Business owners really need to be in the right headspace and to have the right kind of interactions with people. This can be a big challenge. Many businesses start out ‘on the side’ of regular jobs and careers, hence the term ‘side hustle’, which can cover things as diverse as baking cupcakes, App development, creating works of art, massage, and coaching.
One problem is that our homes don’t always provide either headspace or meeting facilities. So, say you need to block out a couple of hours for serious concentration to get a task done. Accounts? Meeting deadline for a client? In your home, that can be next to impossible. If you have no dedicated space to work, you might have friends, family, and pets distracting you (how many times do you see a cat’s tail crossing in front of the monitor on ZOOM?!). If your dedicated space is a garden office – and there are hundreds of thousands of these in the UK – friends and family can still drop in or call for your immediate aid with their latest problem or social invitation. Plus, there is the lure of your couch and the fridge and its contents!
For many, having your own office or workshop is the answer. Away from home, but perhaps convenient, dedicated workspace. No distractions, and the chance to meet the people who you need to meet, on your terms. Of course, for startup and side hustle businesses, this fully owned space can be unaffordable.
That is where the increasing number of purpose-built, modern, flexible and coworking facilities comes can be indispensable. Take IslandWorks in Sheerness, for example. Brand new, but built in a former church. Beautiful, strong wifi, coffee shop, coworking space, and an events space. A chance to work in a productive space on your own or with others and without the commitment or overheads of permanent office space. What’s not to like?
By Darren Weale