Working from home has made many of us re-evaluate our office essentials.
At first I thought all I needed was a table, a chair and a spot to call my own, but it turns out I was wrong. There is much more to an office than the basic furniture, so I’ve made a list of my 10 top office essentials.

1. Headphones

I cannot stress this enough – headphones are VITAL.
Sitting in the office with several people shouting at their screens is one of the most annoying things about the modern office. Even at home we’re often battling with general household noise and distractions. Investing in a good pair of headphones helps you moderate your volume, keep your conversations more private PLUS you get to listen to the music you like!

Headphones - Office Essentials

2. A Good Office Chair

If working from home over the last few months has taught me anything, it is that my old kitchen stools are no match for a decent office chair.
Being able to adjust the height, the back and overall position of your chair can help improve your productivity. Have a look at ergonomic chairs, and general office furniture. It is more important than many of us realise.

A good chair

3. Ergonomic Keyboard

According to Windows Central “Ergonomic keyboards focus on natural hand and wrist position for long typing sessions”.
I find my ergonomic keyboard helps me type faster and more accurately, and is just generally more comfortable!

ergonomic keyboard -office essentials
Credit: Mliu92 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_Natural_Ergonomic_Keyboard_4000.jpg

4. Footrest

Again, this is related to posture. If you’re short (like me) you find that your feet never do quite reach the floor properly. A little footrest is ideal for helping you maintain a good posture. But you don’t have to be short to benefit from a footrest. They are great for encouraging active sitting and reducing pressure on your legs.

Footrest

5. Phone Charger

If you have a work phone and a personal phone, invest in some back up phone chargers. There is nothing worse than digging around in your bag when your phone is on 5% and you’ve got important calls to make.

Phone charger - office essentials

6. Water Bottle

It is so important to keep yourself hydrated and having a nice water bottle on your desk is a great reminder to drink water!
Drinking water is also great for reducing stress, stopping headaches and improving general health which definitely makes it an office essential.

Water bottles - office essentials

7. Hand Sanitiser

Now more than ever, it is important to take care of ourselves. While washing your hands is still the best method for keeping them clean, hand sanitiser is great for when you’re on the go, but also very handy for using on surfaces (desks, keyboards, phones etc)

Hand sanitiser - office essentials

8. Plants

It’s no lie that we LOVE office plants at The Racquets Court. They are amazing thing for many reasons.
Not only do they improve air quality, but they also improve attention span, lower stress, increase productivity and they look great!

Plants

9. Laptop Stand/Adjustable Monitor

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but posture is so important.
Being able to adjust your screen to the right height (top of the screen roughly at eye level) is essential to keeping your posture right and making your work-life easier.

laptop stand - office essentials

10. Desk Tidy

Desk tidies come in all shapes, sizes and designs, but the main thing they all have in common is how useful they are for helping you stay organised. They often have small compartments for your notebook, pens, paperclips etc. Keeping a tidy desk makes it easier to keep things clean and stop you losing those important documents.

desk tidy

 

Think I’ve missed some office essentials out? Let me know in the comments below

Book Now

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Well, what a year!

It turns out that 2020 hasn’t quite gone as planned for most of us, but now we need to focus on how to adapt in this new world.

When we built The Racquets Court, the idea was to create a close-knit community. A place to build strong relationships, new collaborations and explore new and exciting projects. At the beginning of 2020, our memberships was growing steadily, enquiries were increasing and we were having new conversations with different organisations nearly every day. Lockdown meant we had to press pause on many things and think of ways we could continue to function as a workspace, but, a workspace where people feel safe and comfortable to work from.

What We’ve Done to Make Our Workspace Safe

Safe Workspace Poll
Via Linkedin.com

We attended several (virtual) seminars about getting back to the office, making the office safer and co-working communities in general, all of which gave us some good ideas to explore for The Racquets Court. We took time to conduct research into our ideas and sought feedback from members, visitors and followers and finally arrived at ideas to improve the safety within our space and promote good health.

Air Circulation

Fortunately, The Racquets Court has a sophisticated air circulation system rather than air conditioning. Why is that important? The system continuously draws fresh, filtered air into the building and pushes out the air from inside. Therefore, you can feel confident that the air you breathe is as fresh as possible and filtered.

Our system is also more environmentally friendly than air conditioning, helping to protect our planet as well as our people.

And, on top of this, The Racquets Court has a self-opening glass roof for maximum fresh air. The clever thing is, it has rain sensors so it closes automatically when the weather turns.

Connectivity

We mention this regularly because it really is important – and getting more so with every day that passes. The Racquets Court is one of the few buildings in the North East connected to the Stellium Network. Our standard network speed is 200MB (up and down) via a gigabit carrier. This means your video conference calls and online collaboration platforms will perform better, enabling you to work for efficiently.

Temperature Scanner

Our research indicated that the majority of respondents felt safer with a temperature scanner at the entrance to their workplace. Although body temperature is not a substitute for COVID-19 testing, it does indicate whether someone should be entering The Racquets Court and our scanner gives an audible response and is capable of facial recognition. This therefore helps us to protect our members.

Temperature Scanner

Social Distancing

We fully promote social distancing with The Racquets Court. The desks are spaced out throughout the building and we have reduced capacity in the smaller spaces such as meeting rooms and the main kitchen.

Hand Sanitising & Hand Washing

We have installed a hand sanitisation station at the entrance to the building and have ensured all sinks are stocked with Arran Aromatics luxury hand wash and hand cream. Regular handwashing and sanitising is drying out our hands (a small price to pay to prevent the spread of COVID-19), however as the colder months come, it is very important to look after hands – and moisturising will do that.

 

I’ve Got Bills, I’ve Got To Pay…

While many people have been enjoying working from home over the summer, as winter comes, the heating comes on and the bills go up. Our packages include utilities so your team can relax a bit when it comes to heating and electricity bills at home.

Bike Storage & Showers

Avoiding public transport can be a pain, but something many of us are doing. We have secure bike storage along with showers (Arran Aromatics toiletries provided) to help you get into work safely.

You can read more in our Safe Working Guide.

COVID-19 Plan

 

If you would like to explore workplace options at The Racquets Court, get in touch with a member of our team today.

Book Now

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19th February 2024

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You may have noticed that in 2020, nothing is quite how it was and that includes office space. With more people than ever working from home, most businesses have been forced to change the way they work – including us!

The rule book for office space has well and truly been thrown out the window and many of us are starting to look at new and better ways to use office spaces.

 

Co-working Spaces

Co-working spaces are far from new, but they are on the rise. According to this piece of research by Hubble HQ, 43% of those who took part would like to work in a co-working space when not in their main office.
Many organisations are embracing the world of full or part time remote working, which is great…if you have somewhere else to work from. A co-working space allows you all the comforts of a traditional office with much less of the commitment.

Have a team who need to work together in a specific location? Co-working space.

Have a team member moving to a different city and don’t want to lose them? Co-working space.

Looking to get a smaller office but still have a place your team can assemble or work together when required? Co-working space.

Co-working spaces mean you can have 4 dedicated desks and 8 passes for your team to share. This allows your team to work in the office when they need to but have the flexibility to work from home or elsewhere when required.

Co-Working Space

Office ‘Timeshares’

The word ‘timeshare’ is enough to make many of us shudder. But, did you know that you can have a timeshare office?
What this means is, you and another organisation would sign up together and split the use of the office or desks however you like. If your business would only realistically need desks 2 days a week, but you want to guarantee their availability, you can pair up with another company who could use the space on the other three days and share the costs.
This is different from typical co-working because you wouldn’t inhabit the space at the same time as your timesharing friends, but rather use the space on alternate days. The benefits of an office timeshare are:

  • Get the office you want at a more affordable price
  • Offer flexible working without your office sitting empty half of the time
  • Work your schedule around what works best for you both
  • Create a great, local contact who can become an advocate for your business.

Rent A Desk (Hot Desking)

Rent a desk as and when you need one! Such a simple concept.
Hot desking, in this respect, is buying a ‘pass’ for a hot desking facility where you will have all the comforts of a traditional office. If you’re the type who often occupies space in a coffee shop, you’ll know what a pain it can be. Having to keep buy hot bevs so you don’t get asked to leave, the all too tempting cakes and pastries by the tills, the lunch time rush, sketchy WiFi…not to mention, what do you do with all your stuff when you need to nip to the loo? Well, all of this can be avoided by booking a hot desk. With your pass you typically get:

  • Full day access
  • Proper workstations with desks, office chairs and power supply
  • Fast and stable internet connection
  • Use of the facilities
  • Security
  • Beverages included

Rent-a-desk

Virtual Offices

If you’re thinking “well, hang on, I don’t think I need a physical office at all!”, then you could consider a virtual office. This is ideal for remote teams who need a physical address for post and for their online profile. Often with these, you also get a phone number and basic reception duties such as taking messages and dealing with your incoming mail. It’s a great way to shake off the traditional office set up all together and let your team be 100% remote.

 

Zoom meeting

 

If you’re reviewing your office requirements, why not get in touch with our team to find out more about the facilities we offer?

 

Let us know any dates or times you have in mind

 

Book Now

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19th February 2024

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Remote working isn’t a new thing, but it has risen in popularity since the pandemic. Many businesses have embraced remote or hybrid working. This...

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Whether you’re a one-man band or a giant corporate, you need somewhere to work.

There are plenty of different types of offices out there so choosing one for your business can be difficult. It is important to think about what the office needs to be for you. Is it an address? Is it to help you attract (and retain) staff? Or is it somewhere for your team to interact? Depending what you hope to get from your office will depend on which one is best for you. So we’re written a list of a few things to consider.

Set-up

The facilities can vary from space to space, some will offer you all-inclusive packages, so you can plug in a play on day one, whereas other will offer you lower rates but you have to sort your own utilities and suppliers. Some businesses don’t have the time or resources to make sure they’re getting the best energy details and deal maintenance contracts, in which case offices which take this stress away are often an attractive solution.

 

Length of commitment

“Dream big” that’s what they always say. If you have a growing team, or your headcount fluctuates across the year, do you really want to commit for 3+ years to one space? Flexible spaces will offer you the luxury of easy in easy out contracts. This works well for businesses who might take on a new project in a different city and need a temporary office to get it up and running.

 

Growth

In a similar way, if your business is expected to grow rapidly, you need to be able to future proof your office space without over committing. If you’re not in a position to pay for space you might need in the future, then look at somewhere which will allow you to grow your headcount at your own rate such as a shared office or co-working space.

 

The Look

Looks aren’t everything, but they do count when it comes to office space. Employees spend an average of 3,515 full days at work over the course of their lifespan so it important to find an office space where they can thrive personally and professionally. Access to quality furniture, natural daylight, greenery and a nice design will help improve mood and productivity within your team. A nice office space will also help keep your team engaged while also attracting new talent as it shows them that you care about your team’s well-being.

 

Budget

Without beating around the bush, budget is definitely something you need to consider. But remember that the headline price is not always reflective of the true cost of occupying an office space. Before setting up The Racquets Court, we spoke to many different building owners who all flagged that one of the biggest costs is cleaning (you can read more about this here). It is important to consider your ‘must haves’ and ‘would likes’ when finding your ideal office space. Do you really need a customised ping pong table? Identify what is important to your business objectives and the well-being of your team and start there. You can always add the ‘would likes’ later.

 

Private or Shared

Here’s where I would like to dispel a myth: you can work with sensitive information and be in a shared office. In fact, we’ve got data companies working out of The Racquets Court. Providing you don’t leave sensitive documents out on your desk or confidential emails open on your screen while you go for lunch, you can work in a shared space. Most shared offices have meeting rooms, break out areas or other places you can go with your colleagues for a chat if you don’t want to be overheard.
In a private space, you often have more authority to change the decor or layout, but you may also have to budget for kitting out the place as well. Shared offices often come furnished (often to a high standard with quality products are they are built to last), so you can have fewer overheads when first moving in.

 

Location

The right location can make a huge difference, not only to your team, but also to your clients. Will you have clients visiting the office on a regular basis? In which case you may need to think about how they will get there (i.e. will they be able to walk? Drive? Public transport?). We know that the average UK worker will spend 400 days of their life commuting, so in the interest of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, it’s worth considering location when selecting your next office.

 

To find out more about workspaces at The Racquets Court, get in touch with our team today

Book Now

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-


 

19th February 2024

Essential Kit Every Remote Worker Needs in 2024

Remote working isn’t a new thing, but it has risen in popularity since the pandemic. Many businesses have embraced remote or hybrid working. This...

Read More >

6th February 2024

The Racquets Court Wins Award

The Racquets Court, a leading provider of innovative coworking solutions, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious title of “Best...

Read More >