How the self-employed can survive after Covid.
The Coronavirus pandemic has affected every part of our lives in 2020, and it seems safe to say that even if many things go back to normal next year, some changes will be long-lasting, if not permanent. As businesses were forced to abandon their offices and find a way for their staff to work remotely, it forced everyone to take a long hard look at the way they conducted their day to day. As we wait for to what the next round of restrictions will bring and wonder if there will be yet another lockdown in early 2021, it is time to consider making a definitive change in the office.
Before the pandemic, more and more people were giving up their offices in favour of co-working spaces, and there’s a very good chance the movement could pick up even more steam next year. Here are a few reasons why they could be the best way forward in a post-Coronavirus business landscape
It’s The Perfect Alternative For Self-Employed Workers
It seems like everyone has been getting a little taste of what it’s like being a self-employed worker this year as we all set up our home offices and got used to long stretches of time free from interacting with other human beings. While working from home does have its advantages, the fact is that many of us need the benefits that being in, or at least sharing, an office brings. By signing up for a co-working space, you get the stimulation of talking to people in completely different industries and you get the discipline of having a space to work that is just a space to work.
It Cuts Down Costs
This is the simplest, and arguably the most powerful, argument in favour of a co-working space. If you run a business, then you’ve already been thinking seriously about whether or not you need to have a centralised office when things go back to normal. And, if you do, you’ll have seriously questioned whether the entire staff needs to be there 100% of the time. It’s a huge expense keeping and maintaining large office space, and if you want to keep the elements of it that are important but can’t afford, or don’t want to shell out for, all the costs that come with it, then co-working is a fantastic alternative. If you need to relocate some office equipment and furniture temporarily, a storage lock-up is a cheap and safe solution. SafeStore offers business storage at locations all over the country that you can access at any time should you need to.
It’s An Idea-Generator
Everyone gets stuck in a rut with their work sometimes, when it feels like the same old ideas are coming up again and again. In a co-working space, employees are sharing their office with people from different industries and different backgrounds, creating an environment that provokes new thoughts and new concepts quite naturally. Suddenly workers are bouncing ideas off people with an entirely new perspective, and the benefits to innovation are enormous.
Employees Will Love It
The pandemic has made businesses think about whether they need a whole office to themselves, and it’s also made everyone think long and hard about how much time they were losing every day to a commute. As we’ve made clear, there are many benefits to having somewhere to work that’s not your home, but co-working space offers flexibility when it comes to hours and location that will make life significantly easier for everyone. The new methods of working that you have all found while working at home can be easily transplanted into a co-working space. Research has shown that employees thrive in a co-working environment, and it could be a permanent solution going forward.
