Working from home can be a dream come true for some people – who wouldn’t like the opportunity to work in sweatpants (or maybe even less!) all day? However, it can also be quite challenging to stay organized, as being at home often comes with its own unique share of distractions. And when you’re not in a more structured office environment, it’s easy to let the little things fall through the cracks. If you find you’ve been struggling to stay on task, follow along for some of the top ways to stay organized as a remote worker.

Create a Schedule

One way to stay organized as a remote worker is to establish set working hours for yourself, and stick to them as closely as possible. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should take advantage of the situation by working at all hours of the day and night – this will only lead to burnout in the long run.

So, if you can, you may want to try and set hours that are similar to what you would normally work if you were in an office. This can help to create a sense of normalcy and keep you on track. Or, if you’re more of a night owl, you can also tailor your hours to when you’re feeling most productive and have the most energy. As long as you can stick to your schedule, and it doesn’t interfere with your work, you can customize your hours to fit your needs.

Invest in the Right Tools

Another way to stay organized as a remote worker is to invest in the right tools. Having a good quality computer, a comfortable chair, and a well-lit workspace can go a long way in helping you stay focused and productive. 

In addition to the physical tools you use, there are also plenty of software programs and apps that can help you stay organized as well. For example, using a project management tool like Asana can help you keep track of deadlines and different tasks you need to complete. Or, if you find yourself getting easily distracted by things like social media or online shopping, there are programs like Freedom that can help block these sites so you can stay focused on work.

Set Some Ground Rules

If you live with other people, it’s important to set some ground rules to help you stay organized as a remote worker. For example, let your roommates or family members know what your working hours are, and ask them to respect that time by not making too much noise or interrupting you unless it’s absolutely necessary. 

It can also be helpful to set some boundaries with friends or social obligations. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re available 24/7 – let your friends know that they may need to plan around your work schedule if they want to hang out.

Making a Few Simple Changes

If you’ve been struggling to stay organized as a remote worker, remember that it’s often the small changes that can make the biggest difference. Whether it’s setting a schedule, investing in the right tools, or communicating with your roommates, a few small tweaks to your routine can help you stay on track and be productive. So don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you!

Thinking you may be better off out of the house? Check out the workspaces offered by La Collective here!

If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee in Orleans, Ontario, you’re in luck! There are plenty of amazing coffee shops around, so you’re almost certain to find one that’s serving up your favourites. In this blog post, we’ll be looking at our top 5 coffee shops in Orleans, Ontario (in no particular order, mind you!). These places are sure to satisfy your caffeine cravings!

1) Starbucks

This coffee chain needs no introduction! Starbucks is already well-known for their delicious coffees, so you’re practically guaranteed a nice cup of joe here.

Not only is their coffee delicious, but you can also choose from a wide variety of other kinds of drinks. For example, they offer a great selection of teas, smoothies, and even frappuccinos. They even offer some baked goods and snacks, perfect for when you’re feeling a little hungry.

2) Second Cup

Second Cup is another great option for coffee in Orleans. They have lots of different coffees and teas on the menu, so you’re sure to find something that you’ll like. For example, they usually offer up different varieties of light, medium and dark roast coffee, so you should find at least one that suits your preferences. They also tend to have some baked goods on hand, so you can get your caffeine fix and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!

3)  Cafe Latte Cino

Cafe Latte Cino is a great local coffee shop in Orleans. They offer up an excellent selection of premium coffees, fine teas and other drinks, perfect for beverage connoisseurs.

However, unlike some of the other options, they also have a great selection of food, including sandwiches, salads and pastries. So if you’re looking for a place to grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat, Cafe Latte Cino is definitely worth considering!

4) The Art of Bean Coffee Co.

The Art of Bean Coffee Co is a warm and inviting coffee shop located in the East End of Orleans. Not only do they serve up some great coffee, but they are joined by their neighbor the Niche Gallery, which supports local artists. It can be a great place to get those creative juices flowing!

You can get all sorts of coffees and teas here, and can even have your choice of milk alternative. Whether you prefer oat, soy, lactose-free, almond, or skim, they’ve got you covered. And if you’re feeling peckish, try one of their sandwiches or other treats on the side – you won’t regret it!

5) Tim Hortons

No Canadian coffee shop list would be complete without this one!  Tim Horton’s is a beloved Canadian chain, and for good reason. They always have a great selection of coffee, tea and other drinks, as well as some tasty baked goods. Timbits, anyone?

Plus, their prices are hard to beat – you can usually get a cup of coffee for just a couple of dollars. If you’re on a budget but still want a decent cup of coffee, Tim Horton’s is definitely the way to go.

Looking for some office space in the Orleans area? Check out the workspaces offered by La Collective, and find your perfect fit today!

Businesses are always looking for new and innovative ways to create value. One way to do this is by tapping into digital ecosystems. These are networks of companies, individuals, and technologies that interact with each other via digital platforms to achieve their goals. By understanding how these ecosystems work, businesses can find new ways to increase sales and generate revenue. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of digital ecosystems and discuss how they may be used to create value.

What is a Digital Ecosystem?

As touched upon above, a digital ecosystem is an interconnected network of organizations, people, and technologies that work together via digital platforms to achieve their goals, one of which may be creating value. This interaction can take many forms, including exchanging goods and services, collaborating on projects, or simply sharing information. The key thing to remember is that all the members of an ecosystem are connected and depend on each other in some way.

How Do Digital Ecosystems Help Businesses?

Digital ecosystems can have a major impact on businesses. For example, consider the case of Apple and its iPhone ecosystem. When the iPhone was first introduced, it disrupted the mobile phone market. Other companies simply couldn’t compete with Apple’s combination of hardware, software, and services. The iPhone ecosystem is made up of many different parts, including the iPhone itself, the App Store, iTunes, and iCloud. All of these work together to create a seamless experience for users. And because they’re all connected, they also create a powerful platform for developers to build new apps and services. This ecosystem has allowed Apple to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. In fact, their App Store ecosystem alone supported nearly $519 billion in billings and total sales in 2019. That’s no small change!

Digital ecosystems can be helpful to businesses in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to creating new business opportunities. For example, a company that sells products online may want to create an ecosystem that allows it to seamlessly connect with customers, promote its products, and process payments. This can be a great opportunity to collaborate with partners who have significant expertise in these areas, and provide a better end-user experience for everyone.

How Do You Create Value from Digital Ecosystems?

Now that you understand what a digital ecosystem is, let’s discuss how to create value from them. The first step is to identify the key players in the ecosystem and understand their roles. Next, come up with ways to connect these players and create opportunities for collaboration. Finally, develop strategies to monetize the ecosystem.

It may be helpful to think of a digital ecosystem as a platform. A platform provides a way for different players to interact and create value. For example, the iPhone platform allows developers to build new apps and services, while iCloud allows users to store their data in the cloud. By looking at digital ecosystems in this light, you may have an easier time identifying how to use them to create value for your business.

Digital ecosystems are becoming increasingly important for businesses. By understanding how they work and finding ways to create value, companies can stay ahead of the competition and find new ways to grow their business.

Looking to collaborate with some like-minded professionals? Check out the coworking spaces offered by La Collective, and join our collaborative community environment today!

If you’re trying to get a small business off the ground and can’t quite afford your own office yet, then you may find just what you’re looking for in a coworking space. A coworking space is a membership-based workspace where entrepreneurs, freelancers, and other small business owners can come together and work collaboratively and/or independently on their own projects. Though they have to share, a coworking space allows members access to various office amenities at an affordable price, making it an excellent option for businesses on a budget.

Due to their many benefits, coworking spaces are becoming increasingly popular among workers. In fact, the number of coworking spaces is predicted to grow nearly 116% by 2024, so there are going to be lots of different places to choose from in the near future. With so many different options, how are you supposed to find the right one for you?

To help you narrow it down, we’ve created a list of the 5 steps to selecting a coworking space for you. Check it out below!

Step 1: Find the Right Location

This is one of the most important things to consider when browsing coworking spaces. Think about how far you’re willing to commute, and whether you’d like access to any particular local conveniences. For example, do you want restaurants and shops within walking distance? Does the space need to be easily accessible by public transit? Really think about all of your location needs when considering coworking spaces.

Step 2: Make Sure It’s Within Your Budget

Once you’ve found the perfect location, you need to make sure it’s within your budget. After all, you don’t want to put the work in and establish yourself at a coworking space if you can’t afford for a decent amount of time. You also don’t want your fees to become a liability or take away from other areas of your business, so choose carefully.

Step 3: Determine Your Necessary Amenities

What kind of amenities do you absolutely need at your coworking space? Most will have the basics, like Internet access, office furniture, and meeting rooms, but you can find some that go the extra mile. Would you like dedicated reception services? A cafeteria? An on-site fitness center? Figure out your priorities and go from there.

Step 4: Community

One of the nicest things about a coworking space is that it’s more than just a shared workspace – it’s a community. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and network with other like-minded professionals, so it’s important to find a community that’s a good fit for both you and your business. When choosing a coworking space, consider asking yourself what types of workers and businesses are already there? Is there anyone I’d be interested in working with? Does the space hold regular community events to provide additional networking opportunities? You don’t want to miss out on this important benefit of coworking spaces, so do your best to find your ideal community.

Step 5: Flexibility

This may not be an issue if you like to work a standard 9-5, but that shift certainly doesn’t suit everyone. Some people may want to start their day later on in the afternoon, while others are complete night owls. The operating hours of different coworking spaces can vary widely, so if this is important to you, then be sure to do your research.

Not sure where to start your search? Check out our workspaces at La Collective to see if one may be right for you!

Coworking has become an increasingly popular option among freelancers and small business owners throughout the last few years, and demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, one study expects that the coworking market will continue to grow at a yearly rate of almost 22% until 2024. Even if that prediction is only half-correct, it seems that we’ll have a lot of new coworking spaces available in the future!

If you’re hoping to cash in on this demand and start filling up some spots at your coworking space, then you need to be prepared to cater to all types of entrepreneurs. Women, for example, may be reluctant to join a traditional coworking space for a few reasons. They may see it as a type of “boys’ club” that they’d rather not have to deal with, or it simply may not cater to their needs. No matter what the reason, though, there are some things you can do that may help change their minds.

Want to know how to attract women to coworking? Try some of the following tips.

Have Women on Staff

If your entire team is made up of men, then you may want to switch up your staffing situation. Women often feel more comfortable when they’re not the only female in the space, and that’s completely understandable. When a woman sees other women being treated well and enjoying themselves in an environment, then they may be less nervous about entering an unknown situation like a new coworking space.

This may be even more helpful if the woman is in a position of power. A female owner or manager can show prospective coworkers that women have some influence over the decisions at your space. This can help give them the confidence that their needs will be met by your services.

Make Your Space More Female-Friendly

While society has certainly come a long way, “boys’ clubs” and “bro culture” still dominate some workplaces. Therefore, if you really want to attract more females to your coworking space, you need to make sure they feel welcome.

And no, this doesn’t mean painting the walls pink and decorating everything with flowers (in fact, you may want to stay away from these stereotypes!). It just means making your space, events, and activities as inclusive as possible. You may even want to host a few events and workshops exclusively for women, as it shows that you’re sensitive to their different needs. A woman should be able to walk into your space and feel just as at home as any of the men, so try and make them feel like family.

Work with Female-Owned Businesses

Working with female-owned businesses in your area can be a great way to attract women to your coworking space. It demonstrates that you have respect for female entrepreneurs, and that you value their skills and expertise as business owners. 

There are still people out there who completely overlook or even belittle female-owned businesses, so it’s important to show your strong support if you want them to join your community. No one’s going to want to join if they think they’re going to be treated like second-class citizens.

Looking to work with other like-minded professionals in a collaborative community environment? Check out the workspaces offered by La Collective here.

A coworking space can be a great workplace for entrepreneurs. It gives you access to desk space, meeting rooms, and other amenities for a fraction of the price of a private office. This affordability is certainly a draw for a lot of small businesses, but what many people don’t realize is that the benefits of a coworking space go beyond the physical space itself. A coworking space isn’t just a place to work – it’s a community.

It’s where entrepreneurs from different fields can get together, share ideas, and ideally help each other grow their businesses. However, if you want to really take advantage of this community aspect, you need to be involved in your coworking space. You’re not going to benefit from these relationships if you’re constantly off in the corner doing your own thing!

Check out the following 5 ways to get involved as an entrepreneur at your coworking space, and start being a more active member of your community today!

1. Network

The ability to easily network with other entrepreneurs in your community is one of the biggest benefits of joining a coworking space. You could just be getting a coffee in the communal kitchen and get into an informal and spontaneous business discussion with a fellow coworker. Networking can be great for both of your businesses, so try and take advantage of these opportunities when they present themselves.

2. Go to Events

You certainly don’t need to go to every event at your coworking space, but you should make some kind of an effort. It’s a great way to support your colleagues, their businesses, and your overall coworking community. Besides, you may at least get some free drinks and snacks out of the deal!

3. Promote Your Coworkers’ Companies on Social Media

It doesn’t take much time to give your colleagues a follow, like, or share on social media, so why not put in that little bit of effort? By engaging with everyone’s social media accounts, you and your fellow entrepreneurs can help spread the word about each others’ businesses. This can extend your reach and allow you to tap into a wider audience.

4. Offer Advice – But Don’t Make Assumptions

If someone seems to be struggling with a problem you have experience with or the skills to address, then don’t be afraid to offer them some advice. Remember, a coworking space is supposed to be a community, not a competition. You’re all supposed to be on the same team, so it certainly doesn’t hurt to help your teammates when they’re down.

However, don’t make assumptions. They may not want your take on the matter, so be sure to ask before jumping in with suggestions.

5. Communicate with Your Community Manager

If you’re not sure how to get more involved in your particular coworking space, then speak with your community manager. They typically have a pretty good handle on what’s going on with everyone in the community, so they may have some helpful advice on the matter.

Looking to start fresh in a new coworking space? Click here to check out the workspaces at La Collective!

There are a number of benefits to renting a coworking space. For example, you can collaborate with others, have access to private conference rooms, and take advantage of various networking opportunities. 

Indeed, sharing an office environment certainly has its benefits. However, it often comes at a small, albeit significant cost: you don’t have your own personal space. This means you can’t fully customize your work area to suit your needs and preferences.

While some may not mind the lack of personalization options, it may frustrate others. Sometimes having a little bit of home at the workplace can make a huge difference in your mood and motivation. In fact, one study found that employees who were allowed to organize and decorate their workspace improved their productivity by nearly 32%!

That being said, not all hope is lost. There are a few things you can do to make your space work better for you. Check out our tips below, and learn how to make your co-work desk space feel more like your own.

Bring Some Pictures

For some, nothing feels more like home than seeing the faces of family and friends. If you have some people in your life that bring you joy and comfort, try putting a framed picture of them on your desk. You may even consider purchasing a digital photo frame with enough memory to hold all of your favourite photos. 

Seeing your loved ones on your desk every day can be a great way to really personalize your space. It may even open up some conversation with your coworking colleagues, allowing you to get to know each other better.

Make Adjustments

While you may not have total freedom in a coworking space, you may be able to make minor adjustments to the furniture and lighting to better fit your needs. For example, you may want to turn a desk so it’s facing toward a window, or adjust the brightness of the overhead lights. 

Now, you may want to speak with the community manager before doing so, of course, but most minor adjustments will likely be acceptable. While they may not seem like much, they really can make your space feel more like your own.

Bring a Reusable Coffee Mug and/or Water Bottle

You’re almost certainly going to be drinking at least one of these anyways, so why not bring a fun, personalized coffee mug or water bottle from home? Maybe your kids made you one, or you bought one featuring a favorite saying, design, or character.

This can be an easy and fun way to help customize your workspace. Who says a drinking container can’t double as décor?

Get Organized

You probably have a ton of things to remember and carry around anyway, so why not make them decorative? Consider grabbing some stylish folders for your papers, or covering your desk in a rainbow of sticky note reminders. 

You can easily transport these back and forth from your coworking space, and even change up the colours and styles according to how you’re feeling each day. There’s lots you can do to liven up your desk – let your creativity go wild!

Interested in taking up a desk at a coworking space? Click here to see what we have to offer at La Collective.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-help book for those looking to achieve personal and/or professional success. While he goes into considerable detail in the book, essentially Covey argues that cultivating your “Character Ethic” is key to achieving success. By adapting your motives and inner core with his principle-centered approach, you should be able to achieve sustainable personal and interpersonal effectiveness. And who couldn’t use a little more of that?

To give you an idea of how to cultivate your character using these principles, here is a brief overview of the 7 habits of highly effective people.

1. Be Proactive

While reactive people are often driven by emotions, proactive people tend to be driven by values. They know that they are always in control of their own actions, and avoid blaming it on external factors. By being proactive instead of reactive, they recognize that they’re ultimately responsible for their own behaviour, growth, and results.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Think about your funeral. How would you like people to remember you? This can help you figure out some of your key values.

Once you identify what’s important to you, you should come up with a personal mission statement that identifies three things: who you want to be, what you want to achieve, and your underlying values. Then, you should live each day of your life with this statement in mind.

3. Put First Things First

The third habit is about going after those goals you set out in the previous step. This means prioritizing those tasks that are most important to your personal mission statement. This may mean saying no to people sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You need to manage your time effectively if you want to achieve success.

4. Think Win-Win

It’s important to think of life as more of a cooperative endeavor than a competition. Therefore, you must commit to creating win-win situations that are mutually beneficial to all concerned parties.

To do this, you need to cultivate interpersonal leadership. This means that, when interacting with others, you’re exercising traits such as self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and imagination. These can help you become an effective win-win leader.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Those looking to improve interpersonal relationships should focus on becoming a proficient, empathic listener. You should listen with the intent of really understanding someone, as it will allow that person to feel more comfortable opening up to you. Once you have an idea of where the person is coming from, then you can try and make yourself understood using the same kind of language.

6. Synergize

This is the habit of creative cooperation. It often requires communication, openness, and vulnerability between multiple parties in order to tackle a problem most effectively. Synergy between team members allows us to discover ideas that we may never have thought of on our own, often resulting in better solutions.

7. Sharpen the Saw

The final habit is about enhancing yourself. More specifically, it’s about continuously improving yourself through the four dimensions of renewal: the physical, social and emotional, spiritual, and mental. You should try to exercise all these motivations on a regular basis, and do your best to keep them all in balance for best results.

Need a professional workspace to help you achieve success? Learn more about the offerings from La Collective Cowork here.

Though coworking spaces have become increasingly popular within the last few years, they’re still far from being a well-established industry. Sure, they’re great for freelancers and small business owners to get a little office space and exchange ideas, but they’re certainly not perfect. There are still kinks to work out and challenges to overcome before coworking spaces can truly reach their full potential.

One industry that may be able to help guide coworking spaces in the right direction is the hospitality industry. There is already some overlap in what the two industries do in terms of taking care of their clients, so coworking spaces may want to look to the well-established hospitality industry to see how to take their business to the next level.

Let’s see how hospitality can be the secret ingredient to the best coworking spaces.

Amenities

Coworking spaces are known for their amenities. You can often get high-speed WiFi access, coffee machines, comfortable yet practical desks and chairs, access to meeting rooms and a common area all in the same place. In fact, these amenities are practically the bare minimum these days – even the worst coworking spaces should have many, if not all, of these elements.

Those coworking spaces that are striving to be the best, however, take their amenity game to the next level. Their goal is to make their spaces feel more like home, which is basically the goal of those in the hospitality business. This may involve providing renters with access to a full snack bar, a nap or wellness room, and a fitness room. Those with fitness rooms may also install showers or changing facilities if people are going to be working up a sweat. You’ll already see these types of amenities in some of the top hotels, which are practically the face of the hospitality industry, so coworking spaces should take note.

Customer Service

While the best coworking spaces do provide ample space and amenities for their renters, they don’t stop there. They go the extra mile and do their best to make sure everyone feels welcome and taken care of in their space.

One of the best ways to do this is to hire a front desk attendant. Similar to a concierge at a hotel, a front desk attendant is there to direct guests and answer questions about the various businesses that share the coworking space. Not only does this help out the businesses, but it gives a more professional atmosphere to the whole office. This can help attract those potential clients who think that coworking spaces are a little too casual for their particular business.

Community Managers

While a community manager may also work as a front desk attendant in some coworking spaces, it is often best if it is a separate position. A community manager is like a hotel manager in that they make sure everything is going smoothly in their place of business.

Community managers oversee everything and everyone in a coworking space, both renters and staff alike. They are therefore the go-to person for help with any requests or problems, from event planning to day-to-day operations. When a coworking space has a community manager, you know you’re going to be well-taken care of there.

When a coworking space concentrates on hospitality, it allows you to put your focus where it matters most: work. After all, isn’t that why you’re there in the first place?

If you’ve been looking into the ins and outs of search engine optimization (SEO), then you’ve undoubtedly come across the term “keyword research” a few – if not many – times. At this point you may be wondering, why does everyone keep going on about it?

Well, it’s important! Keywords are used every time someone searches for something online, so knowing what they are is an essential part of an effective SEO campaign.

Let’s take a closer look at keyword research, and why it’s so important for SEO.

What is Keyword Research?

At its most basic, keyword research is finding out what words your target audience types into search engines when they’re looking for something that’s relevant to your website. For example, if your website focuses on coffee, you may find that your target audience uses keywords such as “best dark roast coffees” or “top coffee grinders”.

Once the keywords have been identified, then you can then analyze, compare, and prioritize the ones that will work the best for your website.

Why Should You Do Keyword Research?

The main goal of keyword research is often to improve the SEO of your website. It can tell you what search terms you should be targeting, how popular they are, how difficult it is to rank for them, and more.

Since you’ve already been looking into SEO, then you know how important it is to any digital marketing strategy. Your SEO needs to be on point if you want to rank organically on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs), and keyword research is the first step to an effective SEO campaign.

What are the Benefits of Doing Keyword Research?

Keyword research and its effect on SEO can help benefit your website in a number of ways.

Create Engaging, Relevant Content

Knowing what your target audience is looking for allows you to focus on creating content that will help you rank on SERPs. Your website may be full of relevant content, but it’s not going to affect your rankings if no one’s searching for it. This seems to be a mistake that many site owners make, as nearly 91%  of content doesn’t see any traffic from Google.

Increase Traffic to Your Website

When you find just the right keywords for your content, you can increase its rankings in SERPs. This is incredibly important if you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, as the results on the first page of Google tend to see significantly more clicks than any other page. In fact, only about 0.78% of those who use Google click on a link from the second page of results.

Even your position on that first page matters. Just moving up one spot can increase your click through rate by almost 31%. So, anything you can do to increase that ranking is important, and choosing the right keywords is certainly a good start.

Keep an Eye on the Competition

Keyword research isn’t only beneficial for your own site – it also helps you keep an eye on the competition. For example, you can see if they’re outranking you for any keywords. If they are, you may want to focus on improving your ranking for those keywords in particular to attract more traffic your way.