The Work-life Insight

Corona Safety Measures for Your Business

Securing your workplace against coronavirus is an imperative need of the hour during this pandemic, it is integral for offices to enforce all the available precautionary measures at hand. WHO has reiterated that the Covid-19 is highly contagious and this pandemic should not be taken lightly.

Considering the current scenario it is crucial to carry out all the necessary precautions to stay safe from coronavirus. Businesses and individuals have to do whatever it takes in these trying times to try and contain the spread of this infectious disease.

‍Adhering to Stringent Regulations

‍Health Regulatory bodies have suggested maintaining a physical distance from others and avoiding close physical contact. An office is a place where several people are confined to a limited area and work together in close proximity. Incorporating measures such as distance between employees is the responsibility of each individual. Ideally, the distance between work areas should be around 2.5 sq. m. As far as possible people have been advised to work from home. However, most people do not have the required setup to be able to operate out of their home environment. This has increased the demand for space at shared office spaces.

‍Workplace Safety Rule

‍There are certain measures that an office can put in place to ensure general safety. Sanitization is one of the procedures suggested by the medical authorities to prevent the spread of Corona. WorkSocial has taken the initiative to enforce Corona safety in the shared office space. We are not only ensuring that the office area is cleaned meticulously, but we are also sanitizing all the common areas with disinfectant.

‍Compulsory Sanitization for Prevention‍

All those entering the office should sanitize their hands and avoid touching any items or areas of the office unless absolutely required. This precautionary action will ensure your personal safety as well as the safety of others in the same office environment. We strongly recommend that all those using the office space carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer and use it frequently. As a social responsibility WorkSocial also has hand sanitizer dispensers available at strategic locations around the office. Frequent washing of hands is also advisable.

‍Cafeteria Alternatives for Refreshments

‍The use of disposable coffee cups and spoons is another technique whereby we can avoid using items that may be infected. Most offices have cafeterias where food and beverages are served in reusable crockery. During this pandemic, offices should use disposable cutlery and crockery. WorkSocial has a disposable cup dispenser for drinking water and other beverages. Though these may appear to be small and trivial matters, it goes a long way in ensuring everyone’s safety

‍Securing Common Areas

‍‍All offices have certain common areas. The elevator is a common area where people are placed in close confines. The few minutes spent in such close proximity is enough to infect a person. For general safety, we advise that people do not rush to board the elevator when it opens, but remain patient. Only a few people should get into the elevator and ensure that it does not have more than a 50% capacity.

While in the elevator avoid facing one another. In fact, it is preferable to stand facing the wall with your back to the others. It may take a little longer to get to work, but these few minutes of waiting can save your life. After traveling in the elevator one must wash or sanitize their hands.

‍Taking Responsibility for Curtailing the Spread of Corona

‍These are dark days and it is a collective responsibility to stay safe and ensure that the others around us remain safe as well. We understand that businesses need to run and hence you need to come to the office to work. For this reason, we are open and welcome you into our corona safe environment.

Coworking Space NJ Post COVID19 Plans

min read

4/18/20

Benefits of Co-Working: Shared Spaces & Simplified Business Solutions

min read

4/4/20

With 30.7 million small businesses in the U.S. in 2019, it’s clear more working professionals are turning away from traditional jobs to pursue entrepreneurship. The start of an endeavor as an entrepreneur, tech-preneur, startup, or freelancer can be a humble beginning, but there is great potential for a lucrative and profitable ROI. However, achieving this requires thorough budgeting, and many ways companies cut costs is through utilizing co-working spaces. New companies are turning to this popularized business practice for multiple reasons that only improve their experience as an entrepreneur and their overall business.

The benefits of using a co-working space are compelling enough for 37.93% of small to medium-sized businesses, 27.12% of startup teams and16.61% of freelancers to use them, according to Coworkinginsight.com. Shared workspaces offer many benefits; here is a list of 11 ways these spaces are worthwhile.

What is a Coworking Space?

The modern way of working and collaborating is coworking.

Coworking spaces are built to provide their diverse occupants with a productive and interactive atmosphere and are created without corporate limits on what is considered to be an ‘office’ environment that provides flexible memberships to meet most needs.

For those seeking to escape the loneliness of a home office or coffee shop, they provide affordable office space. A suite of office-like facilities such as hot-desks, private conference rooms, kitchens, coffee and more are offered in these shared workspaces.

Sometimes, they provide a group as well. Usually, tenants are freelancers, entrepreneurs, start-ups and small teams who want a versatile place to take advantage of.

Advantages of Coworking Spaces

Cost-Effective Space: Coworking spaces alleviate financial burdens established in a traditional business structure. Many businesses use a brick-and-mortar format that requires buying or leasing a space. Small businesses with under 12 employees can save around $2,700 monthly by using these spaces versus leasing an office. No complaints there! With such significance in budget cuts, companies can allocate funds to other areas of business.

‍Co-Working Spaces Have Great Features: Many would say the best advantage of working in a co-working space is the freedom and flexibility that comes with it. These typically large facilities have multiple conference rooms, offices, and amenities like gyms, cafeterias and outdoor areas. We at Work Social are located on a pier with an amazing view. Imagine taking your break in front of the water. These shared workspaces are curated to make working solutions all-around a business. With the proper planning, entrepreneurs can use these spaces with more liberties than a traditional office and perform with effective tools and support.

‍Reduces Business Costs: Another financial benefit is shared access to co-working amenities and utilities. Co-working spaces offer these within their facilities, once again alleviating financial burdens. Entrepreneurs can work in these spaces without the worry of the internet shutting off, replacing office equipment, running out of Keurig cups, or whatever other obstacles occur when in operations alone. It also doesn’t hurt to have a maintenance staff that will take out that trash for you!

‍Corporate Mailing Address: Aside from having a common workspace, co-working members also share a virtual space. Each member gets their own official email, a subtle but impacting display of professionalism. As a startup or small business, first impressions are that much more critical when building clientele. A corporate email provides a distinct way to validate the business’ credibility as a report and trust is built.

‍Greater Flexibility: From choosing a desk to scaling up to a larger space, there are many options within co-working spaces. Entrepreneurs have greater flexibility to adjust their space according to current business needs. With the vitality of the business, change is constant. Being in a shared workspace allows for adjustments to be made with increased ease and in an efficient manner.

‍Networking Opportunities: Aside from the financial and structural benefits of a co-working space, there is also a social one. With multiple other companies working in an office sharing the same facilities, there are opportunities to network. Connections and collaborations have the potential to arise while working with so many startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs of various professional backgrounds. That creative seeking technical help may not have to look any farther than their co-working facility.

‍Improvement from Monotonously Working at Home: Working from home is often sensationalized. Freelancers and remote workers fantasize about working in their bed and not having to dress for work. However, people do not consider the many distractions and the lack of encouragement experienced while working from home. At a shared workspace, one is surrounded by other motivated members, focused on their laptops while drinking their coffee, thus creating an environment of productivity while not feeling alone or bored in the process.

‍Counters Loneliness at Work: Many freelancers and remote workers also are remised of how lonely working from home can be. Everyone else is at work or school while the freelancer is left to be productive on their own. Even at a traditional job, an individual may experience a sense of loneliness, especially when others do not understand your ambitions. However, at shared workspaces, there is a sense of comradery as there are many like-minded individuals with shared interests working towards common goals.

‍Launchpad for New Learning Skills: Constant up-gradation and acquiring new techniques and skills is the mantra for sustained success in today’s world. Co-working offers the ideal space where one meets other professionals and learns about the latest business skills that are evolving dynamically and changing the face and pace of business.

‍Emotional Support: Co-working space advantages are not just about production, but also chances for real connection. Countless opportunities for mentorship, influence, and even relationship have undergone due to the networks built within a shared workspace. These facilities also host various events that allow time to socialize and take a moment to discuss topics besides business.

‍Enhances Productivity and Efficiency: A workspace offers a non-traditional work environment that boosts productivity. With the best working conditions, members can produce quality work. Many of these offices have central locations that are perfect for coordinating any meetings, events, and other various activities.

This trend in work structure is gaining trajectory for startups, remote workers, freelancers, small to medium businesses, and others. With all the benefits of using shared workspaces, it is no wonder new businesses are turning to this method. If you are in this niche of business, you may want to consider a co-working office. Avoid the hassles of leasing space and the burdens that come along with it. Be open to a new work model that will provide a path to your booming business along with your best self.

Workplace Solution for Challenging Times with Corona Outbreak

min read

3/28/20

Contrary to popular belief that coworking offices will lose business with the current pandemic, there has been a surprising turn around. The Coronavirus epidemic has resulted in an increased demand for shared workspace in numerous parts of the world. The reason being - some companies are seeking alternate places for their employees to work from, and shared office space provides the perfect solution. This action is in a bid to execute precautionary measures for the Covid-19 outbreak and space out employees while ensuring the required office infrastructure and facilities.

Diversification is a preventive measure and servesseveral purposes for businesses. At a time when businesses are contemplating how to stay afloat, some companies are exploring different channels. Having employees work from a shared office space is one such possibility which is proving to be a great option with multiple benefits.

Why Shared Office Space?

There are several reasons companies and employees opt to work from a shared office space, the primary one being the availability of proper office infrastructure. Work from home is not always possible when the required setup is not available. The executive cabins at the shared office space afford a secluded environment to carry out business functions. The undisturbed environment enhances productivity and yield better results, enabling companies to gain maximum advantage.

The WorkSocial office space is a fully functional dynamic office space, fully equipped with high speed Wi Fi internet, printing, receptionist, office security and many more services. We offer full support to all our clients to combat the slowdown and lift the focus on accelerating your business.

At a time when travel is restricted to situations of absolute necessity, online meetings have to suffice. We engage you with a conference room fully equipped to handle video and teleconferencing to any part of the country or world. It is the perfect setup to make your presentations from or even hold high level business meetings. Business doesn’t have to come to a standstill just because the world in a lockdown. Once the storm has blown over it will be business as usual. Companies which managed to hold ground will emerge victorious and be able to take advantage of the market void.

Work Space Precautionary Measures

The essential precautionary measures during these challenging times need to be adhered to. Social distancing and adequate sanitisation are critical. We want to ensure that with our stringent measures all our clients protected against untoward risks.

WorkSocial understands these needs and ensures that the workplace interior setup caters to this crucial requirement. We believe that businesses need to stand strong and to sustain and make it through.

The coworking ideology lays out a number merits for companies. It reduces the travel distance and time for those whose offices are located in distant parts of Jersey City. For those who have offices located out of town it provides the needed office infrastructure.We help you overcomes the challenges and continue working without interruptions.

Conclusion

Our turnkey offices are outfitted to suit your every requisite. Schedule a tour and get an overview of what we have to supplement your business.

Virtual Office Benefits to Grow your Business

min read

2/20/20

In the wake of evolving trends, there has also been an immense shift in the way workplaces function. With the emergence of new start-ups every day, there is an increased demand for workplaces that are comfortable, convenient and cost-effective. If you dream of enjoying a stress-free business environment that gives you the freedom to work at flexible timing and place, virtual offices are what you should consider. Many newcomers and start-ups have been embracing this new concept. Here are some of the things one should consider to transform their professional life using virtual spaces. This modern feat is not only best for the employers but also offers a great benefit to the employees.

Benefits of a virtual office: (Employee + Employer) friendly option

When you think about getting a virtual office, you must consider the following:

‍1: Corporate Mailing address

‍Virtual offices offer you a professional mailing address. By signing up for a Virtual Office, you create a physical office without committing a lease obligation. A virtual office gives you the unexpected appearance of working at a physical office location, even though you do not in reality, along with a physical address for correspondence. So there is a little administrative relief for pennies a day.

‍2: Increased business authority

‍An advantage of a virtual office is that the employers can take up home-based businesses and get the work done by the employees, remotely. Thus, the benefits of having a virtual office play an important role when you project your company’s availability in multiple locations.

‍3: Extended phone services

‍In a virtual office, you can pursue a professional virtual environment by having a phone number, fax service, voicemail boxes, and even a virtual voice to handle calls without the need for a receptionist. The businesses can reap additional benefits of virtual offices like reduced human intervention and minimized cost.

‍4: Fulfilled instant services

‍This point strongly supports why to use virtual offices when many people consider having a physical office, though technology has been modernizing every business aspect. Conventional setup involves extensive workforce and space for accommodating everyone and everything. In a virtual office, you can cater to all the business needs via a single-click in software.

‍5: Personalized voicemail box

‍A virtual office gives you the privilege of setting up your preferred voicemail message for calls to communicate clearly and in advance with the customers in cases of your unavailability. Thus, the benefits of having a virtual office increase interaction with your consumers, rigorously.

‍6: Cost-effective practice

‍A real-time office may cost you a huge expense in many aspects. Either you have to rent or lease the commercial space, pay utilities, buy furniture, equipment and technology. The advantages of virtual offices cut down those expenses and help you in saving some cash, which you can invest in future business expansion.

‍7: Work-Life balance for all

‍Work-life balance validates your thought of why use a virtual office. The more your business grows, the more it is important that you as an entrepreneur and your employees can maintain a work-life balance. The benefits of having virtual offices allow everyone to work efficiently from their safe space, which reduces stress levels and also gives enough time to spend with their loved ones.

‍8: Less time consumption

‍The recent trend shows that most employees prefer the work from home options even at a lower salary, as it reduces their commute time, saves the conveyance cost, and, most importantly, provides comfort. Hence, the benefits of virtual offices favour both employees and employers in all positive manner.

‍9: Flexibility of work‍

Flexibility at work makes employees more energetic, enthusiastic and interested in work. They regard it as a special privilege endowed by the company to log in at their convenience and even work during mobility or with their mobile phones. Such advantages of virtual offices save not only time but improve overall work attitude.

‍10: Enhanced productivity

‍Working from home reduces distraction and improves concentration at work, and so, even if you work for limited number hours, your productivity improves, and both the company as well as you benefit in monetary terms.

‍11: Increased team size

‍Without the barrier of fixed workspace and legal formalities, you can smoothly increase your team size with the benefits of having a virtual office. This, in turn, creates a positive impact on your business growth as well as on your employees and customers.

‍12: Protect the environment

‍You can run a business without imposing damage to the environment through the virtual offices. They also offer a peaceful environment to employees by preventing them from exposure to all types of pollution by eliminating commute.

‍13: Attract the best talent

‍You can hire the best talents you need without investing in money, recruitment drives, and this provides ample time to choose the right person for the right position.

‍14: Increase scalability

‍Having virtual offices helps you in scaling up and down your resources without facing any consequences and helps grow your business constantly.‍

15: Easy setup

Virtual offices are easy to set up and easy to shut down as well, without the need to spend anything additional.

In a nutshell, having a virtual office is always an asset to start-ups during their initial stages, and they can even further continue with the same practice for efficient and faster business growth. If you are a smart entrepreneur, you will go for virtual offices because it gives you ample time to manage the ups and downs in your business till you embrace stability.

A day where I felt I gave back

sa·to·ri | an awakening

min read

2/10/20

WorkSocial guide to make work meetings more productive

min read

12/6/19

Some meetings lead to major a-ha moments that meaningfully move projects forward. Other meetings? Not so much. In fact, 47 percent of employees claim meetings are the biggest waste of their workday.

These boring, redundant meetings waste valuable time and energy. But what’s worse are the discussions that devolve into arguing, bickering, blaming, complaining, and the airing of petty grievances. When meetings turn unnecessarily hostile, communication breaks down. Progress stalls. Morale suffers.

As a leader, it’s important to stay in control of the meeting dynamic so that it doesn’t turn into one, big venting session. Here are ways you can stop complainers from controlling the time and make sure your meetings are constructive.

Productive Meetings

1. Consider unifying the room
Creating a shared purpose and structure are keys to making any meeting productive, especially one that could be contentious and complaint-ridden. Before diving into the meeting content, layout the agenda. Be clear about what topics you’ll cover, and in what time frame. That way, you can steer the conversation back on track if it veers off course.

You also should introduce the discussion by offering a clear, future-focused objective such as, “We’re here to create a revised timeline for this project” or “Our goal today is to make a decision about the product launch date.” Don’t focus on why a project is behind or failed (unless the meeting is specifically designed to be a post-mortem or de-brief). Instead, reorient your team to the current context. Share a mission, vision, or purpose that they can get excited about and set your sights on an inspiring goal ahead.

2. Think about setting ground rules
Whenever you want to facilitate a fair discussion, establish the norms for participating. At a minimum, yelling and name-calling should be off-limits. If the meeting will be about a contentious topic, set the expectation that you want to have a respectful discussion. In order to do that, there are certain expectations everyone agrees to follow while another person is speaking, including:

No interrupting or cross-talk
Critique ideas, not people
No distractions—phones and computers away
Do not offer opinions without supporting evidence
If you are confused, ask for clarification
Don’t generalize; speak from your own experiences

These guardrails can help ensure you have a spirited, passionate discussion that doesn’t descend into venting. If the conversation gets heated, go back to your ground rules. Reinforcing an atmosphere of respect and civility will bring down the emotional temperature in the room.

3. How to defuse defensiveness
In general, people vent because they want to be heard. To snuff out complaints, you need to show you genuinely care about your team’s challenges and concerns. Devote time during the meeting to hearing them out. Validate and empathize with phrases like, “I understand why that must be challenging” or “I hear you. That must be tough.” Then dig deeper. Ask clarifying questions such as, “Can you tell me more?” or “What impact has that had on you?”

These questions will help you get to the source of people’s frustrations and elucidate what’s blocking their progress. Just be careful not to linger on problems for too long, because you risk feeding into negativity and pettiness.

4. Problem-solving is all about Partnership
After you’ve released the pressure valve and actively listened to the complaints, it’s time to shift into solutions mode. While under pressure, many leaders make a common mistake at this phase: They prematurely jump to assigning roles and responsibilities. In other words, they tell their team exactly what to do.

While an autocratic approach can be efficient in the short term, it typically leads to pushing back and resistance. When people are aggravated, it’s not a good idea to rob them of a personal agency and power. Coaching people to find their own solutions, on the other hand, is significantly more effective.

One of my clients, Abigail, used a coaching strategy while managing a multimillion-dollar technology roll-out for a healthcare company. Cross-departmental meetings were fraught with fighting. The project was at risk of falling behind, but people still whined about lacking time to get everything done amid their other priorities. Rather than having her dictate next steps to the parties involved, I coached Abigail to invite others into the planning process. At her next meeting she posed a few questions, including “What would support you in accomplishing this by the end of the week?” and “How can I best hold you accountable?”

When you coach people to find their own solutions, it makes them feel like part of the team. They’re more likely to follow through because they have a sense of responsibility and buy-in. You encourage them to access their own resourcefulness, counteracting some of the helplessness that leads people to vent in the first place.

Finally, don’t end the meeting until you have firm commitments in place. Get agreements for what each person will do and by when.

Remember that in the normal course of work, petty annoyances are par for the course. How you choose to handle frustrations makes all the difference.

Credit:
Website: https://melodywilding.com

Call us today to learn how we can help make your meeting successfully.

FIVE ADVANTAGES FOR CLIENT ADVISORY FIRMS OF COWORKING IN MULTIPLE SPACES

min read

12/3/19

The business world has discovered coworking spaces and is going for them in a big way if you look at recent studies. According to figures at the website Statista, there were 14 coworking spaces in the US in 2007, but that number increased to 4,043 in 2017 and is projected to increase to 6,219 by 2022. There are many advantages in coworking spaces for businesses in all fields, but certain types of businesses benefit even more. Client advisory firms with clients in multiple cities can benefit greatly from using coworking spaces in those locations.Here are five reasons why every client advisory firm should have seats at multiple coworking spaces.

It’s more efficient. People work better in an office setting with their coworkers nearby. They can accomplish much more in an office environment than by working at home, where there are more distractions. Besides, it’s more motivational to get out of your pajamas and go to an office, where you’re around other people who are focused on their jobs.
It’s more cost-effective to use meeting spaces on demand. Why pay to rent conference rooms and meeting areas that sit idle most of the time? Real estate costs are a big chunk of a company’s expenses, but with coworking spaces, you only pay for space when you need it.
You’re closer to the client. Coworking spaces allow you to put your people right up close to the client. You want to have enough coverage for your most important customers, and with coworking spaces, you can set up shop right down the street from them. And sometimes, when your client also uses coworking spaces, you can be right in the same building with them.
It’s better for networking. Coworking spaces are hotbeds of business activity — almost every industry uses them, which means your people could be sitting right next to a contact who can help them get more business in unexpected ways. It’s called serendipity, and it happens all the time in coworking spaces!
You can scale up or down as needed. The operative word in business today is speed — companies who can move quickly are the winners in this fast-changing world. If you are presented with a golden opportunity that requires you to scale up, you can do it quickly and in the most cost-effective way by using coworking spaces. Let’s say you just signed a contract with a mega-client and you need to have bodies on the ground at the client’s location in two weeks. You can have everything set up and ready to go at a coworking space in a matter of days — try doing that with traditional office space! Another benefit: using multiple coworking spaces lets you list multiple addresses in your business communications, which makes your company look bigger and more comprehensive to clients and prospects.

It’s clear that coworking spaces are a trend that’s going to be at least as important as telecommuting in today’s business world, and these spaces should be part of any company’s strategic plan going forward.

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