Following the advice to work from home, many of us have enjoyed our new remote working lifestyle during lockdown. No crowded and often sweaty commutes to work, no office small talk and perhaps you quite enjoy working in your pyjamas – I know I do. Unfortunately for many, this working from home existence is not always ideal or suitable. For families it can be a noisy and distracting environment or for people living alone, an isolated and boring place to work. Plus, the novelty of remote working post lockdown is quickly wearing off for some.
Working from home, however, is becoming the new normal in the business world. This is something that many workers are going to have to acclimatise to, at least until the new year. Now restrictions are easing, and the hospitality sector continues to re-establish itself, it’s time to start rethinking remote working by exploring different workspace solutions.
‘Work is not a place’
Remote working doesn’t have to involve sitting in the same spot every day to ensure you get the best (ish) Wi-Fi connection in your at-home-office, nor does it have to consist of productivity struggles and solitude. If you have the freedom and the flexibility to work from anywhere, why stay at home? After months of lockdown forced to work in the same environment, wouldn’t it be nice for work to not be one specific space?
If you don’t know where to start or where the best free places to work are, Othership makes it easy for you. Over 100+ free and unique workspaces have been handpicked for you. And good news! If you’re up north, there are newly selected venues in Manchester too- watch this space. These workspaces are a mixture of coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels for all your hotdesking needs. There’s something for everyone to discover.
Waited on whilst you work!
I’ve had the privilege of recently becoming a Othership premium member and visiting all the unique venues they list. Not only has my productivity improved but I am getting waited on whilst I work and its often discounted too! The unique, photo-friendly venues have started my workdays off with a smile (and probably an Instagram). All venues have the perfect trio of good Wi-Fi, handy plug sockets and a constant flow of quality coffee. To have all three at home is a myth- unless you’re very lucky!
As mentioned before, if you’re rethinking remote working, there are a myriad of venues for you to choose from. If you don’t have time to find the best-suited venues for you, go have a look on the Othership Instagram page. On their Instagram highlights they present short 40 second videos of the free workspaces– what they offer, what unique features they have and where they’re located are all included within these fun virtual tours.
Feeling remote? Community matters
People are important. Interacting with people IRL rather than through a laptop is incredibly beneficial, not only for mental health and wellbeing but also for work cohesion. The social interaction with colleagues is often lacking when working from home, making teamwork and feedback more challenging. Being able to meet in a co-working space, even if just for one meeting, can be so valuable and productive for you and your team. If this isn’t necessary for your line of work, going somewhere communal with a busier surrounding may make working feel a bit less lonely.
Not only is there an opportunity to partake in some people watching whilst you work, but you’re also often surrounded by a community. Othership members are friendly, welcoming and cover a diverse range of specialisms in the business world. If they’re not in the same café as you, worry not, they are a mouse click away on the Othership Slack group. Either for a bit of interactive fun or to answer any business or venue related questions you may have. It’s a great community to be a part of, particularly in these unprecedented times.
You survived remote working in the midst of a pandemic, but now, post lockdown you have the flexibility to explore your options that best suit you or your team! So, go for it!
Thanks
Remote working is best. Add in the lack of a commute, remote workers typically have more time and fewer distractions, which leads to increased productivity—a huge benefit of working from home for both employees and employers alike. When done right, remote work allows employees and companies to focus on what really matters—performance. Some of the best remote working tools embraced by companies globally are: Webex, Gomeetnow, Gotomeeting, Slack, Microsoft teams, R-HUB web video conferencing servers etc.