Everyone knows the environment you put yourself in has a way of affecting the type of person you become. And whether you like it or not, environment affects an entrepreneur and his or her business positively or negatively. That’s why any entrepreneur needs to understand the importance of a coworking space that’s conducive and efficient for himself (and his team) for maximum productivity.
For this reason, coworking spaces are becoming more and more popular, especially with more individuals becoming entrepreneurs. A coworking space is an area where groups of people—usually like-minded individuals—rent designated workspaces for the purpose of building and growing their businesses free of the distractions that come from a home office or a coffee shop. As you settle in to coworking, learning to be productive will be your first objective. Below are some tips to help you to further increase your level of productivity.
Choose the Right Working Space for You.
The importance choosing the right working space can’t be overemphasized. Whether that’s renting a hot desk or a dedicated office, the type of environment you’d most be comfortable in affects your productivity. If you have attention issues or are easily distracted, consider an enclosed office space. Here you won’t be tempted to interact with people more often than necessary and movement in and around the coworking space (and noise) won’t take you from your work.
Interact with Other Entrepreneurs.
Once you have found an ideal space you like, get to know the other people in the coworking space. Have one-on-one meetings, do lunch, and take the time to find out more about their business and how you can help refer clients to them. This encourages reciprocity and the exchange of useful ideas, helps build confidence and, not to mention, improves your networking – which in the long run, would be very useful for your business.
Manage Your Time Judiciously.
Proper time management practices have always helped people adequately use their time and stay focused. As easy as it seems, a lot of people find it hard to accomplish, as factors such as procrastination and misplaced priorities make it easy to get derailed. To guard against this, come to your coworking space with your task list for the day completely written down with subsequent action steps. At the same time, use your calendar to time block your tasks on your calendar so you know what you will be working on at any given time.
Always Do The Hardest Tasks First.
One practice that has always worked in ensuring high productivity is doing the most difficult tasks first. Carrying out the hardest tasks of the day in the morning, when your brain is still fresh and very active has always been the way to go. This lets you complete such tasks with better precision and with less errors.
Take Appropriate Breaks.
One of the fastest ways to lose focus is working yourself into fatigue. The eyes and body need periodic breaks during the workday in order for you to stay productive and effective. One of the best methods for setting breaks is working with the Pomodoro method. This method uses 25-minute on, 5-minute off intervals with a 15-minute break after four consecutive Pomodoros. This allows you to focus on a task and then get up for water, restroom, and stretch breaks twice each hour. You can also change intervals to suit your work style (i.e. 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off each hour).
Following these five tips above can make all the difference in ensuring your level of productivity as an entrepreneur in a coworking environment can drastically increase. Follow through with these steps and have yourself to thank in the long run.
