Hybrid working allows employees to enjoy the benefits of both working from home and working in the office. Since the year 2020, we’ve seen a massive increase in this way of working. It was traditionally favoured by smaller tech companies but is now popular across a huge range of industries.

Switching to this model of working is hugely beneficial to both employers and employees and we are going to look at some of the pros and cons, as well as different types of hybrid working.

Pros of home working

Work-life balance – Working from home, at least part of the week, helps employees improve their work-life balance. From receiving parcels to being around for tradespeople, working from home gives employees more freedom to arrange things around important work tasks.
Lack of commute – Without the stress, cost and time spent commuting to and from work, employees are less stressed when they begin work and make better use of their time.
Freedom – Employees have more freedom to choose when and where they work.
Productivity – Without the pressures that can come with traditional ways of working, employees say they feel more productive.

Cons of home working

Access to work resources – They may be small fry, but they do add up. Tea, coffee, notebooks, heating, electricity, office chairs etc.
Team collaboration & culture – Both are hard to achieve without physically being in the same space and require a bit more effort when managed remotely.
Disruption – It can be tempting to pop a load of washing in or mow the lawn on your lunch break but it’s important to remain disciplined. Work processes can also be disrupted by not being able to pop over and speak to someone face to face.
Work schedules – With individual freedom also comes difficulty to coordinate schedules.

Pros of office working

Belonging & relationships – working in the office can foster a sense of belonging. You have comradery with your colleagues and can build meaningful connections more easily.
Productivity – I know, we mentioned this in the home working list, but for some, working in the office is a more focused environment and helps people switch into ‘work mode’.
Onboarding – Onboarding new team members can be much easier in an office environment. They get to know the team faster, know who to speak to and you can oversee how they are settling in much easier.
Collaboration – Physically being in the same space as others helps promote collaboration

Cons of office workingHybrid Working

Inflexible – When you’re in the office there is more of a requirement to conform to a standard timetable.
Commute – This one cannot be ignored. For some, the daily commute can be stressful, expensive and long.
Exposure to illness – Now a few years ago, we probably wouldn’t have given this that much thought, but since COVID we know how quickly and easily viral infections can spread in an office space or on the bus/train.
Conformity – From the way you dress, to what you eat, to how you perform certain tasks, you’re far more likely to feel the need to conform in the office which might dampen your creativity.

So we can see from the above that there are definitely some benefits to a combination of homework and office work.

Types of Hybrid Working

If you’re introducing hybrid working, there are a few different ways you can do this. It’s important to find a way that benefits your employees and your business without impacting your customers.

At-Will Working

This way of hybrid working allows employees to make the decision based on their own individual needs and wants. Those who work best in the office, they have a space to do so. Those who work best at home, don’t feel pressured to come in. This really is an employee focussed model and it sounds like an ideal setup, but there are definitely some drawbacks. Not knowing where people are going to be from day to day can cause confusion and a feeling of disorganisation. Your office can either feel overcrowded or under-utilised which can be expensive for organisations and demotivating for employees. On the plus side, organisations can hire workers who live further away so they aren’t bound by location.

Office-First

While not too dissimilar to the above, an office-first model means employees are required to be in the office more days than they are at home. This is probably the easiest and quickest model to implement as it doesn’t require much setup other than some new policies. This makes arranging meetings and working collaboratively much easier. As it’s a more traditional way of working, employees will need to live nearby and be able to commute 3-4 times per week.

Remote-First

Employees only have access to office space 1-2 days per week, in some cases. This helps prevent overcrowding in the office but can mean that it’s harder to work with the individuals you want/need to. This can be great for those who prefer working from home but also like the social element of office-based work. Employers can use smaller office space but it can be more difficult when onboarding new employees.

Split-Week

Split week involves having certain days you require everyone onsite. For example, you may say everyone must be in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This helps your team plan their work-from-home days, and embrace some of the pros of working from home while also maintaining the benefits of office-based work. It’s much easier to arrange face-to-face meetings or natural collaboration work. This also helps build strong relationships and has a sense of reliability. It can be more difficult to find an office setup that accommodates this.

Workload Based

This way of working involves management making a decision based on the current workload. This can be very tricky to manage as you can’t plan your weeks in advance. Employees will need to be able to be very flexible which can be expensive if relying on public transport or parking passes. It can also be expensive if you have your own office as it will be under utilised. If you don’t have an office, you’ll be relying on finding last-minute workspaces for your team for an unknown period of time.

Team Division

You might find that you don’t need all teams to be working in the office at the same time. Perhaps you need strategy teams in on Mondays and sales teams on Wednesdays. In some cases, you may have teams that could work fully remotely, but it feels unfair if you do have teams you need onsite. This can cause friction between departments but can be much easier to manage from an operational point of view. You won’t need as much office space and your team will know when and where they need to be in advance.

What does all this mean?

There are so many different ways of working and the one that works best for you, might not work so well for individuals on your team. If you are going to implement a hybrid way of working, you need to be able to identify the best way to do this. Individual preferences need to be taken into account, but also office costs. Running your own office which is either overcrowded or under used can be expensive and demoralising. Organisations need to be able to manage their overheads which is why flexible workspaces are great to help you achieve your hybrid model. In most coworking spaces, you can have a combination of dedicated desks and hot desking. This allows your team to flex throughout the week and means you only pay for the space you actually use. Unused desks aren’t your concern. Utilities and office perks are no longer your responsibility. It can be great for staff morale as they can meet and work with different organisations, they can feel a part of a community as well as your own organisation.

There are many different types of coworking spaces so spend time finding out which one suits your needs.

 

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...

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By now most of us are familiar with hot desking, but what about desk hoteling?

Hot desking simply heading into the office (or co-working space, shared workspace facility etc) and using an available desk. While it does have many benefits, it also received its fair share of criticism.

Why don’t people like the idea of hot desking?

Hot desking can be uncertain. You don’t know where you’ll be sat or who you’ll be sat next to. What if the office is full? This can be especially frustrating if you’re heading in 5 days a week as you have to take all your stuff in with you every day and always changing desks. Many offices use hot desking to maximise space efficiency and encourage team members to interact with different people.

Hot desking is suited towards people who use shared office facilities a few days per week/month. For example, if your team only need to use a couple of desks twice a week, a co-working space can offer you this without making you pay for the days that you don’t use. This is much better value than hiring a whole office suite that is rarely at 100% capacity.

But there is still an uncertainty about where you will be sitting, and will you be sat with your team?

This brings us to Desk Hoteling

Desk Hoteling is very similar to hot desking, but rather than it being first-come-first-serve, you can pre-book your desks to ensure you are sat where you need to be sat.

Often using an app or booking system, you can reserve specific desks when you need them with confidence.

This method of office management is wonderfully geared towards co-working spaces as it means you know the desk will be sanitised and prepared ready for your arrival, you won’t be wasting time trying to find desks near your colleagues, and you still only paying for the space you use.

How to book a desk at The Racquets Court

As part of our research into making The Racquets Court as safe as possible during these unusual times,  we are excited to announce that we are launching a new desk hoteling model which will enable companies and individuals to specifically reserve desks as and when they need them.

Simple head over to our booking page, sign up and select your desks and take it from there or get in touch with a member of our team

 

 

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...

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

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The Racquets Court is dependent on vibrant life returning to Newcastle. And vibrant life in the City depends on workplaces like The Racquets Court. We’re inter-dependent. This post is about making Newcastle attractive to business.  If we can do this, the people of Newcastle, and around, will return – in droves.

What must we (the owners of The Racquets Court) do, (our bit) and what must ‘the City’ do, (its bit)?  This post is about the latter; we discuss the former here.

Is investing in our City a ‘choice’?

For close to a year, there has been a debate about lockdown choices.  Should we prioritise health or the economy?  Our position is that this is not  a ‘choice’.  We prioritise health because unless our population is healthy, they will not be working, buying goods and services, stimulating demand.  The health of our people is the pre-condition to a healthy economy.

Some may argue that investing in our City is a ‘choice’. In other words, we can choose between prioritising resource allocation to our communities most in need, and investing in making Newcastle attractive to business. However, like the Covid-19 example, this is not a choice.  Unless Newcastle is attractive to business, those most in need will continue to suffer joblessness and deprivation.  Businesses that are attracted to Newcastle or are started here, create jobs which are a pre-condition for an end to deprivation.

Choosing to invest in Newcastle

Restoring life to Newcastle is about reimagining the extensive literature on what makes locations attractive to businesses. This is not new material; it has been around a long time. We must remember and adapt it to the current / post Covid-19 situation we face.

Location attractiveness to businesses – those who run them and work in them is about four features:

  1. Are we close to arts and entertainment facilities that our people can enjoy and use? This is the culture effect.
  2. Do transport links effectively and efficiently connect our business and our people to those other places we need to connect to? This is the easy access effect.
  3. Does the location look good? Is it attractive? Will our people want to walk its pavements to get to the arts venues that it houses? This is the ‘wow’ effect.
  4. Are we close to other businesses with whom we co-operate and compete and organisations that support our activity such as Universities or trade associations? This is the cluster effect.

The culture effect.

In spite of evidence that shows that, for entrepreneurs, theatres, galleries, museums are greater attractors than beaches and countryside, the North East seems wedded to promoting the latter over the former. Perhaps this explains why Darlington has attracted the Treasury rather than Newcastle – an odd decision which may incite insurrection amongst the Mandarins.

For Newcastle, it must be a priority to open our culture venues as soon as we can. They must not be starved of support; their role is crucial.

The easy access effect.

People will continue to be nervous of public transport for some time. How might we facilitate access? Perhaps the restrictions on some parking might be eased? Perhaps city fringe spaces might be opened?  For example, the space traditionally used for the Hoppings on the Town Moor might be used with people completing the journey on foot.  How many other cities in the UK have such a potential facility so close to the City centre?

I am not of course suggesting this as a permanent facility – merely a temporary one until a semblance of normality is resumed.

The ‘wow’ effect.

It’s very good news indeed to see that the City is to invest in its Centre.  I have occasionally been dismayed by previous efforts in the City which have featured copious quantities of astroturf and planting and plant containers that are aesthetically challenged – so please let this happen to deliver a ‘wow effect’.

But it’s not just the City Centre. Gosforth is a key residential attractor for entrepreneurs and others thinking about re-locating to Newcastle.  Gosforth High Street is currently a mess of largely filthy red and white poles delineating cycle lanes, with the white patches peeling off many of them. This is not a plea for the removal of cycle lanes. It is a plea to make them look good.

The cluster effect.

To deploy a cliche … last but not least.  Those that know my background will be unsurprised to see me talk about clusters. I led the UK’s whole economy cluster mapping project in 2001;  I remain persuaded that the concept is powerful.  It is surprising just how much of what we said 20 years ago, retains its currency.

For businesses like ours (data technology – ish), proximity to Newcastle University is a great example of the cluster phenomenon. However, the relationship of our business to others, close by, is less obvious. I have no idea what clusters there are – and I am not persuaded that others do.

Are there examples of City Centre clusters?

Our own City of London is an obvious blueprint. The City takes in all financial services, City University, specialist printing (financial services is THE biggest user of print services) and so on. Post Brexit – who knows?

Making Newcastle attratvie to business - examples from LA
Clothing everywhere / California Mart / FIDM. CLICK to enlarge

Outside the UK, the clothing cluster in Los Angeles is a wonderful exemplar.  The cluster captures masses of manufacturers right there in central LA, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and California Mart, where buyers from across the US can easily visit hundreds (yes hundreds) of small clothing designers.

I recall discussing the strategy that gave rise to the re-imagined and commercially successful fashion infustry in Los Angeles (with the LA Development Corporation). My overwhelming impression was the clarity with which the strategy was articulated, based as it was on a solid research base. The LA cluster is now bigger and more successful than that in New York. It has given rise to brands like Diesel and American Apparel as well as clothing tech businesses that challenge the traditional hegemony of France and Germany.

Both of these are examples of clusters based on markets (finance and clothing). Today, we’re more likely to see clusters defined by a technology – ‘digital’ for example.

Clusters – technology based or market based?

I find it difficult to identify the glue that might bind businesses together simply because they use similar tech.  Certainly, the most recent work on clusters is remarkably devoid of a market focus.  A 2018 BEIS study uses some nifty maths to identify clusters, but I don’t see what use the analysis is.

For example, this study identifies the second largest advertising cluster in the UK to be centred on Manchester (my team found the same in 2001 – industrial structures change slowly). However, the study evinces no curiousity about why it’s located there.

The answer is to with the fact that Manchester was the home of the original catalogue industry (Grattan for example) that sprung out of the clothing businesses based in the North West – the precursor of online apparel. 1 THIS IS WHAT WE SAID IN 2001:  Perhaps associated with both textiles and household goods is the region’s major strength in mail order retailing. Its size, degree of geographic concentration, links to industries such as market research, advertising and packaging and its role as a distribution channel for consumer and household goods, suggests that mail order might be seen as a significant regional cluster in its own right. In this context, it is worth emphasising that the industry is not dissimilar in many ways to the emerging dot.com industries.

And from the embers of what was there, other things spring up.  Alongside Misguided, there is Boohoo, Pretty Little Things, Matalan and others.  Supporting them is the textiles department of Manchester University and those other industries (advertising and so on), that we identified in 2001.  They are all thriving and adapting in a digital age.

Having a market oriented understanding of clusters enables strategies to prevent clusters unravelling, or stimulating appropriate responses if that unravelling can’t be stopped.

For the moment, suffice to say that the evolving industrial structure of Newcastle has never been more important. I don’t detect a strategy for it, but if vibrancy is going to be restored to our city, then we need one.

Making Newcastle attractive to business:  the cost

As a business resident in Newcastle, I am not wholly familiar with the parties to all of this.  I think my comments take in the City itself, NE1 (the Business Improvement District for central Newcastle), The Freemen of Newcastle (who own the Town Moor), bus operators and so on.

This is important for us. We’d be prepared to increase our NE1 levy to contribute.  I recognise this is a team effort – we want to be in the team …..

 

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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...

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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...

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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

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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...

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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 >


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

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 >


Hiring employees should be quite straight forward. Right?

All you need to do is write a job description, post it online and start interviewing. While this sounds quite simple, attracting and retaining the right people is hard. In an ideal world, you’ll find someone quickly who is:

  • Qualified
  • Experienced
  • A good fit with your team

But this is challenging. Flexible working is one of the things being used by businesses to draw in the best people.

In the UK 84% of businesses are using flexible workplace policies to attract and retain top talents. The global average is 77%. According to the IWG Global Workplace Report, businesses believe flexible working plays a critical role in widening the talent pool. And workers confirm that having a choice of work environment plays a key role in evaluating work opportunities (70%).

Organisations of all sizes take advantage of remote working and no longer need to be restricted by location. Businesses don’t have to wave goodbye when a talented employee needs to relocate for personal reasons or turn down an applicant because she lives somewhere else.

Having said that, remote working can con with some challenges.

Remote Working

I’m worried that remote working will impact on our company culture

Will the business end up with a team of people who just don’t know each other? Should the business be worried that remote workers won’t work as hard? A lot of this comes down to how the team is managed. It is important regularly to bring remote workers into the main office. Scheduling recurring skype meetings ensure remote workers aren’t strangers to everyone else. If there are concerns about home distractions impacting on work output, then working in a co-working space ensures an ‘office environment’.

Using technology to enable remote working.

Remote working can be more expensive initially. The business will need to supply a company computer/laptop and possibly a phone. There is the need to ensure a good, robust and reliable internet connection. It may also be necessary to set up VPN connectivity or access to individually used bandwidth.

Ensuring security for remote working

Depending on the work, security may be a concern.  Do employees need access to secure printing and sensitive documents? This is harder to manage when working outside the office. 45% of workers report business concerns about data security and 19% are concerned about a lack of remote cybersecurity systems.

Informal remote working for example from a coffee shop may give rise to issues to do with physical possessions (what do you do with a laptop when the loo calls?)

Are remote workers motivated and productive?

Let’s face it, working from home can be distracting. Whether it’s the housework, family or door-to-door sales calls, you can be surrounded by distractions. But businesses have deadlines which must be managed and performances and behaviours which are appraised. There is little evidence to suggest that remote workers perform less well than others. Well managed people are productive whether they’re working 20 meters away or 20 kilometres away.

Remote Working

A high turn over of staff will cost businesses time and money. Allowing employees to work remotely where appropriate will help a business stand out from the crowd and show their team that they are trusted.  So while the initial setup may take some getting used to, we believe that remote working can be beneficial to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Get in touch to find out how The Racquets Court can support companies or individuals interested in remote working.

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 >


I’ll be honest, several years ago I didn’t know what co-working, hot desking or virtual offices were. It turns out I wasn’t alone. Since we opened, we still receive plenty of enquiries asking to understand these services and who they are for.
Co-working, hot desking and virtual offices are all aspects which can make up a workspace like The Racquets Court. They are used by businesses of any size from sole-traders to global corporations.

 

Co-Working

According to Lexico “[co-working] is the use of an office or other work environments by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.”

Co-working spaces are thought to have stemmed from 90s Hackerspaces. They were created for the ‘creatives’ but nowadays, they are a sought-after solution for companies of all sizes. Imagine being able to hire the talent you want but without having to relocate your HQ across the country? Larger companies are making full use of this great opportunity by hiring a few desks in the towns and cities across the UK so they can set up new offices, hire local talent to work remotely or to set up project teams closer to their clients.

 

The self-employed, freelancers and micro-companies also benefit from co-working spaces. They can have all the benefits of an office without the worry of isolation and huge overheads.

There are many perks to a co-working space but one of our favourites is the fantastic networking opportunities available. You never know who might move in on the desk across the way or who might be in the kitchen. They are typically 24/7 too so you’re not confined by the standard 9-5.

Co-working spaces generally require a commitment in the form of a monthly fee. For that you’ll get a dedicated desk, you can store your equipment and all your bills (should be) included.

Hot Desking

Hot desking is the practice of working as and when you need. Workspaces which offer hot desking usually mean you can hire a desk on the days when you need one. This is a great short-term solution for:

  • People who work from home and want to get out of the home office for a day or two
  • People who travel for work and need a base to work in-between appointments
  • Small task forces who need to solve a specific problem away from the usual office
  • Teams who work remotely and like to have somewhere to meet

Hot desking is a great solution to the coffee shop take-over as it provides workers with dedicated, purpose-built workspaces (read this great blog here by Hubble “There are so many better places to work than a coffee shop”).

One of the joys of hot desking is the freedom to come and go. You can try out lots of spaces with next to no commitment before you find one that works. Once in your perfect space, you can usually upgrade to a co-working membership and make it your new home from home (or office from office…).

I used coffee shops as ‘day offices’ in between meetings while we were developing TRC. While it was great to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city centre, I ended up frustrated with the Wifi, spending way too much on coffee and left generally feeling I’d been unproductive…and it was weird asking strangers to watch my stuff while I nipped to the loo!

 

Virtual Offices

Virtual offices are another solution offered by workspaces but for people who maybe don’t have the want or need for a physical space. These are often used by those who want to be associated with a specific place or building.

A city centre virtual office, for example, gives your business a city centre presence. This is great if you wish to have a presence in a new city, or perhaps you just don’t want your business address to be your home address.

Often you can get different packages which include various business services such as mail handling, phone answering and message taking services and meeting rooms to name a few.

Virtual offices are used by many different businesses such as:

  • an established business who want a presence in a different city
  • a sole-trader who doesn’t want their mobile to be their business number
  • a freelancer who is happy to work from wherever but wants a stable business presence for their clients.

If you are looking at virtual offices, look for one which also allows you the option to hot desk or book meeting rooms so you can impress your clients and suppliers.

In Conclusion

Think of workspaces like hotels. There are many different types, from huge budget ones to small, luxurious boutique ones. It’s easy to see them all as offering the same basic thing (ie a bed for the night) yet not understand why they all charge different prices. Don’t overlook the value and quality of what you get. Make sure you do your research and find one which reflects your business, the work you do and will help you attract clients.

There are many different reasons why a company or an individual may want to use a workspace. Whether they want to test out working in a new area, have recently relocated, or hiring talent from further afield, The Racquets Court is here to help. Get in touch with our Community Manager to discuss what solution works best for you.

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