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Socialize and Celebrate to make the most out of Coworking Spaces

 Socialize and Celebrate to make the most out of Coworking Spaces

The rise and success of coworking spaces wasn’t groundless. It wasn’t unprecedented. If not, it seemed inevitable.

Since its inception, it had brought so much to the industry, from aesthetically pleasing workspaces to communities that foster passion, creativity and collaboration – something that most office space solutions don’t really have. Not to mention the numerous benefits it claims to offer to both enterprise and workers.

At the same time, its claims aren’t just empty promises. There are statistics, surveys and studies to prove that its advantages are very real. Still, how effective coworking spaces are to you and your enterprise depends on how you utilize it.

Here are some things that you can do to make the most out of coworking spaces:

Put yourself out there

Coworking Spaces take pride in the community it fosters within its communal areas. And a community of a hundred people starts with an introduction.

While walking up to a stranger and striking up a conversation can be difficult to some of us, it’s the very first contribution you can make as a new member of the community. You can try introducing yourself to those situated near you without interrupting them.

Don’t shy away from your coworkers, tell them about yourself and what you do. You never know what partnerships and business opportunities are hiding behind small talks

Join ’em

Don’t bore yourself out by sitting all by yourself in your desk. Allot time to be spent on community spaces and join them.

These areas generally emit a contagious energy from individuals chatting and laughing – all the good stuff social beings like us need. Not to mention that some of the best interactions and most significant connections unexpectedly take place in the lobby, the couches and even in the kitchen.

Socialize and Celebrate

Coworking spaces would usually hold series of events which allow its diverse members to learn from one another. From presentations, workshops, networking events and even happy hours, all of these activities are conceptualized as an avenue for co-workers to freely socialize and celebrate at the same time.

Take advantage of the said gatherings so that you can get an overall feel of your culture. Bask in the energy and socialize with more members of the community. In addition to this, you can decompress and talk within your peers.

These events serve as platform for the supportive and collaborative feeling of the space.

Try the work areas

Normally, there would be more than one kind of work area available in your space. So instead of gluing yourself to one desk for six months, try the different areas your coworking space offers. Try something new every day and change up where you sit. Move around a bit until you find your favorite place. Moreover, this allows you to get to know your space, giving you a sense of belonging instead of feeling alienated by unfamiliar space

Collaborate

As you get more familiar with the community and culture of your space, collaborations and partnerships can be foreseen.

Having such a diverse talent pool, there is a never ending flow of creativity within the room. You can develop ideas and projects with designers, developers, writers and so much more. These passionate and talented individuals can inspire you create and produce better output. Moreover, members can generously offer help with almost anything you need.

Endless opportunities can be found if we make the most out of everything. So why not open your door to so much possibilities with us!

Sales Rain Launches Coworking and Private Workspaces

Sales Rain Launches Coworking and Private Workspaces

Sales Rain announces the launch of its biggest site to date.

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Ditching The Office Desk: Location Independence and Coworking

Ditching The Office Desk: Location Independence and Coworking

In the recent years, the industry have seen numerous changes in the work culture. Labor force slowly getting dominated by the Millennials, traditional 9-to-5 shift slowly diminishing and even office spaces themselves are changing. Economic developments and other social change caused businesses to adapt to new demands and challenges arising. This, then of course, opened new opportunities and market

Since the rise of flexible working we’ve seen the numbers of freelancers increase. Communities of Digital Nomads – freelancers who literally bring their work with them as they travel the world – have formed and continues to have steady growth. Some experts even say that they are no longer just a passing trend.

Location Independence

Though it first started sporadically, there’s a concrete justification why more and more members of the workforce are turning away from the traditional work culture.

Location Independence is the term often used to define the freedom and mobility the lifestyle gives. Selcouth as it sounds, “Location Independence” allows you to have the freedom to live life on your own terms and the ability to work wherever you want to.

It implies not being tied to a single geographic location for certain reasons, meaning that a person’s job would not require them to be physically present in the office and allows individuals to travel whenever, wherever they want and for how long they want. Location Independence empowers them to control their life with their own hands. It allows them to take full responsibility of their own future and ultimate happiness. Though the path it leads can differ from one person or another, it offers everyone the same thing; freedom. The freedom to pursue what your heart desires and the freedom to create the life you’ve been dreaming of.

No Limits, Going Mobile

Remote working have been existing for a while now but only in the recent years did the industry consider this arrangement. With a rising demand on a better work-life balance, employers and employees took a few step backs and studied how mobility can improve today’s work culture.

Last year, 53% of India’s workforce have said that they prefer working from home. In the same year, 38% of workers from the United States say that they work from home at least once a week. Surveys say that remote work increases worker productivity and employee efficiency. Other studies have also mentioned several advantages of remote working; lowers stress and boosts morale, reduces employee turnover and often leads to greater employee engagement. In a recent report by World Economic Forum, work flexibility is tagged as one of the biggest drivers of transformation in the workplace which caused several companies to report significant decrease in real estate costs.

The decrease of operation costs can be traced to the emergence of numerous flexible workspaces, one of them being; coworking spaces. This emerging trend involves a shared working environment. Unlike typical offices, members of coworking spaces come from different organizations and industries.

Coworking Spaces provides its members with reliable internet, work environment, coworkers to interact with and other local benefits. Numerous workspaces can now be found around the world making it easier for location independent workers to travel without worrying about strong internet connections, desks and other office services.

Being location independent sounds like a dream come true but it takes more than just packing your bags and your laptop with you. People might sugarcoat it with aesthetically pleasing photos in Instagram but the truth is, location independence is hard work. Living in a foreign country sure is fun but it can be hard, just imagine simultaneously working and travelling from one country to another. Yet it allows you to access more life lessons than your office desk can ever offer.

Sounds like the life you’ve always wanted? Let us know if you want to give location independence a try and we might just save you a seat in the office.

Creativity, Productivity and Office Designs

Creativity, Productivity and Office Designs

Albert Einstein once said that “creativity is contagious”, pass it on.

Contrary to popular belief, creativity doesn’t really come from one sole place. It usually comes from a piece of artwork or simply, anything – that inspires one person to create another masterpiece.

Though not everyone has innate artistic abilities, anyone can be inspired by anything. If not, creativity itself, can be found in the most unusual nooks and crannies around us. It’s a contagious virus that can be passed from one person to another. The idea that creativity comes from quite literally tens of thousands of ideas is something that most offices want to tap into. Executives aim to create an environment for their employees and themselves as well that cultivates creativity and productivity.

According to a survey conducted among 500 members of the public, nearly half of the respondents have said that having different spaces for both work and de-stressing would be a great step toward improving their creativity and productivity. Office design and interior have been said to have a significant effect in an employee’s productivity, creativity and overall performance. Moreover, a large number of today’s workforce are demanding for more agile workspaces and expect more variety in their respective workplaces instead of being cramped to a desk and chair.

But how can you inspire people with a room full of plain desks and computers?

Redesigning

Investing in an office environment that would maximize the talent of a workforce would give great results in the long run. Though it would seem costly, it’s definitely something to think about. And though redecorating a whole office space can be tedious, change can start small.

Start by having a designated space wherein your employees can get some rest and relax. These said spaces can come in different spaces or sizes.  According to the same survey by the Dale Office Interiors Survey, one out of five office workers agree that having a space solely for relaxation at work increases productivity. These rooms can also help relieve neck or back tension and weariness of the eyes from staring at a computer screen.

In addition to this, you can also add a quiet space for private work. Though some employees’ can handle distractions better than others, some need a secluded place to focus. Over 17 of the respondents of the said survey reported that quiet spaces would improve their productivity that is often disrupted. Should a worker need to focus, they have a place to go.

Office Designs That Work

With the demand of workplaces offering more variety in terms of office designs and atmosphere, a new kind of flexible workspaces sprung and became the latest trend in the industry.

Giving the employees diversification in workplace and office set-up, Coworking Spaces give home to creativity and productivity with open plan spaces, shared desks, private offices and creative meeting rooms. Moreover, these communal spaces foster collaborative communities among its members.

Recent studies and surveys have revealed that more and more freelancers and even teams from companies are moving into coworking spaces due to the positive impact it has on creativity, productivity and overall happiness of its members.

No matter what the context maybe, the overall environment a person is in contributes highly to its physical, mental and even emotional state. Hence, it’s not much of a surprise that businesses are doing everything they can to create a workspace that allows room for creativity and innovation.

The Gray Area, a Path Leading to the Goldilocks Zone

The Gray Area, A Path Leading to the Goldilocks Zone

Work, for most of us, is simply black or white – no in-betweens. You either work hard or not at all. We either hustle hard, overdo things and end up burning out ourselves or do so little, we start to be bored and feel underutilized. Either way, both are just as toxic to an individual’s productivity.

The same goes for success – stay diligent and prosper or slack off and fail. The industry, including the rest of the world, requires you to pick between the two – in the same way that they make professionals choose between career and personal life.

And though what is too much and too little is subjective, reaching a middle ground is detrimental in maximizing an individual’s productivity and happiness in work. For a person to be truly happy with what they are doing, they need to find the gray area that allows them to have a career and a life.

The Goldilocks Zone

Originating from Astronomy and Astrobiology, the term “Goldilocks Zone” is used to define the zone around a star that has a temperature that is just right for liquid water to exist. It is neither too hot nor too cold.

The Goldilocks Zone, of course, varies from one person to another yet at the same time, it is identical with one another in a sense that it allows an individual to make enough progress that their efforts are paying off and at the same time, they stay satisfied with the work they are making. Reaching this zone is not only critical to the well-being of an individual as a professional, but is also important to the companies they work for. And though admittedly, finding this zone is not simple, there are certain ideas you can take note of to make things a little easier.

The Perfect Fit

The key in unlocking the “Goldilocks Zone” is the satisfying feeling of doing profitable and meaningful work while still having enough time and energy for other aspects of your life.

A good stepping stone in finding it is by creating a clear plan on what should be done. Afterwards, draft a schedule that would maximize your productivity for the day and making sure that you get through it. Creating a plan and making sure to execute it aptly wins you a sense of accomplishment and extra free time you can spend in anything and anyway you want.

Another factor that can help in finding this zone is having a hobby. There’s joy found in doing something that exists by itself and doesn’t entail any sort of stake with it.

Having a hobby that gives no reward other else than the activity itself, gives you something to look forward to during your time out. Avoiding overwork is hard when you’ve got nothing else to do, but when you know you can play Frisbee after work, it makes it easier to stop.

The demand for a better balance between career and personal life materialized the Goldilocks Zone into life.

Coworking Spaces is the latest trend taking over the industry. According to the DeskMag, these workspaces are the result of the search for strategies on dealing with the new types of flexible working. They are workplaces with flexible structures made for and by those who work where, when and how they want it.

It allows its members the freedom to choose from various work stations from open plan lounges to private offices and gives them plenty of extra time they can spend with family and friends. Coworking spaces is the Goldilocks Zone in physical form. And though it may not be the same with other people, it gives you the freedom to go and find your own personalized Goldilocks Zone.

Work is never black and white. There’s always a chance of finding that gray area between your career and personal life. And if you’re having trouble finding it, let us know.

 

Reasons Why You Should Choose The Philippines

Reasons Why You Should Choose The Philippines

Well known for its great white sand beaches, clear blue oceans and warm hospitality – Philippines have become one of the greatest tourist destinations in Asia. But in the recent years, the country has proven itself to be so much more than the perfect vacation getaway.

In the year 2015, Philippines took over Mumbai’s position as the 2nd top ranking BPO destination in the world.

With a workforce composed of highly literate young individuals and competitive labor rates, numerous countries around the world favor the Philippines as a good destination for offshoring – one of them being, Australia.

Most Australian firms prefer the geographical time zone the country has. Cities of Perth and Western Australia have the same time zone while there is only a two hour difference to the Australian Eastern Standard Time.

The country has a large number of well-educated workforce with over 600,000 tertiary graduates. Universities and schools encourage development by providing skills that companies need, like speaking the English language fluently which caters specifically to the requirements of the BPO Industry.

And with over 100 million citizens, majority of which are young professionals, the country produces over 450,000 college graduates every year. This continuously contributes to the country’s growing talent pool. Recent studies have said that over a million of Filipinos have worked in the BPO industry and the numbers are increasing exponentially.

Another factor that led the Philippines to become one of the top BPO destinations is its lower cost. From labor rates down to office space leasing, companies save a lot due to low cost of living. The affordable pricing of course is inclusive of great services and facilities.

The economic growth brought by the BPO industry also attracts firms to the country. Experts reported a prominent increase in the revenue of BPOs in the year 2016. Strategic advisory firm Tholons have recognized the consistent growth rate of contact support, finance and accounting in the country. In addition to this, significant improvement have also been observed in crucial areas that impacts the success of businesses in a foreign setting.

In another report, the Philippines sit between Indonesia and Vietnam it terms of how easy it is to start and operate a business in an Asian country. The country’s archipelagic landscape also contributes to how diverse the local economy is – offering different benefits and various capacities to host small to large enterprises.

With numerous tourist attractions near prime locations such as beaches, hot springs, resorts and spas that are only 2 or 3 hours away – you can relax when the city bustle gets a little too much for you without having to file for an extensive leave.

So why not try having the best of both worlds? Numerous seat leasing providers and coworking spaces in the Philippines’ prime business spots like Mandaluyong City, Makati City and Ortigas Center  – await you.

The Big Move Towards Coworking

The Big Move Towards Coworking
Though relevantly new, Coworking continues to prove that it’s not just a passing trend but an innovation about to completely change the game.

According to the first Global Coworking Survey of the year 2017, the number of spaces have increased from 1,130 to 23,800 over the last 6 six years. Consequently, the numbers of members grew from 43,000 to 1,118,000. Several experts have also predicted a steady growth for the market by the year 2020.

One factor to note is how the current workforce have changed over the years. With Millenials dominantly taking over majority of the world’s labor force, a revolution has been introduced – flexible working. This change have opened its doors to an opportunity of choosing when, where and how a person works.

The evolving workforce of freelancers and startup entrepreneurs led to the rapid success of coworking spaces. But why do startups choose this type of workspace over traditional offices? How come they’ve chosen the former over the latter when for decades, success was seen in the form of your very own office space?

Facts and Figures

Coworking Spaces offer so much more than just aesthetically pleasing desks and chairs with high-speed internet connection at an affordable rate. These vast areas are made not only to improve one’s productivity but were also meant to make work much more exciting than before.

With network being one of its benefits, it’s a no-brainer that it continuously attracts startups. Access to a wide variety of individuals than can help you gather resources as fast as possible and as affordable as you can is a huge plus. Starting up a business from a scratch is hard, just imagine doing it on your own without anyone to give you a hand.

In the year 2015, the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) and Emergent Research have found out that 82% of co-workers have expanded their professional networks since joining. Another 80% have also added that they turn to other members for help or guidance.

Moreover, the relationships you make with like-minded, passionate people can make meaningful connections – other else than collaborating with one another, you get to share similar experiences and dilemmas as entrepreneurs.

Another benefit to note is that several co-workers have reported an increase in their focus and productivity whilst working in these communal areas. Statistics say that 64% of the global co-workers have been able to complete tasks on time than when they were working in regular offices.

Being surrounded by like-minded individuals motivate members to reach goals and with each and every one coming from different backgrounds and industry, there’s no rivalry – no office politics.

Lastly, yet one of the most important benefit that coworking can impart to an individual is positive energy.

Several studies from the past decades have emphasized that office environment can have a heavy influence to a person’s overall happiness and with new findings presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association reporting loneliness as an even greater threat than obesity to public health, experts have raised concerns on what we can do with what they perceive as a loneliness epidemic.

A report from Deskmag.com have said that 70% of co-workers felt healthier than from when they were working in a traditional office setting. GCUC’s survey from the same year have also reported that respondents are happier, less lonely and have said that co-working even helps keep them sane.

Coworking bridges the gap between happiness and productivity by combining them into one package – a combination that is often perceived to be unachievable.

The reasons why numerous startups are making the big move from leasing traditional offices to coworking spaces go deeper than most people think. It’s not just the affordable rates or the free coffee – it’s the connections, the lessons you learn from talented individuals and the happiness in doing what you love and loving what you do.

Ready to make the same big move? Join us now!

The Good & The Bad: What Competition Really Does to You

The Good & The Bad: What Competition Really Does to You

“Survival of the fittest”

For years, we’ve lived by Charles Darwin’s words – those who adapt with the opportunities and risks presented by nature will have better chances of surviving – and we’ve applied this in various aspects in our lives.

This, of course, resulted to a culture bred by constant competition. In school, we competed against our classmates for awards. In the University, we competed with friends and in certain circumstances, we compete with a few family members. That’s why it doesn’t come as much of a surprise when we compete with our colleagues in the office.

For decades, numerous companies have created an environment wherein employees compete against one another for bonuses, promotions and even recognition. This Darwinian approach to corporate culture have always received a mixed amount of commendation and criticism.

Why It’s Good For You

Studies have suggested that competition can motivate a person to improve the quality of their work and help boost their creativity. In addition to that, skills like willingness to push past boundaries, trusting one’s instinct and problem solving are being developed. These are the same skills needed for innovation.

It increases productivity – igniting a fire in a workforce and motivates employees to work harder in order to keep their position – and at the same time, it helps increase overall efficiency of the firm.

Competition also helps employees identify their strengths and weaknesses. It allows them to narrow their focus on what they’re good at and concentrate on improving the areas that they are lacking. In addition to this, it pushes individuals out of their comfort zones, makes them strive harder in order to become better and allows them to break boundaries.

Why It’s Bad For You

Despite of the numerous statistics and studies showcasing the positive effects of competition, it is also important to note that every individual’s motivation and creativity can be accessed in various ways.

Authors of the book “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing” quoted a research that says 25% of people have a hard time under too much competition and become disengaged but 50% of employees benefit from it. All the while the remaining 25 percent are not affected by it. They also mentioned that there’s even a gender gap as well.

When the environment gets too competitive, it kills morale, causes stress and fosters petty politics and backstabbing. It narrows an individual’s cooperation among his or her coworkers. The fear and anxiety too much competition elicits can affect how a person behaves – how the competition makes a person feel dictates how they would try to win.

Finding a Middle Ground

Though it seems like finding out a way to get the right amount of competition that could be beneficial to everyone in the enterprise is hard, it’s best to strive for the middle ground.

University of Toronto psychologist Jordan B. Peterson said that competitive games are also cooperative games. Take for example basketball; each team are competing against one another and every member of the respective teams are cooperating to win the game. At the same time, each player from both teams are competing against one another to become the best player by the end of the game.

“Cooperative Competition” suggests that by working together, each member pushes the other to be more productive and produce better output. According to the author of the book The Leadership Brain for Dummies, cooperation among one another releases brain chemicals that enhance bonding, motivation and pleasure.

And as more and more members of the workforce demand for a little less competition and a little more cooperation, a new kind of workspace have been discovered.

Made to foster a community that values collaboration and lessens internal competition, “Coworking Spaces” is a new kind of flexible workspace made to house freelancers and young professionals from all kinds of industry. With an office space setup, it opens an individual up to the chance of meeting talented people from different places without the need to compete with them.

At the end of his discussion, Dr. Peter says “And the victory that you attain across the set of all games isn’t winning all the games: it’s being invited to play.” Winning confuses us and blinds us from the truth that playing among talented members makes the game more meaningful.

Are you ready to play along and win – or lose – with everyone? Join us then!

Why You Should Try Coworking Instead of Staying at Home

Why You Should Try Coworking Instead of Staying at Home

For years, homes and garages sheltered daily operation of small businesses and freelancers. And with the surge of remote working, the trend of working from home continues to increase. Figures report that 38% of employees from different industries like management, business, and other related professions worked from the comfort of their homes – showcasing a huge leap from the recorded 19% from the year 2003.

And though numerous studies have said that having the ability to work from home every now and then helps increase productivity – not to mention lessens the stress of an individual – it comes with downsides that could easily affect the overall work performance of a person.

The Drawbacks

The idea of going to work without the long commute and having greater control on your workflow sounds like a good deal but there are certain drawbacks that one should definitely consider first.

Working at home requires a lot of self-discipline. Getting up at the right time and making sure that you make the most out of the day without giving in to the temptation of procrastination and sleeping in takes a great deal of control. Moreover, it lessens the distinction between work and personal life, making it harder for an individual to shut down focus.

And overtime, the isolation will get to you. It gets lonelier without your officemates. In addition to this, less interactions make it harder for trust to be established and for relationships to develop. Face-to-face interactions allows for learning among peers, not to mention the networking opportunities you can have in a normal workplace.

Soon enough, you’ll have an appetite for a new atmosphere and better social interaction. But where do you go when you’ve outgrown the comfort of your home? When you’re finally in dire need of social interaction aside from talking to your cat or conversing over Skype?

The Rookie

Unless you’ve been at home with the curtains shut closed, you probably heard about a new kind of workplace that combines the flexibility and control a home offers with the networking opportunities and social interaction a traditional office gives; Coworking Spaces.

The rookie have made itself known not only among freelancers and independent professionals but even among large scale companies. Well received for its open office setup, coworking spaces gives you the freedom to choose the office setup you think suits you best. In addition to this, it fosters collaboration among its community members.

Since the year 2012, more and more coworking spaces have been established all over the globe. According to the Global Coworking Conference Survey of the year, an estimated 12,800 coworking spaces will be available globally this year in contrast to last year’s 11,300. Experts have predicted a steady future for its market in the next three years.

Numerous studies have also discussed the several advantages co-workers get, from increased happiness and productivity to greater network and collaboration among professionals coming from different industries.

“To each his own” as they say. Each and every one of us have our own way of getting productive and with the trend of flexible working, we can now have the liberty of choosing the best environment that will be best for the interest of your business and your personal growth as a professional.

Interested? There’s a new space in Mandaluyong about to open soon!

When Traditional Offices Become a Fading Custom

When Traditional Offices Become A Fading Custom

Large-scale corporate offices have been the marker of success for decades, but traditions are changing. Social and economic trends are revamping this generation’s ideas on modern offices – representing a challenge that cannot be overlooked.

As more and more of us turn our backs to traditional offices, this evident change created a huge impact on each and every one in the industry.

Emerging Trends

Brokers face a new challenge; adjusting to the new realities of the industry.

Experts believe that traditional spaces have passed the peak of its fame. Studies have backed this up with figures highlighting its deterioration over the years, suggesting that the pressure of rent escalations drove companies to look for smaller and cheaper offices.

Corporates also deal with the demand of giving its workforce a chance to a better work-life balance. According to a survey conducted among more than 2,000 adults in the year 2015, 38% of employees missed live events because of bad work-life balance. Another 60% blame overbearing leaders for the negative impact their work brings to their personal lives.

The happiness and health of an individual is negatively affected by long commutes. Hence, the demand of working near homes does not come as a surprise.

Moreover, workers are expressing distinct demands for flexible working. More and more employees are asking for the opportunity work from home. Though companies would be more than willing to hand them enough freedom to do so in hopes of increasing a positive impact, they still want them to have the ability to collaborate among one another.

Employers and workers are looking for a new model of workplace that can serve both of their best interest.

Fading Custom & Chain Reaction

With the threat of a new challenge to real estate marketing and emerging demands from both employers and employees, a new breed of workplace was given the opportunity to be discovered.

Office space providers started to revolutionize its methods by pairing the traditional office solutions with offers of flexible workspaces – allowing companies to acquire the amount of space they need, when they need it.

This, then resulted to the emergence of a new kind of office space; Seat Leasing and Coworking Spaces

A mix of the traditional office solution and flexible workspace, Seat Leasing gives access to the necessities a company needs, the moment they need it. With the prices inclusive of equipment, facilities and even maintenance, seat leasing saves them from legal papers and excessive costing. In addition to this, it gives them a major advantage over long-term contracts.

Startups who are planning on meeting a strict financial goal and is in need of bootstrapping its office can try this type of flexible workspace.

The newest breed called Coworking Spaces, offer a much more complex and unique office setup. Made to cater all types of professional from different industries. It comes with an open space set up that gives its members the freedom to choose the perfect office environment they need – they can choose from working alone in a sole area or collaborating with the rest of the room. It also fosters a great community among its members

“Coworking Spaces” are the perfect solution for companies that want to give its employees the liberty of having a great work-life balance and the chance to collaborate with talented individuals.

Though not all organizations are scurrying to cut down the size of their offices, statistics and trends says it all: traditional offices are slowly fading, making room for a new kind of workplace that understands the needs of both companies and employees.

With our customs slowly fading, it’s about time that we discuss how to transition from traditional offices to flexible workspaces.