The future way of working
At the start of the New Year and a new decade, Abbie Willcox, Centre Manager of Hexagon Business Centres in Witney, shares her thoughts on the future of the way we work.
The 9 to 5, Monday to Friday regime is dead. Flexibility is the key. Thanks to technology the way we work has changed and will continue to change, as workers are no longer tied to a set desk in one office location.
People work flexible hours and different days; some work shorter days and longer weeks. They work in different places; some work at home, some in cafes and some in serviced offices.
Entrepreneurs
There’s a real entrepreneurial trend too with people taking the decision to work for themselves. Figures from Companies House show there were 672,890 new companies registered in 2018 to 2019, an increase of 8.5% compared to the previous year and the highest number of incorporations since 2009 to 2010.
This is reflected here at Hexagon where we have seen an increase in tenants and virtual tenants, as more and more people set up their own businesses. Although most new businesses start off being based at home, most quickly realise that home working isn’t always what it seems and having their own small office can help their business appear more professional and can often give them more of a focus.
Separating home from business
Others realise that having deliveries to their home address or client’s arriving for meetings is not always convenient for the neighbours or for family life and necessitates keeping the house tidy or staying in for a delivery.
Even if a serviced office isn’t required, using a business address ensures that there is always someone there to take in a delivery and that your home address is kept private.
Large or small
Of course, we’re also finding that having a serviced office isn’t restricted to start ups and SME’s. Many large national or international organisations have remote workers who prefer to work from an office close to their home rather than travelling to the firm’s headquarters. This is made easier with gigabit ultrafast broadband for video conferencing and cloud computing for shared servers.
Good for the environment
The ever increasing focus on environmental issues will also continue have an effect on the way we work. Minimising travel by using technology, working locally and using shared meetings rooms for training or seminars rather than flying or driving has become the norm. Having the option to walk or cycle to work with showers and bike racks, as we have at Hexagon, encourages tenants to leave their cars at home as will having electric charging sockets for cars.
So far, so good…
In the first week of 2020 we’ve already seen an increase in enquiries for serviced offices, of viewings and of new tenants signing up, keen to take advantage of our easy in easy out terms and start the new year with their own office.
To find out more about serviced offices in Witney or having a business address, contact Abbie on 01993 848770 or
