Claiming Clutter in Honor Of Earth Day
Earth Day is celebrating its 49th year with more than 75,000 partners in nearly 192 countries who are building environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Earth Day is also a perfect time to see how you and your business can act socially and environmentally responsible every day.
Less Paper. Less Waste.
Conquering clutter is an easy place to start, especially when it comes to paper and paper waste. Look for new ways to use less paper by going digital. Having a paperless business will lessen paper waste, printer cartridges, and clutter too! Switching your magazines, newspapers, bank statements, and bills to a paperless format is a great way to cut down on unnecessary paper usage. With this one step, you’ve reduced the energy used for recycling, the piles on your counter, and your carbon footprint!
Clean For The Earth In Mind
Cleaning supplies with harsh chemicals, throw-away products, and products that come along with excessive or non-recyclable packaging can be replaced with more earth-friendly, non-toxic versions.
Make It Easy to Recycle For Your Employees
It is important to make recycling convenient for your employees and your family. In an office setting, recycling bins should be at every desk and copy station.
Some Other Earth Day Tips
• Turn off your computer or use the standby/hibernate mode when not in use.
• Instead of printing hard copies of documents, save them to your workplace’s online storage system, clouds like Dropbox or Google Drive or a USB drive.
• Try using rechargeable batteries as the disposable types are expensive to recycle.
• Instead of staples, try using a paperclip.
• Reuse paper envelopes and file folders by sticking a new label over the old one.
Time for Spring Cleaning (Your Office)
Isn’t there something about Spring that makes us want to beat the chaos and start anew? And that doesn’t just mean our homes and outdoor space — it means our businesses too! We have made it through the time change, and now Spring, followed by a nice hot Florida summer is just around the corner. It’s time to Spring Forward and do a little Spring cleaning in your professional life.
Now we don’t mean cleaning literally…actually, we take that back. Take a second to disinfect your workspace. Clean your laptop screen and the keyboard. And your cell phone. Germs are everywhere. We suggest wiping these items down once a week.
An easy way to keep your actual workspace clear? The things you use consistently should be within the radius of your arms. No matter, if you are at our shared workspace, or at home-this, can include your monitor and keyboard, telephone, two pens, one notebook, etc. Supplies and paperwork should be kept in the zones you’ve established for them.
Some experts say most of us treat our email inbox like a to-do list, which adds to the stress of any profession and any successful workflow. Attempt a namaste spring clean by organizing your inbox with folders or task functions that will increase your work productivity.
With a freshly organized inbox, make appointments with yourself at least once a quarter to clean out those folders. And now that your inbox is sparkling how about digging into your other folders – especially those on shared drives like Dropbox or Google Drive?
In your professional life, sometimes a spring clean doesn’t mean breaking out the vacuum or Windex, it means taking stock of what’s working well and what’s not, and getting yourself mentally revived after a long winter.
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The Pros and Cons of Standing Office Desks
Have you heard of standing office desks? You may be surprised that this is a not a new trend! Popular Science, a magazine with roots much older than the Paris Review, first began writing about the virtues of standing desks for writers back in 1883. Once used only by eccentrics like Hemingway, Dickens, and Kierkegaard, this new way to work is now a once again trendy and office setting. Whether you choose to do it the Hemmingway way with and throw your writing machine on the nearest bookcase and get going or buy an actual standing desk, there are a few things to consider.
Did you know that the average office worker spends 5 hours and 41 minutes sitting each day at his or her desk? According to an article in The Smithsonian, the solution, experts say, is not to sit for six hours at work and then head to the gym afterward, because evidence suggests that the adverse effects of extended sitting cannot be countered by brief bouts of strenuous exercise. The answer is to incorporate standing, pacing and other forms of activity into your typical day—and standing at your desk for part of it may be the easiest way of doing so.
It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.
But could you do it? Switching from sitting all day to standing all day is a radical physical transition! Check out this article for more pros and cons of standing office desks!
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Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Co-Working Space
If you work from home, you are aware of the lonely feelings that can overcome the home office employee. The coffee shop may seem a great way to get out of the house, but there is another option that can offer you more than just a different view. Co-working spaces usually charge a daily, weekly, or monthly fee for workspaces and amenities and finding the right one for you and your business can be a challenge.
To make sure you choose the right one, ask yourself these questions while shopping for a co-working space to suit your needs:
- Can I Visit? – Just like any office environment, each has their own vibe, and you need to make sure you find the right one for you and your business. Visit the space before you commit to it, and if they do not allow visits – cross them off your list.
- Who are the current tenants? – If you are looking for a space that has tenants that can help you in your business and career you need to see the tenant list to pick the right place.
- Is there a Trial period? – Ask if you can work in the space for a day to see if it fits your needs. If you need quiet time to work, you want to make sure the area you choose can accommodate your needs.
- What Amenities are offered? Most spaces provide Wi-Fi, kitchens, snacks, etc. Ask what the office offers and be honest with yourself if paying for your own coffee will eventually drive you nuts.
- What are the working hours? This is an essential question to ask, if not the most important. If you do not hold regular 8 – 5 hours, you need to know what type of access you will have to this space. If it does not fit your needs, the area is not for you.
- How Long Is the Commute? You are used to working from home and let’s face it the commute from the kitchen to your office is a short one. Before you commit to a co-working space, make sure the drive from your home to the office is not one you will come to despise.
- How long is the contract? Find out how flexible this contract is for the space you are considering. Most co-working spaces offer lots of options. Make sure they have an option to fit your needs.
- How much space do you need? Depending on how long you have worked from home, alone, being right next to someone might be a bit much for you to be productive. Be honest with yourself about the type of space you need to stay productive and make sure the co-working space you choose has an option to fit this need.
Work Webb is a co-working or shared office solution located in Historic Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida and has lots of options to choose from for its tenants. If you live in the area and are considering utilizing a shared office solution, call us for a tour and feel free to ask all the questions you need. We like our tenants happy.
Challenges of Working from Home in the Summer
Working from Home in the Summer
It’s summer and the kids are out of school. Working from home during the summer can present a challenge. If this is your first summer working from home, you may not know what to expect for the next three months. Let me enlighten you on what I have heard from clients that I only see here at Work Webb during the summer months.
Interruptions Are Constant
Older children that handled being home alone while you worked in a traditional office last summer will completely regress to needy toddlers now that you are working from home. They will not be able to find anything, do anything without asking you for help. Why you ask? Because they know you are there to help them and answer their questions. You will stop work to find the TV remote, Play Station controller and any number of meaningless tasks your children just can’t seem to do without you.
Family Visits
Now that you no longer have a traditional job, your extended family may think they can come to visit for extended stays. Honestly, if they catch you off guard you may not have a quick answer as to why they can’t come for a visit. Then you are stuck with family coming especially if you live in a desired area like Florida. Your office may be lost to your teenage nephew that likes to sleep the morning away and – POOF – there goes your productivity. In addition, if you are a good host, your in-laws might expect home cooked meals every night because after all you are home. Don’t’ forget since you are home, odds are you still do laundry, etc., so these tasks just doubled for you. All that does is eat up precious hours that should be used to get your work done.
Parental Guilt
Since you ARE working from home and this is your first summer with the kids, you might feel compelled to be the super parent. Trips to bowling alley, movies or to the beach may eat up your daylight hours which means you will burn the midnight oil or get up with the birds to get your work completed. In short – you will work twice as hard the next few months. Trust me.
Taxi Services
A common complaint I hear from my summer clients is they become a taxi service for the children and their children’s friends. After all you are home – and your children will volunteer your services without asking. Your productivity and gas tank will bottom out fast.
Avoid these pitfalls of summer by finding a shared office solution near you. If you are close to the Daytona Beach or Melbourne, Florida area, visit Work Webb’s website to see what we can offer you besides a quiet place to work.
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Updated: 3/29/21
How to Choose the Correct Shared Office Solution
Starting a business is scary but finding a shared office solution to fit your business needs should not be. Utilizing a shared office solution for your small business and not a traditional office space with all the usual headaches is smart and can lower your startup costs. Not every office solution will provide what your business needs to portray the professional look you desire. Here are the most important things to look for when shopping around for a shared office solution for your business:
Options
Does it have the right options to fit your business needs? Do you want a private office or a co-working space? Do you need a dedicated desk or will you share? What type of payment plans are there? Do they fit your budget or will you be paying for more office time that you need? When shopping around for a shared office solutions for your business, these are the types of questions you need to ask yourself. Work Webb tries to have an option to fit most business needs. Visit this link to see how we break down our different packages and al la carte add on features.
Professionally Decorated
Is the office professionally decorated? It must be said – an office needs to be pleasing to the eye, decorated nicely, and have nice, comfortable furniture. The first impression of the office space should convey the environment that meshes with your business. If the shared office solution company does not care to provide a clean, professional and comfortable environment for its clients, it may be a sign that this will not be a good fit for your business.
Great Location
Is it a great location? Having an office means meeting clients and clients get hungry. The office
needs to be near some quality restaurants. In addition, it can’t be in the bad part of town. A benefit of using a shared office solutions is upscaling your office at a low cost. Get a view from your shared office, clients are impressed with views. Have restaurants nearby and have convenient parking.
Office Staff
Is there an office staff on site? A receptionist greeting clients and answering the phone is a great first impression for any business. A reputable shared office solution company will provide some office staff to give this professional polish every business can benefit from.
Shared office solutions are becoming increasingly popular because of the many benefits to businesses large and small. Do your research to make sure you pick the right fit for your business. If you live or plan on visiting the Daytona Beach, Florida area and are in the market for shared office services, please visit our website here for more information and schedule a tour.
