StartupTalky

Tag: productivity

  • How Does a Preventive Maintenance Software Help Your Company?

    While many organizations consider their maintenance department to be a cost centre, implementing a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) with preventive maintenance functionality allows for disciplined planning and scheduling practices. In time, this move can shift the maintenance department from a cost centre to a profit centre. If you want your equipments to function properly till the end, you need to maintain them and take care of them.

    To avoid any equipment from malfunctioning and to predict the future timing of maintenance work, businesses have started installing preventive maintenance or predictive maintenance software. Not only does this bolster a conducive working environment, but it also lessens the workload on the staff. This being said, preventive maintenance software helps in improving productivity, facilitates growth in revenue, and moreover, plays a key role in the trimming of budget expenses.

    GIn this article, we will talk about how Preventive Maintenance Software helps in improving the company’s efficiency. So, let’s get started.

    Proper Management of Work Orders
    Creating Detailed and Digestible Reports
    Scheduling Routine Maintenance Work
    Monitoring Inventory and Asset Management
    Compliance With Safety and Regulatory Standards
    Improvement in Productivity
    Popular Preventive Maintenance Software Systems

    Proper Management of Work Orders

    Various tools present in any industry-grade preventive maintenance software help the facility managers in scheduling the order of maintenance work of assets, and as a result, help them record and track the completion of various tasks quickly.

    Furthermore, this software setup helps the heads of a company to keep track of the history of maintenance activities along with helping them in assigning tasks to respective employees. They also provide templates for work orders so that the designers and engineers can curate work orders to efficiently communicate information about tasks to other workers.

    Eventually, this upgrade in the workflow breeds improved communication and efficient internal management of workers. Nowadays, almost any preventive maintenance software provides role or tittle-based authorization, because of which only authorized personnel can mark a task as complete.

    Creating Detailed and Digestible Reports

    Businesses require reports of maintenance activities, which provide them with knowledge of the timing of these activities, how well they have been executed, and their corresponding completion time. Preventive maintenance comes forth with various styles in which a user can create detailed reports that are digestible and easily understandable. This will help in boosting productivity and the impact of preventive maintenance work being carried out to avoid any failure or breakdown.

    Concerned managers can also input some key details in it, such as warranty details and information related to purchase. This particular feature of preventive maintenance software enables companies to assess the maintenance of equipment against its warranty. If a piece of equipment is under warranty period, the engineers and maintenance staff are notified right away. This is pivotal in the proper tackling of real-time maintenance procedures.

    Scheduling Routine Maintenance Work

    Equipment and machinery often come with information about periodic intervals after which they are required to be serviced. This is to be done on a routine basis and includes indispensable tasks like the replacement of parts, repair work, inspections, oiling, and more.

    By keeping track of all these activities, a preventive maintenance system brings transparency to the maintenance workflow. This ensures that all the above tasks are executed within the given timeline in order to keep the equipment or assets well maintained and at par with industry standards.

    The users can also input commands in preventive maintenance software to automatically schedule maintenance at marked intervals. The maintenance software is also designed to rank maintenance schedules as per an arbitrary or predefined priority or protocol for maintenance. This reduces the possibility of human error and boosts consistency.

    Monitoring Inventory and Asset Management

    Inventory is often maintained just above the minimum required level in order to keep costs at the lowest. The new-age preventive maintenance system provides you with data and analysis of the current condition of machinery and its maintenance cycle. Such updates tell the managers about how often the consumables and other inputs are being used. Eventually, this saves the business from unexpected wastage of stocks and proper management.

    Various maintenance software offer features that involve continuous monitoring of asset performance – a utility that allows the user to treat them via the apt methodology. Another useful feature that such software provides is tracking the rate of depreciation of individual assets, which can be complex if quantified manually.

    Compliance With Safety and Regulatory Standards

    Preventive maintenance software not only helps you with asset management but also in complying with safety standards and regulations, thereby keeping your facility safe for your employees to work in. It does this by keeping track of the location of all the heavy and sensitive equipment to ensure a safe layout of your facility and thus, reducing the chances of damages or accidents.

    Also, it records the maintenance of such apparatus equipment for auditing so that if any equipment or machine fails, you will not have to go through a large pile of files to get proof of regular maintenance records. It is also beneficial for the employees, as it constantly tracks health and safety-related data. Furthermore, it reduces the amount of paperwork required for all daily conducted activities.

    Different companies use different preventive maintenance software, some of the most popular ones that are used and help in keeping the infrastructure up to date are:

    • Limble CMMS
    • MaintainX
    • Upkeep
    • Asset Panda
    • Mapcon
    • Fiix
    • eMaint

    Conclusion

    The features and tools offered by the preventive maintenance system enable the companies to be able to compete well against other players in the industry by assisting them in keeping their infrastructure up to date and well maintained. Preventive maintenance software help businesses to minimize mechanical failures or downtime, enhance efficiency, and improve the lifespan of the equipment. With these software programs, one is able to understand situational needs and can identify the crucial assets that are key in the daily working of the business.

    FAQs

    What is Preventive Maintenance Software?

    Preventive maintenance software is software that deals with productivity but also help maintain it in the future through its predictive ability to forecast future maintenance needs.

    What are the top Preventive Maintenance Software?

    • Limble CMMS
    • MaintainX
    • Upkeep
    • Asset Panda
    • Mapcon
    • Fiix
    • eMaint

    What are the 4 types of Preventive Maintenance?

    • Periodic Maintenance
    • Meter-Based Maintenance
    • Predictive Maintenance
    • Prescriptive Maintenance

  • 11 Simple Tweaks to Become a More Productive Programmer

    As a programmer, this probably sounds familiar. You have a full day’s work ahead of you, bugs to fix, or worse, a client deadline coming up, but somehow, you just can’t get the job done. You walk away from your computer far too many times or sit there staring at it, doing anything and everything apart from the task at hand.

    There are many names for it – procrastination, distraction, or burnout, but most businesses worldwide just call it decreased productivity. Productivity is really important regardless of whatever work you are assigned or have to do.

    Why is productivity important if you are a programmer?

    Productivity is something that most brands and businesses now focus on greatly. It doesn’t matter whether you are a programmer, a writer, a graphic designer or hold other key leadership designations in a company like CEO, CTO, CRO, etc., you need to be productive at the day’s end. So, if you are a programmer, here’s why you need to be productive:

    • To boost your engagement
    • Multiply your revenues
    • Learn more
    • Fight the increasing competition
    • Give something to the company/employer
    • Boost credibility
    • Improve reputation
    • Meet deadlines
    • See more work or more clients  

    Best Hacks to Improve Productivity as a Programmer  

    If you’re spending your day looking and feeling busy but with nothing to show at the end, here are some simple tweaks that may help boost your productivity:

    1. Get Enough Rest

    Sounds counterproductive, doesn’t it? And top of our list too? A programmer’s life entails sitting at your desk for long hours, logical thinking, and a tremendous amount of concentration. Some developers put in 12 plus hours of work regularly, leaving them exhausted, and ultimately, burned out. In fact, losing just two hours of sleep is similar to becoming intoxicated. So, how are you supposed to produce high-quality code under such circumstances?

    If you find your productivity and enthusiasm for the job reducing by the day, it may be time to unplug and get a goodnight’s sleep. Proper rest helps boost mental health, and a sharp brain will remember tasks (written or otherwise) and work more efficiently. Thus, helping yourself with enough rest shall certainly mean helping yourself boost productivity. Work time burnouts can be severely painful, and proper rest is one of the main things that professionals need to focus on to avoid burnout at work.

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    2. Minimize Distractions

    Did you know it takes 10-15 minutes for a software developer to regain focus every time they are interrupted? If you get disrupted every hour or so, guess how much time you’re losing? Close to two hours for a typical workday.

    Schedule specific times to check and respond to your email, turn off notifications on your computer and mobile devices, and minimize the number of open tabs in your browser. It will help limit the temptation to take a sneak peek at your social media pages.

    You may have difficulties staying uninterrupted in an office setting, and you certainly shouldn’t be rude to your colleagues. There are polite ways of letting others know you don’t want distractions like:

    • Setting the “don’t disturb” status on the company chat
    • Wearing headphones
    • Letting your colleague know in advance that you need to concentrate on a task.

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    3. Identify Your Most Productive Hours

    And guard them jealously. Plan your work so that you tackle the most intensive tasks when you’re most productive. You can then distribute the easier or smaller tasks for the rest of the day. This is especially important for freelance developers or anyone working from home and having their loved ones around.

    Of course, this may prove challenging if your work requires you to match other employees’ working hours or have a 9 to 5 job, sorry night people. But try to optimize your productivity within the contract-approved hours.

    There are several different ways to find your most productive hours, such as by following your ultradian rhythm.

    4. Master Your Tools

    Developers use different tools depending on their area of focus. Take the time to find out what’s available within these tools to help you work more efficiently and reduce manual tasks. Command-line is a fine example that many beginners avoid getting deeper into, possibly because of its wordy documentation or obscure syntax. In doing so, they miss out on a host of useful tools that could make their everyday tasks easier. Though no code development platforms are something that is disrupting the digital industry, mastering the coding tools is something you need to do if your work depends on coding.  

    While we’re on the subject, take time to read books and tech stories as these offer a deeper understanding of programming language, the industry practices, and can help improve the quality of your code.

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    5. Automate Stuff

    ways to be productive programmer
    Automation is the key

    Handling menial tasks in development can frustrate and slow down productivity but you change things by automating repetitive, boring, and time-costly tasks. It will free up time for more important tasks.

    Writing automation scripts may feel daunting at first, but if you keep at it, you’ll come up with fine solutions that will be worth your while and time. You can also automate tasks for your colleagues to help make their work easier and less dependent on you.

    6. Learn a New Skill

    It’s easy to get into the monotony of work. You use the same technologies every day and handle similar tasks. It’s easy to become complacent and lose your edge, which might affect your career in the future.

    Find a side project that you can work on. Even if it means carving out some time in the evenings, early mornings, or on weekends. A new project will re-energize you and flame your passion for coding, and there’s no telling what new opportunities it can open up.

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    7. Write it Down

    Note down points and important details
    Ways to become a productive programmer

    Our brains are pretty smart, but we can’t always rely on them to remember everything, especially when it comes to coding. Transferring ideas from your mind to sticky notes to notepads, Google Sheets, or whiteboards can be useful for current or future projects.

    Make a habit of jotting down (in an organized way) possible solutions for projects as they come to mind. You can develop these possibilities directly as codes in your notes and transfer them to the project code the minute you’re sure that they are plausible.

    While you’re at it, write down the dates and times for important meetings and deadlines to help keep things in perspective.

    8. Plan Things Before Writing Code

    Planning is always important and is a much-needed step to proceed with before execution. So, even if you are writing codes, then planning definitely is central to your work and the project that you are handling. A planned work has the distinction of being proceeded with ease and in an efficient manner. Besides, planning also removes any chances of working unnecessarily or doing extra work.

    9. Refactor Code and Write Code Documentation

    Refactoring code might have been tagged as non-productive work by many programmers, who think that it doesn’t add any new feature or functionality to the project. However, it is important to know that refactoring will help you easily read the methods and make the code maintainable. Therefore, refactoring is a useful method that saves everyone’s time, including the engineer maintaining the code. Code documentation is another key habit that helps programmers improve their productivity.  

    10. Keep Yourself Away from Social Media

    Social media is the biggest distraction of today’s generation. According to recent statistics, internet users spend 2 hours 25 minutes on social media on an average per day. This makes a colossal amount of time wasted per week, which is certainly detrimental to work including programming jobs.

    11. Switch Off Your Multitasking Self and Focus

    Though multitasking is the demand of the age, and that is what the companies are now wanting their employees to be, such a thing definitely takes a toll on the quality and thereby, on the overall productivity. So, if you are a programmer and you are multitasking, then stop there because multitasking can severely affect brain health, and would certainly lead to the loss of your productivity. Multitasking, however, has many benefits too. So, here’s exploring the pros and cons of multitasking.

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    A Quick Recap to Become a Productive Programmer

    Most of the tips we’ve shared here are easy to do and can be implemented immediately. You may not reap the benefits immediately, but you will see improved productivity over time. These seven simple tweaks can help you become a more productive programmer:

    • Getting enough rest
    • Minimizing distractions
    • Identifying your most productive hours
    • Mastering your tools
    • Automating tasks
    • Learning a new skill
    • Writing it down
    • Effective planning
    • Refactor code and write code documentation
    • Keeping away from social media
    • Switching off multitasking

    Stay productive, not complacent!

    FAQs

    What is programming?

    Programming is the task of writing codes/programs for the understanding of the computer, so that the machine, in return, works towards the programmers’ goals.

    What does a programmer do?

    A programmer is a person who writes computer codes/programs that helps the computer software and applications to function properly and aim to achieve certain goals.

    Why is productivity essential in programming?  

    Productivity is certainly essential in programming. Productivity is one such thing that is crucial for any other work from any of the existing industries. It helps both the company and the employee grow in return.

    How can you become a productive programmer?

    Being a productive programmer is what most programmers wish for. However, it is true that programmers can also be productive. Here are some easy hacks that will help the programmers to be productive:

    • Minimizing multitasking
    • Removing distractions
    • Taking adequate rest
    • Automating stuff
    • Mastering the tools
    • Identifying the most productive hours
    • Learning a new skill
    • Writing everything down
    • Planning effectively
    • Refactoring and writing code documentation
    • Reducing social media interaction

  • 7 Best Modern Office Design Trends in 2022

    Designing office space is not an easy task. Today the modern workplace is constantly evolving and it is not just about providing the right tools and technology but has become more focused on the employees as well. Old office designs that did not necessarily encourage creativity and did not allow employees to be comfortable are now frowned upon. Companies are becoming increasingly complex in terms of their functions and operations. Modern office design trends are slowly taking over, and keeping employees happy, energized, and more productive.

    With the fast development of technology and the need for wellness-based design. The most important thing about any workplace is office space. A  typical modern workplace is designed with open floor layouts and a casual dress code. In this article, we will talk about what is modern office design and the current modern office designs that are in trend and are becoming favourites. So let’s take a look at them.

    What Is Modern Office Design?
    Flexible Office Spaces
    Natural Light
    Collaborative Furniture
    Sustainable Office Design
    Hanging Horticulture
    Integration of Technology
    Design the Boardroom

    What Is Modern Office Design?

    Modern office design means the structure of a workplace according to the needs of current times and practices. A worker spends almost half of the day in their office. To make it interesting and worthwhile, offices need to look cool and must feel a little homier and not like a jail. This way, the employees will feel comfortable and will be more productive.

    Flexible Office Spaces

    The dynamic spaces trend began to expand by introducing people to the idea of multi-functional workspaces. The distinguishing feature of flexible office space is that it is nonrestrictive. Flexible office spaces allow employees to work in different areas of the office instead of being stuck at their desks or cubicles all day long. These spaces included indoor-outdoor access via garage doors, movable green dividers, television and video equipment, and step-style seating, to name a few.

    Flexible spaces incorporate an entirely new generation of moveable, multi-functional, lightweight, and ergonomic elements designed to fit any space and purpose. This trend is well on its way to becoming the new normal as work environments continue to shift towards more human-centric, collaborative, and active spaces with innovation.

    Natural Light

    We are attracted to nature and natural light. Although it is not extremely necessary or a new office trend, its importance has grown and become almost necessary. Natural light is crucial for our well-being and can make us feel happier and blissful. Evidence shows that happier employees are more energetic, are better problem solvers, and have a tendency to interact better with co-workers.

    Companies must implement this natural resource to maintain optimum productivity, efficiency, and sustainability and make their corporate world nice. Natural light can also improve short-term memory and concentration which is very crucial in a worker’s performance. Natural light helps to become happier and better workers which will boost productivity and overall create a healthy environment.

    Collaborative Furniture

    Teamwork, understanding, compromise, and collaboration are all involved in the workspace, giving team members the tools required to grow further. Agility and flexibility in the workspace are crucial to the ongoing success of an organization. The organization has the flexibility and agility to recognize when change is required and to put that change into action. All begins with collaboration and the ability to discuss, debate, and work together on a solution. Collaborative office furniture provides the facility for achieving this level of communication.

    The modern working environment is governed by several constraints. All parts of the office, especially furniture need to be justified and budgeted. By providing modern, collaborative workplace furniture, business owners are providing workers with a ready-to-use conference area, as well as areas for quick functions.  All successful businesses are growing. This means evolving needs that must be met and expanding workplace infrastructure.

    Sustainable Office Design

    Sustainable design is a new trend, which almost everyone agrees is a good thing. The main goal of this trend is to establish harmony between nature and your daily routine. A well-designed sustainable office can grow with the business and avoid unnecessary and expensive changes that lead to additional waste. Sustainable design is the integration of recycled, sustainably sourced, and green building materials into space.

    Sustainable design best practices not only focus on saving energy and natural resources but also on increasing the well-being of those who work in the spaces adding to their comfort, enhancing their experience, boosting their productivity, and improving the quality of their lives while reducing demand on the environment.

    Here are a few other benefits of a sustainable office:

    • Improved productivity
    • Improved health of the employees
    • Improved job satisfaction
    • Reduced employee turnover ratio

    Hanging Horticulture

    Interior plants offer businesses a simultaneously natural and beautiful addition to their interior while benefiting the overall well-being of employees. Plants are becoming more popular in offices than ever before. Today living green walls and moss walls have become a principle of wellbeing and branding. Numerous scientific studies have proven the positives of having more greenery in your workspace. The benefits of bringing plants into workspaces are well documented. Plants not only bring varying rich shades of green to the workplace, but they also offer the visually-meditative experience that, ultimately, leads to happier and healthier employees that are more productive and balanced.

    The advantages of having green plants in offices are :

    • Help to reduce stress.
    • Help to increase productivity.
    • Help to reduce sickness and absence rates.
    • Make workspaces more attractive to job applicants.
    • Clean the air.
    • Help to reduce noise levels.
    • Boost creativity.

    Integration of Technology

    If businesses want to improve their performance they should start by integrating their various technologies. Technology plays a primary role in modern offices. Everything is now done electronically, and offices need the proper equipment to keep up with technological advancements. With an integrated system, it is easier for people in the company to access relevant data. Technology changes so rapidly that there always seems to be some new technology for business.

    • The biggest benefit of technology integration is the ability to increase the business’s efficiency and productivity.
    • Technology in the workplace is speeding up effects and virtually everyone would agree with that.
    • Technology encourages Innovation and Creativity.
    • Achieve a high level of consistency and uniformity in services and products.
    • Technology in the workplace and efficiency have been taken to a whole new level.

    Design the Boardroom

    A meeting room can leave a strong impression on clients. It can either help them come up with fresh, creative ideas, or it can distract them. You want them to have enough elbow room, as well as space to get up and walk around. Although the boardroom’s role has decreased it still plays an important role to play. They are becoming more flexible and are designed to be multifunctional spaces. This means that the space used for a board can be split into multiple smaller spaces which can be used for other group activities.

    Conclusion

    Your office is your sacred space, it should be designed in a way that can make your employees comfortable and make them feel good. It shouldn’t feel like a jail which can make your employees feel like a prisoner, so by following the current trends to design your office, you can make it cool and a fun place to work.

    FAQs

    What is Office design?

    Office design means all the elements and components’ proper placement that the office needs for decoration and functional processes.

    The current trends to make an office modern are:

    • Flexible Office Spaces
    • Natural Light
    • Collaborative Furniture
    • Sustainable Office Design
    • Hanging Horticulture
    • Integration of Technology
    • Design the Boardroom

    Why do people prefer modern design in their offices?

    People prefer modern design in the office because sometimes traditional design feels boring and can make people feel stressed.

  • Is It Better to Work From Home or From an Office? | Pros and Cons of Working From Home

    The secret to being as effective at home as you are at work is to maintain your focus. There may be some technical difficulties, but these can be overcome. If you prefer to work alone, working from home may be just as productive, if not more so.

    Working from home can be a disadvantage if you need to be surrounded by others and are extroverted. It is significantly more productive to work in an office. Individuals will save money because they won’t have to pay to keep warm at home and won’t be distracted by friends and relatives. It is only useful if it is convenient for persons in specific situations, such as terrible weather. So, let’s look at some pros and cons of working from that help you better decide working from is better or from the office.

    Do We Really Need an Office in Post Covid Era?
    Statistics and Facts on Work From Home vs Work From Office
    Pros of Working From Home
    Cons of Working From Home

    Do We Really Need an Office in Post Covid Era?

    Covid-19 has transformed the entire world, revamping conventional ways of working and requiring businesses to develop more flexible/technology-based strategies in order to maintain business continuity. We wonder if we’ll be able to resume our usual life now that the instances have subsided and the people have been vaccinated.

    The bulk of those who travelled did so in search of work. However, the majority of them excelled at their responsibilities even while working from home, with the thought of returning to their offices in the back of their minds. What would the situation be like now? Do you think you’ll be back in the office in the near future? Should video conferencing continue to be used in the offices?

    The answer is entirely dependent on the industry in which you work.

    Let me give you an example: You are working from home while an Amazon delivery man is delivering your package.

    They are both working, but in distinct situations and with different requirements.

    Statistics and Facts on Work From Home vs Work From Office

    While brainstorming and reading all of the information available online, a hazy image of ‘OH YES! WORK FROM HOME’ formed in my mind.

    So, there you have it!

    According to Trak.in, 54% of Indians want permanent work from home, with 34% willing to take a pay cut to avoid going to the office.

    According to the SAP Concur Study (Bangalore), 88 percent of Indian workers prefer to work from home, and 69 percent say that working from home has boosted their productivity.

    Around 94.5 percent of Indians have accepted working from home as the new normal, according to Mint.

    66 percent of Indian employees desire to work entirely from home, according to India Times.

    74 percent of Indians want to work from home, according to CRN India.

    COVID-19 is a virus that infects people. But then According to Trak.in, 77 percent of Indian employees are fed up with working from home, and 65 percent want to go back to work.

    According to DNA, 59 percent of Indian employers are opposed to ‘work from home.

    Pros of Working From Home

    Deepening and Strengthening Relationships

    We’ve all been so preoccupied with living the “life” that we’ve forgotten about the true, genuine moments we spend with our loved ones. The pandemic crisis has now had a good impact on how you express yourself and maintain relationships.
    You may spend more time with your family and arrange your job letter. This genuinely aids in the development of a better future for both your work and your family.

    Inclusivity Has Improved

    Hiring people from various socio-economic, regional, and cultural backgrounds and perspectives can help businesses embrace diversity and inclusion. This is tough to achieve when recruiting is limited to a particular place. Things not everybody desires can afford to live close by.

    Impact on Long-Term Sustainability

    From economic growth and reduced disparities to sustainable cities, climate change, and responsible consumerism, remote employment supports a range of sustainability projects.

    Productivity and Performance Have Improved

    Working from home typically means fewer interruptions, fewer office politics, a lower level of noise, and fewer (or more efficient) meetings. When you include the lack of a commute, remote workers often have more time and fewer distractions, resulting in higher productivity—a big benefit of working from home for both employees and businesses.

    Biggest Struggles People Face While Working Remotely
    Biggest Struggles People Face While Working Remotely

    Cons of Working From Home

    Lack of Community and Collaboration

    Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, said

    “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual.”

    As a result, it is clear that man cannot live or operate efficiently and successfully on his own. While some employees may be enthusiastic about the prospect of working alone, away from the distractions of the office, others may find it challenging to work long hours and cooperate with only a computer screen and no face-to-face connection with coworkers.

    Motivational Deficit

    Working in an office with coworkers who share a shared objective and purpose, or getting a pep talk from a boss, can both be excellent sources of external inspiration. Working from home, on the other hand, does not provide that kind of setting. Lack of motivation can make life tough for employees and have a negative impact on their productivity.

    Performance That Isn’t Being Tracked and Frequent Breaks

    Working alone can be a difficult task. Employees in this position are expected to keep track of their own work performance. Self-regulation is a difficult task, and employees’ judgement is required. When breaks and work go unmonitored, employees may tend to slack off and take frequent breaks, resulting in more break time and less work time. In contrast, at work, one is constantly reminded to stay on track and operate efficiently and successfully, which is not always achievable with remote employment.

    Security Issues and a Lack of Office Equipment

    Working from their own home office, which is peaceful and cosy, has been a welcome adjustment for remote employees who formerly worked in a congested office environment. But, like with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to having a home office. Setting up a home office with a high-end laptop, high-speed internet, and other equipment, such as printers, may be quite expensive, which is not practical for everyone.

    Productivity Is at Risk

    Working from home, it is said, leads to higher productivity. Working remotely, on the other hand, can make one feel alone and unmotivated to produce results. As a result, all of the aforementioned disadvantages might lead to a decrease in productivity when working from home.

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    Conclusion

    With evil comes the good, and these are some of the predictions that I believe will hold true. After the covid age, I believe we “ALL” don’t actually need offices. Countries all across the world are still combating the virus, and we will undoubtedly triumph.

    We’re a survivor race, and we’re going to win this as well. I agree that the fight is difficult and long. But let us look ahead and focus on the brighter side, because this is all we have during these trying times.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, and please share the trends you believe will develop to usher in this new world.

    Maintain a social connection while maintaining a physical distance. Please take care to keep yourself safe.

    FAQs

    Is working from home better or working from the office better?

    Working from home has its own advantages, as the commute time is reduced, employees have better flexibility but it is very easy to get distracted while working from home.

    Why is it better to work in the office than at home?

    Easier to build relationships, stress is reduced, better work-life balance is some of the advantages of working from the office.

  • 9 Ways to Make Tough Decisions Faster in Your Startup

    Being an entrepreneur and beginning with your dream startup may seem like a cool idea and in reality, it is an amazing idea. However, it also comes up with lots of responsibility. Among all those, there is also the responsibility of taking all the decisions alone. Whatever you ma

    While in a startup we always need to make tough decisions. It can be hiring a team member or choosing the right marketing strategy. The decision is a termination of the thought process of a problem that exists in order to overcome a problem by selecting alternatives. Decisions made must refer to the existing problems and a reality surrounding them that allows the problem to quickly get resolved.

    Decisions can be made by groups within a team or individually crafted. Decision-making by a team usually takes a long time for each team member to express an opinion regarding the alternatives to their problems. If you are working in a startup, decision-making requires an analysis of the results of the thoughts or opinions of all team members for a better outcome.

    To make a decision, we need to know what problems we are facing and what alternatives we have. Thinking about it, we will gain a lot of thought and alternatives to it. In this article, we will talk about some tips that can help you to make a tough decision in your startup. So, let’s get started.

    Analyse the Situation
    Reevaluate Your Decision
    Ask for Advice
    Take Feedback From Your Team Members
    Logical Thinking
    Purpose of the Decision
    Avoid Being Subjective
    Have a Backup Plan Ready

    Analyse the Situation

    The first tip in making a difficult decision is to make a list of what is causing the obstacle. Gather all the information about the problem and what impact will it have on the company. This list will make you focus on thinking about alternatives that can be taken to overcome the hurdle. This way, making decisions regarding any situation related to your startup becomes easier.

    Reevaluate Your Decision

    Consider what a barrier for us in the process of making decisions that will be taken in order to resolve the problem, we must be careful and think logically about this. Reevaluate your decision, check the whole situation from to bottom again, analyse different perspectives and think about what can be the outcome of your decision. It is better to recheck it again and again instead of crying over a bad decision.

    Ask for Advice

    It is highly recommended to take advice from someone who is an expert in this field. Don’t shy away from asking for a piece of advice. Ask for advice from friends, family or your seniors who belong to this industry, who already know the problems that you have and have faced the same. Being seniors, they will be able to make you see the bigger picture which will be a benefit for you.

    Take Feedback From Your Team Members

    Feedback from team members and employees is necessary because it can help you in improving your performance and also decreases the chances of errors that can happen. Now, while making a decision taking feedback from them helps you as they are working for the company as much as you are.  If you do not agree with them, give them time to explain why they think so and if you agree, you can immediately think of a suitable alternative for your problem.

    Logical Thinking

    While making the tough decision, use logic and common sense. You should not use emotions, it affect your productivity and thinking. With clear thinking, you can find a wide range of alternatives in accordance with the problems you face. Too much of emotions can be a hinder and may make you confused about the whole situation. Logical thinking also includes in the situation of hiring and firing.

    Purpose of the Decision

    Before making the decision, find the purpose. Realise why you are making the decision and what will be its outcome. In the process of making tough decisions don’t try to fasten the process. Take time and find out what can be the outcome, if the said decision is taken and if making that decision will help you in achieving the desired results.

    Avoid Being Subjective

    You as the team leader must not be subjective in the decision-making process. Choose the alternative which you think is right and logical. Do not choose an alternative from the person you love or from the person you fear. Be open to other choices and choose the one that can benefit you and your business.

    Have a Backup Plan Ready

    Make a backup plan, and consider all the alternative decisions that you have thought of before regarding the said issue. By any chance, if your first plan fails and doesn’t work properly and there are difficulties in the implementation of that plan, so you can have another option. It’s just a precaution, if your plan doesn’t go well, then you can turn to the next better option so that your problem can be resolved as soon as possible.

    Conclusion

    It is never easy to make decision especially when you have just begun with your startup, one needs to be very careful before taking any step. Analysing the situation, consulting with a senior or taking feedbacks from your team, through these you can take a tough decision quickly which will benifit you and your business.

  • Best Tools for Freelancers to Boost Productivity

    Freelancers need to adapt to a world that is constantly evolving. Nowadays, a lot of remote workers consistently try to find the very best of tools for quick completion of tasks. Ranging from security applications to encrypted instant messaging platforms, freelancers are always on the prowl to combine effective administration with the satisfaction of clients.

    A mistake new remote employees make is thinking talent is the only thing that can propel them forward. The best remote workers have great mental health, optimize productivity by having an array of tools, constantly keep learning, and are great at managing finance and lessening expenses.

    Best Freelancing Tools

    1. Oak Meditation

    Oak Meditation is an application used by some freelancers to effectively lessen stress. There are periods in a freelancer’s life when the workload becomes so much that sleeping hours get shortened. To get through these periods, you need to reduce pressure and anxiety. A relaxed mind, of course, produces much better results for clients.

    Oak Meditation can aid a freelancer in enhancing his/her mental health. This way, you can be more focused and productive during the day (or night) by pausing all of your activities. The application even contains a breathing and exercise feature to diversify your activity during the day.

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    2. Virtual Private Network

    A Virtual Private Network is a security tool that encodes the online traffic flowing in and out of your device. Basically, the functions of VPNs include data encryption, which is effective in keeping your online traffic private and your information protected.

    As a freelancer, you might feel the need to leave your home to work in public areas. However, public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured, making it vulnerable to various attacks as hackers can easily spy on the network. A VPN protects you from this by ensuring that your information flows through a secure and private tunnel.

    3. OpenOffice

    As a freelancer, you might need to do a bit of writing. OpenOffice is a free tool that allows you to write and save documents on your PC or external hard drive. It also comes with an array of tools comparable to that of Microsoft Office.

    OpenOffice contains a unique feature that can be beneficial to freelance writers. The feature eases the conversion of a file to PDF, making OpenOffice a great platform for eBook, pamphlet, and guide writers.

    4. Dropbox

    Dropbox is a tool that allows users to synchronize the entirety of their files on the cloud through drag-and-drop. Sometimes, when working as a freelancer, you might need to share files with your client. If the website usually has downtimes, this could ruin the perfect experience you strived to create for your client.

    Dropbox puts an end to these worries with the consistent management of its service. You can place all of your work files on Dropbox to have them all in the cloud in case you lose your computer. What’s better, all of your files would be accessible from any device once you login to your account.

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    5. Tweriod

    When you post content on Twitter, you might observe that at certain periods, you get more likes, mentions, and retweets. This shows that to effectively maximize reach to potential clients, you need to post engaging content at the very best of times during the day.

    Tweriod is an analytics tool that shows you the periods your Twitter followers come online the most. If you can catch your followers at a great time, you can get them to retweet your post.

    If you’re usually too busy and may forget to go online on Twitter during peak periods, the next tool on this list is for you.

    6. BufferApp

    BufferApp is a tool that allows you to schedule your tweets. This way, while you’re working jobs for clients, tweets can be automatically sent out during the periods of the day your followers are online the most, improving your engagement.

    With the application, you can schedule a tweet from the start of your day and tailor the schedule to very specific times. You can also use BufferApp with your Facebook account to schedule posts.

    7. Audible

    Learning is one of the skills a freelancer needs to acquire. Evolution is a part of human nature and is very necessary, even for freelancers. Audible helps you learn by improving your interest in reading books.

    The service allows you to listen to books through audio. With books, you can constantly improve yourself, ensuring you take advantage of the many opportunities around you.

    If you’re not so keen on reading fine print but still feel like consuming books, you can use Audible.

    Conclusion

    A remote worker that is averse to the numerous changes in the freelance industry could find his/her job invitations dwindling over time. The major way freelancers remain productive while also handling several tasks from clients is through an arsenal of tools.

    If you’re a freelancer, you can use tools like BufferApp, Oak Meditation, Dropbox, OpenOffice, and Audible to improve mental health, productivity, and knowledge.

  • 5 Great Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office

    Whether you are someone who does the entirety of the job from home or you just need somewhere in your house where you can catch up on work when you need to, having a home office is an invaluable tool. Setting aside a dedicated space in your home for you to work in is both a powerful psychological trick for enhancing your productivity as well as a worthwhile practical undertaking for using the space in your home more efficiently.

    Instead of letting your work spill out over the entire household, you can keep it all contained within a single space. More importantly, you can keep everything you need for your work organised and together. When you design it right, your home or office can be an invaluable partner in productivity. Below are some top tips for upgrading your home office.

    5 Great Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office

    1. Set It Up For Productivity

    If you want to be as productive as possible when using your home office, then you need to design its layout with productivity in mind. First and foremost, you should choose a location for your home office where you can be sure that you won’t be disturbed for most of the day. You want to minimize the number of distractions around you – keeping yourself far away from the hustle and bustle of your own home will help a great deal in this respect.

    Set It Up For Productivity
    Set It Up For Productivity

    But it isn’t just the location of your office that matters. The way that you decorate it and lay out the furniture inside will have an impact on how productive you can be when you are working there. Some people advise that you stick to neutral colors, so as to avoid creating an environment that is too stimulating or sedating. However, in practice, whatever kind of environment you personally find most conducive to your productivity is fine. Some people prefer to work surrounded by color, whereas others prefer a more mundane backdrop.

    2. Get Yourself a Coffee Machine

    Anyone who has ever had to work an office or retail job will understand the importance of caffeine in creating an ideal work environment. There is evidence to show that caffeine can improve our concentration and memory, to an extent. Of course, if you overdo it with the coffee, then you are going to have a bad time. But in moderation, coffee isn’t just a tasty refreshment; it is also a genuinely useful tool for improving performance and concentration when you’re working in your home office.

    If you are a habitual coffee drinker, it is worth considering investing in a coffee machine. You can compare commercial coffee machine prices online. If purchasing one of these machines is out of the question for someone on your budget, then you can always consider renting or leasing a machine as a more cost-effective alternative.

    3. Don’t Deprive Yourself Entirely of Distractions

    Creating a productive environment means that you’ll need to keep the number of distractions present to a minimum. However, even the most dedicated workers can only focus on their work for so long before they need a break. Many people also find that it helps to take regular short breaks from their work in order to give their brain time to refresh and avoid becoming fatigued.

    If you try to spend an entire day working without taking a break to even glance at your phone or briefly check your social media, you will be setting yourself up for failure. It is much better to work out which of your preferred distractions are the least damaging to your productivity and keep these nearby.

    For example, if you find that strumming your guitar for a while clears your mind and enables you to work through any mental blockages that you are having, then, by all means, keep a guitar in your home office. On the other hand, if you are incapable of working productively when there is a games console within reach, make sure that you keep your home office free from any traces of games consoles.

    5 Great Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office
    5 Great Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office

    4. Keep It Comfortable

    When it comes to striking the right balance in terms of how comfortable you make your home office, you want to create an environment that is comfortable enough that you can happily work in it for extended periods of time without feeling the strain, but not so comfortable that you are tempted to fall asleep every time you sit down. No one can work at their best when they are physically uncomfortable. If you don’t consider this when you are designing your home office, you may well end up with a space that is unpleasant to be in for the duration of a full working day.

    Enhancing the comfort of your office is not difficult, nor does it have to be expensive. Investing in good quality furniture will certainly help. That might cost you more money upfront, but more expensive and higher quality furniture isn’t just more comfortable, it also has a significantly longer lifespan than the cheaper alternatives.

    Another important aspect of your comfort to consider is the temperature. If your home office consists of a small enclosed room, a laptop or computer that is working hard can generate a surprising amount of heat, essentially acting as a small radiator. You should consider the ventilation and airflow in your home office, and if necessary, consider getting a fan or air-conditioning unit in order to keep the temperature comfortable.

    5. Add Some Exercise Equipment

    Lots of people who regularly work from their home office find that they are more productive if they aim to take lots of small breaks throughout the day, rather than trying to power through the whole day with as few breaks as possible. If this sounds like you, then we would strongly recommend that you consider investing in some exercise equipment for your home office.

    You don’t need to go overboard and buy yourself an expensive treadmill or exercise bike, any simple piece of exercise equipment will do. The goal is to give you something to occupy your downtime that will not distract you from the work at hand. Exercise equipment is perfect for this as it can keep you completely occupied while you are using it, but will not generally tempt you away from your work when you are trying to remain productive.

    Anyone who regularly works from home can benefit from having a dedicated home office space within their home. If you already have such a space, or you are looking to create one in your home for the very first time, you should design its layout in order to maximize productivity.

    To achieve this, you need to strike the right balance between creating a space in which you can be comfortable and relaxed while working, and one that is free of distractions and discourages you from allowing your mind to wander.

    The ideal home office is one in which you feel comfortable, but eager to work in. It should also be a space that you can comfortably spend a number of hours in, potentially even an entire day. The right home office can make an enormous difference to your productivity, so it is well worth investing in creating the right kind of space.

    Upgrading Your Home Office – FAQs

    What should every home office have?

    Check out these items that every Home office should have.

    • Monitor
    • High-Speed Internet Access
    • Adequate Lighting
    • Comfy Chair
    • Printer
    • An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
    • Storage Needs

    What are the useful 5 ways to upgrade your home office.

    5 ways to upgrade your home office

    1. Set It Up For Productivity
    2. Get Yourself a Coffee Machine
    3. Don’t Deprive Yourself Entirely of Distractions
    4. Keep It Comfortable
    5. Add Some Exercise Equipment