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.

Start-up businesses by new and serial entrepreneurs are one of the most exciting things happening to our business economy. We have seen a huge rise in new companies forming over the past couple of years. Most aim to keep their overheads low and often launch from the comforts of their own home or coffee shops.

Most start-ups are self-funded but a lucky few are heavily backed meaning they can grow from a bedroom business to having a global presence in no time.

Start-ups used to mainly appear in industries like Tech, Media, Product and Fashion but we are seeing a pattern towards Property, Finance, Education and Healthcare.  The rise of Virtual Reality, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Wearable tech, Automation and mobile means that these industries are growing quicker than ever before.

It’s easy to be intimidated by bleak statistics where 8/10 start-ups fail in the first 18 months.  This is evident in the lack of start-ups that IPO in 2016 but we expect a huge number of new start-ups to go public. Who could they be?

1.    AppDynamics

2.    Snapchat

3.    HotelTonight

4.    Spotify

5.    Qualtrics

6.    Cloudera

7.    Dropbox

8.    Blue Apron

9.    Stich Fix

10. Airbnb

It’s public knowledge that AppDynamics and Snapchat have already filed to go public this year and we are confident of many more.

These companies fill many different office spaces with some having more than one office. Take a look at these offices we have available for you to rent and experience working in a similar environment to these great start-up –

The Shard, SE1 – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/976/london-bridge-street-london-se1

Shoreditch/Old Street – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1493/westland-place-london-n1

Kings Cross – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/750/east-side-kings-cross-station-london-n1c

Soho – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1029/sheraton-street-london-w1f

Chelsea – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1536/fulham-road-london-sw3

The City – https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1028/devonshire-square-london-ec2m  

Whether you are a start-up, SME or a more established company we are sure to have an office solution to suit you. Please give us a call to discuss on 020 3031 8563 or alternatively search online via www.loc8commercial.com

The post 10 Start-Ups – Watch this space appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

After noticing a gap in the market for a social media marketing agency for SME’s, I launched The Social Shop late in 2013 after spending 8 years working my way up recruiting for the marketing and advertising agency sector.

Knowing I had 3 month’s wages in the bank to support me whilst I got the company off the ground, my first aim was to make sure I could cover my mortgage. I did what I knew best and used LinkedIn as a new business platform; luckily my first client came in the shape of a well-known restaurant in Camden. 

As one client turned into two, then five and then ten, I had to make a decision on an office. My overheads had to increase and in order to be taken seriously, I needed an office space. I moved into a space that my first client owned which was helpful as I didn’t have a clue where to find available office spaces! This first space in Camden was great as I was working alone. However, as I hired my first employee and my client base was growing, I needed to move somewhere neutral so all of our clients were treated equally. 

I was paying a lot for this space but had nothing else to compare it to, the 3 month notice period also didn’t seem a problem when I signed up. I quickly realised that as my cash-flow was forever up and down, being tied down to a contract with anyone was a commitment and I couldn’t stick to it for too much longer.  Therefore, we went from our own office space to a co-working incubator in Camden by a start-up called ‘Work.Life’. https://work.life/ 

‘Work.life’ was great; We were one of the first businesses to move into their first office. We were suddenly in a creative working environment with others in similar industries which was quite motivating. In addition, this space came with free tea, coffee and biscuits! Those that know me know I like to eat a lot of biscuits and drink a lot of tea, so the saving alone was fantastic!

We had access to free talks, events and were networking with new companies on a daily basis. However, I slowly realised the flexible work space in London was becoming hugely popular and there were other options that were not only more affordable, but more accessible than Camden. We were only there for 6 months but it supported 5 of us including interns. We met lots of SME’s that were in the same situation as us and the flexibility of being able to cancel our contract with 4 weeks’ notice was great.

We were very close to moving into Work.Life’s second office, a new space in London Fields, Hackney, as this was closer to where I lived. However, the desk cost was the same and contract restrictions were the same which wasn’t beneficial.

Whilst I was looking for a new flexible working space, I attended a networking event at a small incubator in Old Street which had a big personality; It was called ‘Launch 22’ based in Corsham Street. http://www.launch22.co.uk/

This place was just as cool, albeit with less capacity and free biscuits. However, it was slightly more affordable and in the heart of Tech City; A location that adds a huge amount of value to our credibility. Launch22 is a registered charity with 2 branches in Liverpool and London. Since joining we have become part of the family, a group of small businesses looking to grow with free mentorship and support from the large network of people associated with the incubator. The best thing about Launch22 for us is that we can cancel our monthly rolling contract anytime with 1 weeks’ notice. Being a small company, things can change for us on a monthly basis so this level of flexibility being in the heart of the city is awesome!

I have seen the pop up of many new but more expensive flexible workspaces around me over the past few years. I now understand there are office brokers like Loc8 Commercial, who are the best people to speak to about finding a suitable office space for your business. Speaking to office brokers reduces the timeframe and personal stress of finding somewhere new. Loc8 provide a free and impartial overview of the market and is very helpful in the way that they can give us new options that we may not have known previously. Add to the fact they gave us an insight into the workspace industry then it’s a win win.

If we were currently looking to move offices we would want to view the following 3 options from looking at Loc8’s website:  

Serviced Office to let: Curtain Road, London

https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1682/curtain-road-london-ec2a

Serviced Office to let: Westland Place, London

https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1493/westland-place-london-n1

Serviced Office to let: White Lion Street,

https://loc8commercial.com/office/serviced-office-to-let/1033/white-lion-street-london-n1

The post Guest Blog: Why we chose to work in a flexible workspace appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Planning to Work from Home Today?

Working from home is great right? No morning fight through the crowds to get on your train, flexibility to work when you want to and best of all, no office noise.

Working from home has many benefits. With the main one being the ability to mix work with family commitments. But your clients and customers expect you to still meet deadlines and appear professional. That’s why it’s important to have a reliable phone system you would expect from a full time office and a good mobile signal. Missing calls is one of the biggest single problems  when you are away from the office. Voice mail must have a professional message for the calls you miss. And make sure your land line has the same!

You also need to set some basic ground rules for home working. Ensure you have a dedicated space that allows you to shut away the noises and distractions a busy home can throw at you.

If you don’t have a home office, invest in a desk so you can work productively from an upstairs bedroom. You hear a lot these days about seating and posture and most companies provide support to ensure your monitor and chair are at the right height. A great ergonomic chair can ensure you don’t get backache. So remember the same rules about your work space in your office apply at home too.

Planning to Work on the Move Tomorrow?

With statistics suggesting a third of the UK workforce works on the go during the average week it’s important to remember you need the ability to work from a professional location for meetings. Free Wi-Fi is essential too. So always check it’s free and provides a reasonable service before setting down somewhere to work between clients.

Local cafes are often a popular choice but we all know they can be very noisy and you have no control on the distractions around you. And when you look around everyone else had the same idea. It can make working productively quite difficult. A quiet meeting room, which are widely available from a choice of providers should be ideal for a quick meeting, the coffee is great and many have an amazing view too.

If you are working during lengthy commutes to meetings it’s often difficult to get good Wi-Fi on public transport and often you may need to access documents on the go. Think about the benefits of cloud storage using a provider like Dropbox. You can then access large files no matter where you find yourself. And a portable Wi-Fi hub works wonders too and they are not that expensive.

So, remember some basic ground rules when you are working away from the office:

• Make sure you can take your important calls
• Access to important documents is vital in case you have no signal
• Your business image can be compromised without the tools to do the job
• Make sure your productivity doesn’t suffer because of distractions

Finally, don’t forget we can always help with remote working locations at Loc8 Commercial. Just give us a call to find out what solutions would be best for your needs.

The post Working Remotely is Not as Easy as You Think appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

That said there can be many problems with home working for those who have to do it in order to keep control of their business costs. After all working in an office environment provides stability and that all too important requirement, human contact, which can be missing when you are working in isolation.

But it can be easy to make the most of the many advantages that working from home can provide. Once you establish a clear routine to maximise your productivity the home working process can be very successful. However it’s also important to understand how you can use the many different ways of working to your advantage.  From a low cost business address to working on the go, there is a solution to suit everyone. And when it’s time to expand your business there’s an option for that too.

Don’t spend the day in your underwear

We can all form bad habits and it can become very easy for people working from home to work in their pyjamas all day. So from day one we suggest creating a routine that mirrors going to the office. Get up, shower and have breakfast. Then get to work.

I work on the sofa because I don’t have a desk

And who wouldn’t want to work on the sofa, feet up and the TV on? The time you have to work should be productive and not full of distractions. According to a *survey by Ricoh UK, more than 75% of UK workers thought they were less productive at home due to a lack of up to date equipment and the everyday things that can take your eye off the ball.

It’s important you make some space at home and have a proper desk area. That means work can become somewhere you go to at home and then shut it away when it’s time to put your family hat on.

Looking credible in your busy market

So working from home provides a great deal of flexibility and with the proliferation of co-working spaces it’s easy to find somewhere to work when you are on the move. But how do you create a professional image when your office is a desk in the smallest bedroom in the house?

Easy! There are many ways to create the illusion that you have a full time office without having to budget for the additional cost. Virtual offices provide businesses with the use of a great address in an area that is right for you. Virtual office services vary from provider to provider and represent great value. Not only can you use the address on all your sales collateral and your website but you can also have all your business post forwarded to you.

Don’t meet your clients in your living room or a coffee shop

Gone are the days when the only option small business owners had for a meeting was the local Starbucks or Costa. These days there is a wide choice of easy to access, low cost meeting rooms that can be booked quickly online. If you need a more flexible space that you can use on a regular basis, why not try a co-working space. Memberships offer flexible working arrangements and great Wi-Fi.

At what point do you know it’s time to take an office?

As companies grow the need for more space can creep up very quickly. When that big new contract lands you suddenly need more people and with it more space.

There is no set time to consider a flexible office space solution for your business. The biggest factor to consider is the cost but once your business has outgrown the home office it’s vital that you move quickly to capitalise on the growth of your company.

The biggest single factor to consider is the “F” word – Flexibility! Without it you risk taking on too much too soon. That’s why a serviced office option could provide a solution that allows you to see how it goes by taking a short licence and perhaps extending later on.

Serviced offices provide a very easy way to literally move out of the home office one day and in to a new serviced office the next. Serviced office providers offer a variety of different benefits, and costs vary depending on location and how long you take the office for. Loc8 Commercial provides impartial and transparent advice to get you the best deal. So you don’t have to worry about finding the right solution on your own. And best of all our service is FREE.

*Source Ricoh UK survey 2014

The post When a Home Office Just Won’t Do! appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.