We all want to be more productive in the workplace, whatever our job title, level on the company hierarchy, or employment status. Put simply, if you increase productivity at work, chances of promotions edge closer, you can enjoy a more rewarding and fruitful working day, and you can ultimately earn more money. So how can you increase productivity at work?
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We met up for a chat with Sarah Wiles from Snap Print Management who have been based at Carrwood for 2 and a half years now.
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Nobody wants to be an April Fool, especially not in business. From making an IT blunder during an important presentation to getting the director’s name wrong at a company you’re trying to go into a partnership with, being left red-faced and cringing with embarrassment is an inherent part of the world of business.
The city of Leeds is known for many things – but in recent years it has emerged as one of the most important hubs for business, innovation and enterprise. Many large organisations have been investing money and confidence in Leeds, from Google launching its Digital Garage in Leeds to the government investing £17.5 million for businesses to improve skills. Leeds City Council continues to focus on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone and last year, Leeds University announced plans to develop a £25 million enterprise hub – as reported by Business Editor Bernard Ginns in the Yorkshire Post.
If you have come to this blog then you have probably decided that you are wanting to invest in a Serviced Office in Leeds. It is vitally important that you know exactly what you need from your serviced office provider, from the location and image of the buidling to the size and features of the office itself.
Lucky for you I have put together some of our best blogs to help you find the perfect office space for your business.
What a year it has been for Yorkshire. Thanks to having the privilege of hosting the Tour de France Grand Depart, ‘God’s Own County’ is now an all but global household name.
Read More about Proud to be yorkshire. A look back over 2014 with Carrwood Park
Trying to juggle a busy work life and a family, whilst still leaving some time for socialising and relaxing, can be very difficult. Too many working mums, and dads, feel pulled in two different directions. It often feels as if there aren’t enough hours in the day to succeed at work and give your children the attention they deserve.
However, it is possible to succeed at both work and parenting. You will need to adjust the way you work and possibly even where you work, as well as how you manage your time and your household. If you’re organised and ready for the challenge, you can do it! Follow these tips…
Tip #1: Set aside a dedicated space for working – and consider getting out of the house!
Many people who work from home, and who have kids, end up catching a few minutes to get work done at their kitchen table. However, trying to get anything done on your laptop while surrounded by dirty dishes, kids toys and endless other household distractions can be a massive obstacle to productivity. You need a separate and dedicated space for working, so you can concentrate fully on the task at hand and also run your business in a more professional manner.
In a blog about the challenges facing homeworkers, travel writer Katie Kelly Bell, cites Jennifer Bradley Franklin, a freelance writer and editor, advising setting aside a place dedicated to work only at home.
“It’s been a huge help to have a dedicated office space and to create some defined working hours. That way, when it’s time to work (hello deadlines!) I’m fully engaged in that and when it’s time to spend time with my husband or friends, I’m 100 per cent present in those moments as well,” said Jennifer Franklin.
If you have the space, set up a home office and, as we advised in this blog, make sure you organise it properly. If you don’t have the space, consider making use of shared workspace, where you work alongside like-minded freelancers, entrepreneurs and start-ups in a professional, fully set-up space. It can be great to get out of the house, and many people find the ritual of ‘heading to the office’ and the motivation-booster of working alongside professional people to be great for their efficiency, productivity and self-confidence.
Tip #2: Separate working and parenting, so you can give each your full attention
Too many working mums feel tugged in two directions practically all the time, never being able to give either their children or their work their full attention. This can lead to feelings of guilt, as well as stress as you never feel you can properly relax. Being an attentive parent and a productive worker is possible – it can be done! You just need to set clear boundaries between the two, heading into your home office or a nearby shared workspace when the kids are at school, and shutting down your laptop when the kids come home. It’s all about time management. It isn’t always easy, as work and parenting time can often bleed into each other, but it can be done.
Tip #3: Make use of services, apps and solutions to save time and make your life easier
Modern technology can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving time and helping busy working mums juggle both work and parenthood. So make use of it! There are apps for your phone to help you manage your time, to give you important reminders and to lots of other tiny but time-consuming everyday tasks.
For some great time-saving technology, check out Angela Kwan’s analysis of 11 time-saving sites and apps for busy mums in an article published on Good Housekeeping.
Some busy working parents also consider, as we highlighted here, outsourcing to save themselves some time. You can also make use of services such as virtual offices to help you avoid distractions during the day. For example, virtual office services and serviced offices like those at Carrwood Park give you the opportunity to make use of reception services, where your calls are answered and your post received. This can help you avoid the distraction of the phone ringing all day, but you’ll still have the peace of mind that you’ll get all of your messages and never miss a vital call – which is really important as a small business, start-up or freelancer.
Tip #4: Exercise regularly
The power of exercise goes a long way. It can help to reduce stress, boost energy levels and improve your ability to concentrate. The NHS recommends that an average adult should be taking part in physical exercise for 150 minutes a week although, if you have a tight schedule, it could help to gradually work your way towards this. If you are pressed for time then you could start off by taking a walk at lunchtime, waking up an hour earlier to go to the gym, or even just trying some office exercises. Remember – every little helps!
For quality serviced offices, Leeds and Harrogate based WorkWell offices provide quality shared office space in Yorkshire. To find out more about achieving a healthy work-life balance, subscribe to the WorkWell
Park blog.
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As Halloween approaches, there’s only one type of scare you want to experience – the fun kind! The last thing you want is for your business to come to an unexpected crisis, which can come completely out of the blue and could even spell disaster for a fledgling company. However, a business scare can be avoided – you can start by following these 10 top business tips for success:
A clear and well thought-out strategy is a key ingredient for success – without it, your business could be facing tough times. You might have a rough plan of how your business will run in your head, but you really need to get it down on paper. Include every detail, however small, and spend time on it so you can figure out how everything will work and anticipate any problems that may crop up.
In the excitement of starting a new business, it’s easy to get carried away. This can lead to mistakes such as rash hiring policies and expanding into new office space before your business is ready for it – this is one of the most common mistakes start-ups make, as we outlined in our blog. Business tips for beginners should include focusing on strengthening your business and perfecting what you do best before you consider growth and expansion.
As a small business with a tight budget, it’s understandable that you’ll want to save money on big expenses. However, if these savings in the here and now aren’t the right choice for your business in the future, you could be making a mistake. If you’ll have to shell out again in the future because you’ve bought a shoddy product or paid for a sub-standard service, it’s a false economy. It may be better to bite the bullet and pay a little more now, for the future health and growth of the business.
A potentially disastrous, money-draining business mistake is to sign up for a long-term commitment, such as a long lease on office space or a contract with a marketing company, when it might not suit your business for very long. You’ll end up paying for services you don’t need, trapped in an expensive contract when it’s no longer the right option for you. What you need are flexible approaches that can adapt and change as your business does. Check out our blog on whether to lease office space or consider more flexible options such as serviced offices or co-working spaces.
A killer instinct for business is essential when you start your own company, but it shouldn’t be the sole thing you rely on. You need to have a degree of self-awareness and recognise that you need to do research or consult an expert if you have a gap in your knowledge. She also recommends having someone to bounce ideas off, and warns against trying to do absolutely everything yourself. So, the ideal combination is knowledge, research and the right advice, alongside an instinct for what is best for your business.
As they say, knowledge is power. Having knowledge of your market and your customers, as well as understanding your company’s place in the market and amongst its competitors, can be a powerful weapon. Do your research, figure out your company’s USP and you’ll be armed with enough data to make informed decisions.
Business tip for small businesses should always include getting legal stuff right from the offset. Legal mistakes can sink a business faster than anything else, so it’s important to understand your responsibilities and take them seriously. You need to be clued up on everything from employment law and business structure to data protection, intellectual property and tax.
To work out whether your company is doing well, you need hard data to analyse. Without this data, you can only guess at your company’s performance, which can be very risky – especially if you’re given to a spot of ‘bury your head in the sand’. Get the data, use it to measure performance and set realistic, achievable short and long-term goals that you can come back to in the near future. Achieving these goals can be very satisfying, as well as helping you stay on track and move forward as a company.
As seasoned entrepreneur Andy Yates writes on thisismoney.co.uk, some business owners get obsessed with tinkering with a product until its perfect – meaning no sales and no money coming in until the product is ready for launch. For the health of the business as a whole, Yates recommends sending the product out there for customers to test and try, and improvements can be made over time.
Another important point to remember related to small business tips is that you should be prepared to adapt and change as the market demands. Businesses that are resolutely stuck in their ways, unwilling to embrace new trends and technologies, will soon be left behind their competitors. This isn’t to say that you should jump on-board every new trend, nor should you panic at a slight change in the market. However, you should be open to new ideas, keeping a close eye on changes in the market and ready to adapt to keep your business ahead.
For a quality and professional serviced office, Leeds based Carrwood Park offers top-quality serviced offices in our co-working centre. For all your shared office requirements in Leeds, get in touch with Carrwood Park.
For more expert business tips for small businesses, as well as advice on choosing the right office space for you, subscribe to the Carrwood Park blog.
There are certain benefits to running a start-up business from home – the most obvious being cost savings. However, if your business is doing well,
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