When software developer Karl Falconer started a side project as a learning exercise, he did not expect it to turn into a viable business. Once Falconer realized that his side project, Dropstream, had the potential to be a profitable business with a full-time commitment, He chose to leave his job to pursue Dropstream.
Images that often come to mind when thinking about “coworking” likely include industrial lounge areas, abundant caffeine and networking with a host of millennials toting Apple computers. These are indeed prevalent among coworking spaces, however, the real value goes far beyond the stereotype. If you’re thinking about joining a coworking space, or want to take full advantage of your existing membership, consider the following benefits.
Since the birth of Trey Schwab’s 11-month-old son, his days have started much earlier. By 8 a.m. he has already helped his wife with baby chores and prepared for his workday as a Data & Analytics Specialist for Citibank. To remain effective, however, Schwab has found it necessary to segment his personal and professional lives. That’s where Decatur CoWorks comes in.
As the average American workweek continues to increase, balancing our personal and professional lives becomes more challenging. Americans take fewer vacation days and retire later than those in other industrialized countries. As a result, stress levels in the U.S. are on the rise. In our rush to get it all done at the office and at home, it’s easy to forget that as stress levels increase, our productivity diminishes.
While a little stress helps drive us to perform our best, the key to managing stress is balance. An effective work-life balance is struck when actions reflect priorities. Below are five tactics that will help take back control and align priorities with actions.
As a business, there are a variety of ways to operate more sustainably, from adopting renewable energy practices to selling goods in recycled packaging. Many people assume only multinational corporations can make a significant environmental impact. However, when you consider that 99.7 percent of all U.S. businesses are classified as small businesses, it’s easy to understand how a series of small steps can make a big impact. Below are a few sustainable practices companies of all sizes can easily adopt.
Decatur CoWorks member Alex Lanfear is one of the nearly 300,000 people working the growing solar industry. In his role as sales manager for Creative Solar, a full-service solar electric contractor, Lanfear works closely with homeowners and local businesses to ensure their sites can support solar systems, as well as educate them about the environmental impacts and cost savings.