The dreaded return from vacation… It won’t be that bad!

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We are already in the most feared month: September. It’s time to close the holidays and we are still thinking about beaches, trips, dinners and after-dinner that never end.

After all the year working, we wait for the holidays to rest physically and mentally and be able to enjoy with family, couple or friends. The reality is that, after these days, we have to return to the routine, but this does not have to be a negative turn. We will leave you a few tips to make it easier.

September does not mean that the “good life” of summer ends, nor that we can not make getaways on the weekend. Before the weather change begins and we have to take out the jackets, we can continue to take time to relax or recreate so as not to have to make such a sudden change of routine.

On weekends we can think about making getaways to the mountains, finding rivers and doing activities to pass the residual heat that September leaves us.

In the city, surely during these times that we have disconnected they have opened a restaurant nearby, they have released a film or they have inaugurated an art exhibition. It is a good time to visit new places with friends and disconnect.

Getting ahead of ourselves a couple of days and starting to adapt to what the return will be is a good way so that it does not catch us unexpectedly and we can begin to establish the new guidelines to return to the routine. Doing sports on a regular basis is a very good option, as it will help us establish a time schedule.

The end of summer also brings good things. The unbearable heat will leave us and in a few weeks we can begin to enjoy the sunsets that autumn leaves us or the impressive changes in color of the vegetation.

 

And if your holidays start in September, we leave you a post with a few tips on how to disconnect for holidays.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

Energy savings in the office. It’s possible?

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Energy saving. Normally, we talk about the energy saving at house, but it is not the only place where there are excessive energy expenses for the environment, it also occurs in the offices where we work.

We almost spent the same hours in the office as at home, or even longer. That is why we must take similar measures.

Depending on the characteristics of the space we use in the office, there are different ways to save energy.

Now, how can we carry out energy saving systems in our offices, or workspaces such as coworking?

Light and electricity are two very important factors. We can save energy by using LED lights and, if our space makes it possible, by taking advantage of natural light. It is also very important when we leave the office, to leave all electrical appliances off, since even if they remain at rest, they continue to consume electricity.

 

energy savings

Ventilation and air conditioning are also a relevant part of saving energy. If we can, we must keep the windows open when the outside temperature is pleasant, so we will avoid turning on air conditioners. Similarly, if we have air conditioning or heating on, keep doors and windows closed, for a good use of resources.

Spaces where there are no staff, such as meeting rooms, sinks… We should not keep them refrigerated.

It is also important that the office thermostats are programmed with an optimal and recommended temperature of between 20° and 22° in winter and between 23° and 25° in summer.

And last but not least, saving paper and recycling it is another way to contribute.

Use recycled paper, print as few documents as possible and try to send them online. If they are documents that we must print, we can use the double-sided and the black and white format.

These are some of the options that we can put into practice to contribute to the energy saving on our offices.

In addition, by clicking here, you have a guide to energy saving and efficiency in offices and offices.

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.
In Espai 114 together we form a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

Disconnect for holidays, to connect with you and your loved ones

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holiday disconnection

Nowadays it is difficult to disconnect completely from our work and social networks for holidays , since we are constantly connected.

With the evolution and changes of communication, also counting on the means of organization and control in labour relations becomes even more difficult.

Time control through mobile applications, work from home, geolocation… it is some of the means that can make us feel that we have not just disconnected with work.

These are very important days for our physical and mental health.

Throughout the year we are so mechanized with our routines, that when it is really time for us to disconnect and rest to reconnect with ourselves and with the people around us and we want to share this free time, it is it makes it difficult to leave aside our employment relationship 100%.

That is why it is important also, before starting our holidays leave everything resolved and finished, to be able to leave quieter. For example, all the important and pending tasks that we have, or leave someone in our care to make sure that any unforeseen event will be covered.

family activities

For many people the total disconnection of the networks, also supposes a state of stress and anxiety, so the best way is to find a balance. Finding a way to reduce connection time can be a good way to get started.

Another way to get to a job disconnect is starting from the beginning. What do we mean by that? Well, we mean that the first few days you can afford not to make plans, or organize every day, since, stop, think, and relax can be a very good start!

Last but not least, doing things and activities that we don’t normally do, are a way to alter our daily routine, it’s a great way to make us disconnect and feel at ease with us and the people around us.

teleworking

And if you have already enjoyed your holidays or you can even be on vacation or travelling and combine it with teleworking, we leave you this post on How to reconcile by working from home!

 

We are the Badalona’s Business Center, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we form a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

Flexible schedule: advantages for your company

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Flexible schedule is increasingly implemented by companies. You may have considered implementing it for your workers yourself, but you are not sure of the benefits it entails. Continue reading to get out of doubt.

 

First of all, what does flexible schedule means?

 

Flexible schedule consist of offering facilities to workers with regard to the reconciliation of their personal and professional lives. These will comply with the hours stipulated in your contract, but may vary the start and end times, the distribution of them during the week or even carry them out outside the office.

 

As a company, what are the advantages that the flexible schedule of my workers will bring me?

 

Commuting to work

– Reduced travel time

There are many employees who spend a large amount of time a day commuting to and from work.

 

If we eliminate the obligation to go to the workplace to carry out their tasks, workers earn a lot of daily time that they can devote to other things.

 

productivity at work

– Commitment and productivity

This increase in the freedom of employees translates directly into an increase in motivation and commitment they have with the company.

At the same time, this motivation translates into increased efficiency and productivity.

 

Workers feel that they make much better use of the time they spend on their work.

 

reduce fixed costs

– Reduce costs

A direct benefit of flexibility is the savings in the company’s fixed costs. If the number of employees working in the office is reduced or completely eliminated, we can save the cost of rent or consider replacing it with a coworking space that will mean a much lower expense and much more adaptable to our needs.

 

less absenteeism

– Minimize absenteeism

The high conciliation provided by the flexible schedule means that, in situations such as medical appointments or other types of unforeseen events, the worker chooses to modify the work schedule instead of not doing the hours.

 

These are just a few of the advantages that flexible schedule can bring to your company.

 

 

If you dare to apply it and need a coworking space in Badalona, contact us so that we can offer you all the information you need.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 we are a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

 

 

How to have a good work-life balance doing telework

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Having a good work-life balance doing telework can seem difficult. Finding a balance between procrastination and the large volumes of work that lead us to work many more hours than stipulated may seem impossible.

 

We often find that anxiety levels increase and our motivation plummets. Another common aspect is frustration and loss of confidence in one’s abilities.

 

telework

 

Maybe you’ve made a change from face-to-face work to telecommuting and you feel overwhelmed by this new work dynamic. If you want to know how to reconcile doing telework, here are some tips.

  • The place from which you work is different, so the way you work must adapt to this new situation. You face new challenges that will require new ways of facing them.
  • There will be interruptions. Normalize them. You cannot control the external factors that cause you small distractions in your workday and you must face them naturally and not with frustration. If you get a knock at the door when you’re on a video call, for example, you can take it with humor and not frustration. Your interlocutors will thus show more empathy and you will not lose your professionalism.
  • Avoid feelings of loneliness by periodically scheduling meetings with your co-workers or boss. Keeping in touch with people in your professional environment will influence your motivation.
  • Set a disconnection schedule. Just because you work remotely doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7.
  • Move. It is possible that working from home you have considerably reduced the physical exercise you did daily. Try to replace it by doing activities such as going for a run, doing yoga classes or going to the gym.
  • Working outside the home is always an option. Have you ever considered working from a coworking? The atmosphere is very professional and will help you be more productive. In Espai 114 we have a coworking in the center of Badalona. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested.

Have a good work-life balance doing telework is possible!

work from home

 

In Espai 114 we have a coworking in the center of Badalona. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

Landing page: what is it and what is it for?

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A landing page is a page within a website that is specifically developed to convert visitors into leads through a given offer or claim. It usually has a simple design with the right and necessary information to hook the visitor, as well as a form with which to get the contact details.

 

Why is it important?

Offering a service or product of attractive value to the user, he may be willing to leave us his information through the form, which we can later use to contact him, know his specific needs and offer our service. In addition, we can add to the form the option to receive our future newsletters where you can learn more about our company content that may be of interest to you.

 

How does a landing page work?

The user arrives at our website through a call to action. The visitor may have found us in a search engine, through social networks, etc.

Once they access the landing, they find all the information about the offer or the specific claim, such as a discount, a pack or the launch of a new product. If the information we offer them seems interesting, you will fill out the form where you will leave us your information: name, telephone, email…

 

What should a landing page contain?

The necessary contents are:

– Brief and direct information of the offer or claim.

– Contact form with the corresponding privacy policy.

– A “Thank you” page to redirect the visitor to once they have filled out the form. This entity will help to obtain analytical data on the origin and behavior of the leads.

– All this encompassed in an attractive and above all responsive design, so that it is displayed correctly from all types of devices.

 

Some complementary contents that are interesting:

– Small information about our company.

– Add testimonials to verify the veracity of the brand/product.

– Registration box in our newsletter.

 

Below you can see an example of a landing page.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

Tips for the life of a freelancer

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A freelancer is a person who is self-employed and is in charge of his own company offering services or products.

 

All the responsibility for the work activity falls on the same person and that often makes it difficult to have a work-life balance.

 

If you are self-employed, here are some tips that can help you:

 

1. Set clear objectives.

Mark the objectives you want to reach. These objectives must be specific, measurable, realistic and time-bound. This will lead us to set goals and sub-goals to follow day by day, in addition to guiding us and providing motivation.

2. Do not stop looking for opportunities.

Spend a few hours a week searching on work platforms. Even if you do not lack work, perform this search on a regular basis to stay informed of the state of your sector and, who knows, find a great opportunity for your company.

3. Collaborate with other freelancers.

Do not hesitate to join other freelancers in the same sector or complementary to yours. You can come together to share ideas, bigger projects… Plus, it’s a good way to know how other people work and learn from them.

4. Establish appropriate rates for your products/services.

It is necessary to have established rates and update them over time. Do not hesitate to find out about the prices of the competition in your field and consider what you can offer. Consider raising the price of your products/services if you have a higher volume of work than you can cover.

5. Impose a schedule and a vacation

Although being a freelancer is a very hard job, in which you have to work long hours even weekends, you have to force yourself to separate work from personal life. If you don’t, you may feel overwhelmed.

 

With these tips we hope to help you reconcile the life of self-employed with the personal.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

 

 

What is a marketing plan and what it is for?

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The marketing plan is a document where we find an analysis of the situation of the company, the objectives to be achieved, the strategies to be followed and the planning to carry them out.

It is the guide that guides the company when deciding the steps to be taken at all times. This document usually has one year of validity, since it is convenient to review it annually and renew it. We will need to develop new objectives, re-investigate and evaluate the market and the competition, our target, what we have achieved and what we have not. With all this, we will be able to re-propose a new plan that adapts to the new reality.

Although it is a fairly heavy and long process, we must take into account that it is important to validate the information to know if everything that had been raised has worked and evaluate the current situation.

Why is the marketing plan important?

– To know your market share and, therefore, to have a better view of the sector.

– To better understand your competition and your strengths.

– To better focus the objectives and guarantee a good resolution of these.

– To periodically evaluate whether or not your actions work.

Phases of the marketing plan

Within the plan, four important parts stand out:

This is a Silvia Mazzoli scheme with the most relevant phases and, within them, what are the steps to follow to complete a good marketing plan for your company. And as we have already mentioned, a good marketing plan is important since it helps to have a clearer view of the objectives and allows to optimize and achieve the objectives set in a more organized way.

We are the Badalona’s Business Center, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we form a team; we want to inspire you and accompany you.

The skills that companies demand the most

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Do you want to know what skills companies most ask for?

The work and way of carrying it out has changed in recent years. Not only in the increase of teleworking but also in the skills that companies seek in their employees.

 

 

The IEBS Business School has shared the skills that companies most ask for in 2021, and we share them below.

 

  • Resilience

Be able to adapt to adverse situations and stay patient, strong and calm in a crisis environment. In addition, we must know how to recover from complicated situations in order to continue advancing towards the future. It is a process of competitiveness where the person must adapt positively to situations.

  • Critical Thinking

Being analytical and curious helps us solve problems in a better way.

  • Commitment

Be committed to the vision, values and objectives of the company. In this way we will be more motivated, focused, productive and will improve the quality of our work. It is a factor that makes employees get involved both with the work and with the objectives and values of the company.

  • Flexibility

Have sufficient flexibility to adapt to changes, use new tools and adopt and promote new ways of working.

  • Teamwork

It is very necessary to demonstrate our ability to collaborate with team members. This also facilitates the achievement of objectives, increases motivation and stimulates creativity.

  • Constant and independent learning

It is important to have the ability to learn new programs, technologies, systems and tools so that companies work and are constantly evolving.

  • Digital skills

It is currently very important to be proactive in increasing these skills. They facilitate new needs, allowing the development of a critical and active attitude towards technologies.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire and accompany you.

Ways to break the ice in a video call

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The pandemic has meant a before and after in the world of work. One of the most significant aspects is the acceleration of the digitization of companies. This has meant a reduction in costs thanks to teleworking, easier to work safely and less stress.

Some studies show that 80% of workers enjoy working at home more than in the office, claim to be less stressed and think they are more productive. This factor positively affects the company, since they are less costs and consumption of office supplies.

Working from home and meeting by video call has proven very useful for the daily management of tasks, since it saves us both costs and time (travel, materials, work trips…).

 

It is important to stay connected to colleagues/partners/clients in our working day and we must try to stay focused to be productive. Breaking the ice helps us, provides a good atmosphere, involves everyone and encourages comfort in the video call.

 

Here are some ways to break the ice in a video call:

  • The presentation is a good first step to break the ice.

Introduce yourself with your name, where you are, what your workplace is… Say everything that is interesting and important to everyone else. In addition, we must also take into account nonverbal communication, since it can convey the opposite of what you are saying. So be careful with that look. Try to maintain the correct posture and tone of voice, adequate clothing… As the communications expert Tessa Aparicio-Curreen states, it is very considerable to take into account the way we address the public.

  • Comment on a current affair.

It is easy and also a good way to break the ice. It is an opportunity to engage all participants and involve them all in the conversation.

  • Create teams.

You can divide the meeting (in the case of being a large group) and make them participate with each other or another option is to make the members participate in the chat.

In short, the most important thing is to create a good working climate at the meeting, since this will make people comfortable, the ice will break spontaneously and no dynamics will need to be done because it will come out alone.

 

We are the Business Center of Badalona, to give visibility and possibilities to your business.

In Espai 114 together we are a team; we want to inspire and accompany you.