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Workplaces
Albert France-Lanord Architects have designed stunning offices for the Swedish ISP, Bahnhof. The Date Centre/Office location is around 30m underground and was a former anti-atomic shelter. White Mountain is easily one of the most amazing offices in the world, with a distinctly “Bondesque” feel. This is hardly surprising considering that according to Albert France-Lanord, “references came straight from science fiction films, mostly ‘Silent Running’ and a bunch of Bond films with Ken Adams set design.”
As far as power supplies go, Bahnhof kept to the Cold War theme and installed diesel engines that where originally designed for submarines and, just for fun, also installed the warning system of sound-horns from an original German submarine.
You can check out this amazing office in more detail:
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Source: “Freelancing and Co-Working: Best of Both Worlds”
The core reason to be a freelancer is that one does not have to commit to full working hours that will destroy the joy of working and possibly putting personal life at stake. As a freelancer you can decide your own working hours and show up to work in your pajamas. You don’t have to endure the colleague who yells into the phone or to be paranoid that your boss will catch you reading gossip blogs.
However freelancing can be a lonely existence. You might find yourself not leaving the house for days and stalking everyone in your chat list just to feel humane. This is when co-working comes into play.
What’s Co-working exactly?
Co-working is essentially the best of both worlds. This concept consists of you renting a work space for a period of time at an office where other people do the same. You and other co-workers are not employed by the same company, working on different projects yet you work side by side with the others creating an ideal working environment. You still get to punch in and out as you please and you are not under the watchful eye of your boss but in the very same time, you get a change of environment and engage in watercooler talk. You may spare your friends in your chat list now.
Why co-working?
It’s a way to break up the isolation of working on your own. Here are three incentives that make co-working a whirl:
1. Inspiration
You don’t want to end up like Jack in “The Shining” – Jack Nicholson’s novelist character holed himself up in a remote haunted hotel to focus on writing, and he eventually went haywire, churning out “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” over and over.
Co-working allows you to get out of the house and soak in the world from perspective other than your four walls. You might discover different phenomenon just by stepping away from your familiar surroundings. And those co-workers of yours can make excellent guinea pigs to try out your ideas before turning them in to clients.
2. Networking
Co-workers come from all different fields. That person at the desk next to you could be a potential new client or to provide a lead. Always bring your business cards and chat up the co-workers who filtered in and out. Freelancers can benefits by having each other’s back.
3. Fewer distractions
Some people – no matter how good they are at their job – just weren’t cut out for working from home full time. Whether it’s a leaf blower outside, a demanding puppy or Oprah on the television, distractions can destroy your aim at meeting a deadline. Remember your 9-to-5 days? You tackled your tasks so you could get out of the office and head home. Therefore by going to a co-working space, it can provide the atmosphere you need to buckle down.
Co-working is not the same from space to space. In fact, co-working doesn’t solely take place in office spaces – sometimes people co-work at cafes providing a refreshing environment to work.
Want a Co-working space yes?
An excellent resource for learning more about this topic is the Coworking wiki. From there you can shop for co-working spaces in your area, read and contribute to a blog as well as learn how to start your own co-working space.
Some important questions you might want to consider before kicking off a co-working space:
1. Agreement on rules and regulations between co-workers
It is utmost important to have all the co-workers discuss and finalize what and where is the comfortable meeting point or a co-working space will not work out.
For example:
Can I make phone calls or is talking discourage?
Is the noise level too much or too little for my comfort?
Setup and facility.
Is the co working space open for 24 hours, or does it have fix operating hours?
2. Can I get a tax write-off for renting a co-working space?
It is possible as long as it is done right and fulfill all the criteria for a write-off tax requirement. Better if the one consult an accountant.
A co-working space were to take place at different location every time without a fix location, then it is impossible to have a tax write-off. Phone bills may be possible however it must be prove that phone were use for business. For a freelancer it might be a challenge.
A a co-working space were to take place on a fix location, in a building then it is considered as an office. Write-off is definitely possible for things like phone bills, office rental and numbers of computers expenditure.
3. Cost of participating in a co-working space
Needless to say this is the downside of fixed co-working space. Face it, you are not in your house and that cost money therefore freelancer must take the cost into account and decide which type of co-working space offered is affordable.
Conclusion
Co-working is a concept specifically constructed for freelancers and it is now an urban practice given more and more people prefer freelancer’s way of life. It sets a freedom for a labourer when and where to work but with limitation. This benefits employers because humans tends to deliver better quality of work when they are happy.
(via Hongkiat)
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Coloft is a funky co-working space in Santa Monica CA, which emphasises the importance of working together and networking. It especially aims to cater for the needs of new businesses and entrepreneurs. The co-working space offers everything from private desks you can call your very own, to co-working tables catering from between 2-6 people.
The work space provides a refreshing take on office space, one which is akin to the eOffice ethos! The office space is all the more exciting since it was established by two young entrepreneurs, and has by all accounts been a resounding success.
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Office rents in the City of London have increased by almost 12 per cent over the last three months. This statistic reflects the increased demand from corporate occupiers on the one hand, and a lack of good quality office alternatives on the other. The increase ended almost two and a half years of rental falls across the market, and reflects the shortage of new offices following the credit crisis. The credit crisis halted most new developments, leaving prospective tenants with limited choices. Therefore as the economy starts to pick up there will be a limited availability of satisfactory office space, creating the perfect conditions for a spike in rent. As James Gillett, director of City offices at NB Real Estate, puts it :
“Often the harder a market falls, the stronger it bounces back. Rents fell off a cliff post Lehman Brothers. We are now seeing them rebound strongly as demand from occupiers recovers and the supply of prime office space dries up.”
Therefore it seems clear that many small businesses and entrepreneurs will have to seek creative alternatives to meet their office space requirements. One innovative solution may be the virtual office – a relatively new way of doing commerce that has the potential of saving cash for both business owners and their clients. Essentially a virtual office is a combination of off-site live communication and address services that allow users to reduce traditional office costs while maintaining business professionalism. This seems the ideal solution for those who are struggling to find suitable office space at a reasonable price, and yet require a presence to drive their business forward.
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The Cyclehoop is an award-winning design that converts existing street furniture into secure bicycle parking. This innovative product won the Reinventing the Bike Shed international design competition and has been installed by local authorities across the United Kingdom.
It is a quick and cost effective solution helping local councils solve the problems of bicycle theft and the lack of on-street cycle parking. Cyclehoop is now based and operates primarily from the eOffice London workplaces providing a creative co-working environment for thriving businesses, startups and entrepreneurs.
For more information visit: http://www.cyclehoop.com/
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I founded CBM in December 2009 with the intention to offer recruitment solutions in the ICT DUTCH market place. With over 7 years experience working within the recruitment industry I felt it was time to start my own business and decided to focus on the Dutch market place after spending 2 1/2 years living there.
It was initially my intention to move back to the Netherlands but because of personal commitments I will now be staying in Birmingham. I have initially been hot desking at eOffice whilst I wait for internet connection to be installed in my house. Although I am still waiting for the internet to be installed the reason I have signed for a 1 year contract with eOffice is because of the great environment around me. I was going to work from home initially but working at eOffice has made me realise you can have a normal working environment at a great price. As a start up business (in a financial down turn) money is a huge factor but it is my belief you get great value for money working at eOffice. My business has gone from strength to strength since working here and I look forward to the year ahead. Should you be interested to know more about my business please fell free to connect on LinkedIn -http://nl.linkedin.com/in/lukethomascbm
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We Know Mortgages Ltd is a ‘Whole of Market’ mortgage broker based in Manchester.
We have access to thousands of mortgage products and an elite panel of insurance providers which include Axa, Aviva, Friends Provident, Legal and General, and Zurich. Our main goal is to obtain customers with the right deal based on their circumstances and to guide them from start to finish.
Website: www.weknowmortgages.co.uk
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Based at eOffice Bristol, Business Co Pilot is a Sales and Marketing consultancy practice that helps organisations to grow.
We work with management teams to keep them on the business flight plan to enhance revenue and profits. We ensure the Business Plan includes a Sales Plan that is both practical and achievable.
We use a variety of skills, tools and techniques to break down barriers, build relationships and add value. We help them to set clear objectives and goals and then work alongside the team members to move them along the agreed plan.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BusinessCoPilot
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In November 2008, Kerry launched Bristol Buddies with the intention of connecting people on and offline. The website has attracted almost 1000 members, who regularly check events happening in Bristol, including those that are organised by Bristol Buddies themselves.
In the process of creating and running Bristol Buddies, Kerry acquired skills in events management and networking, which she utilised to launch FUSE Bristol, who organise Fun, Unique Singles Events for professionals in Bristol. Stationed at eOffice Bristol, FUSE has grown at an extraordinary rate, mainly thanks to Kerry’s individual marketing and PR, which she is now assisting other companies with.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bristolbuddies
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