Brand New Workplace Rules for Small Businesses

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Brand New Workplace Rules for Small Businesses

Entering the world of business meant becoming part of an environment constantly in a state of flux. Solutions that worked this year, might not be as feasible the next and what some might see as a preposterous idea might become the greatest one in a short span of time.

And over the last two years, the world experienced what experts view as one of the most momentous shift in the SMB ecosystem. By the end of 2016, over 472 million entrepreneurs can be found worldwide and annually, a total of 305 million startups are built. Angel investors, startup accelerators and incubators help these budding companies thrive.

Digging a little deeper, a major contributor to these changes is the new technology we now have. It has radically changed the way we work and humankind welcomed it with open arms – resulting to a new set of workplace rules for businesses in reaching success.

New Ways of Doing Business

The ever-changing environment of the market pushed the majority to implement new strategies in doing business.

Unlike before when SMB owners base majority of their decision making to their ‘gut feeling’ and only the big players get to access tools for business analytics, the emergence of innovative business software models made it easier for budding candidates to obtain market research, future projection and other cost effectiveness studies.

By using good data and research, owners gain a great advantage against their competitors. And though admittedly, having a hold of such information can guide them to success, another crucial quality that they must possess is adaptability.

Today’s market coerces enterprises to be fluid. Creating a system and standing by it in the hopes of producing results bring unwanted risks. The constant changes brought upon by several other factors have led the world of business become Darwinian. No one knows what kind of trend will rise the next day or whether when a new competitor will come.

In the US alone, hundreds of stores close down every year and thousands of jobs diminish. These large retail stores, despite of having consultants and analysts, still fail. The ones who adapt easily guarantee survival in today’s market.

New Workplace Rules

The strategies businesses are using to remain relevant to the industry aren’t the only one’s undergoing constant change. Our modern private offices have become something else entirely. One major crucial factor to this is the growing number of employees opting for remote working or telecommuting.

Though constantly going under scrutiny from academics and other agencies, people simply can’t ignore the benefits it brings to their respective lives. And in order for companies to stay competitive in terms of talent recruitment, it’s a must that they give enough leeway to their respective workforce to have flexible working hours.

Larger enterprises are now acquiring coworking space memberships for some of their employees. These unique shared offices allow small teams and individuals to have more control of their workday. Giving them 24/7 access to fully-fitted workspaces, they get to choose when their day starts and ends without sacrificing their utmost productivity.

This new way of working is much more beneficial to small businesses. It helps them cut operational costs, keeps their teams happier by improving their respective work-life balance and expands workplace rules, therefore, presenting them with brand new opportunities.

In today’s world of business, the strongest no longer dominate. Instead, those who are flexible enough to adapt win the game.

See the magic of fluidity with Sales Rain and talk to us today!

The Third Place, a Modern Day Community Builder

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The Third Place, a Modern Day Community Builder

American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg said in his award winning book entitled The Great Good Place; humans have three main places they go to in their whole life and as individuals, they should see to it that they spend a balanced amount of time in those environments.

Oldenburg describes the first place as our home or our foundation. Our workplace as the second one and the third place being a space distinct for socializing with like-minded peers. In his book, he emphasizes its importance and how it could help build communities in neighborhoods and even to organizations.

Today’s generation of urban planners and designers now utilize it in strengthening humankind’s sense of community.

The Third Place

At first glance, Oldenburg’s description of the third place seemed vague. He coined the term to define a social surrounding separate from the two usual social condition of the home and the workplace. They are the “anchors” of community life that helps foster broader interaction among individuals.

The book suggested specific hallmarks that makes a “true third place”. Oldenburg says that first and foremost, it should be free or inexpensive. Food and drinks are important, though not essential. Its location needs to be highly accessible or proximate for many at the very least. Its vibe should be welcoming and comforting.

Fellow scholars have summarized his view of third places as a neutral ground wherein occupants are not tied down to the area and can go whenever they please. It puts no significance to an individual’s status in a society. Their economic or social standing does not matter in these environments. Its main focus of activity is playful and happy interaction although it’s not required to be the only activity. It is readily accessible to everyone and can accommodate their needs.

Oldenburg suggested that its existence is a must for a healthy life. Moreover, he advocated that it brings several important social values by discussing its historical role to the American Revolution.

Several suburban developments are now using ‘third places’ to address the deterioration of the American community.  As a result, office space providers saw an opportunity for a new kind of workplace that can reframe interpersonal interactions of employees.

Modern Offices

The annual Staples Advantage Workplace index provides an overview of the latest workplace trends and sentiments from several business decision makers and employees from both US and Canada.

Last year’s presentation highlighted the increasing number of workers facing longer hours; resulting to an augmented feeling of stress and being tied to their desks. More and more professionals are looking for ways to fight dullness in the office while a handful of them are moving to healthier spaces that can provide them with a new environment.

The index also showcased a growing demand for designated collaboration spaces and public spaces. And it’s not only coming from the younger generation, majority of the respondents that they find this feature most interesting in an office.

The concept of third places have become the most common solution to the predicaments today’s workplace is facing. And the rise of the ever popular shared offices and coworking spaces, is living proof of the need for a middle ground where work and casual meaningful interaction meets.

These unorthodox work areas take pride in the community they curate among like-minded individuals. Members are gratified with the connections they make and the work that they do. And this alone isn’t just coming from their individual opinions and reactions, surveys from around the globe back this up with statistical figures; clearly strengthening Oldenburg’s claims.

And though admittedly, third places won’t solve all of the problems present in today’s modern offices, we also can’t ignore the rewards it has provided us with. Moreover, it certainly meets the needs of the diverse multi-generation labor force.

By coming up with the appropriate flexible layout for your own team, it can be of value to the business. Lastly, as Oldenburg said in the book, it breaks down all the barriers between people and creates a positive public sphere that anyone of stature can enjoy.

Who knows, it can just be what your team needs. Talk to us today and get a sneak peek of a true third place.

Out with The Old, In with The New: Welcoming Corpoworking

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Out With The Old, In With The New: Welcoming Corpoworking

Coworking spaces gained its popularity from teleworkers, digital nomads and freelancers from around the world. With over 11,300 spaces worldwide and over 835,000 members – it’s safe to say that the industry is keeping an open mind to the ever-changing modern workplaces of today.

And due to the undeniable success of the movement, traditional companies are starting to look into these open spaces despite of the disagreements it garnered from experts. Intrigued by its increasing growth and the several benefits it has among its members, these large businesses are wondering what significant change it can bring to the table.

Providers are also seeking a way to tap into this idle capacity and invite them over to join their growing community. As a result, they have implemented a new way of convincing executives to give room for innovation and a new working experience for their employees.

Corpoworking: Corporate Working

Cowork.io defined Corpoworking as the combination of corporate business and coworking. A coworking space inside or outside the premises of the company, available to the use of employees aiming to carry out their usual tasks in a new environment and even external visitors.

The idea doesn’t veer too far away from the original movement except for the specific modifications done in order to meet the standards of the company. There’s still evident presence of community and flexibility at its heart, which showcases its classic values. Often done as a way to experiment with new conditions, it allows them to experience unprecedented flexibility modeled on the success of its predecessor.

Still, the question remains among several other companies, what makes it worth investing?

The Role of Workspaces

Over the recent years, new technologies and the arrival of the younger generations in the labor market created a significant change in the traditional fixed offices we have had for years. Experts are also accentuating the effect work areas have in a person’s overall well-being. Today’s modern office have now become a source of efficiency, collaboration and employer brand.

Productivity is seen as one of the factors easily affected by the layout and design of one room. Leaders are starting to understand the importance of having an innovative workspace that increases an individual’s output and performance. They are starting to utilize this concept to their advantage by implementing open spaces and high-rise office desks.

More and more companies are also transitioning from individual work to collaborative work. Therefore requiring them to find places that allows people to connect freely with one another. Finding the appropriate arrangement for your team is a prerequisite to collaboration. With this in mind, spontaneous interactions that could generate creative ideas can now take place almost anywhere – instead of it happening in one place.

Company culture and employer brand is also strengthened when enterprises go the extra mile in figuring out the latest news in mobility at work. According to a global survey conducted with over 7,6000 office workers from 16 different countries, office layout affects an individual’s company choice. Organizations are making the effort to create spaces for relaxation and entertainment in promoting their thoughtfulness towards the well-being of their employees.

Pioneers of the coworking movement believed in the significance of one’s surrounding environment and workplace flexibility. With the help of today’s technology, they are breaking down the cubicles and walls that once separated us; one space at a time. Join us as we welcome the emerging trend of corpoworking!