Originally written by Dorothy Spira on Small Business
Spring is traditionally when we think about tidying up and decluttering at home, which makes it the ideal time to also tackle putting our work life in order as well. But tidying and decluttering your digital space is just as important as decluttering your physical living space.
Over the last year there has been a huge increase in the use of connected digital devices due to the pandemic and lockdowns. And the more we use digital space (e.g. when working online from home), the more “virtual clutter” we create. This is bad news because virtual clutter distracts us, slows us down and makes us less productive.
Productivity is already a burning issue for UK companies. Recent research shows that the country’s productivity levels are 16 per cent below the average for the other members of the G7 group of industrial nations (ONS survey). The 2021 Budget also saw UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announce a new £520m Help to Grow scheme to help small businesses increase their productivity.
>See also: Four-day week – how it could boost your small business
So how can you best tackle this issue? We’ve put together the below tips to give you step-by-step
Tag Archive for Office & home working
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How to spring clean your digital space to become more productive
by Dorothy Spira • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Dorothy Spira on Small Business
Spring is traditionally when we think about tidying up and decluttering at home, which makes it the ideal time to also tackle putting our work life in order as well. But tidying and decluttering your digital space is just as important as decluttering your physical living space.
Over the last year there has been a huge increase in the use of connected digital devices due to the pandemic and lockdowns. And the more we use digital space (e.g. when working online from home), the more “virtual clutter” we create. This is bad news because virtual clutter distracts us, slows us down and makes us less productive.
Productivity is already a burning issue for UK companies. Recent research shows that the country’s productivity levels are 16 per cent below the average for the other members of the G7 group of industrial nations (ONS survey). The 2021 Budget also saw UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announce a new £520m Help to Grow scheme to help small businesses increase their productivity.
>See also: Four-day week – how it could boost your small business
So how can you best tackle this issue? We’ve put together the below tips to give you step-by-step
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What are my legal responsibilities for homeworkers?
by Chris Salmon • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Chris Salmon on Small Business
An unprecedented number of employees are continuing to work remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. Small businesses new to managing remote staff are often unfamiliar with their legal health and safety responsibilities for homeworkers.
The migration to working from home (WFH) has presented many challenges for employers and employees. As companies have been forced to focus on business continuity, it is possible that remote workers’ health and safety will have been overlooked.
Legal responsibilities for homeworkers
Employers have the same legal duty of care for remote working employees.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary workplace safety legislation. The act makes no distinction between home and in-office workers.
The Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 specifically states that “employers are responsible for the health and safety of homeworkers, as far as is reasonably practicable”.
The regulations require employers to carry out a risk assessment of their employees’ workplace.
The assessment should identify any potential risks so the employer can then seek to remove or mitigate the risk.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the home is the most common location for an accident to happen.
Although most homeworkers will be working at home
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Remote working coronavirus: Am I covered by home insurance?
by Ben Rose • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Ben Rose on Small Business
When the UK government enforced social distancing back in March, hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and millions of employees, found themselves remote working almost overnight. The transition to the new working environment happened remarkably quickly, and for many businesses this digital-only world was completely new ground for them.
As we all settle into what’s been termed the “new normal” however, a number of questions are being raised about how secure businesses really are with their entire workforce working remotely, and what remote working insurance they need in place to ensure they remain fully protected.
>See also: Working from home – How to manage your time and increase productivity
Am I covered for remote working in my household insurance?
Probably not. It is unlikely that your household insurance will cover any business activities unless they have been disclosed to and agreed with your insurer.
This is because most household insurance policies are only intended to cover domestic activities and not commercial activities (which may include working from home). If you work for a company, then that company won’t be a party to your household insurance contract either, so it’s important that the company has its own insurance policy
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How to protect your small business from coronavirus cyber threats
by Nick Ismail • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Nick Ismail on Small Business
The disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis has forced small business to change how it operates; non-essentials workers are now working remotely and physical events have become virtual.
In this new mass remote and online environment, what can a small business do to protect itself and its workforce from coronavirus scams and cyber security threats?
We spoke to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for the latest coronavirus cyber security advice:
What cyber security advice do you have for small business?
For organisations of all sizes this period presents a cyber security challenge, and this is particularly the case for those moving towards home working arrangements for the first time, or significantly increasing home working.
The NCSC recently published new guidance for organisations with staff working from home, which includes everything from preparing for home working to helping staff look after devices.
Smaller businesses may also wish to familiarise themselves with the NCSC’s Small Business Guide, which sets out five steps to take to bolster their cyber security, and SMEs should encourage staff to try the NCSC’s e-learning package while working from home.
As well as taking steps to protect themselves from becoming a victim it is important for businesses to plan how they
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5 of the coolest co-working spaces in London
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
London has among the highest number of co-working spaces in the world. But with almost 1,500 to choose from, where do you go?
We’ve picked five of the best – featuring plants, free barista coffee, wood working studios and meditation workshops.
Mortimer House
Location: 37-41 Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 3JH
Features: Mortimer House promises more in the way of luxury rather than fun. Members have access to the Mortimer House loft and gallery, living room, den and meeting rooms as well as a yoga and reformers pilates studio, gym and in-house events.
Price:
Club: £80 a month (includes VAT). Club is for those who just want to network. Invite up to three guests to see DJs, talks, workshops, live music and monthly events from cultural figures in the living room and den.
Traveller: £250 a month (excludes VAT). Traveller grants you access to all communal floors, meeting rooms, gym and event during the weekend as well as on eight weekdays out of the month.
Resident: £500 a month (excludes VAT). With Resident, you have unlimited access to communal floors, meeting rooms and events any day of the week and ‘unfettered’ access to all working lounges.
Home (Bureau): from £1,000 a
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5 of the coolest co-working spaces in Manchester
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Co-working spaces are a growing part of the working scene in Manchester with entrepreneurs finding themselves with more and more choice.
Data from Avison Young shows that flexible workspaces now dominate Manchester’s city core market so it’s just a case of choosing the right one.
We’ve got five cool co-working to get you started.
Beehive Lofts
Location: Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6JG
Founded in 2014, Beehive Lofts is for people working in the digital and creative fields. Brands itself as a luxury co-working space – perhaps one for small businesses who are a little further along.
Features: As its name suggests, it’s a collection of lofts which are well lit and have extra large desks. It’s more of a place for getting stuff done. Height adjustable extra-large desk with optional monitor, desk lamp, plant and custom desk kit. Where some co-working spaces lack in terms of back support, the swivel chairs at Beehive Lofts are tall, mesh-backed and fully adjustable.
As a member you have full access to a business class A4 printer, copier and scanner plus phone booths.
Price: You’ve got three simple price points here.
One month: £320
Three months: £295 a month
Six months: £275 a month
The Sharp
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5 of the coolest co-working spaces in Bristol
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Bristol is an attractive spot for Millennial and Gen Z workers, being a lively city with plenty to do and a place safe enough to raise a young family. It’s a great spot for creative co-working spaces too – take a look at these five for some welcome inspiration.
Mild Bunch
Location: 108c Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU
Features: The Mild Bunch has been going since 2010. It’s a well-lit space with more of a communal feel and member discounts at local cafés, pubs and restaurants. Oh, it has a panini press too.
It’s a close-knit community made up of 13 regular members but they’re always open to meeting new people – or have a coffee with them on the roof terrace.
Price: You’re looking at a flat fee of £225 a month for a full-time desk. However, extra cash for shared items like tea, coffee, milk and toilet roll is expected.
Pollen Place
Location: 15-17 Backfields Lane, Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS2 BQW
Features: The colourful Pollen Place is an ideal spot for creative freelancers and small businesses.
Do whatever work you need to do using the professional photography studio and green screen facilities as well as a flexible and configurable meeting
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9 factors that will help you choose the right office location
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Choosing the right office location is not to be hurried – you’ve got a lot of considerations around the space itself and how it impacts on your staff as well as your clients.
Run through the following points to focus your search, whichever stage you’re at.
Office lease or co-working space?
The first decision you should make is what kind of space to move into.
Office leases are more expensive and do tie you in for a longer period, but they give you more freedom in what you can do with the space. Personalising the space with your own branding makes a significant difference to your team’s morale and the image that you present to clients, especially in more traditional sectors like finance.
Co-working spaces will be better for you if you have fewer members of staff and some growth potential, or you only need the space for a limited period of time. What’s more, being in a co-working space strips away responsibilities like replacing coffee and toilet roll. These spaces often organise free classes, clubs and talks (and dish out free biscuits!) to promote worker wellbeing too.
Read Co-working space versus traditional office – which is better? for
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Top tips for finding your first office space
by Abby Hardoon • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Abby Hardoon on Small Business
Paul Slinn, founder of Flexioffices, a provider of virtual and serviced office spaces, has a few useful tips about what to do when you are setting up your own company. Quite a few household names have started in their founders’ garages: Apple, Amazon, Google, HP, Disney and many more have all been there.
What are serviced offices and how do they work?
Serviced offices are simply flexible office spaces where you pay a monthly cost fully inclusive of your outgoings with additional services included or available on a pay-as-you-go basis. Typically the costs will include rent rates, service charge, heat, lighting, cleaning, office furniture, shared kitchen and reception facilities. Internet and telephone will be provided but charged separately, as will the use of meeting rooms.
Related: Co-working space versus traditional office – which is better?
Who uses them?
All types of companies use serviced offices – start-ups, small to medium-sized companies and multi-nationals. Flexioffices has helped more than 1,000 clients find office space including Spotify, British Airways, BBC, Transport for London, Disney, IBM, HP, Pizza Express, DreamWorks, Adecco, various government departments, major UK charities, to name just a few.
What are the benefits of serviced offices for start-ups and