The Pros & Cons of Working Remotely
Americans are improving the quality of their life by working remotely and letting go of the constraints of working in an office. Some feel that although their work lives and home lives are somewhat melded together, when working from home, many are happier and more productive.
The option to work remotely was once just for a chosen few. Now, the concept has caught on and is becoming quite commonplace. Since more and more homes are equipped with many devices and exceptional broadband, it’s much easier to work from home and give-up the ties to an office especially if the commute to that office is a great. Commuting to work can be challenging due to weather, or family schedules, therefore, working remotely proves to be the answer for many looking for work/life balance.
Working remotely is a benefit for employers as well. So, what does it mean for them? How are they benefiting from fewer staff members in the office? Studies show that workers are more productive being in a quiet, familiar environment. They become more focused and have eliminated the distractions of office life – chatter, coffee breaks and interruptions. It also forces workers to remain organized and better manage their time.
There’s another group who finds that working remotely is beneficial – entrepreneurs. For those starting a business, funds may not allow for a traditional office right away. Working at home allows the entrepreneur to build their business while keeping their costs to a minimum – costs that will be used for initial marketing and advertising. With business transitioning to a more digital world, meetings, seminars and interviews now take place online and across multiple time-zones.
It’s obvious that working remotely benefits both sides of the equation – employers cut their utility costs when employees aren’t in the office and employees can save time and money by cutting down on their commute further benefiting their health without the stress of difficult daily travel.
But is working remotely ideal for everyone? Some of the challenges of working from home can be procrastination, isolation, distraction, security risks and the benefit of teamwork. Whether you work from home, a coffee shop or the beach, many remote workers grow tired of the lack of amenities required to work in an ideal environment. Other issues include security, noise and image. For those working from home, the challenges my be with babies crying, dogs who bark at everything and the need to meet with clients, along with receiving mail, packages and visitors. To remedy these issues, entrepreneurs, employees and employers as well are discovering the newest model in office space. Many commercial buildings now offer small offices, shared office space and conference rooms which are leased not only by other tenants within the building but to those who work remotely, or by a company who may want to lease space for their remote employees not living near their company.
There, a small office for those who need a traditional office set-up can be affordably leased to create a presence or establish an image especially when customer traffic plays a big part in daily activity. Meeting or conference rooms are available to lease on a per diem basis as an option to a noisy coffee shop meeting. Shared office space is the most affordable answer for those who are not talking or selling on their phone all day but just need a desk where they can open their laptop and get some work done.
The last facet of this new model is a Virtual Office space where a home-based business can direct their mail and packages and securely held. The building address and suite number keeps your home address anonymous. No stray salespeople, package delivery people or porch pirates showing up at your home. This option offers you an office or meeting room available for an occasional meeting.
Using a virtual corporate address, a shared or small private office can also give your business great internet mapping.