Manage The Workload: The last thing you want is a tired, demotivated team, with a mad rush of everyone working away like little elves, to get everything done before Christmas & New Year. Get organised with the workload and if it’s an especially busy period for your business, have a clear plan of action for how your team will be able to achieve everything ahead of schedule. Make sure it’s an atmosphere of drive and determination, as oppose to stress and pressure. Set targets and goals that have meaning; pulling together that team spirit for support and motivation.

Consider Flexible Working: When family commitments take over ahead of Christmas, a great solution to overcome this is by offering flexible working- whether this is by utilising shared spaces closer to home (Read more here: https://loc8commercial.com/blog/flexible-offices-future-work/) or enabling single parents to work from the comfort of their home temporarily from the end of school term. The key is to sitting down with your team to find out what they want and need, then working with them for a win, win situation. Happy staff, and targets hit.

Celebrations and Awards: No matter how big or small your company is, award ceremonies are perfect for recognising, rewarding and motivating your staff. And what better time to do it than the end of the year? Whether it’s a simple thing within the workplace, or by hosting a big event- end-of-year celebrations help to keep those spirits high! Similarly, Christmas Work Parties. Practically everyone has them right? So if you don’t, get your organising caps on! It could be simple after-work Christmas dinner or drinks, but it really helps to bring everyone together, and gives staff something to look forward to, towards the end of the month.

Festive Fun In The Office: At a time when people would much rather be our doing their own thing or spending time with their loved ones, creating a fun and friendly atmosphere in the office makes all the difference to morale. Think- background Christmas tunes in the office, lunchtime office decorating (possibly even going all-out with a tree!) Christmas Jumper day, festive cakes & treats, or even some Christmas competitions. How about- a prize for the best decorated desk?! Think outside the box for how to make it a fun -yet productive- working environment.

Secret Santa With a Twist: So aside from making your workplace feel festive, you can also get your team into the Christmas spirit by organising a Secret Santa… Everyone’s name goes into a hat and one-by-one they pick a name out in secret, for which they then have to buy that person a gift! Make this even more fun, by giving it a gift-buying theme. EG. ‘One Thing That Makes You Fabulous’… This works particularly well for a tight-knit group of coworkers, and might still be appropriate for gatherings where everyone knows each other at least somewhat well. It adds a bit of fun and can bring everyone closer together. You can also do your bit by writing individual thank you notes to every staff member, to give on the day of the gift-giving! Short, sweet, but personal, and it shows your staff how much they really matter.

Rewards and Incentives: Different people are driven by different things. Some need to feel valued & appreciated, some need recognition & rewards, and some are driven financially. Understand your staff and what drives them the most, using appropriate incentives- especially when hitting targets. Make sure your ‘Christmas gift’ is one that matches them!

So ho, ho, ho- there’s just a few ideas to get you started. What do you find works best with staff motivation throughout the holiday season? Share your ideas below! And have a very happy Christmas!

The post How To Keep Staff Motivated This Christmas appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Don’t Hit SNOOZE!- I know, I know: we all want to stay in bed just that little bit longer (especially when we’re into the winter months), but avoid this at all costs. Studies reveal that this prolonged wake up will actually make you more tired and irritable, as your brain starts its sleep cycle all over again- only to keep being disrupted! Nope, it’s not going to get you anymore winks and it certainly won’t make you feel better, so bite the bullet and get yourself out of bed straight away!

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind– Now we’ve all been told we need to eat breakfast to set us up for the day, but when we’re short on time (probably because of that snooze!), it’s easy to give it a miss. But remember ‘if you change nothing, nothing will change’ so it’s time to start prioritising that morning fuel and getting into a regular routine with it so then -and only then- you can start to feel the benefits! What these will be? Well, your metabolism will work better, you’ll start to feel better, you’ll have improved concentration & performance, you’ll feel stronger & have energy for longer, it’ll actually improve your BMI and- stop you from wanting to eat everything in sight later! Win, win! So ditch the hunger, or cheat-breakfast donuts and make time to get those early-morning nutrients inside!

The post Four Ways to Start Your Day The Right Way appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

‘Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you got a flat…

And sure, it may be easier said than done. But remember, you’re not alone. How do we know? Well let’s share a few stories from some of the best…

Bill Gates: The richest person in the WHOLE WORLD. Yep, his first business failed. And it failed bad. The Traf-O-Data was a device that could read traffic tapes and process the data, yet when he went to sell it- the thing didn’t even work! Did Bill give up? Let it knock him down or defeat him? Of course not. In fact, his business partner -Paul Allen- later went on to explain that despite it not being the success they’d hoped for ‘it was seminal in preparing us to make Microsoft’s first product a couple of years later.’ They learnt from their mistakes, and used it as fuel and knowledge to build bigger and better things. Talk about a winning mentality!

If we’re on the topic of failed companies….

Henry Ford: One of America’s foremost industrialists, Henry Ford revolutionised the car industry, founding Ford Motor Company and become the first to apply assembly line manufacturing for cars. He was one of the three most famous and richest men in the world because of this. Yet to begin with- his first two car companies failed and left him completely broke! However, he didn’t let it falter his confidence, which is why he was able to create the great legacy he has left behind today.

Colonel Sanders: This guy was in a similar place. Despite founding one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world -KFC- at the incredible age of 65, Colonel’s famous secret chicken recipe was rejected over a 1,000 times before a restaurant accepted it. Yep, he was a businessman of sheer grit and determination, also proving that age really is just a number and you should never give up on your dreams.

So who else do we have? Well-

Stephen King: best selling author and movie sensation… You don’t get where this guy is without being pretty damn good! Yet believe it or not, in the early days- he was constantly rejected by publishing houses and even threw his first book in the trash! It’s brutal, disheartening and incredibly tough, but did he let it stop him? No. He kept going despite the knock-backs and went on to sell over 350 million copies of his work.

Walt Disney: Similar to King, Walt was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Pfft, try telling that to kids now! Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie “Snow White” and I’m pretty sure we need no explanation to that! He went on to become the guy who redefined American childhood and made massive developments in the production of cartoons.

If we’re moving on to entertainment, one of the biggest recognised figures right now- you have to look no further than Mr Cowell. Love him or hate him, this guy is a role model for many….

Simon Cowell: Reality television judge and producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Simon is worth more than £300 million for his Syco Entertainment company, which has  sold over 200 million albums and achieved 180 number one singles worldwide. Despite this, it certainly wasn’t an easy ride to get there. See, by his late twenties, Simon had made a million dollars but also lost a million dollars. Yep, how about that for a kicker! But he picked himself up, learnt from his mistakes and became one of the biggest forces in reality television.

We also have the likes of Richard Branson who had dyslexia and did poor at school- but despite low grades and ‘failures’ in education from an early age- he pushed through all the challenges and obstacles that came his way; becoming the fourth richest person in the UK! Albert Einstein also had a challenging childhood and didn’t even speak until the age of four. Yep, many people thought he would never make anything of himself and his head was just in the clouds… Who’d have known those clouds were whirling up genius concepts that would literally change the world! And let’s not forget Thomas Edison, who failed 1000 times before creating the light bulb. Yep one THOUSAND! His response to failure?

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Legendary… And the list could go on and on.

See, wherever you are right now: it does not matter. What matters is where you want to go, and what you are willing to do to get there. Don’t see setbacks as failures, see them as learning opportunities and have fun building yourself back up or working around them.

What’s the biggest mistakes you’ve made in business and how did you overcome them?

The post Forget Failure: Why The Best Will Never Give Up appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

The Right Environment: Don’t you find working from home you just have so many distractions? The kids shouting during school holidays, the phone ringing with old relative looking for a catch-up, the cat meowing at your feet. It’s almost impossible to work at your peak performance, stay focused and to work your way through that ‘to do list’ effectively. Having the right environment will boost productivity: your own desk in a smart place, giving you the time you need to really knuckle down. As an entrepreneur, it’s also important to establish a positive work-life balance, which is why having a separate environment – helps you to draw a line between your professional and personal lives. (See here for 5 of the coolest offices in the world: https://loc8commercial.com/blog/5-coolest-offices-world/ Make your space your own!)

The Right People: They say your network determines your net worth, and who you surround yourself with plays a crucial role. Co-working helps to connect you to like minded people, working alongside others who have the same drive as you. Build valuable working relationships, discuss ideas, analyse processes or results and broaden your own knowledge in areas they specialise in too. Often you’ll be working in a space that has people from different business sectors with different skill sets, which can become a valuable asset for you. Co-working amongst entrepreneurs encourages innovation, sparks a little healthy competition and gives you a real sense of community. It provides excellent networking opportunities throughout the whole building and means that as you grow your business: you don’t need to feel alone.

Flexibility: Flexibility is at the core of everything that co-working is about. You’ll have: – Flexible Contracts: Unlike standard office renting, co-working spaces don’t have the long-term commitment with set durations or terms. Instead, you can hire the space on a month-by-month basis, with the option to extend for up to two years: depending on how it’s going and what you’re looking for. Need to upsize or downsize? No problem! It’s hassle free and incredibly convenient.– Flexible Seating: Members of a co-working space can move around depending on their needs. Got an important pitch to work on? Sit in an isolated desk allowing full focus. Got lots of calls to do and want to work alongside others for motivation? Sit within the central part of your office space. You can even hire conference or meeting rooms within your building, at just a fraction of the price: making your business look more professional.– Flexible Schedule: Now although it’s important to have a work-life balance, often- as we look to grow our business around other commitments, we need to have flexibility within our schedule. The great thing is, co-working facilitates exactly for that, with most spaces allowing 24/7 access. This means you can start as early as you want/ need, finish as late as you want/ need, and come & go as much as you like throughout the day. Often, you’ll find others doing the same too, which is always encouraging.

Cost-Effective and Affordable: We understand budgets can be tight when you’re starting out. You need to invest money in the right areas and manage your ongoing costs on a daily/ monthly basis. Now often: renting out an entire office block for yourself or your small team- it’s actually out of the question. It doesn’t really make sense! Co-working on the other hand, is simply a fraction of the price. which makes it a far more feasible option. As mentioned above: contracts with co-working are flexible and most offices are kitted out with everything you need, from computers to phone lines, plus of course desks and chairs! They also tend to have reduced overheads, because most providers include all the expenses in one fixed monthly fee. This makes it easier to manage in terms of budgets and becomes far more economical.

Everything You Need and More: Co-working is designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners, giving you access to all the essential resources. Wifi is always strong, phone lines are clear, stationery is shared and you’ll even have all the cleaning done for you (because we know you don’t always have time for that!) Goodbye mess, hello efficiency! Many co-working spaces also have an abundance of meeting rooms, security, supportive staff and many even host regular events/ coffee mornings within the building to get you interacting further with like minded people.

Yep, it is pretty neat! To find out more about co-working spaces within your area, give us a shout on 020 3031 8563. We offer free, impartial advice; helping you to find the working environment that’s right for you.

The post Why Co-working is the Perfect Solution for Entrepreneurs appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

You ready? LET’S GO!

It’s All in The Mindset – To actually become the most productive person around, you must first decide to be so… Get committed to it, and keep it in your mind throughout the day so that if you find yourself wasting time, you can quickly get back on track. Don’t beat yourself up about any of your past habits or failures; and certainly don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Instead focus on what you’re working to achieve now and know that you can do it. See, making the decision and committing to it is half the battle. Once you’ve made up your mind, you will begin to challenge yourself to see just how much you can accomplish in any given day. You’ll start to find things that work for you, changing your habits to optimise productivity and keeping that momentum and motivation going, to see more and more of the results you want in your work and your life.

Get Organised – How can you expect to get everything you want done, if you’re not even clear on what exactly that needs to be? The solution?- Knowing your short-term and long-term goals, and then planning your workload the night before to ensure you’re creating the stepping stones to get you there. Write a list, running through all the things you MUST do and then all the things you SHOULD- which you can only move onto once all the essentials have been ticked off first. This is important, because it’s all about prioritising and not getting distracted. If you find new things you need to do throughout the day- don’t do them immediately (unless that’s required)- instead pop them on the ‘after’ list so you don’t need to worry about forgetting, but can work through it at a better time. This helps to deal with overwhelm and gives you a more strategic approach. You also need to keep looking at your list and thinking more about the outcomes, as oppose to the actual tasks themselves…

– What is my outcome in all of this? What’s really important and taking me closer to the end goal?

– Is everything on my list really needed?

– Are there any things I can do in a different way which would be faster, but still get me to that end goal I need?

– Is there anything on here that can be delegated or outsourced to save time/ increase effectiveness?

Getting lots done, doesn’t always mean you’re getting the most out of your day. In fact, the 80/20 rule says that you often get 80% of your results from 20% of the things you do. So doing more of the 20% is the best way to skyrocket your success. Make sure you’re spending your time on the most important things; taking the time to really analyse what you’re doing and why. When you plan your day the night before, you also wake up ready to hit the ground running knowing exactly what you’re doing and where it’s going to get you.

The Hour Of Power – Now there’s lots of different things you can do to organise your work and plan your day; it’s all about finding what works best for you. We are however aware that procrastination is the silent killer, so to destroy this and really ‘get things done’, get into the routine of using the first hour of your day, as soon as you’re all set up and ready to work- to tackle those things you LEAST want to do, but know are actually the most important. This will set up your day in the right way, giving you a greater sense of achievement and starting how you wish to go on! Try it, it works!

Dealing With Distractions – So we know what we want to achieve, we’re in the right headspace to achieve it, but inevitably things are going to happen throughout the day to try to steer us off course. Phone calls, emails, people coming in and out your office, demands, distractions. It’s normal. To ensure they don’t take us off-path however, we have to stay focused. As mentioned above- use lists to get organised and those new demands that come in throughout the day- write them down for when your main priorities have been completed. If you work in an office, set up a “Do Not Disturb” sign when it’s time to get important work done. If you work from home or outside of an office, set a policy so people know not to call or interrupt you during certain time blocks. Schedule calls so you can plan around them, allocate your time wisely and get that head knuckled down when it needs to be!

Refresh, Recharge – Now no-one can be a complete working MACHINE. And if you are- you’ll start to burn yourself out if you’re not careful and then what good are you?! Short breaks throughout the day are important. It helps to keep concentration high and avoid a brain-block. The best way to take a break is to not stay sat down at your desk but instead get up, get moving and that blood circulating properly again! To make a habit of it- take time at lunch to go somewhere that takes you away from the office environment. Have your food, have a lunchtime stroll and you’ll come back with a clear, focused mind- ready to tackle the rest of the afternoon head on! If you’ve also completed a big job, get up, give yourself a pat on the back, have a quick stroll around, a glass of water, maybe grab a quick piece of fruit then get back, ready to crack on with the next job! It doesn’t need to be long, but this burst of movement and energy will make all the difference. Diet also plays a big part in productivity, staying hydrated, staying healthy. What we put into our bodies greatly affects our focus, energy and well-being throughout the course of the day, so you may find it’s worth looking into this more too

Whatever you do: make sure you have clarity and direction. Time is one of our most valuable things. It’s something we can never get back. Commit today to getting more from your day, and I promise: you will never look back…

It’s also important to have the right working environment to maximise productivity. If you’re looking for a new space- get in touch for free, impartial property searching and advice. See our full services here:

Written by Blue Monkey Social Media

The post How To Increase Productivity: Getting The Most Out Of Your Day appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

However, one of the biggest problems facing today’s entrepreneurs are the many distractions that can impact productivity and effectiveness during the crucial early stages of a new business.

According to Guy Clapperton writing for Forbes, many entrepreneurs and home workers face three major obstacles, which are adequate technology, over working and isolation. All making an impact on a person’s ability to work effectively.

Now, we are not advocating every new business owner takes a full time office to overcome these problems, but what we can do is highlight the many options that are available that could help improve productivity and at the same time, drastically improve the image of your business and new brand.

Co-working is the new Home Working

One of the easiest and most accessible solutions without breaking the bank in the early stages of any new business is a Co-working membership. Earlier this year we featured WeWork and their extraordinary rise in the UK. With new locations opening in 2016, they provide affordable membership options that solves two of the main disadvantages of home working. Firstly, it removes the problem with home Wi-Fi speeds. These locations have invested thousands of pounds in the latest technology to ensure all their members stay connected. The second problem they solve is the sense of isolation. WeWork provide networking and useful seminars every month as part of their membership. It’s a great way to get involved and meet other like-minded business owners with the same problems you have.

Bumping up the Company Image when you Need to

One of the easiest solutions to the old problem of meeting clients somewhere respectable and not just Starbucks, is meeting rooms. There is such a wide choice on offer everywhere that it’s easy to find a quick and easy solution to meet clients and business partners.

Meeting rooms are not as expensive as you might think. Most can be booked by the hour or day at very competitive rates and usually with short notice. So there really are quick and affordable options at every new business owner’s immediate disposal.

When a Home Office Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

Did you ever stop to think how your home address would look on your business cards? You’ve worked hard to establish your new brand and created opportunities to build your business at the same time as working from the end of your bed. But will your clients and customers spot you don’t have a proper place of work? Possibly.

Business image is an important part of the process of establishing brand loyalty. A good business address can really help to set you apart from your competition. Great locations also don’t cost the earth when you take a virtual office.

So what is a virtual office? Well it’s simply an office without the office. A virtual office provides all the visible aspects of having a full time office but without the space itself. Simply put its using a business address and call answering service to provide a professional outward appearance.

These services allow you to put the business address on your business card and website, creating the illusion that you have office space in the building, with your calls answered by a receptionist so you never have to miss another call or take a nuisance sales call.

Get the Balance Right

These three very flexible solutions can also be used together to create something that works for you. That could be an initial Co-working membership and the use of meeting rooms when you need them. Or continue to work from home using a virtual office address and use meeting rooms as and when you need to meet clients.

Whatever you decide the most important thing is to make sure you take in to account the cost of these services and the benefit they will bring to your new business. The obvious solution to carry on as you are may be why 50% of new businesses fail in the first couple of years according to Theo Paphitis.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Entrepreneurs Can Escape their Home Office Prisons appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.