Work from home came knocking on our doors unannounced with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inconceivable shifts in workplace practices changed almost overnight – corporate employees traded their office attire, work travel, and long daily commute with ‘carry your laptop anywhere’ work model in their leisure clothes and virtual meetings. We like the idea of managing work-life balance from the comforts of their homes. What was once a wish for many corporate employees for decades turned into reality last year.
Day-to-day video calls and virtual meetings with many employees via Zoom meetings became the new normal. Zoom was a temporary fix to a difficult situation. People look at their laptop screens all day long – to not just work but also attend many Zoom calls to discuss work. ‘Zoom Fatigue’ kicked in. Who knew the pandemic would last so long.
And don’t think for a second; we are calling these Zoom calls a failure. It almost single-headedly supported the remote working model. Our pandemic-bound life experiences would have been far different without it.
Almost one year later, what is the perception of remote working? Do people still want to couped up in their homes, isolated and looking at their screens all day long?
Sometime in the mid of last year, PwC surveyed 120 U.S. company executives and 1,200 office workers to understand their views on the future of work. Several people opted to work from home full time, and about 9 percent didn’t like working from home at all. However, many office employees preferred to work in a hybrid solution – a few days of the week working from home and having the flexibility of working alongside colleagues in an office environment when it’s needed.
Screen Fatigue is Affecting Our Health
Zoom meeting is a powerful tool. Especially during the pandemic, it proved how far teleconferencing has come. Many weren’t prepared with needed internet speeds to create stable online meetings, constant interruption from family members, barking dogs, the doorbell, and more create stress. People once wanted to strike a work-life balance. They are now struggling to find a Zoom-life balance when the lines of fixed working hours are diluted.
A recent study from Stanford highlights the impact of excessive screen time on our energy levels – both physical and mental. The paper identifies four distinct consequences before highlighting a few coping methods to counteract the risk of fatigue and stress.
(Krieger 2021) Sitting too much is being equated to the unhealthiness of smoking cigarettes. That may surprise many, but the constant fatigue and fogginess we’re experiencing is coming from how we’re doing business.
Executives Suites are a Great Solution
Under no circumstance, people wanting to work with people will take a backseat. It’s crucial to understand that while we can communicate via video calls, it’s the only way to run the business in a socially distant environment. Face to face meetings have real value, especially when your business prospect needs to establish trust. It’s easier to connect with people when you can extend a handshake, have a meal or a drink together to extend relationship building.
Lucky for us, vaccines are beginning to be distributed across the U.S. It’s opening windows to build back an optimal hybrid work environment. It can be our chance to improve workplaces, work-models, social connections, and work environment.
When you need an actual conference room and a business mailbox, you can lease Executive Suites. Whether you’re a start-up or a big brand, leasing executive suits is an intelligent business move; it can do wonders for employee productivity.
Here are five key advantages of using executive suites for your business:
1. Offers Flexibility with Low Overhead Costs
Running an office is an expensive overhead for any business. The running cost reduces significantly with an executive suite. The upfront cost of an executive suite includes most of the variables like cleaning and maintenance. Business owners don’t need to buy furniture and equipment; all of these add up to saving a lot of money while establishing a working office.
The lease agreement is usually drawn for only a year, but shorter lease terms are also available. This year, budget-cutting and allocation are on every company’s mind, and for the same reason, it’s a smart choice for them to use executive centers across different locations.
2. Many Sought-After Amenities
Mostly, all you need to carry is yourself and your laptop when you lease an executive suite.
You get access to most of the amenities you had in your traditional offices. Wi-Fi, filing cabinets, telephones, a free parking space, on-site security, conference room and equipment, fax machines and scanners, even fitness centers.
3. Image is Everything
The work models may be changing with time but what’s still constant for businesses is the need to provide a professional image in front of clients and industry peers. And it’s often difficult to showcase that from home when your toddler is seen whining for a peanut butter sandwich in the middle of an important presentation.
Many executive suites have trained receptionists to greet you and your clients. You can carry out all your important meetings and presentation while the receptionist can also help as a business concierge and other work-related assistance.
4. Enhances Productivity
Productive hours for any working professional are effectively between 6-8 hours in a day. When working from home, your working hours may be less effective. There is a lot to be said about routines. Humans are more accountable in a team situation and collaboration is much easier.
Having a quiet office just for yourself, with no disturbance, is more important than we know. An executive suite offers a quiet space to work and be productive.
5. Platform to Network
A commercial building or dedicated tenant floor can have many executive suites. It’s an opportunity for you to meet people from different companies working in other suites. It’s a great way to start networking, and it’s from these interactions, some of the great ideas and partnerships emerge. It’s also a positive way to develop your brand in an inclusive work environment. Pleasant surprises await those in search of a little adventure.
Get Your Shingle Ready
If you want to benefit from a cost-effective executive suite for your business, now will be an excellent time to start. We can help you find a suitable space for your business needs, with the opportunity to add office space as your company grows or starts a new division in a new part of town or transplant a business from a different state. Connect with us through our website or call us directly on 281-558-1111. Serving you is our priority!
Work Cited
Krieger, Lisa M. New Stanford Research: Why Zoom Meetings Can Wipe You Out. 24 Feb. 2021, www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/23/new-stanford-research-why-zoom-meetings-can-wipe-you-out/.
