Remote Workspace

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Remote Workspace

If you are working remotely, a remote workspace is an essential part of your daily life. Whether you call it working remotely or the remote work synonym, working from home, you need a good workspace. It’s where you will do the day’s work, which means it needs to be a practical, comforting, and inspiring space. A cluttered remote workplace can distract you and lower your productivity. An uncomfortable workspace can also do the same. But a clean and comfortable workspace can increase your productivity and make you inspired to work. That is why having a proper home office is so important. 

While many think having a home office requires lots of money and square footage in their home, that is not the case. A home workspace can be as small or large as you want it to be, and anyone can set one up in their home. Something as simple as a DIY wall-mounted desk can be all you need to get started. Often, the best workspaces are simple and minimalistic, which means they are less expensive. A desk, a comfy chair, a few decorations, and your office essentials are all you need to make a great home office. 

One important aspect of your workspace is having everything you need readily available. You do not want to waste time trying to find the things you need, whether they are physical or virtual. Your printer, digital and physical files/documents, method of communication, ability to access a remote desktop workspace, etc. should all be within reach at all times. Time spent looking for a file or program is time not spent working. Frustration from constantly searching for what you need can also decrease your productivity and mood, so easy access is a must if you want to be as productive as possible. Be sure to keep this in mind when setting up your workspace.

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Remote Workspace Software

Your remote workspace software is just as important as your physical workspace. Bad software can discourage communication and collaboration, making things confusing and difficult, and decrease productivity. Good software however can make your life easier by streamlining your workflow, encouraging collaboration and communication, and keeping things organized. Choosing the right software can be a challenge though.

The best technology for working remotely is highly subjective. What may be the best for one company might not work well for another. Companies often have highly specific and individualized needs, and not every platform can possibly fulfill every need. This means that you have to consider your specific needs and compare them to what the service offers before choosing a remote workspace software. Still, many companies have similar needs.

For example, a company working remotely needs to have an effective virtual onboarding process. Onboarding can be the difference between a new employee who is educated on their role in the company and excited to succeed and an employee who is confused and bored. Filo offers their help in virtual onboarding, which can help you get new employees started out on the right foot. It is important not to overlook the importance of onboarding and virtual onboarding software. 

One common question asked by businesses is how to remotely access another computer over the internet. Whether you need to access software or files on that computer, train a new employee, or simply help a co-worker out, being able to access other computers remotely is a common need. Thankfully, this need has been addressed and there are multiple ways to access a remote desktop. The Microsoft Remote Desktop is one of the most popular and allows you to easily connect to a remote computer. The Chrome Remote Desktop is another popular option. The Chrome desktop enables you to have your remote desktop in the same ecosystem as all your other Google products, which can be convenient if you already use multiple Google applications. No matter which products you choose, be sure that they fit your specific needs. 

Remote Office Space

While it may seem like it defeats the purpose of working from home, remote office space is something that could benefit many businesses. Remote office space allows businesses or individuals to find a flexible workspace that fits their exact needs. This helps cut costs and gives workers an increased degree of freedom. Remote office space can give employees the freedom to choose whether a physical office or home office makes more sense at any given moment. 

Remote office spaces are typically owned by a company like WeWork, and those spaces are rented out to businesses depending on their specific needs. A company might want to have their weekly meetings in a physical location but still work remotely most of the time. Instead of renting a full office and leaving it empty the majority of the time, the company could rent a single conference room every Friday for the meetings. This would save significantly on the cost of office space while still allowing access to a physical space when necessary. Another company that works remotely may want to have an office available as a resource for remote workers, but they also may not want to spend money on a full office building they will rarely use. Remote office spaces would allow that company to rent a dozen desks so their employees have the option to work in person without having to rent a full office space. Having a WeWork membership or similar membership can enable your business to get the exact amount of space you need when you need it while saving money.

These types of hybrid work configurations are likely to become more popular in the future, especially as businesses push to work in-person and employees push back against working in-person. Hybrid configurations can be a compromise that gives employers and employees the best of both worlds, allowing them to work from home or in-person depending on what makes the most sense for that specific task.

Coworking Space Near Me

Coworking space is another idea for remote workers and businesses to consider. Coworking spaces are spaces where individuals from multiple different companies work in the same office. While this may seem odd, these spaces can actually be incredibly useful to companies and their workers. Coworking space for remote workers can give them the freedom of choosing to work from home or work in a physical space that offers typical office amenities. They also give companies flexibility since they don’t usually require long leases or commitments. This means that if your company changes their mind and chooses to get their own office or go entirely virtual, they are not stuck with a multi-year contract for that space. These spaces typically work via monthly subscriptions, but many will allow you to rent an office for a day depending on their availability. This could be beneficial if you only want to work in person on occasion for a specific reason or if you just want to get out of the house for a day or two.

Now, you may be thinking, “is there a coworking space near me,” “what is the cost of office space near me,” or “is there even shared office space near me?” But don’t worry—these spaces have become increasingly common, especially in larger cities, and they are significantly more affordable than typical office spaces. If you are in or near a major metropolitan area, there should be a multitude of options when it comes to flexible office space. Consider looking at the options available to you if a coworking space sounds like something that would benefit you and/or business.

Why Remote Working Will Die

Ultimately, remote working will die. This isn’t because remote working is bad or inherently flawed, but rather because employers will refuse to allow it as pandemic protocols wane. Businesses have a variety of reasons as to why they prefer working in person, and these reasons vary from company to company. Yahoo for example ended its remote work policy in 2013 due to what they saw as a decrease in collaboration and innovation. However, issues like these can be worked through. Working from home is challenging, but companies like Filo have worked to minimize those challenges. Communication, collaboration, innovation, and a sense of community can all be achieved with a virtual workplace like Filo. This enables businesses to reap the benefits of work from home without the negatives associated with it. However, software cannot solve all issues with remote work. 

Another mark against the future of remote working is that lots of jobs require the worker to be in person. You can’t build a skyscraper or repair an AC unit from your home office. While it’s easy to overlook these jobs, they are essential to our society. Until technology advances so those jobs are automated or able to be done remotely, they will have to continue in person, even during a pandemic. Here is a small list of jobs that cannot be done remotely:

  • Sanitation services
  • Emergency services
  • Maintenance/repair 
  • Agriculture
  • Construction
  • Retail service
  • Transportation
  • Manufacturing

Despite all this, remote working is still thriving at the moment. Even though many businesses will end remote working as soon as possible, many will stick to it and work through any issues they have. But the majority will stick to the status quo of in-person working, which is why remote working will die. However, a better outcome might be for employers and their employees to compromise with hybrid setups.