Monthly Archive for July, 2011

How Telecommuting is Re-Shaping the Workplace

Published on July 31, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Telecommuting Jobs or “working from home” is now more than ever before on the rise. And, it is re-shaping what we think of as the workplace. More organizations are seeing the benefits of letting their employees work from home, even if it is just occasionally. The current rise has also been thought to have come from tight budgets and a slow economy.

So why else are we seeing this sudden rise of telecommuting? What are the benefits of this type of work? And, how is it reshaping the workplace?

•Telecommuting saves money for companies. Most telecommuters have to invest in their own work equipment such as cell phones, laptops and other transcribing equipment and software. Also, most employers consider telecommuters as freelance, so they don’t have to pay health insurance or disability benefits. Full –time telework can save companies approximately $20,000 per employee.

•You can work anywhere. Having the ability to work from home, on vacation, in a coffee shop, at a friend’s house can lead to more productivity. It means, “I can take my work with me wherever.” This means less restrictions on time unless personally set by the telecommuter.

•Increased productivity. As mentioned before, the ability to work wherever whenever can boost productivity. Also, the feeling of not being confined in an office can lead to more creativity and excitement about job.

•Flexible schedule. Telecommuting offers a flexible schedule. Work can be arranged around family and other obligations. It can be done at the time that is best for you.

•Dress code. Working from home means the ability to wear whatever you’d like. You don’t need to report to the office everyday so you can wear what you’d like to give you some freedom.

•Environmentally friendly. Telecommuting is good for social issues such as reducing traffic, stress and pollution. If air quality is bad in a certain area, telecommuting can be a good thing in order to reduce vehicle travel.

•Employee Satisfaction. Telework flexibility is a desirable prerequisite for those looking for jobs these days. Many consider the ability to work from home a huge incentive when looking for a job.

With all of the benefits of telecommuting like saving money, good on the environment, makes employees happy, and increased productivity there are some concerns and skepticism of telecommuting. A few of these are:

•Fear of loss of control as employees are given more freedom.

•The view that it is a complement to the workplace rather than a substitute.

•Distrust from employers and disconnectedness from employee.

Just like anything, it takes a little more effort to communicate from a distance. A face to face environment usually causes less confusion. However, this sudden rise in telecommuting is for a good reason.

More companies are getting comfortable with the fact that employees enjoy the freedom to work from home whether part-time or full-time. Eventually, employers have to weigh the benefits to concerns and decide what is best for their business.

Sarah Edison is an office space expert at Elite Business Centres. Elite specializes in providing Vancouver virtual offices and executive offices. You can learn more about their services by visiting their website at http://www.eliteoffices.com

Why Entrepreneurship is Better Than Any Self-improvement Program You Can Think Of

Published on July 31, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Entrepreneurship is self-improvement. When people think of self-improvement, starting a business is not the first thing that comes to mind. But to be a successful entrepreneur you need to mold yourself into a better version of yourself. Not only do you put yourself at a better position financially, you’re also forced to challenge some negative assumptions about yourself and the world around you. The entrepreneur grows on his road to success, not when he finds it.

The first thing that the burgeoning entrepreneur needs to acquire is a sense of self-direction. When you take on building a business, you do it on your own – there is no boss telling you to do this. With that you also need to start taking personal responsibility for your successes and failures. You no longer have any excuses to fall back on; no “my boss is an idiot” or “I didn’t get much time” or “I hate my co-workers”…etc. You stand and fall on your own merits. You become the captain of your own financial destiny.

As you move along the road of the entrepreneur, you start to realize the importance of managing your time and money. You really start to appreciate the 24 hours you get in a day and the 7 days you get in a week. You realize that time is valuable and cannot be frittered away. The same with the money you have on hand to invest in yourself and in your business. After realizing these things, learning how to effectively manage both your time and money is a no-brainer. You take it upon yourself to learn how to be efficient with your time and frugal with your money, two very admirable and useful personal traits.

When you start your own business, it is necessary to learn how to actually run a business. That means education. You educate yourself to learn how to run a business and how to better your product or service. But acquiring specialized knowledge is not the only thing you get from learning about starting a business. One acquires a different mindset, a different way of looking at things. You begin to see failures as stepping stones to an eventual success, persistence as the wings that would take me to that success. What you were once afraid of you start seeing them as growth-inducing challenges on the way to success.

But perhaps one of the most profound ways entrepreneurship brings growth is by how it changes long held beliefs. The best example I can give of this is the commonly held belief that you need to take so you can make money. In fact, I found the opposite to be true. In a paradoxical sense, you start need to give and give so you can make money. When you have a money centered mentality, seeing each customer as a dollar sign instead of a person, you decrease you’re chances to make a sale because you’re not focused on giving them anything, just parting them with their money. But if you start viewing your customers as people with needs and wants, you start giving them things of value, sometimes even for free, and that’s when you start raking in the money. It’s a very important lesson that can be applied to almost any aspect of social life; give more to get more.

At the end of your entrepreneurial journey, you don’t only have a new source of income, you also have a new you. All of it stemming from the requirements of the nature of entrepreneurship. You are forced to grow when you become an entrepreneur.

Now, sure, it would be great if we all had the money to start up our own business, but how is the average Joe supposed to do that, especially in this economy. Now thanks to the internet anyone can become an entrepreneur and grow. The internet is full of resources and methods to help you create your own online business. Learn about the ways you can generate your own online income.

The Benefits of Co-Working From a Business Point of View

Published on July 31, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Co-Working is a global movement of localized mobile/remote worker communities coming together to share their otherwise independent work experiences. It is a growing trend in today’s changing workplace.

It seems that more and more, we hear about businesses that start up from group collaboration. If you currently are a remote worker or an independent here are some facts about co-working and why it is beneficial from a business point of view.

Why is Co-working Beneficial?

•Sharing resources can be very helpful. Most people don’t want to pay for their own office space. The ability to share the costs of typical office amenities is a benefit. You can share the cost of equipment so you are able to afford what you need for your business. And don’t forget sharing ideas as a helpful resource. When you have a diverse set of human skills it can open up project ideas and opportunities. , who knows what you could come up with when you come together with other creative, independent, motivated thinkers.

•Helps to create a healthy work life balance. There might be more work to do than you are able to fit into a 40 hour work week, and working overtime is not healthy. Maybe you need some help. With a co-working environment you don’t have to feel as pressured or stressed out to work around the clock to achieve what you need to get done. Enough sleep and relaxation is really important from a business perspective.

•What’s going on in your region? Sometimes you have no idea what’s going on in your own backyard unless you cross pollinated and interact with others from the community. Co-working allows for this sort of healthy interaction to happen every day. There’s a lot of benefit to knowing what’s going amon in your community. Also, from an economic development standpoint co-working can lead to richer community activity and more visibility to the rest of the world.

•Improve your smarts. In a co-working space there’s accelerated learning that occurs. Everyone comes for a slightly different purpose but has some goal in common. As the days progress, different topics come up and inevitably there’s an off-topic thread. You automatically begin learning new things.

•It’s important to feel motivated. There’s something really great about working at a co-working space. When you are surrounded by other hard working people, it amps up your productivity and creativity.

•Getting out. In a co-working environment, you can get a lot done. Getting out of the house is healthy, and co-working forces you to do just that. Many business centers in major cities offer office facilities to facilitate co-working and not break the budget.

Where Can I Find More Information About Co-Working?

When working independently you may run into many questions or problems, but if you have help from co-workers you will be able to solve most of these. From a business perspective this saves a lot of time and money.

Sarah Edison is an office space expert at Elite Business Centres. Elite specializes in providing Vancouver virtual offices and executive offices. You can learn more about their services by visiting their website at http://www.eliteoffices.com

Choosing Whether to Buy Or Lease Office Space

Published on July 31, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

When you’re in the market for office space for your business there are a few things that you should think about before making this investment.

With ever-changing U.S office vacancy rates and stock markets, it is uncertain what the future may bring. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of leasing or buying office space. And, you should consider a few things about purchasing office space.

One thing you should consider is whether to lease or buy office space. Here are some pros and cons of leasing vs. buying.

Pros of Buying an Office Space

- Tax Deductions – the associated costs of owning and running a commercial space can provide expense deductions.

- Fixed costs – locking in your commercial mortgage can give your business clear, fixed costs.

- Additional income – owning your office can add the advantage of renting out extra office space and adding more income

- A Retirement Fund – the prospect of owning commercial space allows the owner to sell out and fund their retirement.

Cons of Office Space Buying

- Upfront Costs – buying space usually costs more money upfront which is not practical for new businesses and entrepreneurs.

- Lack of Flexibility – a new or growing business may experience unexpected needs in the future.

Pros of Office Space Leasing

- Free-up Working Capital – with your money not tied up, your business can respond to opportunities in the market.

- More Time- allows more time to focus solely on running your business.

- Prime Property- leasing allows opportunity to be in a great location with a high image.

Cons of Office Space Leasing

- Variable Costs – when you lease you may be subject to annual rent increases and higher costs at the time when your lease expires.

- No Equity – When you lease you are funding someone else’s retirement with your lease payments.

There are pros and cons to both buying and leasing. Making a decision will come down to finances, tax, and personal issues.

Here are some simple tips and things to think about before investing in office space.

- Decide How Much to Invest

When considering how much money you should invest in your office space you should think about your present house needs, how much you can afford, and whether you wish to use this space as an investment vehicle.

- Think About Timing

When is the right time to buy or lease an office space? Factors to consider are your personal situations, and “market timing.” Market timing is your judgment of whether the market will be going up or down.

Spring and fall usually have greater market activity, and a wider choice of reasonably priced properties for sale, than summer and winter. However, looking back over many years it is clear that no season is predictably the least expensive time to buy in this area. Sometimes the best time to buy is when nobody else is looking. A little-known secret is that there is usually a noticeable drop in prices at the end of December, creating an opportunity of which very few buyers take advantage.

When looking for an office space the most important thing is that you consider the long run and the needs of your business.

Sarah Edison is an office space expert at Elite Business Centres. Elite specializes in providing Vancouver office space. You can learn more about their services by visiting their website at http://www.eliteoffices.com