Month: January 2019

Archives for January 2019

How Coworking has Changed the Way We Work

 

As remote working, freelancing, and entrepreneurship continues to strengthen the foundations of our economy, coworking has established itself as a viable way to work, build a business, meet and network with other, like-minded individuals.

How coworking benefits companies

Looking beyond the benefits to the individual, coworking is good for companies too. It has also allowed larger companies the ability to downsize, to let go of unused office space and instead provide employees with an open office environment that allows them the freedom they want while still maintaining a connection to their teams and their mission.

For companies that maintain teams in multiple cities, coworking provides them with an affordable option that makes growth possible. Maintaining coworking memberships helps companies provide their employees with every possible office amenity without having to outfit a new office and it supports profitability even during times of scale.

 

The evolution of coworking spaces

Coworking began in a tiny one-room space in San Francisco. Of course, there were precursors to it … the hackerspaces and makerspaces of 1990s Berlin came first, and then there were small business “incubators” or innovation centers that started popping up all over the world not long thereafter.

However, the first true coworking space was opened in 2005 by a coder named Brad Neuberg who was simply sick of working by himself. He was a social guy by nature, but, working remotely for his various clients was a lonely business and he felt that he would be more productive and happier if he could share his workspace with others just like him.

The idea was a bit of a sleeper, but it took off. Actually, even though the space itself was unremarkable (compared to many of today’s examples), Brad’s version of coworking was not lacking for amenities. As he shared space with a wellness center, massages and meditation were part of the picture, right from the beginning.

Many “oms” later, slowly and purposefully, coworking grew into a living, breathing thing. From such humble beginnings, his movement grew into a revolution. Today, there are almost 15,000 coworking spaces all over the world. It has disrupted the way we work, it has disrupted the real estate industry, and it has shown us how to look beyond the cubicle and forward into a world that values innovation and the power of collaboration.

Today, coworking has become an integral part of many business’ success. It provides entrepreneurs and solopreneurs with affordable options for building their companies. It supports global enterprise with a platform that allows them to scale with ease, and it is also an avenue that provides companies of any size the ability to optimize their workspaces without compromising productivity.

 

Has coworking changed the way you work? We would love to hear about it! Drop by Lakeside Executive Suites for a tour of our coworking space and discover how we can help you grow.

Faces of Weston with Zeev Fragachan

This month, we were excited to sit down with our member and COO of Dynamic Integrated Security, Zeev Fragachan, and learn more about him and his business.  Dynamic Integrated Security provides the architectural and engineering resources necessary to develop programs needed for optimal protection. Their expertise includes: workplace violence prevention; electronic systems design; access entry control; closed circuit television; communications and control; organization, policy and procedures; guard force development; executive protection; expert witness testimony and consulting; disaster planning and emergency preparedness; and critical incident management.

Dynamic Integrated Security assists all of its clients in the development of customized cutting-edge security systems and programs to enhance protection. Too often a security system’s problems are only realized after a situation has occurred, but Dynamic Integrated Security’s approach is to conduct an analysis to identify the components that may cause future complications.

Zeev breaks it down by saying, “Essentially, we integrated the human side of security and combined it with the most advanced technology and developed our own software that allows us to customize our solutions for our clients.”

Many people in this field have interesting backgrounds and Zeev is no different.  He started in the Israel Defense Force and served for six years on a special force’s unit.  Then he moved to South America to work as a military advisor promoting Israeli defense industries before moving into the private sector.  From there he was a security advisor for Nestle, Four Seasons International, Amway, Johnson & Johnson and Wyeth Laboratories.

We asked Zeev what made his security firm stand out from his competitors.  “We are the only security company in the state of Florida that assigned body cameras as a standard issue to all of our employees.” He continued, “we also operate a fleet of vehicles equipped with network video recording, audio, GPS and remote data transmission in real time.

Dynamic Integrated Security is excited about their future.  The company is putting forth an aggressive marketing campaign with the goal to double in size.  Over the next five years, they plan to consolidate their share of the market by including new government clients while also pursuing new accounts.  Additionally, they are planning to invigorate the security market with the launch of new security products aimed at the corporate market.

Originally from Venezuela, Zeev moved to Israel when he was 17.  He credits his time in the military with his success today.  “I was very fortunate to serve in the Israeli military and learn my trade from the very best; especially as it relates to adapting to a changing environment.”  He continued, “I am part of an industry where the key element is adaptation.  Security firms have to adapt for the new realities of the market and the debut of new technologies.  Our ability to adapt, our specialization and our professional approach will be essential to compete in the market.”

When not working, Zeev enjoys volunteering with his wife, Jhonelba, at the Jewish Federation of Broward County on various charities; especially ones that involve new Jewish immigrants.  He also covets his family time with his daughter Rebecca and son David.  When he has free time to himself; he escapes to some competitive shooting. 

With the goal of expansion, choosing the right office space was essential.  He was introduced to Lakeside Executive Suites from a friend while working from a Regus location.  Zeev says moving to Lakeside was a great decision.  “Ysel and her team are the best, the location is convenient, clean, modern and the neighbors are great people,”

To learn more about Dynamic Integrated Security; you can visit their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook or connect with Zeev on LinkedIn.

Getting Focused to Start the New Year

We all head into a new year with a lot of goals that we are totally motivated to accomplish. Finish the great American novel. Lose 20 pounds. Go to the gym more regularly. Land more new clients. Get out of debt.

But … what generally begins with a big push generally ends up getting derailed by circumstances beyond our control. Stuff happens, after all.

So, if you’re looking back on 2018 and trying to get a handle on what you actually did accomplish, you might find that some of your plans took a left turn here and there. And there may well have been good reasons for that, so don’t beat yourself up too much.

However, there are reasons that perfectly well-laid plans go awry. Knowing what these chicanes are may help you overcome them in the year ahead. Some of the reasons you may have lost focus include:

 

Lack of clarity. Your plan may not have been executable because there wasn’t much thought put into it in the first place. Without a plan, you lay yourself open to distraction and having to jump on other priorities as they present themselves.

Solution: Map out your path to success. Put it on the schedule. Prioritize it.

 

Setting too lofty a goal. If your goal is largely unachievable by any standards, it’s not likely you will get there.

Solution: If you want to increase your business, set a realistic goal of five percent growth. If you exceed it, celebrate!

 

You’re a procrastinator. If your goal is going to be difficult and you’re a procrastinator by nature, you run the risk of putting it on the back burner only to reapply it to next year’s list of resolutions.

Solution: Break difficult tasks down into smaller chunks and work them into your workflow in a comfortable way. Each step towards your goal will help you will gain the momentum you need to crack it open.

 

Getting focused in 2019: connecting smaller tasks to the big picture

Sometimes, we announce our goals without thinking about where the whole process is going to end up several years down the line. Connecting your immediate goals to a broader vision of the future helps to keep things in perspective. The ultimate goal may be unreachable in the short-term and things may change dramatically between now and then but being able to visualize the end result will help keep you on track – even if you have to readjust for market trends and other circumstances beyond your control.

So, if the ultimate goal is 25 years from now, you’ll have to look at shorter increments of time to set milestones in between. 90-day intervals are doable chunks of time and, generally, you will be able to see energizing results based on your efforts, tweak your methodology, and move forward into the next 90 days with confidence.

90 days is enough time to accomplish a lot. It also provides a high level of clarity along with a sense of urgency. At the end of it, you will move on to the next 90-day goal with renewed purpose, taking yet another step forward towards your ultimate goal.

Do you have any tips for staying focused? We’d love to hear about them! If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, reach out today to find out how we can help you grow.

 

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