This week, everyone has been talking about #YorkshireDay

Once upon a time, meeting rooms for hire were often pretty uninspiring places. Many consisted of little more that four walls, a table and a couple of chairs. Any art or decor was expected to be generic, and they weren’t really considered to be the type of place where you’d take a client you wanted to impress.

On 22 and 23 July 2016, athletics stars from around the world will meet at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for one of the world’s biggest athletics events – the iconic IAAF Diamond League.

None of us has a crystal ball when it comes to our business. Though it’s certainly possible to make predictions and set goals based on sales data and market predictions… these often come down to little more than educated guesses.

The way we work has changed dramatically over the past decade. The standard office-based nine to five is no longer quite so standard. In fact, in 2014 a government study revealed that 4.9 million people in the UK work from home. This accounts for 13.9% of the total workforce. 

These record figures are due to a number of factors. Changes in technology, business aims, societal expectations and career paths have meant that:

• It’s increasingly common for employees to work remotely at least some of the time

• More and more professionals are choosing to work freelance

• Self-employment and micro business is booming

Working from home can be fantastic, for some. Others find it difficult to adjust to, especially if they’re used to the social aspects of working in an office.

In the past, freelancers, remote workers and micro business owners were often limited in their workspace options by finances. Taking on an office of their own was a financial investment many weren’t ready for and they were often stuck in the home office until their enterprise became significantly bigger.

The good news is that this is no longer the case. The growth of co-working has created a very real alternative to home working, and many have found it’s revolutionised their working lives. And why wouldn’t it? Co-working offers all the freedom and flexibility of working independently with all the benefits of working in an office.

If you’re thinking about taking your business out of the house and into a co-working space, consider the many advantages of coworking.

Here are some of the reasons co-working might be the right choice for you:

With the sun shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky, there is nothing quite like a hot summer’s day to boost happiness and make us feel on top of the world.

Whilst we all love the hot weather, we have to admit when we’re huddled in an office or meeting space all day, hot weather can be energy-zapping and draining. Fortunately, there are certain steps we can take to eradicate the counter-productivity of working when it’s hot outside, prepare business meeting rooms for the hot weather, and to keep meetings productive.

Here are our top tips on staying productive in meetings during hot weather...

The virtual office is on the rise. More and more small business owners and freelancers are opting to invest in a virtual office space rather than a ‘real’ one.

The reason for this is simple: many micro business owners, especially solopreneurs, have almost everything they need in their home-based office. Choosing virtual office provision can give them the extras they require without having to forgo what they see as the financial and personal benefits of working from home.

If you’re thinking of choosing a virtual office, here’s everything you need to know on the advantages of a virtual office.

(1) Virtual offices aren’t all created equal

The first thing you need to know about virtual offices is that they’re not all the same! Different providers will offer a very different level of service, so it’s important to be clear right from the beginning what you and your business needs.

(2) A virtual office can make you look more professional

Home-based businesses often reach the stage where they want the professionalism of a corporate office but aren’t quite ready to make the necessary investment.

A virtual office gives you the right to use a dedicated business virtual address and use the services of secretaries and PAs. This means your business can appear bigger and more professional, all without moving from your present set up.

(3) A virtual office helps keep on top of communication

Answering the phone, dealing with emails and handling post can all be time-consuming. This is especially true if you don’t have a member of staff that it makes sense to delegate these tasks to.

The team behind your virtual office would be able to manage all these communication channels on your behalf, making it much easier for you to focus your time on important work.

(4) A virtual office space offer ‘real’ space when you need it

Working from home can be great… until it’s the school holidays, you’re having building work done or you have an important meeting.

When you choose a virtual office, look for one that offers ad hoc work space when you need it. It can be invaluable to have a backup workspace and to have a professional base to meet clients.

(5) A virtual office will give you greater privacy

Many business owners don’t feel comfortable using their home address on business documents such as business cards, invoices or contracts.

A virtual business address would enable you to keep your home address private… and would mean clients get a very different picture when they look you up on Google Street View!

(6) A virtual office comes with SEO benefits

If you work from home, you probably don’t want to take advantage of services such as Google Local or Yell that allow you to ‘plot’ your business on the map. Missing out on these, however, can mean that it’s more difficult for customers to find you through search engines.

A virtual address can allow you to make use of these services and improve your SEO without having to compromise perceived professionalism or privacy.

(7) A virtual office can help get you started in a new location

Virtual offices aren’t just for small businesses! We know many larger businesses who make use of services like ours to create a base in a new area.

Having a local office, even if it’s a virtual one, can help you to reach out to a whole new geographical group of customers.

Could a virtual office be right for you? Take a look at our Leeds virtual offices packages and pricing options.

Freelancers, the unsung heroes of Britain’s business landscape and economy, are to be celebrated and recognised next week as part of National Freelancers Day.