How to beat the downsides of homeworking

With developments in technology, increasing numbers of people are choosing to work from home, either to save costs on renting office space or to beat the daily grind of long commutes.

But while working from home helps businesses to adopt more flexible working practices, it can have its own drawbacks.  For example:

• Technological temptations. The very technology that makes working from home so easy – a laptop, internet connection and mobile phone – can also cause distractions. It’s all too easy to think a few minutes on Facebook won’t matter, or a quick call to a friend won’t do any harm, but all the minutes add up and it can be surprising how a short side-track can spoil your concentration.
• Domestic distractions. If you have children or pets at home, they may well be pleased to have you in the house and you can’t blame them for wanting to make the most of that. It can be difficult to explain to others that just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you’re not also at work!
• Creative block. Sometimes it is important to have other people to bounce ideas off or act as a reassuring second opinion.  This is tricky in a home working environment.
• Isolation. Workers who spend long periods of time in a home office may become isolated, which can even lead to symptoms of depression.  Humans are sociable by nature and it can be hard to cope with spending a lot of time alone.
• Work/life balance. It can be tempting for home workers to blur the lines between a home life and a work life. Sometimes it is better to keep the two elements physically separate.

​So what’s the solution?

A new initiative from Bizspace can help home workers overcome all of these problems, while still maintaining flexibility and low costs. The Work Lounge is our new co-working space, where home workers can drop in as and when they need, to access a professional and relaxed work environment, paying on an hourly pay-as-you-use or monthly pre-pay basis.

As with all Bizspace products, The Work Lounge provides a flexible and low-cost business accommodation solution, avoiding the need for fixed overheads. We will soon be announcing details of our first centre to feature The Work Lounge, with others to be rolled out throughout the country later in the year.

The Work Lounge will feature long tables for shared working space, quiet pods and informal lounge-style working space.  Customers will have access to free parking, high speed wi-fi and drinks, as well as use of the kitchen facilities.

Importantly, it will give home workers the opportunity to meet, chat and network with other local businesspeople, who may prove to be great new contacts, on a social or business level.  And in the quiet areas, customers will be able to get their heads down and get on with work without the distractions of the home environment.

Watch this space for details of our centres that will feature The Work Lounge or search to find a business centre near you.