would have a larger parking space and lawn, with LED signs for churches that you can transform to accommodate your company’s branding and logo. Here’s an example video about LED signs, which can also serve as your guide in establishing your business’ branding and marketing strategies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IezPUv1thXM.

Maximizing Your Office Space

Once you’ve selected the place where you’ll establish your office, here are ways on how you can maximize the space you’ve chosen:

Use a common office space

You will notice that as your business grows, it will be more difficult for the existing labor to keep up with the demands of the company, and the best solution for this is to hire more office staff. However, your office space has limited capacity because of the floor area. You’ll be having a hard time squeezing in a lot of employees to fit in comfortably inside the office space.

The best way to maximize the number of people in a limited space is by using a common office space. The office trend nowadays has shifted from rooms and cubicles to common office spaces consisting of long office tables. The improvement in technology from desktop computers to laptops has also made this adaptation possible in an enclosed office area.

A common office space setting also encourages more interactions between team members, thus improving communication skills and increasing camaraderie among employees.

Declutter your area

A clean office space invites a positive vibe that enables your employees to work more productively and efficiently. Keeping it clean and well-organized will allow you to identify areas that can still be maximized.

You can adapt the 5S methodology to declutter:

Sort similar items in a single location and remove unnecessary items out.
Straighten all necessary items that have a similar function in a space in the workplace.
Sweep and clean your workplace on a regular basis.
Standardize procedure in sorting and organizing items in the workplace.
Self-discipline among all team members is essential in observing standard decluttering procedures in the workplace.

Also, keep your office furniture simple and minimalistic so it will not appear crowded.

Try to reduce the paperwork

It’s easier to reduce paperwork because of technology, which allows online collaboration where you and your colleagues can access and work on a single document all at the same time.

Switching to electronic data management also reduces the need for storage cabinets designated for all your paperwork. External hard drives and cloud storages replace the large, metal cabinets that take too much space in the office.

Improve lighting

If your office space has a lot of windows, make use of natural lighting as much as possible. This way, the entire office area will look bigger and brighter, which will bring about a lot of improvement in terms of the workspace environment.

Use LED lights and minimalistic lamps so that it will not take too much space, which also allows you to save on electric costs. As for the windows, avoid using heavy curtains and draperies; switch to blinds and roman shades, which take up less space.

Final Thoughts

Finding the best area to transform into your office space should not be restricted to leasing spaces in a commercial establishment or a building. You can tap other alternatives, such as transforming warehouses and even former churches to create your office. Arranging an open area, limiting clutter and paperwork, and improving the lighting will maximize your office to create a lighter working environment that adds up to your employees’ performance and efficiency at work.

3 Tips to Help You Effectively Run Your Business from a Coworking Office

coworking office space Being a business owner can get quite lonely. This is especially true if you offer remote services or freelance from your computer. Luckily, there are coworking offices that can allow you to get your work done while being around other people. These shared spaces can help you feel like you’re part of the community and keep you focused and productive.

Coworking offices are great for cutting back on the cost of rent while being able to interact day-to-day. These offices are excellent for startups and self-employed entrepreneurs–especially since they seem to attract a multitude of creative talent. They’re popular for numerous reasons like the versatility they offer.

If you decide to find the perfect coworking office, there are some things you’ll want to consider keeping yourself and those around you productive.

1. Make Sure The Space Will Work for You Before You Commit

When shopping around and scoping out potential coworking office, make sure you find an environment that will work for you and your business. When you walk into a new space, it can overwhelm the sense, be sure to pay careful attention to:

Color: Is the office light, bright, and airy, or is it dim and cavelike? What works better for you? Most people prefer to work in light, bright offices. If you have your own space, you can ask if you can change the wall color to brighten things up.

Coloring and lighting can make you more or less productive. Make sure the lighting inspires you to work.

Size: Find out how many people will be working in the office and what the space is like when everyone is working diligently. Ask what peak hours are in the office. You can always schedule yourself before everyone gets in for the day or after everyone leaves.

Will you have enough space for everything you need? Many of us only use a laptop and a wireless mouse, but some people also need notebooks, files, and other bulkier items. Are you allocated enough room to work comfortably?

Storage: If you run an e-commerce site or have files to store, you’ll want to ask if the office space comes with secure storage, if you have to rent additional space in the office, or if you have to find storage elsewhere. This can be a deal breaker if you logistically need a bit more room.

Internet Speed: If you run an online business or work as a freelancer, make sure your internet can keep up with your pace. This is another aspect you may want to try out before committing to renting space. Ask if you can come in for a trial then see is the internet is able to keep up.

Room to Grow Your Business: You may run a startup or simply be a self-employed writer, but you don’t know exactly what your business will look like in one year. If you need to bring another person into your business, will there be room for them, too? What if you need to increase inventory? Will the office space accommodate 100 more t-shirts?

2. Time Management is a Priority

While getting used a shared office can be excited, be sure to set aside time to tend to your business–especially when you first move into the office. When you first get into your new office, everyone will greet you with open arms and huge smiles. Make sure you’re just as friendly but establish time boundaries to keep you on track with everything you need to accomplish.

Try to keep regular hours. I don’t mean you need to work from 9 to 5, in fact, businesses often prosper when your hours a bit more untraditional. But you should establish a schedule and stay with it. It’s easy to miss out when you don’t have a definite in-time.

Keep a daily schedule or to-do list, too. If you need to update your website, that’s a priority if your income relies on it, make sure you have it written down so you don’t get distracted. If you’re just starting your business, register your domain name and spend time curating your e-commerce site and updating orders.

Always take the time at the end of your day to tidy up your area. This isn’t just courteous to your coworkers, but it will give you a clean slate for the next day. And factor breaks into your workday. Taking a quick break will reenergize you and help you be more productive in the long run.

3. Keep Sight of Your Goals and How to Accomplish Them

One of the best qualities of a coworking office is that everyone is there for a reason. Everyone is accomplishing goals and dreams. Let your coworkers’ ventures and successes inspire you and never lose sight of your goals.

Make your goals your priority. If you find yourself socializing too much, remind yourself that you’re at work to fulfill a goal, to make your business better and more profitable. You may want to hang a chalkboard, dry-erase board, or a calendar to help you keep track of your goals in the short term and long term.

Try to find a positive office with an inspiring group of people. Avoid negativity if it arises, it will drain your energy and your time.

Your business deserves a great workspace where your ideas and dreams can grow a flourish. Use these tips to help keep you on track for success if you’re searching or found great coworking offices. Keep your e-commerce site up-to-date and your freelance clients happy and you’ll be able to enjoy the productive environment of shared space.

If you need help finding the right coworking offices, contact us. It is what we do.

Moving Up: From Working at Home to Coworking

5 Tips to Make a Smooth Transition to Coworking

You were tired of working in a large office environment with a lot of unmotivated people and wanted to have the freedom of working at home. You stumbled upon the Y Combinator site and noticed a coding school called Lambda. You signed up, learned to code in 30 weeks and got some great clients. The only problem is that while you worked at home from your super cheap apartment near campus in, let’s say, Bloomington, Indiana, there were lots of distractions, and the fridge and TV were only a few feet away.

You also found that you were less able to separate working hours from leisure time, and you began to think about getting a spot in a coworking space. Following are five important things to consider as you make the change.

Check It Out

Just because someone says that XYZ coworking is a great spot to be, don’t make a rash decision, and be sure you carefully vet it and all of your options before you consider signing a lease. Always visit potential coworking areas during primetime–10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.–and be convinced that the vibe is what you are looking for.

If you make a lot of phone calls, your prospective space should afford the privacy you need; if you need to meet clients at your office, conference rooms should be available. If you need quiet, a rowdy coworking space obviously won’t suffice.

In short, the other inhabitants of your coworking area need to be compatible with your needs.

Internet

This should go without saying, and while well-established coworking concerns like WeWork undoubtedly have great connectivity, a smaller independent coworking space may not, so make sure first that outages very rarely occur, and that there is enough bandwidth for your needs. Also, Wi-Fi connectivity can be less robust than an old-school ethernet cable connection, so make sure that whatever it is that you are doing is well-supported by the signal you pay for.

Schedule

Discipline is needed to make the shared workspace experience successful. This may have been one of your working at home issues, and one great way to attack the problem is to get to work at the same time every day. That way, work time is separated from leisure time. Of course, it’s OK to try a flex-time schedule and make a self-imposed rule that you will work a certain number of hours each day after you arrive at the office. For example, if you want to do eight-hour days and you get to work at 11:00 a.m., you’ll have to stay until 9:00 p.m. that night.

Getting Along

When you take a college class, there is always an annoying student that talks incessantly, monopolizes conversations, takes up everyone’s time and is a general pain. Generally known as the class idiot, if you haven’t figured out who he or she is by the third week of school, it’s probably you! The same holds true for existing in a coworking environment. Respect your peers, don’t infringe on their time, don’t look over their shoulders at their screens, and save socializing for those Friday afternoon happy hours.

In the food department, just make sure you’re not the smelly food guy. That three-day-old tuna casserole that you really like may not have offended anyone while you were working at home, but you’re the odor of your lunch being nuked in the community microwave, may make you some enemies quite quickly.

Adapting to a Community Environment

If you have lived in an apartment or a single-family home your entire life and decide to move into a condo and purchase your first place, you are transitioning from a private to a community environment. In a condo complex or a high-rise, you have shared spaces, and your privacy may be limited to your interior area. Greenspace and parking facilities will have to be shared by others, and if you’re used to taking out the trash at 2:00 a.m. while in your pajamas, you may be surprised to meet another person in the elevator.

In a coworking space, you’ll have to share restrooms, and possibly office equipment. Yes, you won’t have to keep buying expensive ink cartridges for your printer, but there may be a line at peak times in front of the coworking space’s printer/scanner/fax, so you may have to be patient.

Other important things to consider while in your coworking environment are:

Don’t sign up for a shared workspace to mine for new clients. If you are identified early as a salesperson merely trolling for business, you will quickly be ignored by your coworkers.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t know the snack protocol, or if you need private conference space on short notice, don’t hesitate to ask the staff or a co-tenant to help you out.
Be aware of the advantages that your space provides you with. Coworking areas many times contract with local vendors for discounts on things like food and office supplies plus perks like free deliveries on some items. Make sure you avail yourself of these valuable extras.
If your space uses an app like Slack, get on it so that you can get help if you need it. There may certainly be a designer in the space that can help you on a project and using a communication tool like Slack can be a great way to solve problems.

Remember, however, that coworking is not for everyone. You may find yourself annoyed by others that infringe upon your space, and you may also conclude that it’s hard to concentrate for various reasons like the number of people in the room, the noise level, or even harsh lighting. If this occurs, you could first try to find a different coworking space that better fits your needs. If not, the experience may have actually proven to you that working at home could succeed, and if you decide to try the process again at home, you may be more motivated to make it work.

If you need help in finding a coworking space, we can help. Let us know where you are looking by Contacting us.

How to Make Your Office Space Greener

In big ways and small ways, many of us are looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment. For some, that may mean installing low-flow water fixtures at home, or re-committing to becoming a great recycler in the kitchen. Others may grow an expansive garden as a way of encouraging wildlife, or even ditch the throw-away coffee cups. But when it comes to our actions, what we do at work may be an important part of the environmental equation. That’s because we spend a lot of time there, and do many of the things that we do elsewhere, such as throw away trash, cook and eat food, and rely on paper and other supplies.

So what can you do at work in order to boost how you’re saving on waste and being mindful of consumption? Well, it’s helpful to break an office space down into areas and tackle them one at a time, starting with the reception space. This graphic offers some ideas.

Green Break Room

Green Kitchen office space

Green Reception Area

Green office space

Info Graphic detals and more available at ZeroCater

5 Tips for Picking the Perfect Office Location for Your Business

A business’ office location is crucial to its success.

It’s a decision that can impact sales, brand image, employee satisfaction and even the ease with which a business can grow.

This is obviously a big call that packs significant logistical considerations too. For example, in some US cities, the cost of renting an office can rack up to around $95 per square foot, per year. That’s a serious commitment if you’re a business that needs a lot of space!

Perfect office space

Clearly, picking the perfect location for your office requires careful consideration. The wrong choice can have serious implications. How do you make the right decision?

Keep reading to discover 5 tips that’ll ensure you do.

5 Tips for Picking Your Business’ Office Location

Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when deciding where to set up shop with your offices.

1. Consider the Cost

Cost considerations are almost always a factor for businesses. The same goes when deciding your office location.

The prices will vary widely depending on where you want to set up shop. You need to think about your budget and see how far it can stretch to accommodate your other office location requirements.

This holds true whether you decide to lease or buy. However, it’s crucial to consider business rates tax too that’ll vary depending on your location.

Oh, and if you’re renting then absolutely ascertain the stability of your rent. Will it increase exponentially over time?

2. Don’t Think (Or Buy) Too Small

There’s no point in buying a small office location if you expect your business to grow quickly.

Obviously, it’s hard to tell the future. But plan ahead sensibly anyway.

You could choose to rent initially in order to get a feel for your potential growth. If things move rapidly and you find yourself expanding, then a purchase of a larger office space could be justified.

Remember, if you buy then you’ll steadily build equity in your property too.

3. Consider Ease of Access

It’s important to think about your office’s accessibility.

How straightforward is it for your potential customers and clients to find? And what about your employees?

Your company could work in fields as varied as student loan refinancing, public relations, marketing, or any other number of professions!

But in order to attract custom and make it easier for your employees, you want to ensure the office is easily accessible. For instance, it’s always good to be close to transport links and sees lots of people pass by every day during business hours.

It’ll depend a little on your business’s office operations though. If customers/clients will rarely (if ever) visit your office, then accessibility will only really be an issue for employees.

4. Make Sure It’s Not Overly Competitive

Choosing an office that’s surrounded by competitors can set your business back from the outset.

Some competition’s healthy and may even help your business expand. But you can be competed out of the market when it’s too extreme and the competition’s too well established.

5. Consider Your Brand Image

Finally, your office space speaks volumes about your business.

It’s like the clothes you wear on your back. Your company location sends signals to those in your environment, including your customers and competition.

A lush, wealthy-looking location can at once impress your customers or make them question if they’re paying you too much! A drab, outdated area can indicate your business is struggling.

Be sure to think about how your office space will be interpreted from the outside.

Time to Wrap Up

There you have it: 5 Tips for picking the perfect office location for your business.

This is a crucial call with a lot riding on it. You want to make the right decision.

Hopefully, these tips have helped. Remember, think about the cost (and your budget) and accessibility of the property, as well as the potential growth in the coming years. Next, make sure the location isn’t overly competitive and that it sends the right signal about your business.

With these things in mind, you’ll be on your way to renting an office in the perfect location in no time.

Now we’d like to hear from you! What’s your primary concern in choosing your renting an office? Let us know in the comments!

And be sure to contact us to learn how we can help you find the ideal office space.

Improving Your Relationship With Customers

Handshake

There’s a good chance you have worked at a job in which the importance of “people skills” and customer satisfaction was stressed by your higher-ups. There is good reason for employers to place value on such aspects because when it boils down to it, a business’ relationship with customers is the backbone of its very existence.

It can be easy to get preoccupied and start to let shinier things like a cool new logo or fancy new webpage take precedence over the essentials. While these things may help, it’s important to understand that relationships are paramount to your success. Forging good relationships will expedite your business success into realms that can quite frankly surprise you.

Below, we will explore ways to cultivate and maintain positive impact and relations with customers.

Be Systematic

Developing a system for handling customers may take a bit of time, but having one is of utmost importance. It ensures that a plan is in place regardless of the situation, whether it be an unsatisfied customer, dwindling retention, or anything else. Few things are worse than encountering a situation with an angry customer and not having a procedure in place, leaving you improvising while juggling all of the other administrative duties.

Consider employing the use of regular email newsletters, which will keep you in the minds of customers. Email marketing has a proven track record of increasing the likelihood of customer retention. If a customer buys your product or service and then never hears from you again, it can be easy for them to forget about you entirely.

Another effective strategy could be looking for feedback after your exchange. Look over example survey questions to get an idea for valuable and pertinent information. Have an email with a survey or opportunity for feedback and you will receive guidance to show you what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Let Them Know They Are Important

Many businesses find success by going the extra mile and making the customer feel special. You might be surprised how far small gestures like a specially designed Christmas card go to humanize your brand and make customers feel valued. This is not merely a psychological manipulation either – these people are important to you, and so it makes sense that you convey that.

Never Underestimate Quality Customer Service

Cafe Handshake

You likely hear this point stressed often, but some maxims are worth repeating. Customer service should regard customer satisfaction as the most valuable part of the equation. If they complain about something, make it right. Make sure you are responsive, expressive of sympathy, and quick to act. This can help you avert disaster and drastically improve the likelihood that they will return.

Even the most furious of customers can often be charmed by kindness and understanding. Depending on the severity of the error, this may involve going above and beyond, but remember that the future of your business is predicated on their happiness.

Use Social Media

Smart Phone Social Media

There are a host of benefits to be had from a vibrant social media presence. Social media outlets allow for an unprecedented level of customer communication and feedback, while also conferring the familiarity benefits of increased exposure. Once upon a time, having a simple website was enough, but to keep up with competition today means embracing social media wholeheartedly.

Social media like Instagram and Facebook employ algorithms which decide the relative prominence of content. Increasing interaction via replies or comments helps to bolster your standing, and attain greater visibility.

Social media analytics also provide a bounty of value for the savvy business-runner. This data provides useful information in regard to what gets people’s attention and what people find unappealing. Facebook and Twitter show you these trends and allow you to configure your approach appropriately.

Reaching out to influencers can also be a good strategy to build rapport with well-known entities and further craft the aesthetic of your brand. If your business caters to a certain age-group for example, try to affiliate yourself with brands or Smart Phone socialcelebrities affiliated with the same demographic.

Craft A Clear And Distinct Identity

Clear idea

The internet offers tremendous potential, but many brands get lost in the sea of other entities. Observe other websites or social media accounts and take note of what you like and what you dislike. This will help you learn how to curate your brand to your liking. If you happen to have photography skills, maybe this can work to improve your online image. If you value quick wit, you may want to emulate something akin to the Wendy’s Twitter.

You should also be articulate and consistent in what exactly your business has to offer. Perhaps consider a logo or using common colors across your website or various platforms to create a sense of cohesion for your brand. This will allow customers to easily identify and familiarize themselves with your brand.

Can an Amazon FBA E-commerce Marketing Business Course Helps You Save Office Space Costs?

Save office space costs Running a business requires a lot of work. You need consider a lot of factors, from sales and operations to marketing and even logistics. One important aspect that businesses are looking into right now is saving office space costs. This is typically considered a necessity, especially for small or new businesses.

If you sell products, an Amazon FBA e-commerce marketing business course can actually help you find ways to save, or if you are solely Internet based, eliminate office space costs.

In case you don’t know what Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is, it’s actually a service offered by Amazon (aka one of the world’s biggest online shopping platforms) that allows businesses to send products to an Amazon fulfillment center and lets Amazon pick, pack, and deliver products on behalf of the business. When you use this platform, your business can take advantage of Amazon’s services.

Here’s how Amazon FBA can help you save office space costs.

You don’t need to have a brick-and-mortar store.

Amazon FBA works by letting Amazon take the wheel of your business. After paying for this service, you have to send all of your products to their warehouse, and Amazon takes charge after.

Because of this setup, you don’t need to buy or lease a physical store just so you can run your business. You can basically market your products online, forward the orders to Amazon, and wait for your profit to skyrocket.

And because Amazon FBA is one of the firsts in the industry, there are now several tips and tricks to better utilize this service. For concrete examples, you can use journal review pros cons as one of your resources.

You don’t need any warehouse to store your products.

Aside from having a brick-and-mortar store, businesses are usually expected to have their own warehouse. This is especially true for businesses involved in selling wholesale products.

However, the price of putting up or renting a warehouse can be very expensive, not to mention the maintenance costs that you have to take care of. Plus, having a warehouse isn’t a guarantee that your products will be appealing to your target audience.

Paying for Amazon FBA saves you from such problems. It lets you enjoy the following perks:

Since you’ll be sending all of your products to one of Amazon’s fulfillment centers, the responsibility of safekeeping these products will be taken off your shoulders.
You no longer have to stress out looking for the cheapest warehouse in your area and hire professional to manage it for you.
You won’t have inventory limits.
Once your business grows and acquires more products, you don’t have to look for a bigger warehouse.

You don’t need to look for another office to accommodate more orders.

Receiving an influx of orders is what businesses want. The number of orders you receive can indicate the effectivity of your marketing campaigns and visibility on the market. However, as the number of orders increases, so does your need for additional manpower. You need more people to handle more orders, more people means a bigger office space, and a bigger office space entails a higher cost.

Amazon FBA helps you steer away from this direction. You can guarantee that Amazon can accommodate all your orders and product storage needs. They have been in this industry for decades, so you can be at ease knowing that your business is in good hands. You’ll be saving money from paying expensive office spaces without compromising the quality of your services.

Make Use of Available Help

When you’re still trying to make a name in the industry, being economical should be practiced all the time. Money is an important resource in any business, and not paying attention to where and how you spend it can significantly affect your business’s longevity. Amazon FBA, along with other e-commerce marketing business courses, can make your life easier. Use these tools to your advantage in order for your business to thrive and succeed.

5 Things to Look for When You’re Trying to Find Office Space

Trying to find office space can be a pretty difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn what you need to look for in your future office.

So your business is growing and now it’s time for you to find office space that fits your business needs. That’s great! It’s an exciting time for any business, but you need to make sure you find the right office space.

Small businesses in the US are growing and getting more successful, and it’s great that yours is one of them. It’s important to find an office space where you and your employees can be more productive.

find office space like this

Wondering how to find office space that’s right for you? Here are 5 tips to help you.

1. Location, Location, Location

It’s not all about the actual office space, the location of it is important too. You want to make sure it’s easy for people to get to and not too far out.

Does public transport run nearby? Is it in a safe area of town? What about customers, is your office near to them? These things matter and can make a huge impact on your business.

Find office space somewhere that gets natural light and isn’t too far out. It’ll make for a better working experience and employees and clients can access it with ease.

2. How Much Can You Afford?

You could find the perfect office space in the perfect location. But it won’t matter if it’s out of your budget.

You don’t want to be out of pocket paying for office space. It’s counter-intuitive and is bad for business. Be aware of hidden costs like utilities and parking. Think of how much you need them for business. For example, if you run a media planning business, you’ll need high-speed internet at all times.

Calculate these costs and see how much you can afford. If the space costs too much, you may need to re-evaluate whether now is the right time to rent.

3. What Are the Facilities?

The facilities in the building are important to consider as well. They make a bigger difference than you think.

Does it come with telephones or computers? Is there a burglar and fire alarm? Is it a secure access building? How about the kitchen, does it have a microwave or refrigerator? Does it have a break room or vending machines?

These things matter and can help make your and your employees working days a lot easier.

4. Beware of Competitors

Make sure to scope out the area for competitors before you commit to a space. Are there any nearby which are a direct competitor?

If there are, think about how it will affect your business. If they attract your customers to come to them, you could damage your prospects.

Consider how much competition there is nearby and if it poses a threat. Find somewhere else if it’s too much.

5. Does it Feel Right?

The most important thing about finding the right office space for you is for it to feel right. It could have a lot of great points, but it could be wrong for your business in the long run.

If the ambiance is wrong, it affects the mood of your workplace. If the place is untidy, dark or generally bad environment, it will have an impact.

If the environment feels right though, it will be a better place to work and sell from. It will boost morale and productivity so it’s very important to consider.

Find Office Space That Works for You

When you find office space that ticks these boxes, you boost your business a lot. Don’t overspend on space and find somewhere with the right facilities and location. When you have these things, you’re on track for even more success.

Looking for an office space? Get in touch to see how we can help.

Coworking 101: The 5 Deadly Sins that will Zap Productivity in Coworking Spaces

Working at home really sounded like a great thing. No need to get dressed, no in-person meetings, you had your own private bathroom, and basically, you never had to physically interact with any other humans.

After a few stints in bureaucracy-heavy offices, you welcomed the opportunity to get away from it all. Perhaps, you’re a tech-savvy marketer located in Eugene, Oregon working remotely from your fairly priced apartment, things are looking great and much improved from your prior work situation.

The Mindset Shift

But then something happened.

While you enjoyed your work, you found that sometimes you felt like a hermit and you were worried that you were actually losing your ability to communicate with people since you left the house a lot less often.

You realized that although remote employment was what you wanted, you needed more of a semi-office environment, and coworking spaces seemed to be the right answer. Now you’re wondering what behaviors to stay away from in your new office space so that you will work efficiently, and equally important, get along with others.

Here are five things you should be aware of:

Picking the Wrong Space

Make sure you understand the vibe and ambience of of possible choice for coworking spaces and ensure that this determination is made during daily general working hours. Yes, we understand that coworking inhabitants may be at work at any time including weekends, but 1:00 p.m. on a week day would be a good time to check out a new space.

That way, you’ll get the feel of what happens there on a regular day. If you need a place to make private phone calls, make sure that your facility gives you that option. Likewise, if you need to meet clients, your coworking space should have some conference room availability.

Tech

You may want a wired connection for your laptop along with a strong Wi-Fi signal for your phone or pad. Sure, this should be a given, but until you plug in and logon, you can’t be sure that your space is going to provide optimal connectivity. There are no coworking space inspectors that test for adequate Internet signals, so you’ll have to do this yourself.

Discipline

We all wish we could just fire up an app and make money, but we’re talking about your career here. You already had a discipline problem while working at home. No, and it wasn’t your kid talking back to you. It was you watching daytime TV with a big bag of Cheetos when you should have been working. Even though you will be with others at your new workspace, you still have to treat work like work. Try to get there at the same time every day and establish a routine. While you may need to check email constantly as part of your business, you don’t need to follow politics every minute on CNN or Fox News. And while it’s fun to check your stocks every 15 minutes, that’s not conducive to getting anything done.

Smelly Food

You just don’t want to be the smelly food guy. It’s as simple as that. There’s nothing like the aroma of yesterday’s Subway tuna melt wafting throughout the entire area after you nuked it trying to bring it back to life. If you are the smelly food guy, don’t expect to make many new friends at work.

Conversely, it wouldn’t hurt to visit potential coworking spaces at lunchtime to make sure that there aren’t a lot of smelly food people there.

Be Careful on Fridays

Coworkers demand strong Internet signals, clean and modern workspace areas, clean restrooms, and free snacks and even free beer. Just don’t overdo the free snacks and beer part because even though you may be having a good old time every Friday afternoon during an extended happy hour, you may find that now you are only working 4 and a half days per week. If you watch some old movies, you’ll see how many business people seemed to regularly have a few martinis during lunch; bet they didn’t get much work done after that.

Working at home and renting a space at a coworking space are not that different. The same problems that can slow you down at home can reoccur at your new location if you aren’t personally disciplined. And one more thing, crowded downtown areas may lack parking, so if you are thinking of taking your car to work, make sure there is a place to put it.

Tips to Increase the Security and Safety of Your Bookkeeping Office Space

A secure office space is necessary for both the safety of your employees and the sensitive documents involved in your business. For a bookkeeping business relationship to thrive, your clients need to be able to trust you—and you need to make sure that your business doesn’t fail on this front. Successful bookkeeping companies such as Balancing Books Bookkeeping always ensure that their client information is never misplaced or mishandled.

Here are the steps you can take to increase the safety and safety of your bookkeeping office space.

Secure your perimeter

The first thing you need to accomplish is securing your physical space. Make sure to accomplish the following tasks:

Perform risk assessment – If possible, consult with a security company to receive a professional evaluation of your office space’s strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, thoroughly examine your location for weak spots and check the local news for crime reports. Use this information to analyze what security threats you might face.
Make a security plan – Map out your office space. Mark all client entry and exit points, employee entry and exit points, and fire exits. Identify areas that need to have better lighting, CCTV surveillance, and lock replacements.
Determine the security budget – Given your security plan, you can now canvass for CCTV prices, lock replacement services, and lighting fixes. These are all one-time expenses, but their maintenance and the salaries of security personnel need to be included in the annual budget.
Execute your plans – Armed with a well-mapped-out plan and the equipment you need, you can now implement your security plan.

Orient your employees on security protocol

Now that your bookkeeping business’s location is secure, you need to focus on security inside your area.

When you’re handling sensitive information like payrolls, bank loans, and inventories, everything inside your office should be protected and every move should be documented.

Here’s what you need to do:

Install a sign-in system – Use a sign-in system to monitor who enters and exits your office. You will likely be hosting client meetings or entertaining in-person inquiries; having documentation of who comes and goes will give you a written record of everyone who enters your office space. This is particularly useful in the event of a security breach; a sign-in system will help confirm the presence of persons of interest.
Secure important equipment – Any company devices or equipment should be in a safe location and should require company identification before being used. No employees should be allowed to bring home equipment, documents, and devices. Documents should not be on full display, especially in areas where nonemployees are permitted.
Get everyone updated on security protocol – Create a security protocol and make sure all employees are oriented. For instance, ensure that the last person who leaves the office locks up all important documents, examines the whole area, and turns off electricity before leaving the office.
Create emergency evacuation plans – Have emergency evacuation plans on hand, and properly orient all employees. Regularly conduct earthquake drills, if possible. Ensure that all essential documents are retrievable in cases of emergency.

Invest in digital security

Most of your company’s important documents are probably saved on computers, from client files to business permits. All of the company’s digital data and assets, including your website and social media, should be secured to avoid security breaches.

Here are some tips to follow when it comes to strengthening digital security:

Install strong firewall and antivirus technologies.
Block malicious and unsafe websites, such as torrenting and streaming sites.
Encourage all employees to use strong passwords.
Change passwords every few months.
Encrypt files and data.
Regularly back up all systems and files.
Disable printer sharing and wireless printing as some information is temporarily stored on printers when using these features.

Stay on top of security maintenance

You know what they say: hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. There’s no such thing as being too careful when you’re running a bookkeeping firm.

Routinely check your office’s security features. Repair any broken locks, lights, or cameras at once.
Make it a point to update your employees about scams, schemes, and other potential security threats.
Ask IT to report attempted security breaches immediately.

More than anything, make sure your employees are aware of your business’ security. Clients will inevitably ask about how you plan on keeping their information safe; it’s essential to have all that information on hand.

Keeping your bookkeeping business secure is key. When your clients feel safe and reassured, they’re more confident in trusting you. And with these tips on securing your office space, you’ll have no problem securing success in no time, too.