Our operation is remote for the most part, and it works well. That's largely because of the people we have.
Many employees have come and gone already in our companies short lifespan because of being unable to perform to our standards remote, but then again I'm not sure many of them would have done better in office, they just didn't measure up to my standards.
“I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” -Oscar Wilde
I feel an office is best because everyone is 100x more productive. However, do to the fact that I make a large percent of my income from shooting foreign content, I often have to work from the road, making me not as productive as I should be.
3rd world internet connections, if any at all, do not make for getting a lot of work completed.
I have an extra room in my house I turned into an office. I go in there when it is time to work then I shut the door and get to work. I try to treat it like a real office and not leave unless I am done and ready to go just like at a regular job. Some days I do really great and other days I still end up leaving and fucking off.
tried an office and it didnt work out, i hardly ever went.
Same here. Had a six month lease, worked there twice the first week and just paid rent for rest. Finally got rid of it and the wasted expense of internet and rent.
No doubt one may quote history to support any cause, as the devil quotes scripture.
-- Learned Hand
I have a big house so both me and my girlfriend can run our companies from this house. Why would I pay 3000 dollars per month for a tiny little office when I have the space here
Had an office and found I get more done from home. Even with a fridge in the office, you dont keep a full kitchen. So you go out to eat most of the time. That takes time away from work,
Just started working remote....getting way more done for sure and can work the 2.5 hours a day i would have been traveling TO work and back. With the right people, I think it's more productive.
Just started working remote....getting way more done for sure and can work the 2.5 hours a day i would have been traveling TO work and back. With the right people, I think it's more productive.
Your right, I had read they did studies and for the most part workers are more productive and will work longer hours at home than in a office. We do both,The only reason I have a office is 2257.
I was tossing up an office to try to improve my productivity, but in the end I decided against it because I'd have to duplicate everything (workstation, internet link, furniture etc) and I'd inevitably end up having bad days where I just couldn't be bothered going there...
It's still tempting though, it's a suite of small warehouses and they're going cheap because they're new and in oversupply. Could also use it for storage. It's also located only 5 mins drive away.
I setup an office in my dinning room for when I'm working remotely... its great!
But sometimes when things are in a crunch, I have to go to the FC headquarters in Toronto. Its just better when the entire team is there in one physical place.
I have an office and have had offices for over 8 years now. I think it helps separate the days. I still get some good work done at night at home though.
Worked from home for years and ended up waking up running to the PC and getting off the PC at midnight or later. No personal life at all. Now we have an office and we regulate things a lot better and get way more done. Plus I have time for other things.
Actually we have an office/warehouse, the warehouse has a studio with 5/6 sets in the back. No more porn chicks and BF's at the house, I love it.
I prefer to have my coders in house with me, and designers if possible. It's just easier to get things done and explained in person, unless you've got a really good phone relationship with the remote coder. As far as reps and such, I don't really care where they are as they should work on performance basis anyhow. Customer support can go whereever it has to that makes sense. The core group of worker bees I really think get things done more efficiently when they are in the same room. There's none of this ICQing for people not to answer, or emailing to ask a question which gets answered the next day. It prolongs shit when you have the project manager and the people he's managing outside an office.
So,
My opinion is
Inhouse
Project Manager
Coders
Graphics Designers and Web Integrators
Outside
Anyone else that doesnt need direct supervision and can be justified earners to stay on payroll
when i'm in an office i get bored and start poking around. when i'm at home i work hard and focused because i want to get done and hang out with the fam. offices suck
if you have good employees they are going to work for you, regardless of WHERE they are
if you have bad employees they are going to fuck around while you are paying them, regardless of WHERE they are.
it also depends upon the nature of your organization - the more tight knit you operate the closer you need to be. THough a video chat once per morning can really take care of a lot.
one type of work I see benefiting from a office and others being around you. Is phone sales,when your smiling and dialing having that synergy of others working around you is a great motivational tool.When I was a recruiter making 100 cold calls a day, when I was in a office it was fun. You would laugh and talk about calls you had and share successes. Doing it alone at home was like being in prison.
I am on the road so much I frequently wonder why I have a house. An office would never get used . . . although I have contemplated getting one on the strand at Venice Beach.
The guys at Slickcash all work in the office except for 2 key players. It works out well, the key is to make sure you have constant communication between departments, as long as you have this you will do great either way.
one type of work I see benefiting from a office and others being around you. Is phone sales,when your smiling and dialing having that synergy of others working around you is a great motivational tool.When I was a recruiter making 100 cold calls a day, when I was in a office it was fun. You would laugh and talk about calls you had and share successes. Doing it alone at home was like being in prison.
What did you do recruiting for? I'm doing that from home now, never did it in an office. Hit me up on ICQ please! 169334379
Office is really needed for some things, like coders. If all people involved are serious enough (hard to find these days), everyone working remotelly works if you know at what times you HAVE to be working. I work 24 hours a day, so i work from home, plus i'm constantly available, so office is not for me, as if i had to go to office, the minute i left it, i'd turn of the phone and leave the job aside. Since that doesn't work for me, i work from home, but i'm available 24 hours
Damn a lot of response to this poll. I spent ten years working in sales for Fortune 500 companies, while I didn't have to go to the office every day, I did have to be there way more than I wanted to.
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A lazy employee will steal your time whether he's at an office or at home, I figure at the end of the day you have to look at their production and go by that.
I work out of my home office, but I think an out of home office might benefit me to help separate work/personal time. Then again, it might just be a needless expense.
I like working in an office just cause when you need to talk to the team you can do it in person and share ideas which takes way less time if you had to do it all in writing or phone.
The 2 criteria for my work as a coder is that it has to be quite without distractions and it has to be separate from my personal life. I'd like to get an office that is close by eventually. I think having 2 different environments will allow me to work while I'm at work and relax when I am at home.
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