Business News

Fri Dec 11

5 Tips for Temporary Offices

Written by Kyle Moore

There are many reasons why a business may need to set up a temporary office space. Are you trying to save money so you’re trying remote working for your employees? Or perhaps you’re starting your own business from home? We’re here to help you optimise your resources!

Of course, this space needs to suit the needs of the company and provide a comfortable working environment. Is that possible even on a budget? Let’s show you how.

Consider Hiring Rather than Buying

Having a temporary office can enable you to save money and one way you can do this is to hire computers for your business instead of buying them outright.

Technology advances very quickly, so there is always something new on the market. Computers are expensive in general and quickly become outdated. By hiring a computer, you will be sure to have the latest, updated equipment available, to your brand’s benefit. In the same way you can consider remote hiring people for your work as you won't have to provide them space in your office for work.

Other advantages include:

Less startup cost: Renting is cheaper than buying new equipment as there is no initial large down payment to budget for.
Lower maintenance costs: If something happens to it the unit will be replaced quickly, often at no extra cost to your business.
Easy to upgrade hardware: You can use the latest hardware available at a fraction of the cost.
Fixed cost: Your business will be charged the same amount for the duration of the contract. This will make it easy to budget and ensure no nasty surprises.

Encourage BYO Office Décor

NPS Townsville Office Furniture advise that a small business has a lot of expenses, so once you’ve supplied the basics like desks and chairs you can encourage your staff to BYO (bring your own) décor. This will save on costs compared to hiring a decorate and it can still look stylish if you provide general guidelines.

When everyone personalises their own workspace, they’ll also feel more comfortable in their work zones, boosting morale. An easy way to decorate common areas is to bring in plants.

Maximise your Space Using Innovative Design and Scheduling

Use the space you have to meet the needs of your business. Taking time to plan the layout and buying the correct office furniture—such as picking compact rather than bulky desks—will go a long way to help maximise the use of your space. Then you can accommodate enough people even in a cramped environment.

Also, rotate your staff by letting them work their own hours. In this way you can have more people utilise the space by simply being there at different times. This will increase productivity.

Set Up a Dedicated Work Space

If you find yourself working from home, it’s important to have your temporary office function as the real deal. If you can, dedicate a room to use as your work area, so you don’t have to pack up at the end of the day. If space is an issue, find a place where you can at least have some quiet and close to door to limit distractions during work hours.

Fast Reliable Internet is Key

There is nothing more frustrating than a bad internet connection. Your temporary office needs to have an excellent internet connection for conference calls and Zoom/Skype meetings. Compare service providers in your area and read their customer reviews so you can pick a vendor that won’t ignore you when you need assistance.

Conclusion

Whether you work from home or work from a leased temporary office, be sure to follow these tips to get the most out of the space. A few small details could go a long way in boosting your productivity, sales, brand reputation and of course your bottom line.

Fri Dec 11

ACS Indigenous Scholarship winner announced

Written by News Co

The ACS Indigenous scholarship has been won for the second year running by Warren Faulkner.

Awarded by Charles Darwin University, the scholarship supports and showcases indigenous achievement in Information Technology courses with the first being awarded in 2018.

“I’m very honoured and consider myself extremely fortunate to have received the Australian Computer Society scholarship for a second consecutive year,” Mr Faulkner said.

“I thank the Australian Computer Society for this prestigious award. I’d also thank the faculty at Charles Darwin University and the Indigenous Student Services team at CDU.

“Higher education and studying online can be challenging and a bit daunting because there’s so many costs involved such as fees textbooks and time management."

In announcing the award, Charles Darwin University’s College IT head, Dr Krishnan Kannoorpatti said in granting the scholarship, “Warren Faulkner has several years of experience in the IT industry and enrolled in an IT course to gain skills in IT by enrolling in Cyber Security, Software Now, The Mobile Paradigm and Digital Systems and Computer Architecture.

“This shows his passion for learning new technologies for furthering his career in IT. Warren Faulkner has completed several units in IT with high academic achievement in a consistent manner. He is enrolled in Assoc Degree in ICT. IT discipline is very pleased to nominate Warren for the ACS Indigenous Information Technology Scholarship.”

Mr Faulkner began his Bachelor of Information Technology course at Charles Darwin University in July 2017 with the goal of obtaining tertiary recognition for his tech industry experience acquired over the last twenty-four years, including eight years in the Royal Australian Navy.

Currently employed with the Department of the Environment and Energy as a manager within the Platform Services - Wintel Engineering team of the organisation’s I.T. Branch, Mr Faulkner previously spent 22 years with the Australian Taxation Office in IT roles including Infrastructure Provisioning, Web Hosting, and Desktop Packaging.

ACS President Ian Oppermann added “We’re delighted Warren has been again awarded the ACS Indigenous Scholarship.

“The scholarship is important in promoting diversity in the IT sector along with illustrating the benefits to organisations and the wider profession.

“We would like to thank Charles Darwin University for administering the scholarship and congratulate Warren on his work and achievements.”

Mr Faulkner concluded, “the ACS scholarship has been worthwhile and has been a blessing particularly this year due to the worldwide pandemic. It’s not only the financial element though, the ACS scholarship and the CDU study has enabled me to meet with more people and discover more of what’s going on in the larger world of IT.”