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.

The benefits of home working are well documented but it’s also easy to see why lots of people find home working a challenge. With the television and the kitchen beckoning it’s easy to succumb to distractions. It’s also difficult to tune out to the usual family noise and maintain a closed door policy in the home that allows you to get on with work.

It’s fair to say the move to an office outside the home will add to your commute but it will allow your business to be seen in a whole new light. Just having a prestigious address creates a credible impression for future customers and clients, and gives you a great place to meet them.

Making Your Commute Longer

A great way to get started is to look at what location is right for you and how it impacts on the commute for you and your team.  We looked at Location in our blog “Office Location, Office Location, Office Location”.  So take a look at our location tips to make sure the decisions you make are the right ones.

What’s Available

These days there is a wide choice open to you when you make the bold leap out of your home office. Flexibility is now a popular feature with providers offering flexible short term agreements with many not requiring a deposit. This means your initial outlay can be quite low. With Serviced Offices the term “easy in and easy out” is often applied to demonstrate the relative flexibilty and speed to both get started and potentially move on later.

What to do first

We all use sites like Compare the Market, Go Compare or even Hotels.com to make choosing the product or service we need as easy as possible. Selecting the right office space should be no different. An independent workspace broker like us can provide impartial advice and a quick reference opportunity to shortlist the ideal locations for your business. That way you get to see the entire market in one place. We provide an easy search portal that works on any device and allows you to shortlist possible solutions.

Here are the options you could consider and a brief outline of each one:

Co-working

The recent explosion in Co-working places has been a great advantage to small business owners trapped in their home office but are not quite ready for a full-time office of their own.

So how do they work? Essentially, Co-working is a large communal workspace, usually well designed and very comfortable. They often provide access to meeting rooms and private offices and generally have a membership rate which can be added to for other services.

Each location has great Wi-Fi and the opportunity to network with like-minded business owners, which is a far cry from the isolation and domestic distractions home workers often experience.

We have put together several great Co-working options for you to give you an idea of what is available:

Corsham Street, London N1 

Westland Place, London N1

Rivington Street, London, EC2A 

Virtual Offices

When is an office not an office? When it’s a virtual one! A Virtual Office is a quick and simple way to get a great business address and enhance your company’s profile without the cost outlay of a full-time office.

This option is ideal if you need to work on the move as it’s very easy to find a meeting room to use for important company meetings using our service.  A Virtual Office also allows you to control your initial outlay as set-up costs are significantly lower than a full-time office.

Here are some popular business addresses that provide virtual office solutions in the City of London:

No1 Poultry, London, EC2R

Royal Exchange, London, EC3V

Lombard Street, London, EC3V

Serviced Offices

A serviced Office comes in all shapes and sizes and there are a lot of considerations to take in to account when you start your search. One of the best advantages of a Serviced Office is the flexibility they provide. You can literally move straight in and the space can grow with you. With low set-up costs and transparent terms, each location will provide outstanding internet connectivity that will be faster and more reliable than your home Wi-Fi.

With Location as perhaps the most important consideration, its vital you consider not just transport links. Your office should also be close to your clients. Earlier this year we also talked about the 20 best locations for office space which you can read here.

The sheer choice of options can be a little overwhelming even if you have a very specific search area. So keep in mind that our experienced team can guide you through this veritable minefield of options.

Here are some great examples of Serviced Offices which offer outstanding interiors, great service and an amazing first impression for your clients:

Russell Square, London, WC1B

Stratton Street, London, W1

Colmore Circus, Queensway, Birmingham, B4

For a more detailed outline all you need to do is get in touch and talk to a member of our team. Simply call 020 3031 8563 or visit www.loc8commercial.com

The post When is the right time to take your first Serviced Office? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Would Brexit be a good thing for your business?

The results of the Loc8 Commercial survey show that SME’s are split when it comes to whether leaving the EU would have a negative impact on their businesses, with 46% in favour of a British exit from the EU and 46% wanting to stay and just 8% undecided either way.

Will the UK be better off out of the EU?

When asked “would the UK economy be better off if the country left the EU?” businesses responded by saying yes, with just over 50% compared to the 43% that said no.

Do you think a recession is more likely of the UK left the EU?

The Loc8 Commercial survey had some mixed results which could support the theory that many people are simply not sure what impact Brexit will have on the wider economy. For example, 38% of businesses thought a recession would be more likely despite more than 50% agreeing Brexit would be good for the UK economy.

Would there be job losses if the UK left the EU?

Brexit campaigners have said that there could be some short term growth issues but the long term forecast would be generally positive. Ian Duncan Smith said he believes the downward impact on wage growth is due to European migration, something that has been mentioned throughout the debate. But what is not clear is the impact of wage inflation on UK jobs if the country votes to leave, especially as productivity is not rising at the same rate as other European countries according to the Office of National Statistics.

The Loc8 Commercial survey found that just under 40% of UK businesses think there would be job losses if the UK voted to leave, with 31% feeling confident there would not be any immediate increase in unemployment figures. This question had one of the highest levels of respondents who were unsure, with just over 30% not clear either way.

The immediate impact of Brexit on the UK Economy

Last week the head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevêdo, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the UK would find negotiations for trade deals slow and time consuming following an exit from the EU. As a result there would be an impact on the UK economy which could lead to a recession in the short term. The Loc8 Commercial survey supports the views of Mr Azevêdo with 38% believing a recession was likely. However, there is an equal number between those who are unsure and those that believe a recession is unlikely.

Lee Grodent, CEO and Founder of Loc8 Commercial said, “Our quick survey has thrown up a number of issues that are concerning UK SME’s. With the arguments on both sides being clouded by negative headlines it’s easy to understand why the respondents of our survey are uncertain about the affects of Brexit on the wider economy. It’s clear from these results that the referendum could be close either way.”

What issues have the greatest negative impact on UK businesses?

Both sides of the debate have argued that there is either too much or very little EU red tape. These confusing arguments haven’t helped to clarify the debate. Last month The Treasury cited the LSE Centre for Economic Performance report which stated, “It is unclear whether there are substantial regulatory benefits from Brexit”. Businesses that took part in the Loc8 Commercial survey however, think red tape is the biggest issue affecting their ability to do business easily with 58%. In addition, the regularity of new EU regulations is the second biggest issue with 35% citing this as a concern, well ahead of immigration, which had a zero score from the businesses that took part in the survey.

-Ends-

About Loc8 Commercial

Loc8 Commercial help businesses by working with worldwide, national and independent providers of serviced offices, managed offices, virtual offices and the growing number of Co-working locations to find the right flexible work space solution for you. We’re impartial so you’re guaranteed to get the right advice to suit your budget, location requirements and business needs. Loc8 Commercial has over 20 years experience of the global office space market.

www.loc8commercial.com

Press Contacts

For further information about Loc8 Commercial or this press release please contact the Loc8 Commercial press team at AIM.

Stephen Moore – Telephone: 07984 077838 or 020 3053 8670

Email: Stephen@adventuresinmarketing.co.uk

The post PRESS RELEASE – What do UK SME’s really think about Brexit? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.