If you’re like most small business owners, you probably have “increased productivity” towards the top of your New Year’s Resolution goals. You might be looking for ways to get more done in less time, have a better handle on your daily “to-do” list, and of course, ways to bring in more revenue. If you are a self-employed professional, or the proud owner of a “one-person” shop, you might find yourself facing a more difficult time accomplishing these goals from the comfort of your home office, where distractions run rampant.
Being a member of a coworking environment has its benefits, some more obvious than others. Here are our top 3 reasons why getting out of the house and into a coworking family is something you should seriously consider this New Year:
1.) Eliminate Hourly Status Updates: If you are married or in a relationship where the other person is frequently home while you are working, you might have run across this time-drainer before. Overheard phone meetings or errant customer complaints almost always prompt questions such as “Are you getting a new contract? What are the details?” or “Boy, that didn’t sound good. Is everything ok?” While we are sure you appreciate the encouragement or comfort, a daily run-down at dinner about your day is sufficient to provide “need-to-know” information on a “need-to-know” basis.
Astonishing Estimated Results: 15-20 minutes added to your work day and something to talk about over dinner.
2.) Keep Your New PJ’s Brighter for Longer: Remember those cozy new pajamas you received for Christmas? Why not give them a break by getting out of the house instead of using them as your temporary work uniform? Pajamas live up to their promised performance during the hours of 8pm-8am. Any time before or after that, you’re really pushing their abilities. They aren’t made for brainstorming, conference calls or project management…they’re made for sleeping. If you are working in PJ’s and wondering why you aren’t being effective during the work week, consider that the soft, cotton material they are made of is meant to slow you down and escort you to “la-la-land” and not into full-blown business productivity.
Astonishing Estimated Results: PJ life extended 12 months and productivity increased by 35-45%.
3.) Reduce Grocery Bills & Lose Weight: We know how it is: work from home, get a small rumble in your stomach, then spend 15 minutes staring blankly into the refrigerator trying to figure out what to eat. All of the sudden, the short snack break turns into a 30 minute break watching TV. Perhaps even after than, you decide the snack wasn’t enough, so it’s back to peruse the refrigerator for more time-wasting. Before you know it, you’re going to the store more frequently due to unnecessary snaking indulgences, which are also making your pants fit a bit tighter. Don’t feel bad…it happens to all of us. But if you are really trying to stick to this year’s “lose weight” resolution, try getting out of the house to work! Pack a lunch and snacks as well as a beverage or two. As your productivity increases (due to less time in the kitchen), you’ll notice time flying by and those “I’m bored” or “I don’t feel like working right now” cravings will go away. You’ll get more done, keep more food in your pantry and perhaps even shave off a few pounds. Now that’s what we‘d like to call a “coworking win-win”.
Astonishing Estimated Results: $50/week saved in food costs, 2 less stomach rolls over a 6 month span, and 35 minutes added back to work day productivity.
Now, remember that the results above are only estimates, but we’re sure you can see where we are going with all of this! While these reasons are funny, they are also true. Many business owners who work from home have a difficult time being productive because they don’t feel like they are truly in an environment conducive to actually working.
By eliminating distractions and time-wasters, you can make the most of your 8 hour work day and feel more accomplished. Don’t you owe it to your business, your spouse/partner, your PJs, your waist line and your grocery budget to get control of your productivity?
If you are interested in learning more about what Coworking Connection has to offer you, please feel free to contact us directly, visit one of our social media pages, or post a comment on this blog post.