Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, many people have been given the opportunity (or obliged) to work from home. For some this will have been a revelation, discovering a working environment that offers ultimate flexibility. However, others will have quickly discovered that the grass is not always greener. Working from home is not for everyone but the thought of returning to a traditional office may also fill them with dread; this is where coworking offices come into their own.
So what do you do when the COVID 19 social distancing restrictions are relaxed? Will you return to your traditional office? Will you keep working from home? Or, are you searching for a solution which sits somewhere in between? This is where coworking spaces come into their own. Coworking spaces can offer users many of the same benefits that working from home can offer; including:
- Flexible office hours
- Reduced overheads/costs
- Reduced distractions
And generally
- A relaxed working environment
However, coworking spaces can also offer a range of additional benefits such as the ability to:
- Share resources and equipment
- Network
- Define a better work-life balance
While also
- Providing a more professional environment in which to meet prospective and existing clients.
Transitioning From A Home Office To A Coworking or Shared Office
So you are ready to take that next step with your business and transition from a home office to a coworking office, what now? One of the first things you will need to define is what you will need in your new office space. This can be a lot less than many would think and will depend on the resources offered as part of the coworking office environment. Therefore before you purchase any equipment or resources ask these questions about your workspace:
- Are desks and chairs provided? Do you want a specific type of chair?
- Do they provide computers?
- Are there shared resources such as paper, tea and coffee?
- Is there secure (lockable) storage?
- Do you need/want under desk storage?
- Are there shared kitchen/tea and coffee making facilities?
- Is wifi or internet connection shared?
Once you have got the answers to your above questions you can structure a checklist of what you will and won’t need to help you in a smooth transition between working from home and your new coworking office without any unnecessary expense. You can download an easy checklist of this article here.
Things To Consider When Moving Into A New Office
Here is our quick and easy checklist guide to getting you started:
Location
- Do you need to purchase a parking permit?
- Is there dedicated parking or is it on-street parking?
Work Environment
- Do you need to purchase a desk?
- Do you need to provide your own chair?
- Will you need/want your own tea and coffee making facilities.
- Do you need to provide your own storage? Do you want/need secure storage (for example, in which to store sensitive documents or expensive equipment such as your laptop)
- If you have some private office space will you need to furnish it?
- Do you want/need a desk light?
Equipment
- Do you need a printer, if so do you need an A4 or A3 printer?
- Are computer terminals provided or will you have to provide your own? Alternatively, do you intend to use a laptop? Do you need to purchase a laptop stand?
- Do you need to purchase any computer/laptop-based accessories such as a mouse or keyboard?
- Is there access to equipment such as overhead projectors?
- Do you need to provide resources such as flip charts, whiteboards etc (for example, if you intend to use shared meeting room space?
- Do you want/need a landline/desk phone
- Do you need a scanner?
Resources
- Are there communal resources such as tea, coffee, paper?
- Is there already internet access/wifi or will you need to have your own dedicated line put in?
- Will you have a dedicated phone line or will you need to have one put in?
Common Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Moving Office
There are also some common sense questions that many people fail to ask themselves regarding the actual moving process. These include:
- Am I moving everything myself or do you need help from others/removers?
- If you are moving office yourself do you intend to use your car or will you need to rent a van?
- Do you need any materials for the move itself (for example, boxes)
- Do you intend to decorate?
- Are you moving any expensive or sensitive items such as servers which might require special handling?
- Have you sorted your insurance or taken out additional insurance to cover the moving process?
There are many advantages in moving from a home office to a shared office but as with any move, it can be a very stressful time. This is why it is essential to plan your move first to protect yourself from any hidden costs. Now that you have our basic checklist to use a springboard you can create your own for that effortless and efficient transition from your home office to your new coworking office.
