Freelancing, having the freedom to work whenever you want and wherever you want.

It’s the kind of lifestyle many of us dream to have. Being able to balance both our personal and work lives. Some do it because they like the concept of supporting themselves with a job that they love. People are fond of the idea of being their own boss and having the chance to work with projects that serve their best interest.

Veterans in the industry can attest to the benefits going solo has and how rewarding it can be but at the same time, they admit that there are challenges that will change a person as they go through it.

According to the latest survey conducted by Upwork in cooperation with Freelancers Union, the freelance economy of the United States grew from 53 million during the year 2014 to 55 million in 2016 and now represents 35% of the US workforce.

Another notable trend the study revealed is that the number of people transitioning to freelance by choice is increasing. 63% of respondents reported that they made the switch by their own will, mainly because this is the ideal employment situation they want.  Some have also said that they make more money than they did before and is relatively satisfied with what they do on a daily basis.

And as the perception on freelancing change, more and more people are encouraged to take the risk for freedom and flexibility – no longer viewed as laziness. Experts predict that by the year 2020, 50% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers.

The rising economy of on-demand work undeniably attracts the young professionals of this generation. What with the premise of doing something they love, whenever and wherever they like it, while still making money. Yet, unbeknownst to many, is the hardship people go through in becoming a ‘solo entrepreneur’

Business Insider contributor Ellie Martin wrote in an article that though she has no regrets for making the move to freelance, there is so much that she didn’t know during the time she started transitioning. She says that it was definitely much harder than her former job and adds that it really does change the way you live. Anyone who considers choosing this kind of work should be ready to adapt to the drastic modifications it brings.

Martin says that starting a freelance career is the hardest part. People are likely to disregard your background and would pay you very little to none at all. She admits doing her first few projects for free in order to convince her clients. Building trust and reliability takes years even with a well-constructed portfolio.

She further discusses that there are other skills the industry will need you to learn in order to build long term partnerships. Knowing how to market the services you offer is expected. It is critical that you know how to set meetings with your clients and impress them.

Lastly, she highlights the mental toll that working alone brings to the table. Her social circle significantly shrunk since she started and have felt lonelier since socialization started diminishing.

Figuring out how to start a freelance career can be difficult. Asking advice from friends and established solopreneurs online can be a great way to earn insight but there’s also the presence of great resources that can help you kick start such as coworking spaces.

These open-layout shared offices became the home to many digital nomads of the industry. Other than offering a desk that they can call their own, providers pride themselves in the community they have curated. A built-in network of diverse talents await prospect members.

A space for like-minded individuals inspires members to be productive. It allows for their creativity to flow without limits. Moreover, it expands one’s social circle and opens that person to several learning opportunities. The small interactions they make can lead to innovative collaborations and strong support groups.

At the end Ellie Martin’s piece, she says that much had been said about the wonderful advantages of freelancing but she feels that it’s also important to talk about its harsh realities. No doubt, it takes a lot of hard work – not to mention risky but nothing compares to having the leeway to work on something we are passionate about.

The very idea of work is changing. Individual work is now mixed with collaborative work and the universal thought that the office is the most suitable location for our professional lives is becoming less and less bona fide.

The increasing amount of smarter, mobile devices, faster network access and the advent of online collaboration tools, telecommunicating have become more common. Anyone can be productive anywhere – resulting to a fewer number of people found in physical offices.

These unused areas are costing businesses around the world an estimated $1.5 trillion. Hence, it comes as no surprise that spaces per worker are shrinking. In a report done by Regus, allocated spaces dropped from 125 feet per worker down to 50 feet over the last decade.

Yet despite of all this, the ideologies regarding the importance of a physical office to a business remained.

The increasing demand for cheaper spaces paved the way for flexible workspaces such as serviced offices, coworking spaces and even private offices. And as the number of remote workers increased, virtual offices came into their aid.

Targeted for entrepreneurs and startups planning to work from their own homes and other locations whilst maintaining a professional image to the public, virtual offices provides business postal address services as well as communication services such as virtual assistants, answering services and voice mailboxes. In addition to this, providers give complimentary access to private offices and conference rooms.

There are several benefits to virtual offices other than that of less operational costs. Today, more and more workspace providers are rethinking offices to accommodate the steadily growing demand for virtual office services.

Several studies have reported an increase in the productivity of those who do virtual work. In a recent survey conducted amongst 1000 business professionals, 67% have reported a significant improvement in their productivity. Such distractions like water cooler gossip, unexpected meetings and loud officemates are avoided. In addition to this, a separate survey done on 2,060 professionals aged 18-years-old and up, 86% of them would prefer to work alone in order for them to reach maximum productivity.

Other statistics in remote working show that 82% of the overall number of telecommuters report lower stress levels and these numbers is represent a good omen to both employees and companies. It increases their individual morale and reduces both employee turnover and absenteeism.

The younger demographic of today’s workforce demand options of working remotely. The Millennial generation value the balance between their professional life and personal life. In a survey conducted by AfterCollege, a US based career network for both college students and recent graduates, 68% of job seeking millennials have said that occasional telecommuting increases their interest in certain employers.

Older generations are also starting to favor the idea of flexible work hours. In the US, workers above the age of 64 are working more than before due to the inadequate retirement funds and increasing life expectancies. Older professionals are delaying their retirement and would like to be have the freedom to work from their homes.

And though admittedly, virtual offices remain to be unorthodox to some academics and critics, it’s a global workplace phenomenon.

It’s no surprise that the way we work is constantly innovating. Keep up with the rethinking offices trend and join us as we face the future with brand new workspaces.

2017 is almost over and we’ve only got a few more days left before we welcome another new year full of endless possibilities. This year, we saw our workplaces evolve into something new, from the rise of coworking spaces globally down to the development of flexible workspaces.

And over the past 10 months we’ve seem quite drastic changes in the trends of office design. We’ve seen businesses adapt flexible layouts that allows them to keep up with the changing requirements of operations. Architects and designers integrated technology into the local design and have embraced the impact of workplace design to the well-being of employees.

The landscape of workspaces continues to evolve in order to adapt accordingly to the needs of the business and to enhance the productivity and overall performance of those who work within its premises. Today’s generation of designers, architects and brokers are being taught to create commercial estates that are both sustainable and efficient. Conducting research and surveys to create offices that make people healthier and happier as they go to work each day.

As the year 2018 approaches us, experts are expecting these office design trends to dominate the market.

As coworking spaces take over majority of the market, offices from all around the globe are turning their traditional cubicles and desks into unconventional open plan spaces.

Spearheaded by the reigning demographic of today’s labor force, the Millenials, alternative workspaces came from the need for collaborative and flexible work environments. This specific design involves communal areas that allow for voluntary interaction to happen between members and a variety of work areas to cater their different preferences.

Incorporating vibrant colors and motivational artwork as well as rooms for recreational activities within the office, alternative workspaces make work fun and synergistic – factors that young professionals often look for in companies.

More and more enterprises are finding ways to persuade their employees into staying longer by giving their office a homelike feel to it. The homestyle comfort design introduces comfort into the workplace through relaxed seating like couches, bean bag chairs and game rooms. Behind this trend is a growing awareness on the importance of environmental physical design to the overall well-being of its employees. Designers are now mixing fabrics, wooden finishing to give offices a cozy look and to elicit a warm feeling whenever you enter the room.

The Dynamic Spaces trend has been around over the past two to three years. These offices offer continuous change apt for growing businesses. The aforementioned design are commonly moveable and flexible enough to allow employees to work in ways that best suit them. It gives them the freedom to choose where and how they want to work. One form of dynamic spaces that have become increasingly popular are coworking spaces. Offering a wide variety of work area as well as breakout spaces and even quiet spaces, more and more professionals are signing up for membership and access of all the aforementioned amenities whenever they please.

The traditional ideas we have about where we work and how we work are changing, its only fitting that companies are trying their best to stay on top of the trends. We’ll be more than glad to give you a sneak peek of the office design trends for next year, just set up a date with us!

More often than not, whenever we see a colleague or office mate slouching in their chairs, immersed in a video game on their phone, we’d say that they’re wasting their time. We’d say that maybe they should stop slacking off and start working. Executives and managers would assume that games simply disrupt work. However, psychologists – and gamers themselves – would say otherwise. Contrary to popular belief, games help employees get through an entire workday.

Science says that games bring so much more to the table than just fun and amusement. They help relieve stress throughout the day and allows people to feel more in control of what they’re doing. And though having strategic game rooms in the office may seem too taboo for the companies that have been around for a while, there are a handful of organizations that have allowed their employees to have some play time. One of them being, Facebook, who has their own video game rooms. Tech solution company, Infosys, also created their own version of game room by having a bowling alley in their headquarters. Moreover, plenty of coworking spaces also offer varieties of games for de-stressing.

Though there is limited amount of research regarding the link between workplace successes and playing different variations of games, those who already experienced having game rooms at work, have said that the effects are pretty immediate.

Organizations like Facebook, Google, Skype as well as LinkedIn have already embraced the idea that all work and no play results to a bored and disengaged employee. They all believe that allowing fun into your office has its perks. Playing games has been proven to reduce stress levels by relieving pressure; as well as producing Endorphins and Serotonins, all of which leads to competence and increased productivity. And it doesn’t have to be a full-fledged game room. You can have a single pool table or Foosball and still create a fun environment that encourages employees to relax every now and then.

It also allows for creativity to flow and stimulate the mind and it gives us the time to reset after dealing with complicated tasks. Moreover, engaged plays open new neural connections in our brain allowing for an increase in innovative ideas. And with new research showing that living a sedentary lifestyle can put you at great risk, it’s another way to lessen the time spent sitting down. Games that allows you to move around throughout the day can help lessen the risk of early death. Lastly, it opens a new avenue for team work to be enhanced. It can accelerate bonding and encourages connectivity between members.

Each variety of games have their different functions. Strategically choose which game you’d want to offer to your employees and start having fun.

For those who want to improve productivity and increase speed of decision-making, you might want to install your very first ping-pong table. A game of table tennis gets our blood pumping, improves and preserves mental ability. In addition to this, it enhances strategy and long term memory.

All the while, pool tables are good for unwinding after a long day. It helps fight ageing process, improves hand-eye coordination as well as cognitive skills. You can try having head-to-head or team games to end the day on a positive way.

Foosball and air hockey tables refreshes the mind and body, encourages team work and helps employees view problems in new ways. Friendly matches throughout the day to relieve stress.

Establishing the perfect work environment isn’t easy, and so is finding ways to keep your team motivated and engaged. But if one thing is for sure, it’s that work doesn’t have to be a chore. Find the right balance between fun and work, the happier we all will be. Ready to give playing games a chance? Well, why don’t we set up a playdate! Sounds good?