One of the key drivers of this change is the rise of remote work. More and more people are working from home or other locations outside of traditional office spaces. This shift is being fueled by advances in technology, such as video conferencing, cloud-based software, and collaboration tools, which make it easier than ever to work remotely and stay connected with colleagues.

Another important factor is the changing expectations of employees. Today’s workers are looking for more flexibility and autonomy in their jobs, as well as a better work-life balance. They want to be able to work from home and have more control over their schedules.

To meet these changing needs, the flexible office industry has evolved to provide a range of new solutions and services. Flexible office spaces are no longer just a place to work – they’re becoming hubs of collaboration, creativity, and community. Many flexible office providers are now offering a wide range of amenities, such as lounges, cafes, event spaces, and even fitness centers, to create a more holistic work experience.

One of the most exciting new developments in the flexible office industry is the rise of hybrid workspaces. These spaces combine the best of both worlds – the flexibility and convenience of remote work with the social interaction and collaboration of traditional office spaces. Hybrid workspaces typically offer a mix of private offices, open workspaces, and shared amenities, giving employees the flexibility to work where and how they want.

At the same time, the flexible office industry is also leading the way in sustainability and eco-friendly practices. Many flexible office providers are investing in green technologies, such as solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and recycling programs, to reduce their environmental impact.

In summary, the flexible office industry is evolving rapidly to meet the changing needs of businesses and their employees. The rise of remote work, changing expectations of workers, and the need for more sustainable practices are all driving this transformation. As a result, we’re seeing the emergence of new ways of working, such as hybrid workspaces, that offer a more flexible, collaborative, and sustainable work experience. For businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve, it’s time to embrace the future of work, the new ways of working and take advantage of the opportunities they offer.

If you want to find the perfect flexible office solution for your business, call us on 020 3031 8563 or search our website www.loc8commercial.com

The post The Future of Work: Shaping the Flexible Office Industry appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Flexible offices are becoming increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes and industries, and for a good reason. They offer many benefits, from cost savings to increased productivity and employee satisfaction. But why should flexible offices be a part of any organisation’s real estate strategy? Here are just a few reasons:

1. Cost Savings: Traditional office spaces can be expensive, especially in prime locations. But with flexible offices, businesses only pay for the space they need, whether that’s a few desks or an entire floor. This can lead to significant cost savings, especially for startups and small businesses that may not have the capital to invest in a traditional office space.

2. Increased Flexibility: One of the most significant advantages of flexible offices is their inherent flexibility. They can be used for various purposes, from temporary project spaces to long-term offices. And because they are often equipped with multiple amenities and services, businesses can quickly scale up or down as needed without long-term commitments.

3. Improved Productivity: Flexible offices are designed with productivity in mind. They often feature open floor plans, comfortable furniture, and access to amenities such as coffee shops and fitness centers. This can create a more relaxed and collaborative working environment, increasing productivity and employee satisfaction.

4. Access to Talent: By having a presence in a flexible office, businesses can gain access to a broader pool of talent. Many flexible office spaces are located in prime locations, making attracting and retaining top talent easier.

5. Increased Agility: In today’s fast-paced business environment, agility is critical. Flexible offices allow businesses to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, whether that’s a new project or a shift in business strategy. This can help businesses stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.

   

In summary, flexible office space is essential to any modern business strategy. It offers a wide range of benefits, from increased agility and cost savings to improved productivity and access to talent. So if you’re not already embracing flexible office space, now is the time to start. Your business and your employees will thank you.

We help you find the perfect flexible office based on your requirements. Give us a call to discuss on 020 3031 8563.

#flexibleoffice #agility #costsavings #productivity #talentaccess #flexibleworkspace

The post Flexible Offices must be part of your real estate strategy appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

The Importance of Employee Engagement.

Defining Employee Engagement

Employee engagement measures how connected employees/workers feel to their company and job. Engaged employees are more productive, creative and committed to their tasks and work.

The Business Case for Employee Engagement.

Employee engagement is one of the essential factors in a company’s success. When employees are engaged, they are more creative and productive. This can lead to increased innovation and a better product or service. Additionally, employee engagement can help reduce turnover rates and improve customer satisfaction.

In short, employee engagement positively impacts every aspect of a business.

How to Increase Employee Engagement.

Recognising and Rewarding Employees.

There are a few reasons why recognising and rewarding employees can increase employee engagement. First, when employees feel appreciated and acknowledged for their efforts, they are more likely to be motivated to continue working hard. Additionally, recognition can help build a positive relationship between employees and managers, fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration. Finally, rewards prove that an organisation values its employees and is grateful for their contributions. This can encourage employees to stay around and contribute more to the company.

Employers who want to increase employee engagement should consider implementing a system of recognition and rewards. This could involve thanking employees publicly for a job well done, providing bonuses or gift cards, or even just taking the time to say “thank you”.

Providing Opportunities for Development

Employee engagement is critical to the success of any organisation. Providing development opportunities is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement. Here are three reasons why:

First, employees who feel they can grow and develop within their organisation are more likely to be engaged with their work. They feel a sense of ownership over their career path and are more motivated to do their best work. Additionally, research has shown that employees with development opportunities are more likely to stay with an organisation long-term.

Second, providing opportunities for development shows employees that you value them and their contributions to the organisation. This can lead to increased motivation and a more substantial commitment from employees.

Creating a Positive Work Environment

A positive work environment promotes a sense of well-being. When employees feel good physically and mentally, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work. A positive work environment helps promote a sense of well-being by ensuring that employees have the resources they need to stay healthy and happy.

A positive work environment fosters a sense of belonging. Employees who feel like they belong at their workplace are more likely to be engaged in their work. A positive work environment fosters a sense of belonging by creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and supported.

Why Employee Engagement Matters.

The Impact of Employee Engagement on Business Outcomes

Employee engagement increases productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and organisational commitment. In addition, employee engagement is associated with decreased staff turnover and absenteeism, as well as increased innovation and creativity. Ultimately, high employee engagement results in a more productive and profitable organisation.

The Impact of Employee Engagement on Individual Employees.

Engaged employees tend to be more focused, productive and motivated, which leads to better business outcomes. Second, engaged employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover and associated costs. Finally, engaged employees create a positive work environment that benefits all employees, promoting teamwork and collaboration. All of these factors contribute to making businesses more successful.

Conclusion

Business workplace is also essential to employee engagement and retention because it is where employees spend most of their time (or used too). This means that the workplace significantly impacts employees’ feelings about their jobs and whether they feel connected to their work. Employees form strong relationships with co-workers at their workplaces. These relationships can be a significant factor in whether an employee stays with a company or not.

In this article, we have explored the benefits of employee engagement and provided tips for how you can increase it in your own workplace. Employers who want to increase employee engagement should consider implementing a system of recognition and rewards. Providing development opportunities is also one of the best ways to increase employee engagement.

The benefits of employee engagement extend not only to businesses but also to individual employees themselves.

The post How to Increase Employee Engagement and Why it Matters appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

STEP 1: Know Your Outcome

Before going into the meeting, have a clear understanding of why you’re holding it and what you want to get out of it. Write down the meeting objectives -clearly and specifically- and then ongoing outcomes you’re aiming to result from there. For example, you may need to hold a meeting to run through some new regulations. It’s mandatory (although can be a little uninspiring), but if you have the objective to complete it and motivate your team in the process, you will start thinking outside the box for exactly how you can do that

Don’t be shy to also share your objectives with your team too; keeping everyone on the same page, with focus and drive, knowing exactly what they’re working towards and why. Where possible, get your team to also set their own personal targets, that you can then monitor and follow up on. For example, if you hold a group meeting for your sales team to boost figures there- get each member of staff to write down their own new targets going out of the meeting. You could even gather these, add them together and put them onto a progress board; encouraging teamwork and a little healthy competition.

STEP 2: Prepare Properly

Once you know what your goals are and the purpose of the meeting, you can start to formulate a proper plan. Don’t go in there blind, then be surprised why it doesn’t have the impact you want! Like all things in life, you get out what you put in. So to improve the effectiveness of your meetings, you have to take the time to prepare them properly.

How will you format your meeting? How will you kick it off with a bang?! Utilise videos, storytelling, quick quizzes, statements for discussion, questions, tasks- there’s so much you can do. How will you make your next meeting different? And how can you craft it to grab their attention early on, and then maintain it throughout?

STEP 3: Do Something Different

You want to be in the position where every time you call a staff meeting, your team don’t groan, but instead- get interested, unsure of what to expect! The only way to do this, is by continuously mixing things up!

High energy is essential, as is your delivery, but get creative with how you can get your messages across. How about breaking the meeting up with group brainstorming sessions, getting people moving from table to table? Or what about a ‘Speed Dating’ exercise to get staff sharing their thoughts/ feedback on a particular topic, bouncing ideas around, or have you ever tried ‘sticker voting’? This is a fun concept where you write different approaches/ techniques in different places, and your team put stickers next to the ideas they think they could work with. There are so many different things you can try- either by getting ideas from the internet, or creating your own.

The key here, is to simply do them. Don’t be afraid how well it will be received, because if you don’t try- you won’t know. But if you start to innovate around your meetings, you will not only get far better engagement within them, but also create a better company culture and lead your team to greater success!

Try it, and see the difference it makes. Think you’ve mastered the meetings?! Pop your engagement strategies in the comments box below- we’d love to hear them! And if you’re looking for meeting or conference rooms, don’t forget- we provide an impartial service to find the right space for you. See here.

The post Three Simple Steps to Get Better Results From Your Team Meetings appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

1. Going for comfort!– Feeling a long day at the office, as the winter draws in? Well hey: you may as well make it as cosy as you can whilst you’re there… Give your space a little makeover, playing around with different textiles and cushions. It’ll make your co-workers longing for yours!

Image from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com

2. Grab a bulletin board and fill it with pictures that inspire you!- Family, friends, dream home, holiday destinations, goals, to do lists, the lot! The more, the merrier; the bigger, the better… So long as it’s not going to leave you day-dreaming all afternoon. We’re adding this to PUSH YOU!

Photo via Habitissimo: https://fotos.habitissimo.com.br/foto/paredes-revestidas-de-cortica_897200

3. Have some fun with wall art- posters, stickers, humorous quotes, the lot! Don’t walk into a room that’s empty; have something there that gives you a little giggle or brightens your day in the morning. Sometimes, it’s the small things that make all the difference.

Photo via Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/251821610/humorous-print-maybe-swearing-will-help

4. Epic organisers- A messy desk means a messy mind, or so they say right?! Remove all distractions by getting creative with your desk space. When you have a look around, you’ll actually find heaps of pretty cool options. Which one’s your favourite?

Photo via Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/514677063646031828/?lp=true

5. Let’s make some space- Feeling cramped? Want a little more light and life? We have the perfect solution… And no, this is not an excuse for you to look at yourself (although we’ll all have a cheeky glance right?!)- Instead, these mirrors are going to add some serious reflecting, making the space seem bigger than it actually is!

Photo via Carly Cristman: http://www.carlycristman.com/uncategorized/home-office-and-apartment-decorating-ideas/

6. Go green!– Okay so maybe this is going a little to the extreme, but a few plants/ flowers in the office will do you the world of good… That fresh air circulating in your workspace, taking out all the bad CO2- it’ll help to fuel your brain and bring ideas to life! Clean, fresh and let’s not forget: it gives you an excuse to take a little break to water them!

Photo via GreenTower: http://greentower.info/plants-for-the-office.html

7. Fly into your day- Okay so maybe this is not quite in your office, but wouldn’t it make you excited to get there?! Maybe one to bring up with the boss 😉

Photo via Zingy Homes: http://www.zingyhomes.com/latest-trends/creative-office-space-interior-design-ideas-tips/

Have fun! And remember- if you’re looking for a new office space, we’re here with free, impartial advice and property searching. Feel free to have a look through our properties for some inspiring workspaces – www.loc8commercial.com 

The post Seven Ways to Make Your Office More Inspiring appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

So, what exactly are flexible office spaces?

Essentially they are shared spaces or ‘flexispace’ that has all the basic equipment and infrastructure needed. They have always been popular with start-ups and SME’s due to the flexibility, however, more and more blue-chips are seeing the benefits of flexible spaces. Flexible offices were initially set up so that an employee who usually worked from home or remotely – or has to drive long distances to the company’s main office – can instead work externally for a few hours or days, every week or month. Ideal right?! In fact, Flexible Office space operators have taken the largest amount of sq ft space in London over the last 12-18 months to deal with the demand. It’s going off a storm, and not only improving employee retention within bigger businesses, but proving the ideal and solution for smaller businesses too.

A few of the benefits?…

• Flexible office spaces allow remote working employees to mix up their working week. Instead of being glued to a desk in one place, they have the option to work elsewhere: commuting to the main offices only when necessary. This helps with employee satisfaction, motivation and actually increases efficiency.

• Often flexible working spaces will have different employees from different businesses sharing the same building and in some cases the same office. This can be beneficial, fostering collaborative workplaces and mutually beneficial working relationships with others. No better way to create referrals, right?!

• As mentioned above- flexible office spaces are usually fully equipped premises, giving business owners access to everything they or their employees need, without the logistical and organisational nightmare. It’s fairly hassle free and also provides flexibility in terms of contracts, because unlike standard office renting- flexible 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. They can also grow as your company grows, which means they provide peace of mind when you need to downsize. This unique flexibility can allow you to keep control of the costs, which leads us onto the final benefit…

• Another major selling point is the cost-saving. Flexible offices generally have reduced overheads, because most providers include all of the expenses in one fixed monthly fee. Pretty neat, huh? This makes things easier to manage in terms of budgets, proving incredibly effective.

Now it’s important to remember- flexible offices aren’t for everyone. It is still a relatively new concept and success may depend on the nature of the business, the company culture, management set up and of course: the employee themselves. Some employees need greater management, can feel a little disconnected from the business and may struggle to stay disciplined, focused and of course- not get distracted! The way to make it work for big companies? Well-structured arrangements, clearly clarified expectations, strong communication and regular targets/ tasks/ goals to work towards.

If flexible working is part of your company culture or potentially suitable for the stage your business is in, flexible office spaces work hand-in-hand to provide the ideal solution.

Will they take over traditional offices? We don’t think so, not entirely…

But they are becoming evermore popular- and with good reason! A number of traditional landlords are now also including flexible workspace within their offering, as they understand that some clients’ businesses are seasonal and may have larger teams for short periods when working on specific projects.

Got a question regarding work spaces? We’re here 24/7 offering FREE impartial advice.

Reach out… – https://loc8commercial.com/page/details/about-us

The post Are Flexible Offices The Future of Work? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Melbourne Server Hosting

If you are looking for ways to differentiate a typical office floor, why not stick a library room in the middle? All of sudden, office meetings feel more like the start of a murder mystery tale set in an English manor house.

Couchsurfing

Living up to its name and business, Couchsurfing’s office space is seriously cool and laid back. Looking more like a teenager’s basement than the office space of a global business, Couchsurfing employees enjoy sofas, swings and plenty of open space.

Inventionland Design Factory

This office is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. This office is designed with 15 different sets, ranging from pirate ships, race tracks, faux caves, red carpet walkways, a castle and a giant robot. Not only does the space have fun, creative decor, but the facility also has a state-of-the-art sound/video/animation studio and fully-equipped workshops for creating working prototypes of inventions.

Dropbox

The mission of the popular file hosting and sharing platform Dropbox is to make it easy for people to work comfortably from anywhere. So when it came time to design office space, Dropbox wanted the space to do the same thing. It’s an office that Dropbox likens to a city plaza: a mixture of public and semiprivate spaces that encourage workers to find their own personal bliss.

The post 4 of the coolest offices in the world appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

It’s easy to assume that the majority of office’s here still look something like the following:

But you would be wrong!

There are of course still many trading floors that operate this way with tonnes of paperwork and multiple screens on each desk. However, London like many of cities around the world are moving to a more collaborative working model.  It’s not unusual to see a corporate workplace like this in The City today.

What are the main differences apart from a few bicycles hanging from the ceiling? 

Gina Lassman, ex HR Manager at International Law Firm Simmons & Simmons says: “Everything has moved online, for example invoices, personnel records all used to be paper based but now everything is scanned and saved to the cloud.  More people started working from home and staff were given ‘Vasco Tokens’ which gives them the ability to log on from their home PC enabling people to work remotely when required.

More part time and flexible working arrangements were put in place and women were given the opportunity to work part time particular after coming back from maternity leave.

Open planned offices became more popular with the firm.  Offices used to be more enclosed with a few people working in each room.  Over the year’s office space changed with much more open planned structure leading to more collaborative working”.

In addition, the concept of community is very central to this theory. Working together, having a more laid back environment and being encouraged to bounce off of each other for ideas is extremely common and celebrated rather than frowned upon. People are more accepting of new technology, culture, design and the possibility of new and exciting endeavours.

Boardrooms are quickly changing from this:

To this:

Today, it’s common place to see a mixed boardroom of all ages from all backgrounds in a corporate workplace.  Staff bring their own laptops, mobiles and tablets. Tables could be made from metal, Lego, plastic, glass and many other materials. Chairs, lighting, wall design and technology all play a part in the evolving modern boardroom.

“Recent findings by index provider MSCI have found that organisations with a strong female influence on their boards perform 36% times more effectively than those without.

According to MSCI,  a “strong-female influence” is defined as having three or more female directors, or alternatively, a female CEO and one another female director. Average numbers of female board members vary dramatically around the world, with the likes of Jordan, where only 4% board positions are occupied by women, while in the UK, on average, 25% of board members are female” Source: http://www.sri-executive.com/news/females-in-the-boardroom/ 

The post Collaborating in a Corporate Workplace 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.