Traditional offices are slowly becoming obsolete as more and more people are relying on workspaces to tend to all of their business needs. What are workspaces? I wondered the same thing. That is, until I interviewed Daniel Haberman, President of Byte & Mortar, a boutique workspace in Metro Detroit.
Daniel was gracious enough to provide the answer to that question, as well as to offer some of the many benefits of using a workspace. Here is everything he told me which may ultimately help you decide whether a workspace is right for you.
What Is a Workspace?
While a workspace can be any space used for business, a modern workspace is essentially a structured office space outside of your home or business that you pay to use. Generally speaking, many workspaces offer basic conveniences such as high speed Wi-Fi, a comfortable work environment, and access to a kitchen. Some workspaces offer more.
There are a number of different types of workspaces available, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your personality, work style and needs. For instance, Byte & Mortar offers private offices if you’d like your own space or an award winning coworking space if you prefer to be around others. It also provides various virtual office services if you don’t necessarily need an actual physical location but would like to enjoy some other office-related perks, such as a professional mailing address, a receptionist to greet clients or answer your calls, voicemail, and call forwarding.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Workspace?
The benefits of using a workspace include:
- Cost savings. By using a workspace, you get to bypass the cost of building and maintaining your own office space or securing a long-term and often expensive lease. Instead, you get to choose your own office package and pay only for the space and services you need. This allows you to create a professional appearance for your clients, whether virtually or in-person if you choose to meet them at your workspace, at a minimal cost.
- Increased productivity. One piece of research published in Harvard Business Review found that employees who worked outside of the traditional office environment were able to get more done. In this case specifically, a travel website company let their staff work from home for nine months, which resulted in them handling 13.5 percent more calls than the control group that still worked out of the home office.
- Fewer distractions. In the research just referenced, some of the increased productivity was attributed to a quieter environment, which is another huge benefit of using workspaces, as you face fewer distractions. This is especially important if you work from home and have family or friends that don’t recognize when you are on the clock. It is also a benefit if you already have a traditional office and just need someplace where you can go to limit interruptions.
- Improved creativity. “We have some clients with amazing traditional offices who use Byte & Mortar as a vessel for creativity,” Daniel says. Change of surroundings can often spark new ideas, making it easier to think of ways to grow your business or come up with solutions to various work-related problems that you face.
- Networking and collaboration. Choose a coworking workspace and you will be side-by-side with other small business owners and entrepreneurs, making it a great place to network and collaborate. Who knows? You may just meet someone whose knowledge and expertise could help your business grow.
If you decide that a workspace may benefit you, Daniel suggests that you seek a setup that will suit you best. Take the time to tour the facilities to see what type of culture it offers. Is it formal or informal? Professional or casual? Modern or rustic? Does it fit your personality and style?
Essentially, you want to ask yourself whether it is a place that would make you look forward to going to work. If not, then maybe it isn’t the one that is for you. But if it is, then say hello to your new office. Correction: workspace.
If you have any questions for Daniel Haberman or are in the Metro Detroit area and want to see if his workspaces are for you, you can reach him at [email protected].
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