More business owners are swapping rigid 9-5 schedules and traditional office environments in favour of flexible space and remote working as an option for saving costs, retaining employees and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. With this in mind, Instant Offices investigates what industries are leading the way for remote working and how to overcome the typical challenges of managing a remote team.
A 2016 study conducted by Vodafone involving 8,000 global employees and employers found that three-quarters of companies worldwide have already switched to flexible working options. 61% believe that it had increased …

By Professor John Hunter, Tharos
 Getting any product to market is a challenge but with scientific products there are added hurdles.
If your product is in medical equipment, food & nutrition, veterinary, health etc. it will need rigorous testing and supporting evidence to gain credibility with, and confidence from potential buyers a well as meeting regulatory requirements.
After many years of research and testing my company, Tharos™, launched Equinectar®, an enzyme-enriched feed supplement for performance racehorses.
The journey from getting the science right to raising investment has been a significant challenge. Let me …

Written by Conor McArdle, Brighter Business
Work takes up a large slice of our time, but it has to fit around family and social life – and returning to work after parental leave can present some challenges, particularly if you are a business leader. For many new parents, there’ll be a spectrum of emotions to contend with, from excitement and nerves, to a tinge of guilt and dislocation. So, if you’re a new mum or dad preparing to return to work, you may want to think about putting practices into place …

Facilitating growth in a new startup comes with plenty of challenges, so you don’t need things being complicated further with the presence of a lawsuit being brought against your company. Being sued can have significant financial repercussions and it’s a stressful process when you’re not sufficiently prepared. Without the proper defence strategy and response, a startup could be put out of business when faced with vexatious litigation. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to protect yourself from such consequences by heeding the following advice.
Obtain Professional Assistance ASAP
First, before you start negotiating …

By Sudha Mani, Toastmasters International
We can prepare and practice an excellent speech or presentation but things can still go wrong. The positive news is that there are ways to handle most situations that will help you to continue with your presentation and get well-deserved praise or applause when you have finished.
An issue can arise primarily from 4 situations: technical issues, challenging audience members, those moments of brain freeze and the pressure of a Questions & Answer session. Let’s look at these in turn.
Technical issues
Even when you’ve arrived early to test …

Company Name: Scholastic Book Parties
Scholastic Book Champions have access to sell a brilliant range of discounted children’s books from over 70 publishers from home, online, at schools, nurseries and home-based parties. It costs just £15 to sign up and you can start immediately, earning commission for yourself and free books for schools too!
Our Scholastic Book Champion roles are designed to be flexible and sit alongside your current work or home commitments – allowing you to work as much, or as little as you want.
You don’t need any experience – you …

Brits make over 7 million business trips every year. Going away from home takes organisation – not just for yourself, but also making sure that your family are ready too. In a study, 75% of travellers reported high levels of stress if they were planning to go away on business, and 50% of their spouses too. Work trips affect everyone in the household. The figures were particularly high if there were young children in the family. Here are a few things you can do to help you and your family get ready for your business trip.
Make …

Whether you work in an office or work from home, did you know that your surroundings mahe a difference to how you feel? Southern Office Furniture asked over 350 employees based in the UK “How important do you think workplace design is in terms of work satisfaction and engagement?”  and you can see the results in the infographic.
The vast majority of people did think design had an effect, and that’s certainly true for me.
When I work from home, I have a desk I love, the right chair, and …

The crypto revolution has really taken off in the last few years. As the stunning success of Bitcoin has been followed by the likes of Ethereum, Litecoin and Dash, more and more people have started taking an interest in these currencies. Those who work from home are ideally situated to get involved in this exciting new type of investment. Read on to find out why this is the case and how should you proceed if you plan to invest in digital coins?
Who is the Typical Crypto Investor?
First of all, who …

By Nigel Oseland, Toastmasters International
Some of the most challenging talks to deliver are technical talks. There’s important information to convey, that in itself may not be very ‘sexy’ and yet the audience needs to hear it and absorb it – without falling asleep!
I love going to conferences, dare I say I am a conference junkie, hence I attend and speak at around 10 conferences each year. The conferences I go to are usually academic or technical in nature where the speakers present their latest research, ideas and innovations.
In my …