WorkSnug - Connecting mobile workers to the nearest & best places to work

You know how we love infographic time at WorkSnug! And this is an interesting one. It talks about the Internet Revolution as a Generally Good Thing - and I think we’re all in agreement on that! But it highlights its inequality in America.

US broadband statistics

Did you know that…?

• 100,000,000 US households don’t have broadband access
• Fibre optic broadband is 5 times as expensive in the US as it is in Paris
• America is the world’s richest country yet ranks 12th for Internet access

Mobile computing in the US

What the infographic doesn’t cover is mobile broadband and computing. We shared results from iDG’s iPad survey, which showed the other side of the coin, namely mobile computer usage amongst business and IT professionals in the US.

The mobile computing revolution may have started, but as the infographic below demonstrates, it will likely leave some people behind.

The Digital Divide

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

There are lots of great blog posts and e-books about why coworking is beneficial for freelancers and other independent professionals, so I won’t bore you with another one. Instead, I’d like to talk a little bit about what coworking does in addition to providing mobile workers with a laptop-friendly place to network and collaborate.

Beth Buczynski (@gonecoworking) is passionate about collaborative consumption, and the way that sharing can help improve our economy. She is also the co-author of an ongoing series of ebooks about coworking and the mobile workforce. Find out more: Coworking: How Freelancers Escape the Coffee Shop Office.

Let me start off by acknowledging that coworking doesn’t work for everyone (What?!) It’s true. Traditional employees whose bosses haven’t yet warmed up to the idea of telecommuting and small businesses that need the privacy of a dedicated office often find themselves looking in at the coworking community thinking, “That would be nice, but it doesn’t matter to me.”

I’m here to tell you that no matter what your profession—local restaurant owner or city council member—it’s in your best interests to learn all you can about coworking and support its growth in your community.

Coworking Stabilises Local Families

Times are tough all over the world. People who thought they were nearing retirement find themselves preparing for another decade in the workforce. New graduates who expected to secure an entry level job find themselves fighting industry veterans for an interview. No matter how you slice it, unemployment isn’t good, for families or the community. Coworking provides a safe environment in which underemployed professionals can take the first step into the world of freelancing. It also provides a cost effective way for small businesses to move out of their garages without the high cost (and risk) of a private office space. Enabling local professionals to employ themselves rather than waiting for a traditional job, means coworking helps to create a steady income, which stabilises local families.

Coworking Supports Local Business

Nine times out of ten, a coworking space is a local business, often financed completely by the savings accounts of their owners. In turn, many coworking space members are also small businesses. This creates a symbiotic relationship in which micro-businesses help to sustain each other simply by working together in a shared space. Instead of looking to high-priced agencies for marketing or design help, coworking space members can turn to the small businesses working just a desk or two away. Depending on size, coworking spaces can also organize training workshops, sponsor speakers, host conferences, and offer classes: all of which can bring people into town and benefit the small business economy.

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

Photo credit: oschene

Coworking Builds a Diverse Local Workforce

One thing this economic recession has revealed is the problematic nature of one-skill workers. The new workforce will be built by multi-taskers: professionals who have a large pool of experience and expertise to offer potential employers. Participating in a coworking community is like enrolling in an ongoing education class for entrepreneurs. Freelancers are constantly looking for ways to build expertise in new areas, expand their skill set, or create a new product line. Coworking makes neighbors and friends out of professionals working at very different levels of their careers, enabling the effortless flow of knowledge between those looking to add new skills to their resume.

These are just a few of the reasons why everyone should be happy when a coworking space (or two) comes to town. Can you think of any others? Please share them in a comment!

Since its launch in January 2010, the iPad has become part of daily life for up to 60m users worldwide. According to a recent survey of US consumers, most of those iPads have never left the home or ventured much further than the living room. However, a new survey suggests that IT and business professionals use iPads very differently.

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

The iPad for Business Survey was carried out by IDG Connect, part of the International Data Group tech media company. The results are not only beautifully presented (you can download the white paper here) but offer a fascinating insight into the iPad as a critical device for the mobile professional.

iPad for the mobile professional

Here are 5 things we took away from the results of the iPad for Business Survey:

1. 51% of IT and business professional say they “always” use their iPad at work. Out-of-home usage is way more intense for professionals than consumers - with over 79% of IT decision-makers saying they “always” use their iPads “on the move.”
2. IT and business professionals use their iPads as dual-purpose work and leisure devices, with a strong emphasis on work functionality, and an extremely heavy emphasis on “on the move” usage. 54% say they “always” use their iPad at home; only 31% say they “always” use their iPad for entertainment; 42% for personal communication.
3. Only 29% say they “always” connect via mobile networks. This suggests that, whist on the move, the iPad has become a tool for IT professionals to consume time-shifted (e.g. downloaded or synced) content. Three-quarters of respondents say they use their iPad for reading.
4. The survey suggests that iPads are better suited to consumption, rather than generation, of content. Three-quarters of professionals say they use their iPad mostly for reading.
5. Whilst only 10% say that their iPad has “completely replaced” their laptop, more than half say that it has “partly replaced” it. The survey also suggests that the device is transforming patterns of content consumption, as iPad-owning IT and business professionals migrate away from physical media, such as books and DVDs, to digital alternatives.

How do you use your iPad?

Do you use an iPad for work? Do you use it on the move? What are its killer applications? And do you agree that the iPad is better suited for consumption rather than creation?

San Sharma (@WorkSnugSan) is community manager at WorkSnug

Photo credit: Brendan Lynch

Ever wondered what an A-Z of reasons to collaborate would look like in fridge magnets? Wonder no more! Our friends at Plantronics have done just that - and put together this infographic with 26 reasons why working together is A Good Thing.

In fact, our contact at Plantronics explained to me how the list grew, thanks to a collaboration that spanned the globe - from the UK to New Zealand, France, Belgium and Germany!

What are your collaboration stories? Are two heads better than one? Or is collaboration a bit of a headache? Let us know in the comments.

ABC of Collaboration

Here are the first three reasons to collaborate - check out the infographic for the full 26:

1. ‘A’ is for… Accessing complementary talents
2. ‘B’ is for… Building community spirit
3. ‘C’ is for Complex problems require cross-disciplinary approaches

Infographic

Why Collaborate?

San Sharma (@WorkSnug) is Community Manager at WorkSnug

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

You’ve taken the quiz. You’ve packed your bag. It’s time to make your remote working experience a success.

Cora Rodenbusch (@corasauras) is a senior communications manager at PGi (@PGiMeetTweet),a virtual meetings company, providing audio, web and video conferencing solutions to over 75% of Fortune100.

In Part II: Three Steps to Taking Your Show on the Road we shared that working outside the office requires flexibility, determination and plenty of energy and optimism to get through the day. These traits are necessary for the remote worker because when you work outside the office, your final output is often your only success measurement. Forget showing up early, staying late and looking the part, most will only know you by the quality of your work.

Understanding this freeing, albeit slightly frightening, reality will help you shift gears and focus on what really matters during your work day. And thankfully, we’re not the first to figure it out. I’ve found that those who run their own business encounter the same challenge.

As a remote worker, take note from your successful start-up friends and ensure the quality of your work remains high by aligning your efforts with company goals, building your “customer base” and keeping your stakeholders satisfied, just as if you were running your own business. 

Five Tips for a Healthy “Work-from-Anywhere” Business:

1. Keep set hours to ensure your time in the “office” remains productive. The sense of urgency you feel in the final hour will help drive productivity throughout the day.  
2. Absorb small costs to keep a long-term customer (i.e. your employer) happy.  For example, put in an extra hour or two to make a deadline, fund emergency airport internet or splurge on a long-distance call. Don’t let a small cost keep you from a big win.
3. Stay front and centre by keeping your stakeholders in the loop – they probably didn’t hear you land that big deal, so once a month write up your successes and what’s to come in your very own “customer newsletter.”
4. Look the part – not just for those on the other side of the webcam, but for you! Keep a tidy workspace and look professional.
5. Ask yourself: “Is it working?” Once you’ve lived with your new work environment, check in with your stakeholders (and yourself) to make sure expectations are being met. The fact that it’s not working isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however not doing anything about it is. You can modify your remote working experience a number of ways so don’t head back immediately if you run into a problem. 

Plug Into the Mothership

Finally, don’t forget the power of the office. In-person relationship-building and collaboration is still best, so before you start your journey, make sure you’ve accounted for a trip to headquarters at least once a quarter.

Recharge your corporate batteries, check in your laptop in with IT, stop by your team members’ desks to thank them for their help on the latest project and don’t forget to pick up your corporate pom-poms before you leave – You’ll need those in the 11th hour when looking for inspiration.

Best of luck fellow remote workers! You can follow the second half of my yearlong journey to PGi’s EMEA and APAC offices in the Cora the Digital Nomad section on Blog.PGi.com.  

Do you work outside the office? What advice would you give to a new teleworker?

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

Preparing to take my business on the road was one the most exciting and confusing times in my career. When I decided to leave my office in Austin, TX last August I had no idea what awaited me in Europe and Asia Pacific.  Regardless of my own questions, I still had to get my team on board, find a location and pack my digital tool belt. 

Cora Rodenbusch (@corasauras) is a senior communications manager at PGi (@PGiMeetTweet), a virtual meetings company, providing audio, web and video conferencing solutions to over 75% of Fortune 100.

Straight from my 6 months as a Digital Nomad, below are three steps to taking your show on the road.

Step 1: Get Your Key Stakeholders On Board.

Put yourself in your boss’s shoes and pitch accordingly. Most likely your boss is asking him/herself three questions: Can you do your job outside the office? Could you actually do it better? Will it make you a happier, more satisfied worker? 

Talk to those points, making your pitch as practical as possible. Share your story, be personal, but leave the emotions aside. And most importantly, make sure you’ve fully thought through your plan. Come with all the details such as office hours, cost ownership and accountability, but only speak to them if you feel your stakeholders are ready to hear them. 

For more support check out a recent GreenBlog.PGi.com post on Making a Case for Teleworking.

Once you have been given the green light, bust out the champagne, celebrate and calmly proceed to step 2. 

Step 2: Scout Out a Location

Whether you’re planning on working from home, the coffee shop or a remote island, make sure the internet connectivity is VoIP quality, its quiet enough to take a conference call and you can afford it. Once you’ve found a location that meets this criteria, see if it’s laptop-worker-friendly and if you enjoy being there.  

Step 3: Pack Your Bag

Before you step out the door, make sure your bag is packed. When your office is mobile, it’s best to pack light, so make sure your tools work extra hard. When evaluating a new tool for my digital tool belt, I always ask, is it mobile? Is it global? And most importantly is it social, does it have that human element?

What’s in My Digital Tool Belt:

• Smartphone for Quick Email & Helpful Apps: I live by my TripAdvisor and Worksnug apps. Both help me find the right places to land for a productive day in the “coffice.”
• Solid Video Conferencing Tool:  I use the iMeet® iPad app tool to keep it personal and teleport back to the office when needed. 
• Online Storage: I use Evernote to store important information when on the go. I can access my files on any of my devices and even offline, when en route to my next destination.  
• Emergency Internet: Kindle 3G for free global 3G wireless

Bon voyage fellow teleworker! Don’t miss next week’s Part III of the Digital Nomad 101: Your Guide to Working Outside the Office to find out how to make your teleworking experience a success.  

What would you add to your digital tool belt?

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

Whether you have the itch to travel or are just looking to mix it up at work, setting up shop outside the office can be as exciting (and demanding) as starting a new job. 

Cora Rodenbusch (@corasauras) is a senior communications manager at PGi (@PGiMeetTweet), a virtual meetings company, providing audio, web and video conferencing solutions to over 75% of Fortune 100.

Six months ago, I left my office in Austin, Texas, to become a Digital Nomad, traveling through Europe and Asia Pacific with my husband and visiting PGi’s 30+ global offices along the way. With visions of French cafés and ocean-front offices dancing through my head, I set off on my yearlong journey abroad.

Over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed finding out firsthand what taking your show on the road really looks like and how to keep the team back home happy.

Before you sign up to telecommute or enter the Digital Nomad’s Wild West of Wi-Fi scavenging, take a look at our Digital Nomad 101 – Your Guide to Working Outside the Office. 

PART I: Are You a Candidate for Remote Working?

It takes the right gig to make your Digital Nomad experience a success. Is there some rare, specialized tech machine you need to complete your duties? Is your work dependent on being physically present? Does your role require manual labor? If so, you might need to work from the office. 

For everyone else, there’s a good chance you could satisfy your job requirements with a laptop, an internet connection and a cell phone. 

But that’s not all it takes to make it work. Every aspiring Digital Nomad should evaluate their personality, motivation and work style before leaving the comfort of the office’s cubicle walls.  Remote working requires flexibility, determination and plenty of energy and optimism to get through the day. 

Think you’re the right fit for teleworking? Take the “What’s My Work Style Quiz” to find the work environment that best suits you. 

‘What’s my work style?’ quiz

I work best when… 

1. I’m surrounded by my team. 
2. I’m alone in peace and quiet. 
3. My headphones are in. 
4. I’m inspired by my surroundings.

When it comes to office hours, I prefer to… 

1. Keep a firm schedule. 
2. Come in early and leave late, allowing for breaks throughout the day. 
3. Stay flexible, adjusting to whatever the day’s duties require. 
4. Keep it fluid by working long hours one day and just a few the next. 

I would describe myself as primarily… 

1. Social. 
2. Self-Motivated. 
3. Practical. 
4. Entrepreneurial. 

On average, I would rather have ____ over _____.

1. Predictability/Surprise 
2. Personal Work Space/Communal 
3. Too Many Options/Not Enough 
4. Variety/Routine 

A good day in the office involves… 

1. Getting out with the team.
2. Solid, uninterrupted work.
3. Having time to work in the coffee shop downstairs.
4. The unexpected. 

When it comes to tech support, I…

1. Need a lot of help! Thank goodness for the help desk. 
2. Can manage on my own 90% of the time.
3. Require help occasionally. 
4. Support myself and resolve most issues.  

If you answered mostly A’s, you’re best suited for the traditional office environment. 

If you answered mostly B’s, the home office is for you. 

If you answered mostly C’s, consider a hybrid scenario with time in and outside the office. 

If you answered mostly D’s, pack your bags! You’re going on the road. 

For more on what it takes to work outside the off, check out Three Questions for the Aspiring Teleworker. 

Stay tuned for “Part II: Three Steps to Taking Your Show on the Road.” I’ll offer advice on how to pitch the big idea to your boss, locate the right work environment and pack the perfect Digital Nomad tool belt.   

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

Did you take the quiz? How did you score? Do you think you can adjust your habits to meet your dream of becoming a Digital Nomad?

When I first embarked on my freelance career, I felt unsure of myself and very isolated. While traditional employment provides one with coworkers who can help, the freelancer is left to muddle through on their own.

Or so I thought. My first experience in a coworking space opened my eyes to a different reality.

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

Coworking is based on the idea that working alone is unpleasant, and that by simply sharing space with other entrepreneurs, ideas, inspiration, and a profound sense of community will soon be shared as well.

This community comes with it lots of intangible benefits, like being able to ask the designer next to you what they think of your logo, or informally polling the room about a new marketing slogan. And inevitably, the combination of personal and professional relationships that occurs at a coworking space leads to an opportunity for collaboration. 

Why Collaborate?

Traditional definitions of business tell us that work is a competition, a quest to climb the ladder faster than your peers. But today this hierarchical model can feel selfish and slow to respond to quickly changing markets. Collaboration, on the other hand, allows businesses to incorporate unique perspectives in a way that benefits the bottom line as well as the target audience.

As a freelancer, you are a business as well as a person. You need to be able to compete with larger firms yet still provide a level of personal service that they can’t match. That’s where your fellow freelancers come in.

But if you’re a coworker like me, these freelancers are also your friends. And working with your friends can lead to uncomfortable complications that will jeopardize your work and reputation.

How to Collaborate

The answer is not to adopt a policy of never collaborating with people you know. Instead, you need to develop a policy for how you will handle collaborations with other freelancers, whether friends or strangers. Here are some of my favorite tips for embracing collaboration without creating extra stress.

Be discriminating. Don’t assume that because you can drink a beer with them, they’re the best fit for the project. Any collaboration will only be successful if you choose the right person for the job. Look at integrity as well as ability. Think about the way they conduct themselves with fellow freelancers and their clients. They might be good for a laugh, but will they buckle down when the deadline’s looming?

Use a comprehensive contract. Written agreements define who is responsible for what, and when it needs to be delivered (no, a copy of your email thread doesn’t count). If there’s money involved, using a contract shows that you respect your collaborator, and want to make sure they are protected as well. DO IT.

Don’t be a meanie. Just because you’re entering into a business relationship doesn’t mean you have to forget that you are friends. Or at least friendly acquaintances. Be flexible. Understand (within reason) life happens. Try to divide and conquer work in a way that’s comfortable for everyone involved. The best collaborations will feel like they were meant to be, and quality work will flow naturally from their formation.

Don’t be a pushover. In your zeal to be accommodating, don’t forget that you’re a businessperson with a job to do. If someone’s slacking, don’t be afraid to say something. Staying silent will only cause you stress and cost you money.

Beth Buczynski is the co-author of an ongoing series of ebooks about coworking and the mobile workforce. For more tips on how collaboration can grow your business, check out Coworking: How Freelancers Escape the Coffee Shop Office.

Photo credit: Jordan Brock

(Ed. note: We’re having a bit of a ‘freelancers focus’ this January for those of who whose New Years’ Resolution is to become your own boss! If you do it, make sure you’ve got the essentials in place. You may want to think about insurance, as this guest post from Vicky Pont of PolicyBee points out.)

Supported by Plantronics. Simply Smarter Communication solutions for the Mobile Professional

So you’re out on the road, living the life of a mobile worker. That’s all well and good, but what about the hazards you might encounter along the way – is it best to think about insuring yourself against them and their consequences?

Let’s not underestimate the dangers. There are cups of coffee just waiting to tip themselves onto our keyboards; phones and laptops keen to crash to the hard stone floor; light-fingered folk only too keen to help themselves to our belongings, and clumsy passers by ready to catch their foot and trip on the straps of our bags. 

Many of us make the mistake of simply thinking about the value of the hardware we carry around: the laptop, and maybe the mobile phone. Often, mobile phone shops offer you an insurance policy. But that may be limited to a slow replacement or repair service – not exactly ideal if your business activities rely on being contactable at all times.

And it’s the same with your IT equipment. It may be covered under your household insurance - and that might be something you checked when you took out the policy. But a domestic insurance policy will only typically cover you for replacement of lost or damaged hardware, it’s not going to compensate you for the loss of important business data, nor the time lost as you get yourself up and running again. 

Portables insurance

So, the best way to make sure you’re covered is to get yourself some proper, portable business equipment insurance. That way, you can rest assured that the bits and pieces you take out and about are protected against the triple potential threats of loss, damage and theft.

Public liability insurance

Depending on where you are temporarily holed up, it might be advisable to have a public liability insurance policy in place. This will cover you against a claim, in the unlikely event that you can be deemed to have caused an accident – as in the example with the bag strap above. On private property such as in a serviced office or a coffee shop, the owner will normally be liable for incidents that take place on their premises.  

Professional indemnity insurance

Finally, as a responsible flexible worker you should consider protecting yourself with a professional indemnity insurance policy. This covers you if your work doesn’t meet with the client’s expectations. The policy is a cheap down payment against the legal costs of defending a claim against you. Indemnity insurance can handle the dispute, defending your reputation and covering any consequential losses, if they can be proved.

PolicyBee (@PolicyBee) is an online business insurance broker for UK freelancers, consultants and small consultancies. Find out more at www.policybee.co.uk

Photo credit: ul_Marga

The London 2012 Olympics is just a hop, skip and jump away - and WorkSnug is warming up and stretching off in preparation. We need your help!

We’re looking for laptop-toting, coffee-sipping mobile workers to dig into East London and the Olympics area to find the best laptop-friendly workspaces and review them for our website.

We’ll pay the London Living Wage, which is £8.30 per hour, and provide full training in advance.

You should be London-based, have your own laptop and some experience of connecting on the move, like in coffee shops and hotels, etc.

It’s expected to be around 3 days work - and we need you to start ASAP! If you’re interested, drop us an email at hello@worksnug.com

Photo credit: lilivanili