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Getting Things Done: Improving Productivity in Shared Office Spaces

January 18, 2018/0 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

Though widely popular to today’s workforce, coworking spaces is similar to any other office setting – it has its own benefits and drawbacks.

The movement became well-known to freelancers, startups and other independent entrepreneurs for factors such as professional ambiance and a wide social network that are of value to establishing a business presence. In addition to this, several surveys conducted amongst members attest to the claims that it increased their productivity and overall happiness in work.

However, just like any other workplace, these open areas are susceptible to disruptions that can make a significant impact to a person’s concentration and productivity.

Unanticipated Nuisances

A study on the privacy-communication trade-off in open-plan offices stated that the benefits brought by enhanced ‘ease of communication’ were much smaller compared to the penalties resulting from increased noise levels and decreased privacy.

Certain individuals have a hard time getting long hours of creative and undisturbed work due to the high noise levels shared offices have as well as the other forms of distractions that cannot be overlooked. A longitudinal study have confirmed this by reporting a significant association between open-plan office designs and elevated stress levels.

And though designers believed that by diminishing walls down, employees would frequently engage in casual conversations that can spark new ideas, research shows that it may have actually backfired. Undeniably, these spontaneous conversation between employees have become more recurrent yet unfortunately, they have the tendency to be short and superficial. Members have become self-conscious due to the fact that there are a lot of people lending them their ears.

In addition, experts have pointed out that though the new setup helped create a bridge between those who are in need of help and those who are willing to help, exploitation is likely to take place. In a study conducted by a group of German and Swiss researchers, ‘help seeking’ participants performed better compared to ‘help giving’ individuals.

Alternating between one’s individual tasks and helping others inflict heavy ‘cognitive load’ or the total amount of mental effort exerted from the working memory as they are forced to reacquaint themselves with the task they left undone.

Despite of these grievances, there are still certain teams or individuals that thrive in these kinds of environment – proof that there are still ways to combat these unforeseen noises and disturbances.

Keeping Focused in Shared Office Spaces

By listing down all of the external and internal factors that hinders workers to reach the full capacity of their productivity, specialists have come up with different solutions to them.

First, they recommend starting with the ears. Upon observation in a typical shared office, majority of its members are wearing ear buds or headphones – proven to be easiest way of reducing distractions. Admittedly, investing noise-cancelling headsets isn’t scientifically proven to be an effective solution but experts have said that by helping us gain more control of our surroundings, we become more determined to work harder.

Time magazine advises teams to make use of empty conference rooms or going for walks when discussing important information or sensitive matters with their colleagues in order for them to lessen self-consciousness or self-censorship when speaking.

In addition to this, they recommend employees to block out a certain period of their day wherein they will not be disturbed in order to minimize cognitive load.

Today’s modern offices helped us alleviate the numerous difficulties inflicted by the working industry but truthfully, the movement itself is subject to its own flaws and lapses. Its effect, of course, will be different for each one of us, we just have to find the way to riddle it out.

5 Things To Do During Your First Month in a Coworking Space

January 18, 2018/1 Comment/in Blogs /by sales rain

Behind the overwhelming success of coworking is the community it prides themselves in. The support group that they have created among like-minded individuals and the rewards that each member get from the connections they make.

The diverse group present in these open areas offer a large pool of knowledge and network that can lead to innovative projects and meaningful collaboration. It gives people a breath of inspiration and encourages them step out of their comfort zone to try new things. And allows them to discover new opportunities without veering too far.

No doubt, this modern style of working allowed us to have a platform for collaboration and paved way for a supportive collective of professionals cheering each other on towards success. It made working healthier for certain people and brought back the joy of being in an office.

But members new to the movement can be inundated with the numerous individuals they need to meet and the events they need to participate in. In order to make the most out of their new home, here are 5 things they can do on their first month to become well-connected with everyone.

Things to do during your First Month in a Coworking Space

1. First Impressions

The most crucial step in entering a new coworking space is introducing yourself. Much to the dismay of introverts, the best way of connecting with the current members is by telling them something about yourself.

Being the new comer, people are likely to wait for you to start a conversation for they don’t know whether you’re there for a day or for a week. They would only give you a friendly nod when you pass by them or smile at you when you take a seat near them. Take it a bit further by introducing yourself without causing interruption in their work.

It’s good to keep in mind that everyone in the room must’ve went through the same situation you are now in as they become new members of the community.

2. Congenial Company

Members know that there’s a need for long hours of uninterrupted concentration as you go through your day. Hence, it’s become a universal sign that if a person is wearing headphones, he/she does not want to be disturbed.

You are most likely left to be alone with them but if you don’t mind entertaining a quick chat or question, leave it be. Plug in only when needed and leave the door open for introductions. By becoming more approachable, you’ll easily find your place within the group.

3. Lend A Helping Hand

One of the greatest quality these communities have is their strong sense of camaraderie. It gives them plenty of opportunity to help other members out with their expertise and in return, more people are encouraged to be generous to others.

The underlying spirit of helpfulness gives heart to the community of coworking spaces. Share your time as well as knowledge generously and people will be more than happy to return the favor.

4. Know Your Space

Knowing where everything is helps lessen the feeling of estrangement. Other than simply memorizing where the bathrooms are, the coffee makers and the conference rooms, take the time to find out about the little details like where they place those extra cords and the location of the member wall.

These seemingly miniscule things can boost a person’s sense of belongingness rather than the feeling of a visitor in an unknown place.

5. Try New Things

Don’t be afraid to switch things up. One of the distinctive features of coworking spaces is the variety of work environments that it offers. Move around and try to find a safe space – an area wherein you get most of your work done.

After a while, change it up and try staying at the community table. Spend time in these areas and join in the conversations. Let yourself enjoy these little encounters and switch it up every now and then to meet more people.

Coworking gives you the opportunity to be part of something greater. It allows you to create relationships with people that can help you go through the path of success.

Don’t let this chance go to waste and connect with us today!

The Man Who Took A Stand, Avoiding Prolonged Sitting

January 17, 2018/8 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

Senior editor of Slate and New York magazine contributor, Dan Kois took quite an interest in a certain study on the effects of prolonged sitting that claimed people who sat down for more than 11 hours a day is 40 percent more likely to die in the next three years.

After reading an affluent number of research, he became convinced that sitting around all day is the worst thing he can do to his body – similar to how smoking increases his chances of dying earlier. He realized that by staying sedentary, he eliminates the many benefits his regular exercise provides.

As he observed that more people are trying to incorporate active habits into their normal workday by using standing desks and even treadmill desks, he thought that maybe it’s time he stopped. He ponders that if it really is bad for his health then maybe it’s only appropriate that he gives it up – completely.

The Experiment

Kois decided to spend the whole month of April 2014, standing. His only exceptions being when he’s driving – but he would try his best to take the train whenever he can – when nature calls, when he’s putting his shoes on and when he’d go to bed. He prepared himself insoles, anti-fatigue mats and transformed his office and home desks into standing workstations. Strapping on a fitness tracker, he plants his feet to the ground during the first day of April.

A few days in, he observes a significant change in his upper body; the tension and pain he feels in his shoulder from hunching over faded away. In addition to this, he seemed to have lost a couple of pounds and have become legitimately more productive. On the flip side, he couldn’t work the rest of the night. As the days go by, he felt more tired and sore. The pain he started to feel in his calves only seemed to go worst as the weeks go by. He started to feel spasms that would last for almost half an hour as he lied in bed at night and spent his following mornings wishing only to lie down for a few more hours.

By the 22^nd of April, Kois went the extra mile to ask for the opinion of scientists on which of the two is more harmful.

What Experts Say: Avoid Prolonged Sitting and Standing

Bioengineering professor Dr. April Chambers of the University of Pittsburgh says that science has known that standing all the time is harmful to us longer than we’ve known about prolonged sitting. Chambers has conducted studies on people who are on their feet all day at work; she adds that these individuals have no other choice because their occupations require long hours of standing. Several doctors and scientist have told Kois that finding a balance between the two is the key to a healthier lifestyle. Yet Chambers admit that no one seems to have identified how much standing and sitting is needed to achieve the balance.

Taking Turns

Kois said that most of the scientists he spoke to talked about sit-stand tools fondly. Some have said that they utilize alarms and other apps to remind them to stand up for at least ten minutes every hour. He also heard several scientists say that they stand for meetings or phone calls.

Experts from the field of interior design and architecture are also taking this into consideration. Certain offices are either allowing their employees to have standing desks or permitting them to have ample time to take a walk during their work day. The widely popular modern offices such as coworking spaces have open layouts and a variety of work areas that allows its members to switch from sitting down to standing up. It gives them the freedom to go on walks whenever they like. In addition to this, several flexible workspace providers have recreational rooms such as game rooms while others even have their own gyms.

At the end of his article, on the aforementioned experiment, Kois discussed the implications of prolonged sitting that he never would have seen had he not tried to stand up for a month. He concluded that maybe reminding ourselves to stand up for at least ten minutes of every hour isn’t as arduous as giving up the idea of sitting down for a month.

Sales Rain Starts New Partnership with Texas-based Company

January 10, 2018/in Company News /by sales rain

Sales Rain continues to help businesses reach their goals as the company create a new alliance with a Texas-based company.

US-based Marketing Company Adds 10 More Seats with Sales Rain

January 10, 2018/in Company News /by sales rain

A partnership with a US-based marketing company that started recently positively developed as they add 10 more seats with Sales Rain.

Rethinking Offices and Workspaces: The Rise of Virtual Offices

January 9, 2018/0 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

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.

Rethinking Offices

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.

The Sharing Economy and its Effects on Office Spaces

January 9, 2018/0 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

Spearheaded by Uber and AirBnB, the sharing economy is innovating the way people consume products and services. Slowly but surely, it’s also changing the market of office spaces around the world.

According to Investopedia, the Sharing Economy is an economic model that allows consumers to rent assets owned by a private individual and is most likely used when the cost of a particular asset is high but isn’t fully utilized all the time.

In retrospect, people have shared items with other people long before. We shared clothing with our family members, shared cars with friends and even unused equipment. And today’s technology – with the help of the internet – have created a bridge between the people who want to share their unutilized assets and the individuals who are looking for people willing to share it with them.

The Phenomena

AirBnB allowed homeowners to rent out vacant bedroom and homes to strangers and Uber allowed drivers to share rides with other people. And as people start to see the opportunity to make profit out of sharing, the market grew.

Around the world, people share spaces for car park, for storage and even for planting – all of which made possible by today’s technology and the growing knack to save money. It wasn’t long until the commercial real estate industry thought that its time join the sharing phenomena.

However, there’s more it than it seems. Brokers aren’t just jumping into sharing economies for no reason. Social and economic trends came into play. Now, companies are reshaping the ideas of modern office.

Experts believed that the traditional offices began to fade when spaces per work started to shrink. Space allocation dropped from 125 feet per worker to 50 feet over the last decade. Moreover, it was a global phenomenon happening from Asia to Europe.

In addition to this, the financial pressure are driving companies to look for cheaper offices with flexible workspaces. Experts have argued that the global recession that took place during the 2008 diminished cheap rent. Businesses couldn’t afford the idle capacity brought by large-scale office buildings.

Another factor behind the demand of shared spaces is the increasing number of remote workers. The premise of telecommunicating first came to the industry during the year of 1973 and with the advancement of today’s technologies, flexible ways of working have become popular.

The “Sharing Economy”

As the number of self-employed professionals and digital nomads rose and the commodity of business operations evolved, a demand for cheap and flexible offices came to be.

The idea of flexible workspaces was brought to life by serviced offices – now widely known as shared offices or executive suites. Companies started to lease large offices and dividing them into smaller offices. Furnishing it with desks, meeting rooms and all the facilities and equipment needed in a conventional office, they started renting these spaces out to different companies.

Later on, hosted services entered the market with a similar layout as serviced offices while providing back office functions such as information technology services, human resource staffing and accounting. These providers cater to offshoring business process outsourcers.

The movement of coworking then drove the hybridization of workspaces. Coworking spaces became the widely-popular flexible workspace. Offering open space layouts with trendy interior designs and variety of working environments to cater the different needs of tech startups and freelancers. Nowadays, they also offer private offices, conference room rentals as well as event spaces.

The synergy between the sharing economy and the evolving industry of workspace solutions paved the way for a new breed of offices that can benefit both the employee and the employer. Shared spaces caters to both the needs of the company and the needs of its employees.

Besides, sharing is caring. Ready to share your offices with the rest of the world? Talk to us today!

Office Design Trends To Watch Out For

December 19, 2017/0 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

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.

Alternative Workspaces

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.

Comfortable Office Design Trends

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.

Dynamic Offices

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!

The Most Beautiful Moment in Life

December 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Blogs /by sales rain

The twenties of someone’s life is often called as one of the most exhausting moments. Everything is complicated and the world doesn’t really give you a handout on how to successfully survive this frenzy. And though you have grownups to give you – at the very least – a rundown of what to expect, you’re still confused.

In summary, people often associate their twenties as this disorderly time of their life that they barely managed to survive. These are the years wherein almost everyone is frustrated and unsure of where they are heading, of what they actually want in life. It’s quite the chaos, really.

Chances are by the time you’re in your twenties, you want to learn how to stand on your own. You tell your family that as grateful as anyone can be that they aren’t cutting you off, you want to “make it” on your own. Or maybe they still haven’t let you live by yourself, so here you are, independent but not really.

It’s all complicated because everything has changed. You’ve entered a new territory without prior knowledge on how to do things correctly. You do what every person in your age do right after graduating, look for a job. Grownups make it look so easy yet here you are, trying you best to look as professional as you can be – thinking that maybe if you dress well enough, iron your shirt properly, you’d fool everyone that you have your life together.

And somewhere in the middle, there’s this uneasiness in your heart. Do I actually like my job or am I just fooling myself that I’m happy here? Am I doing this because I love what I’m doing or is this just for show? So that people won’t ridicule me that I’m being left behind. You wonder if you’re actually cut for this traditional office and think that maybe you should try coworking or be a digital nomad, isn’t that the trend nowadays?

It only gets worse when you’ve come to the point that you finally realize maybe this isn’t for you. You’re at a loss for words. You want to follow what your heart wants, work on something that you actually love, but they won’t let you. Because there’s another dilemma that you have to consider; expectations.

Society expect you to get a high paying job so that you’d pay back your parents for everything they’ve done for you or to finally get that college loan of off your back. The moment universities thrust you into the real world, you have to get yourself together – no time for travelling in hopes of finding yourself or figuring out what you want in life, that’s a complete detour from the road of success.

Don’t forget about your social life, they’d add. You need to have enough time to socialize with other people and have fun. A high-paying 9-to-5 job, a bursting social life and the intuition of doing the right thing is what they expect from you, a young person in their twenties barely having any idea on what’s happening.

But here’s the thing, there’s about a million of your generation who doesn’t have their life together. They may try to fool society with their Instagram posts and Facebook statuses, deep down, they’re just trying to live through another day.

花樣年華 or hwayang-yeonwha, that’s what your twenties is actually like. The most beautiful moment in life. It’s the only time you get to truly know yourself through and through. This is the only time that you get to decide for yourself; paying no attention to what anyone else thinks.

Admittedly, it’s the most tumultuous time of your life. At the same time, it’s the most adventurous one. It doesn’t have to be as hard as they make it out to be, don’t rush and live your life by your own pace. Soak yourself with every ounce of experience and life lesson you can get. Find your people – one’s that would help you grow. Join a community that will criticize not to pull you towards a downward spiral, but to aid you in soaring higher than you thought you can.

Make peace with yourself knowing that the most beautiful moment in life is a synergy of the good and the bad. You’ll pull through your twenties. A day will come and these hard times will be a distant memory of when you learned to accept everything that life offers you.

Sales Rain Signs New Deal With Canadian Based Company

December 13, 2017/in Company News /by sales rain

Sales Rain starts a new partnership with a Canadian based business as they sign a new deal for seat leasing.
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