virtual office Archives

4 Essentials You Need To Have For Remote Work

What are the essentials that you need for remote work?

A Dedicated Workspace
Noise-Cancelling Equipment
External Hard Drive
Basic Office Supplies

New to work remotely? Transitioning to remote work from your usual 9-5 job isn’t the easiest thing to do. Converting a space into a professional workspace can pose a challenge, and it may not feel as office-ready. But, don’t worry! Below, we’ve compiled a list of the essentials you need for remote work. These are all you need to stay efficient, productive, motivated, and comfortable all day. You’ll thrive in remote working in no time! Read on for more.

A Dedicated Workspace

First things first — the space. It is one of the most crucial elements in successful remote working. The location you work in will make or break your whole remote work situation.

So, If you’re working from home, dedicate one space to do your tasks. Whether it be inside a spare room or a table in the living room, the key here is to foster a psychological boundary between your professional and home life. It’s best to choose a spot that is well-lit and free from distractions.

This will make a huge difference in your productivity and motivation. It will also help reduce the risk of burnout too! This, combined with a desk and a comfortable chair is the starting point for an effective remote work routine.

In the same way, if you opt to work outside your home, find a well-lit place or spot with no distractions or noise. Nowadays, there are co-working spaces that are built for the comfort of remote workers. Maybe you can check out if there’s one near you.

Noise-Cancelling Equipment

You’re likely going to experience noise from your surroundings, so investing in a pair of good-quality noise-canceling earphones is a must-have. It will eliminate outside distractions while you’re working. And when you’re in a meeting, you’ll be able to hear and understand everything clearly.

Additionally, while you’re in a virtual meeting, background noise can be incredibly distracting to your co-workers or clients. This is where a noise-canceling microphone will come in handy — it ensures that your voice is heard distinctly.

External Hard Drive

An external hard drive is one of the best things you can invest in — especially if you are working with tons of files. It does not only increase your storage capacity, but it also backs up your important files, and it can speed up the performance of laptops with slower internal drives.

Basic Office Supplies

Despite the accessibility of online tools and productivity apps, it’s still best to have a set of handy basic office supplies with you. Plus, nothing beats writing down on a paper notebook. It doesn’t run out of batteries either.

Key Takeaway

To successfully work remotely, you need to be well-equipped. These essentials you need for remote work are everything you need for maximum productivity, efficiency, and comfort. Feel free to add more items and tools too!

If you want more tips and tricks in working remotely, feel free to read our blogs! Or, if you’re looking for a collaborative and fun environment to work in, we are a coworking space provider in Paranaque. Contact us today to learn more!

Why You Should Have Work Meetings at a Virtual Office in Las Pinas

Why should you have work meetings at a virtual office in Las Pinas?

Las Pinas is a convenient location
A professional setting is guaranteed
Virtual offices are accommodating
It’s a refreshing experience
It can be more cost-effective

Virtual offices and co-working spaces are a recent development in the professional world and its list of advantages keeps growing as more people use them. While ‘virtual’ is a word that denotes something that is done on a computer, virtual offices actually have physical spaces for people to work in.

From home businesses and startups to freelancers looking for a place to work, virtual offices are finding their place in the world. As a testament to that, virtual offices in the Philippines are also steadily increasing in number, which can surely benefit many businesses in the country.

Virtual offices are useful for the purpose of meetings. Meetings are one of the most common aspects of working life and it can be a challenge to keep them interesting. If you, your clients, employees or workmates aren’t interested, then the level of focus in a given meeting isn’t optimal. This can affect productivity and performance. One way to keep your meetings engaging is by choosing the right kind of venue with an equally apt location.

That being said, whether you’re working in a startup, small business or a corporation it can be beneficial for you to hold your meetings in a virtual office in Las Pinas and here’s why.

Las Pinas is a convenient location

If you are not too familiar with the metro south, many of its areas are residential in nature. Aside from that, it is also experiencing a boom in terms of enterprise and development. Both of these things can have implications for your work meetings based on a number of things.

Traffic

Because the main business districts in Metro Manila are in Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City, Las Pinas and surrounding areas experience a more manageable level of traffic. There is also a decreased presence of buses and jeeps which are common sources of frustrations on the road. A better driving experience on the way to a meeting can definitely help a given person’s mood which can lead to a more effective meeting. This also helps meetings begin on time for those cases where urgency is required.

Close to Home

Given that the metro south is home to numerous people, it can be comforting for some people to know that a meeting is close to their home. It can be a different story for people living in the northern areas of Metro Manila, but at least they can consider it as an opportunity to get acquainted with areas they are not familiar with.

Aside from that, Las Pinas is close to the airport. People who work for international companies or freelancers who come to the Philippines for short business trips can benefit from a virtual office in Las Pinas.

A professional setting is guaranteed

Focusing on the virtual office aspect of things, this type of office or workspace guarantees a professional setting. Most virtual offices make it a point to have one or more meeting rooms and event spaces available. These rooms come equipped with everything you might need for a presentation or discussion like air conditioning units, projectors, a whiteboard, and electrical sockets.

Virtual offices are accommodating

Since virtual offices are rented based on necessity, they usually have terms geared for short-term use. What this means is that booking a room is easier. You can specify how many hours you need it for and for what specific date, then the virtual office can make provisions accordingly. You can even incorporate other elements such as food and beverage. Try having a pizza delivered if you want to make your meeting that much more interesting.

Traditional offices aren’t the most liberal of places which can limit a given meeting’s structure. Since virtual offices aren’t part of any company, you are also free to talk about sensitive topics and other things that might be too private for a given workplace.

It’s a refreshing experience

One thing that is underrated about virtual offices and co-working spaces is their departure from traditional workspaces. Physically, it won’t be surprising to see a stark lack of cubicles, divided rooms, and bland design. Instead, many virtual offices opt for a more colorful space — one that has more furniture and fixtures that give character. If you’ve seen Google’s offices, then you might have an idea of what some virtual offices can look like.

This can give a refreshing feeling to those people who aren’t used to that kind of set-up and can affect their mood in a positive way. People are usually more receptive and alert in unfamiliar places which can mean a more successful work meeting. Try organizing a meeting in a virtual office in Las Pinas for a more refreshing time.

It can be more cost-effective

Another advantage of holding meetings in a virtual office is that you won’t have to worry about the electricity consumed during the entire ordeal. Complemented by rental rates that are usually low, it can definitely be a more cost-effective option compared to having a meeting in other places. Coffee is usually available for free as well, so you can also cut some expenses there instead of making a trip to your favorite coffee joint.

Set Your Meeting at Workplays

Given the positives listed above, a virtual office in Las Pinas can definitely be a good option for you and your work meeting purposes. While the advantages may seem to benefit home-based businesses and startups that lack a proper office, big companies still have much to gain. Given the increasing number of virtual offices in the Philippines, the options are becoming more accessible as well. One such option is Workplays, a leading virtual office and co-working space in the metro south.

Workplays is a great option for those looking to organize a work meeting in the heart of the metro south. To check our rates, click here and for more information regarding our services, click here.

5 Tips to Avoid Distractions While Working

How do you avoid being distracted at work?

Disconnect from the internet
Stick to your schedule
Clean up your workspace
Surround yourself with productive people
Let your co-workers know

Everyone has experienced getting distracted while working, whether it is because of other co-workers or a cluttered workspace. Even if you work from a virtual office in Manila, there are still many possible online distractions that can deter you from work. In order to help you be as productive as possible while at work, here are some tips to help you avoid distractions

Disconnect from the internet

One of the most common sources of distraction nowadays is the internet, there is no denying that it is very hard to ignore whenever we get a Facebook notification or message. If this is a major cause of distraction for you, disconnect from the internet or turn off your smartphone. However, if you work from a virtual office in Manila and need the internet or your cell phone for work purposes, there are still many ways to block online distractions. You can put your phone on silent, download app blockers for social media apps, turn off your notifications, and many more.

Stick to your schedule

Another tip for avoiding distractions is to make a schedule and stick to it. Planning your day and listing the tasks you need to accomplish will help a lot in keeping you away from distractions. Moreover, make sure to allot time for a break or two during the day. By having a set time for breaks, you will feel less tempted to get distracted and take too many breaks throughout the day. Additionally, spending a few minutes to rest will help re-energize and motivate you for your next tasks.

Clean up your workspace

Even if you do not mind the mess in your workspace, this could unknowingly be a cause for distraction for you. Cleaning and organizing your workspace will lessen the number of visual distractions and help you have a clearer mind while working. Another tip is to have a tray or portion of your desk to keep your pile of tasks and to only have one project in front of you at a time. This will keep you from getting distracted and jumping between unfinished tasks.

Surround yourself with productive people

If you are the type to be easily distracted while working alone, try working with a group of productive friends or co-workers. Surrounding yourself with productive people will help motivate you to be just as productive. In addition to inspiring you to focus on your work, being around productive co-workers will also lessen your chances of being interrupted while working.

Let your co-workers know

On the other hand, it is possible that being around others causes more harm than good for you. If you have a hard time focusing when working with other people, find a quiet spot or room in the office to work in. If this is not an option, you can always politely ask your co-workers to chat elsewhere or let them know that you need to be left alone to concentrate on a difficult task.

Key Takeaway

We all struggle against our own personal distractions while at work, whether it’s our phones or co-workers. The key to being productive at work is to know what distracts you and to actively make a plan to avoid these distractions.

7 Essential Types of Furniture and Appliances to Have in the Office

What furniture and appliances are essential in offices?

Computer equipment
Communications
Desks and worktables
Comfortable chairs
File cabinets
Microwave and refrigerator
Whiteboard wall

When working in a virtual office in the Philippines, the furniture and appliances found in the workplace play a major role in productivity. We often take basic pieces of furniture like desks and telephones for granted. Nonetheless, investing in the best types of office furniture will make a big difference in the productivity and mood of everyone who works there. Here are some essential appliances and pieces of furniture needed in an office.

Computer equipment

No virtual office in the Philippines would be complete without desktop computers and necessary accessories like keyboards, mouse, and more. You will also need to install various software into each computer for protection against viruses, word processing, backing up of data, and other needs of your office. Besides this, it is also ideal for every office to have a multifunctional printer that can fax, scan, and photocopy in addition to printing documents.

Communications

Another essential for offices is to have communications systems including a telephone line, internet connection, answering machine, desk telephones, and more. Nowadays, it is next to impossible for an office or any workplace to function without internet and telephone systems. Because of this, it is important to invest in a reliable communications system to avoid encountering problems in the future.

Desks and worktables

Obviously, you can’t have an office without desks to work on. To make the most of your space, make sure to invest in desks that come with storage space like drawers and cabinets. These will come in handy for storing desk supplies like pens, post-its, paper, and other personal items. In addition to individual desks, you will also need larger work tables for group meetings.

Comfortable chairs

Another must-have in every office are comfortable chairs. Because people will be spending the majority of their day sitting at their desks, comfort is an obvious priority when buying office chairs. One common type of chair found in offices are ergonomic chairs, which have adjustable parts to provide maximum comfort for a range of people. Additionally, this type of chair is known for correcting posture and supporting your back very well.

File cabinets

Staying organized is extremely important when working in an office so having organization supplies like file cabinets, folders, and envelopes will surely prove to be very useful. These will keep all of your important documents in one place and avoid any of them from getting lost or messy.

Microwave and refrigerator

Give your staff the option of bringing their own packed lunch and snacks to work by providing a communal microwave and refrigerator for the entire office.

Whiteboard wall

Another incredibly useful tool to have in the office is a whiteboard wall where you can write notes during meetings, place schedules, stick up announcements, and many more. This will also mean stocking up on whiteboard markers, erasers, and magnets.

Key Takeaway

Even though many of these seem very trivial, no office could function well without them. Investing in basic furniture that is both high-quality and practical will make a big difference in making life in the office easier and more productive.

Virtual Office Philippines: How to Make Your Work Breaks Productive

How can you make your work breaks more productive?

Connect with your co-workers
Meditate
Walk away from your desk
Take a nap

In this age of technology, work breaks are commonly thought of like time to check social media. Being up to date with events and people is now a popular way of relaxing during these moments. Different aspects of life involve being social, even the popular co-working trend at virtual offices in the Philippines involves connecting with people through online means while doing your job.

While it may seem relaxing to scroll down your feed, using your phone during all your breaks can make you feel even more stressed out. It worsens the way you feel by isolating you from your surroundings because you spend all your time on the phone. It also makes you compare your circumstances with the circumstances of others, thus, increasing your insecurity.

All this stress will obviously drain your energy and make you less productive. Instead of using social media during your breaks, these are a few activities you can try:

Connect with your co-workers

Conversing and socializing with people online just does not feel the same as conversing with people face to face. When you talk to people face to face, you tend to feel more excitement and happiness. This is because having connections makes you feel less lonely by making you feel like you belong in a place. It makes you feel more positive about the environment you are in.

At work, you experience different types of stressful situations because of your responsibilities. It can become really difficult for you to keep those negative feelings every day, and there will be times when talking about those stresses are the best way to solve them. Your coworkers are the perfect people to converse with about those problems because they usually face the same issues since all of your share the office space for lease in Paranaque.

Meditate

One of the most stressful things that a lot of employees do is multi-task. Multi-tasking at a virtual office in the Philippines seems good in concept, but actual implementation usually falls flat because doing many things at the same time tends to lead to us not finishing anything in the end due to lack of focus. Multi-tasking also makes your attention span shorter in the long run since you are used to moving from topic to topic.

Social media encourages us to have a short attention span because we can quickly move from a post or page to another one.

Meditating counteracts that effect on our attention span by:

Calming our mind – When we make peace with our negative feelings, we can move on and completely focus on our work.

Make us think more critically – When your mind is calm, you become more aware of what you are doing. You start to see what is inefficient in your movements and actions.

Walk away from your desk

Sitting down for long periods of time can have a serious impact on your brain health. Staying on your chair can make it harder for you to remember short-term memories because it can thin out the medial temporal lobe. You need good short-term-memory at work because it makes you alert to changes in the office.

A good way to prevent is by actually moving away from your desk and to start moving. Walking is an easy exercise to do outside any workspace, such as an office space for lease in Paranaque. Exercise makes you remember better because it keeps all of the parts of the brain fit, including the medial temporal lobe, just like the rest of your body parts.

Besides making you remember, walking also gives you these benefits:

Feel more positive about work
Make you more creative
Make you focus better

Take a nap

Every employee wants to get enough sleep, but most of them don’t attempt to get enough sleep. The act of slumbering makes up for lost energy. When you don’t recharge your energy, you become less productive at work. A lack of sleep makes you less aware of your surroundings, thus making it harder to finish tasks and you more prone to error. It also makes you too tired to think and be creative.

People find it hard to sleep enough hours at work. If you constantly complain about being tired because of lack of sleep, a good way to make up for that is by taking naps at work during your lunch.

A 30-minute nap on your desk is enough to make improve your alertness and performance without disturbing your night sleep.

Key Takeaway

It has become a habit for many employees to use social media as a way of relaxing during their breaks. While social media makes it easy for us to connect and gain friends, it makes us less productive because of different reasons. Instead of gaining energy during our breaks, we lose energy over feelings of isolation and insecurity. We become less productive. Instead of using social media, you can try the ways discussed above to make the most out of your breaks.

New Things to Expect When Working in a Virtual Office in Manila

What are some of the best things to expect when working in a virtual office in Manila?

A wider network of connections
Improved lines of communications
A longer list of potential employers
A broader range of control for you

The digital age has been consistent with their contributions to the modern world, especially when it comes to the modern workforce! Employment has come a long way since the introduction of virtual offices in Manila. More productivity has been guaranteed, more opportunities have been granted to those deserving of them, and above all, a wide range of industries to work for!

Being virtual assistants can put a lot of things into consideration, especially when you’re talking about the fact that the most important things you’ll need are a computer, a headset, and great internet connection! Plus, your work ethic, being virtual assistants, can vary depending on certain situations—but the most important thing to remember is to be the best virtual assistant you can be!

Luckily for you, with technology nowadays at their best, there are some new things to expect when working in a virtual office in Manila, with one great perk is being able to work in the comfort and convenience of your own home! Here are other great things expect:

Wider Network of Connections

Working with, or as a virtual assistant can definitely broaden your connections! Various networks regarding virtual work can be accessed through the wonders of the internet, especially online forums that are built to help you in your virtual line of work. Plus, you also get to communicate with them and talk about things related to your job, which is great considering the fact that you are engaging with people related to your field!

Improved Lines of Communication

Speaking of communication, there are more and more opportunities for you to communicate with other business professionals, especially when it comes to your job as a virtual assistant! You’ll be able to schedule appointments by talking directly to clients, set up meetings with them, and so forth! The possibilities this can provide are pretty endless!

Longer List of Potential Employers

Another thing to take into consideration with this topic is that virtual assistants can work for pretty much anyone, as long as they are treated with respect and paid fairly. In this case, virtual assistants, while seen as freelancers to most of the online community, can work for a multitude of companies and other employers!

They can assist numerous customers with anything they need in their businesses and, the more employers they work for, the more income they earn. Just be sure to manage your work efficiently.

Broader Range of Control for You

Simply put, when you work as a virtual assistant, you get to see everything the job has to offer yourself! Not only that, you also get to determine the limits of your services, as well as everything else! You get to think of your own rates and work at your own time, making your workload as light as you want it to be! In short, the more control you have, the more you become your own boss!

Key Takeaway

There are many other things you can take into consideration when it comes to working in a virtual office! Nonetheless, the online world can open a lot of doors for you—and with these 4 things in store for you, being a virtual assistant will surely be worth it!

3 Ways to Better Manage Your Virtual Office Team

What are some ways to better manage your virtual office team?

Create a standardized onboarding process
Implement productivity systems
Communicate

Working with virtual team members and managing remote employees from virtual offices in Manila and other cities can sometimes make you want to tear your hair out. Virtual teams can be tough to manage because you still need to create a corporate culture even if most of your staff is working remotely.

You might be surprised to know, however, that this is not a problem that is unique to you. A survey conducted by Workforce 2020 has claimed that 83 percent of executives from different companies plan to increase the use of consultants or virtual employees over the next three years.

But, the ability to hire people from any part of the globe might also just be the greatest strength your company has because it makes it easier for you to find talented workers. As long as you take into consideration these three ways to better manage your virtual office team, you too can get even your most remote workers motivated, coherently active, and productive.

Create a Standardized Onboarding Process

There is little chance for your virtual employees to get the same kind of “learn by watching over the shoulder” method that usually happens in an office. Once you hire a remote worker, make sure that you have a training program in place that educates them about your company as well as the way you do things.

Do everything you can to help them learn how to perform their role and get adjusted to your company (videos can work well or this). You can even have your new virtual employees interview your customers to better learn how your company helps them.

Implement Productivity Systems

Your company can fall apart if you haven’t implemented the right productivity systems yet. To some degree, a business run from a traditional office can compensate for not having the proper systems and processes simply by the fact that people can look over each other’s’ shoulders and talk in person.

In a virtual office, however, each person might as well be in their own world so it is best to have a standardized, documented way of working that is constantly being refined. For instance, make sure that there is a way to measure the productivity of your team. Establish the key indicators of success for each job and ensure its transparency. This way, you can quickly know whether each team member is being productive or not.

Communicate

One of the key reasons why many virtual office teams fail is that they neglect the fact that the members of the team are not in constant contact with one another. They tend to forget about the other team members and live in their own world. They do not collaborate or communicate as much as they need to.

You need to create the opportunities for you and your team members to just “chat” whether it is related to work or not. This means that in a virtual environment, you actually need to “over-communicate” and provide more opportunities such as regular meetings for your team to talk to each other.

Key Takeaway

The workplace has evolved over the past few years. Young professionals are more attracted to remote or flexible work than ever before and find it no longer necessary to come into an office every day to conduct business. As the decision-maker in your company, you can leverage this technology to hire and manage a team of virtual employees.

Managing a team comprised entirely of employees working from virtual offices in Manila or other cities can be a challenge. But with the strategies outlined above, you can maximize the advantages and reap the benefits of this new model.

How a Change in Location Can Help Improve Productivity

How can a simple change in location sometimes improve productivity?

New colors can influence emotion
Natural light can be refreshing
A different layout promotes a smooth flow

If you work in a virtual office in Manila, you have probably noticed that the place you do work in can change the kind of person you are. In coffee shops, you might find yourself easily distracted by the friendly chatter from the people walking through. An office for rent in the Philippines, however, probably prompts you to buckle down and be more professional.

The place you work at can affect your energy level, focus, and concentration. Sitting in the same place for hours on end can take a toll on your creativity and productivity. The good news is that you can easily do something about this: change your location!

Altering the environment which you work in can do wonders for your mental health. Tweaking a few of the things we often take for granted such as color, lighting, and the layout around you can make you more effective at work. Here are a few reasons why a simple change in location can sometimes improve productivity:

New colors can influence emotion

Color has been used to subtly influence productivity and emotion for a long time, even as far back as ancient Egypt and China. Being in the right room with the right colors has been shown to affect both how detailed and creative you are, and your mood.

For example, the colors blue and green can increase your imagination and creativity while reds can excite, stimulate, and increase your attention to detail as well as your reaction times.

Yellows and oranges can brighten a room as well as improve the mood of the people inside while blues are great for conference rooms because it can boost brainstorming and friendliness. Reds, on the other hand, are typically used in entryways to incite a feeling of power and excitement.

Too much of any color, however, can have negative effects too. A lot of yellow, for instance, can be over-stimulating and distracting and darker reds are usually associated with anxiety and anger. Take a look at your potential office for rent in the Philippines to see what colors it has before you decide to work in there.

Natural light can be refreshing

The right lighting can have a dramatic effect on effectiveness and productivity. There are studies that show that using natural lighting can result in as much as 20 percent increase in productivity and a 25 percent boost for your memory and mental functions.

But again, it all comes down to finding the right balance. Too much lighting can create glare which leads to headaches and other problems.

To give yourself some flexibility, try and find a virtual office in Manila with custom shades installed so you can control the amount of natural sunlight coming in. Being able to control the amount of light coming in can also impact the temperature of the room, leading to reduced cooling and heating costs.

A different layout promotes a smooth flow

After considering colors and lighting, you should also take note the condition and layout of the new place you are going to work in. The furniture should fulfill whatever need you may have, as well as be comfortable and in good condition.

Find a place with ergonomically-designed chairs, desks, and furniture to help you stay safe and comfortable while you work. Additionally, a new layout also promotes flow; not only does it looks good, it also makes you more effective and efficient.

Key Takeaway

Depending on your personality, a change of scenery can immensely affect your productivity. Not everyone can thrive with rigid structure in our lives; showing up at the same office every day to work may not just be your cup of tea.

If you are the sort of person that welcomes new environments and enjoys the company of new people, a change in working location might just be the thing you need.

The Difference between a Virtual Office and a Co-working Space

In 2015, CNN reported that working individuals in Manila spent the most time commuting from home to the office, with a recorded average time of 45.5 minutes. That’s an average of 91 minutes in a day spent in a car or public transportation. 91 minutes that an employee could have used to spend more time with their family or more time resting.

Thankfully, recent trends in the business world have made it possible for our local professionals to work instead in a virtual office in Manila, or any part of the world for that matter. Along with virtual offices also came coworking spaces, both of which offer plenty of benefits other than reducing commute time. While these two terms are closely related, they do not have similar meanings and shouldn’t be interchanged. Here’s why:

Virtual Office

A virtual office allows all involved parties to work from any location as long as there’s internet connection. Communication, work dissemination, and file exchange are done using laptops, desktops, tablets, or even mobile phones. Ergo, it renders a physical office where employees come to work at a set schedule unnecessary. This makes virtual offices perfect for start-up companies that are looking for ways to build their business without having to shell out for large overhead costs, as business owners won’t need to spend thousands on hardware, renting an office space, association dues, utilities, and cleaning services. Building a business is a huge commitment, and lower costs mean lower risks. It also means a better profit margin.

With a virtual office, the company can run wherever its employees are. Time and energy will be spent on achieving goals rather than long commutes! In terms of recruitment, there is a broader pool of prospects to choose from as potential employees are no longer limited to those within a few miles from a physical office. Physical space will no longer restrict expansion; hiring more people over time is more feasible without the hassle of moving to a bigger office.

Another advantage is flexibility. Some individuals find it difficult to be productive in an office where their every move is monitored. Working with a virtual office gives remote workers more freedom to do their job in the manner that is most suitable for them. Hungry? No need to wait for lunchtime, just get up and grab anything from the refrigerator. Tired? Take a ten-minute nap (without being judged) and wake up refreshed. Uninspired? Take a long walk outside and come back brimming with ideas. Work-life balance likewise suddenly becomes easier to achieve! Remote workers are evaluated based on their output and ability to meet deadlines rather than other factors, allowing for enhanced productivity.

Virtual offices are also much better for the environment than having a physical office space as it greatly reduces fuel consumption and paper waste. Working face to face can be great, but these benefits of having a virtual office are in many ways even better.

Coworking Spaces

Basing off the previous points, remote workers seem to have a wonderful life. Projects are both assigned and passed online, so leaving the house is no longer mandatory. No need to brave through the constant traffic on the roads. No struggle of making decisions as to what to wear on a daily basis. Perfect, right?

Reality check: it does get lonely. Not to mention, regularly working at the very place where you sleep, eat, and spend your leisure time (a.k.a. at home) can eventually put one in a very unproductive mood. There’s also the possibility of being tempted (or asked) to do household chores! No matter how disciplined an employee is, it can get difficult to focus when working at home.

Co-working spaces are the perfect solution to that. These are office environments that can be shared by multiple individuals, usually those who work independently. Working individuals can come in any day without being restricted to a work schedule. And because truly great coworking spaces offer more than the basics of a work space, rates generally include free Wi-Fi access, free-flowing coffee and water, and of course electricity. Some even have facilities such as conference rooms that a team can rent out for meetings.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of a coworking space is eliminating the feeling of being alone while providing a productive environment. After all, being in a coworking space gives professionals a sense of belonging and the opportunity to grow your network while on the job. People, who meet in coworking spaces, can become very valuable professional (or even personal) contacts. Anyone stumped on a certain part of a project is also more likely to find a fellow independent worker willing to weigh in and share their opinions and suggestions.

Those who prefer to be left alone are welcome as well. Coworking spaces allow anyone to focus on their work while being immersed in an office environment. Nobody is forced to mingle, but it’s still important to feel like part of a community. Rather than working in a noisy cafe, where one might get glares from other customers for hogging a table for hours, choosing a coworking space is definitely the best way to go.