Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to present a Budget promising one of the biggest investments in Infrastructure to its highest levels in decades.

The chancellor is quoted as saying, ‘”We have listened and will now deliver on our promise to level up the UK, ensuring everyone has the same chances and opportunities in life, wherever they live.

“By investing historic amounts in British innovation and world-class infrastructure, we will rebalance opportunities and lay the foundations for a decade of growth for everybody.”

So with increased investment in capital projects, how does this affect the growing legions of remote workers who rely on the said infrastructure, to go about working in the UK’s towns and cities?

To put a figure on it, the Government is promising a spend of over £600bn over the five year parliament, according to the UK treasury.

Although this may sound significant, for many remote workers, struggling with the daily grind of motorway queues, train delays or cancellations and increasingly difficult journeys to and from their places of work, they can’t be blamed for viewing the news with some scepticism.

Add the additional complexities brought about by the current outbreak of Coronavirus, it’s no wonder that for many commuters and remote teams (as well as their employers) they are looking for new solution to circumnavigate these issues the 2020 Budget is attempting to solve.

One of the increasing trends amongst UK businesses is that of allowing their employees to work from home for either the whole, or part of their working week.

Whilst this can alleviate the strain of an overcrowded and inefficient capital infrastructure, it is not always the perfect solution, as some jobs just need a physical on-site presence and not all domestic environments are suitable or conducive to effective working.

The UK Budget, with its increased commitment to both physical infrastructure as well as both faster internet connectivity, coverage and reliability, all sounds good, but the fact is that any rollout of this scale will take months, if not years to come to any fruition, with many workers already very disillusioned with the status quo and the prospect of any real improvement as travel only seems to be worse across the UK.

One of the approaches, with perhaps most potential for allowing workers to increase their efficiency and productivity is the growing trend of utilising coworking spaces, closer to where workers live.

Coworking has the benefit of allowing remote workers to cut down on their daily commuting distance, yet for them to still access business-grade work premises with reliable high speed WiFi, that allows easier daily access and reduces the stress of long commutes into city centres.

One of the innovators in this space, Bludesks has anticipated this trend amongst workers and is growing its provision into both city centres and outlying regions to satisfy the growing demand for these shared workspace facilities.

Chelliah Nakeeran, founder of Bludesks says, ‘Although the Budget announcement of increased UK investment in infrastructure, in terms of roads, rail and motorways is welcomed, we know that for many businesses and their remote teams, there is an acute dissatisfaction and hardship that is very much here and now.

Our coworking spaces allow for easier access, closer to home, so cutting down on necessary travel and also the burden of traffic on the environment. This allows for businesses and their staff to plan ahead, carrying out their tasks in purpose-built, fully equipped office spaces that can be hired as and when needed, on a low cost Pay-As-You-Go basis.”

For remote workers in the UK, it may come as little comfort that the current hardships on the roads are at least being recognised by the chancellor, with the government also set to pledge £2.5bn to fixing potholes in England as part of the Budget.

The question will be for many though, how long will all this take and will it really come to be realised, or is it just another political promise to grab the headlines on Budget day?

Come Thursday morning, the day after the Budget, we can expect that everything will pretty much look the same and so the upward trend in demand for local coworking spaces by providers like Bludesks is only set to increase as a viable answer to commuting misery.

We’re all increasingly working on the move, and internet connectivity is key to working in, or running a successful business. But is our personal data and information safe as we log into these unsecured public networks?

The temptation of working out of cafes and coffee shops, albeit often in crowded and noisy environments, is a great pull for many, and using the free WiFi saves on phone data and allows business to be done whilst on the move.

But it’s that very convenience of a free public WiFi connection in coffee shops cafes and restaurants that can often risk personal information getting into the wrong hands.

An Ipass report from 2018 concluded that ‘62% of Wi-Fi related security incidents occured in cafés and coffee shops’.
The report also stated: ‘Overall, 81% of respondents said they had seen Wi-Fi related security incidents in the last 12 months, with cafés, airports and hotels being cited as the most vulnerable locations.’

Perhaps the reason why there is a higher risk is simply that the WiFi connections in coffee shops can be of varying quality in terms of security, with many offering unsecured open networks requiring little in the way of login credentials or registration.

These venues are therefore a big temptation for hackers who have not been slow to recognise the rich pickings available, due to these security weaknesses and the large turnover of people to easily target.

The internet security giant Norton recently stated that regardless of the connection type, public Wi-Fi should always be used with caution and that antivirus protection can’t help protect information against public Wi-Fi threats.

It offered a number of tips to keeping private information safe, including being selective about which sites are visited and avoiding those with a log in, avoiding making online purchases and not accessing personal bank accounts or sensitive personal data, whilst on unsecured public networks.

It may all seem like common sense, but even so, it’s becoming more of a problem with hackers and criminals becoming ever more sophisticated to steal personal information.

So if your coffee shop or café is risking it when it comes to using their free WiFi to carry out your business, what’s the viable alternative?

The growth of professional business coworking venues, that offer secured WiFi with a much higher degree of security has become popular as people look for a safer way to access the internet and do business in a quieter and more professional setting.

Although no network can be fully guaranteed against all threats, generally these coworking locations are more geared towards higher-end business communications and have robustly protected networks in-keeping with the demands of their more business clientele.

One of the big differences is probably that for coffee shops and cafes, their business model is about the coffee and the food, with WiFi thrown in as a bonus, so it’s obvious that their main investment is usually NOT in the business services such as providing highly secure, business grade WiFi.

Professional coworking locations, on the other hand, live or die by the quality and reliability of their online networks and WiFi security, so they generally put a much higher budget towards their hardware and security protection which in virtually all cases is secured, requiring a registration and encrypted log-in password.

Chelliah Nakeeran, founder of the Bludesks coworking platform, offering a searchable database of globally based professional coworking locations states ‘we are constantly listening to our members and for many, there is a growing concern about the sometimes lax WiFi security in coffee shops, as well as the huge variations in data connection speed and unreliability of the WiFi.

Our workspace service partners offer a more professional space where the WiFi networks are generally much faster, more secure and the overall experience in the workspace allows business to be done easily in quiet, safer environments, with all the necessary business services on hand.’

Whilst there is always going to be a demand for coffee and convenience in coffee shops and food outlets, it may be time to consider the many benefits and additional security of professional coworking locations and keep the would-be hackers at bay.

We all need to work, but sometimes the close proximity we have to co-workers, colleagues and members of the general public can potentially put us in harm’s way and make us vulnerable to airborne or surface bacterial and viral infections.

The worldwide focus has been sharply placed on this topic with the recent outbreak of the Corona Virus, (COVID 19) affecting virtually every global continent and spreading quickly where people have been in close groups, either in public places or the workplace.

Colds and flus, as well as a wide range of other potential infections can be passed on easily where the right conditions persist, that being humid and warm environments, poorly ventilated areas and places where surfaces are not regularly cleaned / subject to being handled by un-sterilised hands.

What can we do to lessen the chances of picking up bugs or even more serious infections?

 

Tip 1 – Keep nails short and wash hands thoroughly

It may seem obvious to keep hands clean, but in practice, with our busy lives, keeping on top of a clean hands regimen can often be overlooked, or simply forgotten, but for both air and surface borne germs, it’s the number 1 priority for keeping safe in potentially infectious public areas.

A recent study published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene recorded 10 subjects doing office work for three hours in a room by themselves.

On average, faces were touched 15.7 times per hour! With a similar study of 26 students in South Wales averaging 23 touches per hour, with almost half of those involving contact between the hand and mucous from the nose, eyes and mouth.

So with this insight, it’s vitally important that hands are washed thoroughly and regularly. It’s also a good idea to keep nails short where possible, as long nails effectively create a germ-shelf at the end of the fingers where microbes can easily stick to the under-surface and multiply.

Although short nails may not be practical for women, longer nails should be given particular attention when washing hands and the wash should ideally use a decent amount of soap and water over a couple of minutes duration.

The NHS published a useful article to give the correct hand-washing process, you can read it here In these times of heightened alert and awareness, particularly with Coronavirus, it’s well worth a refresher on correct technique.

 

Tip 2 – Make your own hand sanitiser…

Since the worldwide outbreak of Coronavirus, costs of both hand-sanitiser and protective face masks has sky-rocketed, the real-time example of the forces of supply and demand in action.

Some retailers have even run out of stocks of these items as manufacturers have limited order amounts to each vendor.

That said, it’s actually a quite easy process to make your own hand sanitiser gel, so you don’t have to scout the empty shelves, and it can have exactly the same, if not more efficacy than leading brands.

We found a good number of easy to follow instructions and videos, which are easy to find on a Google or Bing search.

 

Tip 3 – Avoid working in overly crowded coffee houses and public areas…

Remote working in cafes, bars and coffee houses can be great, but these warm and humid environments, with many people sharing the same air, surfaces and toileting facilities – and staff being too busy to hygienically clean in the necessary frequency, can be an easy point of infection.

Whilst finding fresh clean and breathable air on your commute can be more problematic, with workspaces the good news is that there are alternative solutions to achieving a higher degree of hygiene and solitude.

As opposed to cafes and coffee houses, professional coworking spaces are often far less populated and offer generally a better ventilated, fresher and cleaner working environment in pristine environments.

Whilst there is still the necessity for the normal precautions, public areas in professional workspaces are generally used with less frequency, which is the same for the washrooms, that are generally better sanitised than the more heavily frequented facilities in cafes and coffee shops.

 

Tip 4 – Work closer to home…

Long commutes on public transport sitting in cramped conditions in warm humid carriages can potentially greatly increase your potential exposure to harmful bacterial and viral infectants.

Droplet infection from people in close proximity who may be coughing and sneezing thousands of harmful particles of matter is almost unavoidable without the protection of a face mask, and even these only have a limited lifespan of minutes of effective protection.

For many, working at home is simply not an option, as proper facilities, WiFi and even a place to set up and work are not available.

This is where coworking spaces that can be flexibly hired, near to the home, can provide a good alternative and certainly cut down the exposure risk from shared public transport.

Modern coworking spaces provide scrupulously clean work areas, limited to only a few occupants at a time, or even completely private offices if preferred.

With contract-free flexible hire from only an hour, it means that a person can do work in fresh, well ventilated spaces with hygienically clean surfaces, and with exceptionally clean washroom facilities.

As an example, Bludesks provides a searchable database of coworking offices, as well as private offices, hot-desks, dedicated desks and meeting rooms giving a very good choice of locations, all with high-grade business facilities and high-speed WiFi networks.

This provides a viable solution for those wanting to work closer to home and avoid the infection risk of the long commute.

 

Tip 5 – Carry and use disinfectant wipes…

With the Coronavirus being potentially still active and transferable as an infection agent several hours after droplet contamination of surfaces, carrying a discreet pack of disinfectant wipes can be a really good idea to look after your own work areas and for surfaces such as phones, printers, access keys etc…

Disinfectant wipes are readily available at most chemists, supermarkets or from online retailers.

 

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With more people doing freelance work, working for themselves or working in small business startups, there are more people than ever without an office space in the traditional sense. However, what if you are someone who finds a more social atmosphere is the most productive? Many people find a traditional office environment to be the most beneficial way to work easily, without the distractions of home or a public area.

The term was “coworking” first launched in 1999, by Brian DeKoven. In the same year, one of the first studios opened in New York City, called 42 West 24. Then, in the UK, the first coworking space wasn’t opened until January 2005 in London. However, the term only became popular in March 2007, when it was trending on Google Search. Soon afterwards, in October 2007, it was listed as a term on Wikipedia.

Since then, it has only expanded in popularity and many offices have been founded. It is easy to understand why the demand for the spaces has developed so rapidly, as there are many positives. The pros easily outweigh any potential cons.

Pros

In starting up your own business beneficially, it is paramount to create connections and utilise networking to succeed. This is one of the main pros of a coworking environment – everyone you meet and work with is a potential network connection, or even a client. You meet dozens of people simply through working alongside them during your normal day.

Asides from networking, the people you work with in a coworking space can benefit you and your business in another way. Ideas people thrive in a situation where you can bounce ideas off others, as it creates a more stimulating environment. Other people and businesses are willing to help you out, and often an exchange of services can be given. For example, a website designing business may work in the same space as a marketing business, and they could compliment each other by exchanging certain online services.

In a coworking office space, there is an existing sense of community. This creates a certain feeling of belonging, which you wouldn’t necessarily get from working alone or at home. Your colleagues become your friends, as well as associates, which is one of the most enjoyable factors about traditional office work. It also creates the opportunity to still participate in work events.

Cons

As with most things, there are downsides – yet, there aren’t a lot of cons. However, the one recurrent negative seems to be the noise levels, particularly when someone appears to be persistently loud. If a space is too noisy or crowded, it can become difficult to concentrate and work to the best of your ability. Although, if everyone in the office understood the necessity to keep the noise level at an acceptable level, then there wouldn’t be a problem.

The only other negative I uncovered is the feature of messiness in a coworking environment. This is something that can’t easily be avoided in any work office space situation, and you may often find yourself guilty of slacking off your cleaning duties when there’s work waiting! A factor that’s similar and does relate to coworking, however, is the concern with who provides the general amenities, such as toilet paper, washing up liquid, milk and teabags. Each space is different, but in general it is the facilitator of the particular space who takes care of those things.

Conclusion

Yet, despite those, one of the main positives of a coworking environment is that it creates freedom for you and your business. The hours are more flexible than your typical nine-to-five, and, if you work for yourself, you can pick certain days to work in the space and other days you can work from home. The point is to be flexible and help each business succeed in their individual way.

Ultimately, coworking is all about the people, who become your friends and motivators in your business. The spaces are generally open and designed to enhance productivity in this professional environment. You have the freedom to interact and generate social and professional encounters, or simply choose not to.

Coworking is a far more stimulating environment for freelancers and small businesses, rather than working from home. The interaction and sense of community generates productivity, collaboration and resulting success for everyone involved.

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Whilst many freelancers effectively run their own business from home and the occasional coffee shops, others prefer the buzz of a working office environment.

Co-working space provides the ideal solution for freelancers to connect with other creatives, network, make new friends, share knowledge and ideas, and even secure new clients.

For these reasons and more, co-working spaces are growing in popularity – and not only amongst freelancers, but start-ups and established businesses as well. Most shared office providers rent out entire floors.

For freelancers, the opportunity to work alongside other creatives doing the same or similar types of jobs is an opportunity to make professional and social connections.

Co-working spaces are therefore a valuable resource for digital nomads that have recently moved to a new city and freelancers looking to hook up with like-minded professionals.

Embracing the office environment

Co-working spaces are typically fully-functioning offices with all the vibes you expect from a working environment. Most providers also have office facilities you can use such as photocopiers, scanners, printers and AV equipment.

Should you need to consult with a client, give a presentation or brainstorm ideas on a collaborative project, meeting rooms are available to hire as well. If it works to your advantage, you can actually create the impression that your business is a larger operation than just you and a laptop.

For some freelancers, being in the hub of a busy office pumps you up with some much-needed motivation. If you’re the type of person that is easily distracted at home, co-working spaces help you ramp up your productivity levels.

And if being around other creatives brings a spark into your life, then hanging out in shared office environments is a no-brainer. If you’re lucky, the service provider will even provide free refreshments and biscuits. If not, start your own biscuit club. Make mine a chocolate hobnob!

Convenience or flexibility…or both

Freelancers who rent shared office space have the option to choose from a fixed desk or hot desk. The latter is more cost-effective, whilst fixed desks provide you with convenience and stability.

You can read more about the key differences and the advantages of hot desks and fixed desks in this article, but to sum up, a fixed desk means you work from the same place every day whilst a hot desk gives you more flexibility to work from different locations.

With BluDesk.com, hot desking provides you with multiple convenient options because you only need one pass to work from an unlimited number of locations. And we have thousands of co-working spaces around the world that are primed for local freelancers and digital nomads to hook up.

The main advantage of the BluDesk.com Membership Pass is you can book a hot desk anywhere in the world without having to register with multiple companies.

What’s more, there is no contractual obligations to any one service provider. If you don’t like a particular office for whatever reason, you don’t have to return just to get your money’s worth.

Co-working spaces not only fulfil your professional needs but fill the gaps freelancers and digital nomads often experience in their social life. BluDesks.com make it even easier for you to find the space you want to work from and connect with people you want to socialise with!

Co-working spaces provide a number of solutions for modern businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs. When flexibility and cost-cutting is a priority, shared office spaces ticks all the right boxes.

There are also various ways for you to rent a flexible workspace; hot desks, fixed desks and private offices. The option you choose depends on your business needs.

To paint the bigger picture, this article will address the differences between hot desks and fixed desks and list the advantages of each. You can then choose the option which is most appropriate for your needs.

What is a Hot Desk?

Hot desking is a fairly recent evolution that breaks from the traditional office set up. Essentially, a hot desk can be used by anybody. The first person to arrive at a desk in a shared office space has a place to work for the day. The same desk may be occupied by someone else the next day and so on.

The concept was originally designed to provide creative freelancers and entrepreneurs with an office environment to work in and network with other creatives.

Businesses that want to cut the cost of owning offices are also taking advantage of hot desking. They give your employees the flexibility to work in the office or away from the office.

What is a Fixed Desk?

Fixed desks are closely related to the conventional office model of positioning employees in a dedicated space. The major benefit of a fixed desk is you have your own space and know where everything is.

The concept of a fixed desk is mostly appreciated by employees that feel settled in one place rather than moving around all the time. Being in different places every day can overload the sense and distract the mind – which has a negative impact on productivity.

In contrast to hot desks which fosters collaboration and gives you the opportunity to meet new people on a regular basis, fixed desks ensure you are around the same people every day which helps to create lasting bonds.

Hot Desks v Fixed Desks: Which is right for my business?

Whilst the choice of hot desking or having a fixed desk can be a personal choice, if you are a business with multiple employees, you may want to have the option of both.

Below, we have listed the advantages of hot desks and fixed desks so you can see the benefits of each more clearly. All you have to do is decide how many you will need of each.

Advantages of Hot Desks

Hot desking is less expensive than fixed desks and private offices because you are essentially using less space.

More potential to meet new people and make new friends, job opportunities and share ideas.

Gives your staff more flexibility to work from other locations if they do not want, or need, to be in the office. With our Pay-As-You-Use policy, hot desking also helps you to cut costs.

Advantages of Fixed Desks

You can create your personal space that is comfortable and familiar to you.

Enables you to keep your equipment in the workplace without having to carry it to and from the office every day. This also gives you more flexibility to enjoy your social life before and after work.

Avoids disrupting your rhythm if you can’t find your hot desk when you arrive at a new shared office space.

Once you’ve decided whether a hot desk or a fixed desk is best for you, browse through our global partners and book your workspace today. We have thousands of desks to choose from!

In today’s business landscape, freelancers, entrepreneurs, small business owners and even established enterprises need to find cost-cutting solutions.

Regardless of your budget, virtual office space provides businesses of all sizes with several key benefits.

Official Business Address

Virtual office providers allow businesses to use their building address as your official business address which you can advertise on your website, stationery and other marketing materials.

If the company has a post scanning and forwarding service, you can also receive business post at the address of your virtual office provider, including official documentation from Companies House and HMRC, and get them sent to your mobile device or home address.

Adopting an official company registered address is an ideal solution for businesses that will benefit from projecting a professional image and creating the impression that you own office premises.

It is also possible for business owners who live overseas to register a business in the UK. Furthermore, company directors who do not want the address of their private residence made available to the public should take advantage of using a virtual office address as your official director’s service address.

Access To Fully-Functioning Office

Although a virtual office is often used by business owners who want to create the appearance of an own office, there will be times when you may need to take advantage of physical office facilities.

Some virtual office providers also offer shared office spaces and provide you with access to equipment which may not be readily available to you at home. Office facilities include printers, scanners, AV equipment, fax machines and meeting rooms.

Dedicated Telephone Line and Receptionist

Adopting the receptionist of a virtual office is one of the biggest cost-savings you can make as a small business or start-up. Annual salaries for receptionists in the UK are typically upwards of £18,000.

What’s more, you can also set up a dedicated landline which will be answered by a professional receptionist under your business name. A telephone answering service means you will never miss a call, and when you are unavailable to speak with a client, the receptionist will be able to answer simple questions and take a message for you.

More Flexibility

Whether you’re an established company with existing employees, a start-up needing to avoid hefty costs or an entrepreneur that needs access to office facilities, renting co-working desks in flexible workspaces provide you with both short and long-term flexibility.

Hot desks, dedicated desks, private offices and meeting rooms can be rented for as little as one hour, an entire day, a week, month or even a year. Companies that need long-term residency are often rewarded with attractive discounts.

Unlike most flexible workspace providers, BluDesks.com offers a pay-as-you-use membership so you are not tied into long-term contracts.  This gives you the freedom to work from multiple offices without committing yourself to one location or losing your money if you are not able to attend.

For more advice about our huge selection of virtual offices and the additional services offered by our global partners, get in touch today and speak with a member of our friendly team.