5 Coolest Co-Working Spaces In Singapore

Fast-paced developments in technology and connectivity paved the way for the rise in online jobs and tasks, especially with our current flexible working conditions. If the distractions at home are too much to handle, try fulfilling your tasks in a co-working space.

You can access Singapore’s co-working spaces whether you are a freelancer, a startup, or a well-established company. Read the article to find a space that suits your budget and your needs.

#1: THE HIVE SINGAPORE

Operating at twenty fantastic co-working spaces across seven countries in Asia Pacific, the Hive is recognized as a boutique co-working network. Since its inception in 2012, it has expanded to other locations such as Thailand, Japan, and Singapore. Frequent jetsetters can reap the benefits of accessing all the locations through the Hive Passports. Prices start at S$30 for a Hot Desk Day Pass.

Image Credits: thehive.sg

Location: Various locations including the Hive Carpenter at 36 Carpenter St., Singapore 059915
Website: thehive.sg

#2: JUSTCO

As one of the largest co-working networks in Asia with multiple locations in Singapore, JustCo blends functional spaces to the community. It raises the platform by offering the entertainment factor. The breezy spaces include a gaming room, a well-stocked pantry, a snooze lounge, and a meditation corner. Feel free to relax after a long day of work!

Image Credits: justcoglobal.com/sg

JustDesk Basic Plan starts at S$98 per month. Sign-up for a free trial to experience its services.

Location: Various locations including Marina Square, Raffles Quay, Robinson Road, and MacDonald House
Website: justcoglobal.com/sg

#3: CLUBCO

Tucked away on Cross Street, ClubCo is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This modern co-working space fuses value-for-money membership plans with contemporary furniture. Anyone from consultants to occasional office workers can come inside to use their amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs, private phone booth, photocopying machine, and complimentary beverages. Private meeting rooms of varied sizes are also available. What’s more? It’s conveniently located right beside the Raffles Place MRT, with a rooftop space where you can unwind.

Image Credits: clubco.sg

A Day Pass is worth S$40, which is available from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm.

Location: #04-00, The Quadrant, 19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704
Website: clubco.sg

#4: THE GREAT ROOM

The Great Room opened its doors at One George Street in 2015. It is strategically located in the heart of Singapore’s financial and business district. Since then, The Great Room has opened four more spaces around the country among vibrant neighborhoods that brim with restaurants, shops, hotels, and wellness facilities.

Image Credits: thegreatroom.co

You see, The Great Room draws inspiration from the best hotel lobbies with its hospitality-inspired layout and highly functional spaces. The flattering lighting, decor, and furnishings make it conducive for ideas to thrive. Its options vary from a dedicated office to a business club. Be treated to something special with a Day Pass costing about S$70!

Location: Various locations including One George Street, Centennial Tower, and Ngee Ann City
Website: thegreatroom.co

#5: SPACES

From lively spaces to prime locations, Spaces has it all. What sets it apart from the rest is its flexible plans that you can tailor to suit your needs. For some plans, you could work at your desk at any time of the day. This is perfect for people who work remotely with global businesses.

Image Credits: spacesworks.com

The Co-working Membership fees start at S$178 for 5 days in a month.

Location: Various locations including Clarke Quay, City Hall, and Robinson
Website: spacesworks.com

Sources: 1 & 2

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5 Valuable Tips To Help You Succeed As A Freelancer

Due to the effects of the recent pandemic, companies began to hire more contract workers over full-time employees. The “freelance economy” became a viable option for many Singaporeans. However, with many freelancers in the market, it is harder to stand out.

Much of the freelancer’s income depends on his or her reputation and capability to fulfill the customer’s request. Here are some valuable tips to get an online job if you want to stay in the game for a long time.

#1: INCREASE YOUR SELF-AWARENESS

Knowing yourself means recognizing different parts of your personality such as your strengths and weaknesses. The goal is not to criticize yourself, but to acknowledge where you need to improve and where you can excel. Be honest about your capacity to commit time, your home situation, and your attitude towards deadlines.

Some people look for a 9-to-5 job while others need more freedom. Some people prefer working with a team while others prefer working on their own. Find out who you really are to know who to work with.

#2: SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Freelancers are project-based workers. This means that they can work anytime, as long as they finish their tasks. The downside is, they do not earn money when they do not have projects. The influx of projects is influenced by the season. For instance, you can feel an abundance of work during special events or holidays.

It is essential that you save money to cover the periods when you do not have a pipeline of projects coming your way. This way, you will be able to cover your bills and other expenses.

#3: MARKET YOURSELF

Entering the freelancing world is not easy. The competition is high! Making a name for yourself can be challenging. Thus, you must use social media or other websites to market yourself.

The key to success is being active in these platforms and having an attractive profile where your information as a freelancer can be retrieved. Samples, testimonies, and feedbacks from your past clients will make a big difference.

#4: ESTABLISH REFERRAL PARTNERSHIPS

There are three main channels where you can get clients. These channels are inbound, outbound, and referrals. Inbound refers to using methods such as content marketing or search engine optimization (SEO) to attract potential clients. Outbound refers to reaching out to potential clients by sending emails, responding to job advertisements, and so on. Lastly, referrals refer to having clients recommend you by word-of-mouth.

Many freelancers focus on networking with prospective clients only. However, you can establish referral partnerships with businesses, entrepreneurs, and other freelancers. Having a wide referral network will help you gain more access to different clients.

#5: RESEARCH YOUR COMPETITION

Spend some time researching the market to discover online portfolios and to see what others are doing. Find out the supplementary skills that they have to improve yourself and your career (e.g., photography, video editing, or podcast creation).

Image credits: pixabay.com

Grasp a bigger picture of what your competitors are doing and how much they are charging. This is vital in evaluating how much your service is worth. Set a reasonable price list afterwards.

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How To Alter Your Budget To Suit Your Work From Home Lifestyle

According to the multi-ministry task force handling COVID-19, Singapore may enter Phase Three by the end of 2020 should the community cases remain low in the country. The restrictions reflected by this upcoming phase may last for a year or more. That being said, more and more people are working from home.

This huge shift in the global workplace has brought many changes in our lives. Whenever big transitions occur, it is a good opportunity to re-assess all the aspects of our lives including our finances. What has changed in your budget ever since you started working from home?

Reduced costs on transportation, work clothing, daily coffee stops, and dining out were usually observed in the previous months. In contrast, many experience a spike in utilities, groceries, and online shopping fees. How can you better prepare for your future with this new set-up?

#1: RE-EVALUATE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING

Get a realistic view of your finances by pulling out your bank statements, credit card bills, and other month expenses from the past three months. If you are using a budgeting app such as Mint, you may track your spending using the information inside the app. Look for unnecessary categories or recurring expenses that you can do without. This will help you spend less than what you have originally planned.

Aside from your spending, concentrate on other parts of your personal finance such as investments and emergency funds. You have the luxury of time to re-evaluate how much you are saving in your emergency funds. Ensure that the money you put inside will be sufficient to cover unforeseen events such as unemployment. We must overcome complacency during these tough times.

#2: CONSIDER DIFFERENT BUDGETING STRATEGIES

As you establish your new budget to suit your work from home lifestyle, you may employ different strategies such as goal-specific budget and the 50/30/20 method. The former focuses on the goal and not the percentages. You may start with a specific short-term goal such as saving S$50 for your emergency fund this week or a long-term goal such as putting away S$5,000 for a vacation next year. Break down your goals and allot how much you need to save per week or per month. Ensure that you meet your other financial responsibilities as you prepare for your goals too.

The 50/30/20 method entails putting 50% of your take-home pay to your fixed expenses including groceries and rent. 30% needs to go to your variable expenses such as entertainment and clothing. While, 20% is dedicated to your savings. Choose a strategy that will best work for you.

#3: STORE EXTRA CASH IN YOUR HOME

Many of us are working from home because there has been a shift in the economy due to the unpleasant effects of the pandemic. It helps to be prepared as we live within the realms of uncertainty. Store extra cash in your home for emergency situations. You may label this as your emergency fund, which can cover your expenses for at least six to nine months.

Knowing that you will be alright for a considerable amount of time before needing to use other financial resources can help you sleep better at night. This will prevent you from incurring debts.

#4: MAXIMIZE YOUR TELECOM AND INTERNET PLANS

Because most of our time are spent at home, it comes as no surprise that our utilities are higher now. Do your best to ensure that you are getting the most out of your telecom and internet plans. If your plan has an inclusion of data, try to substitute a costly mobile call for calling over at WhatsApp or Telegram. Various online platforms offer free calling and video-conferencing services worldwide. Take advantage of that!

#5: CONSERVE ENERGY

This new living and working arrangements have considerable effects on our electric bills. As much as possible, conserve energy on the devices and appliances that you work with. Unfavorable habits such as leaving your laptop constantly plugged in or forgetting to unplug your smartphone charger can cost you.

Image Sources: unsplash.com

One of the easiest ways to save energy is by ensuring that your cables or chargers are unplugged. Most devices work best with the 40-80 battery rule. You must plug the charger when your battery drops below 40% and disconnect the plug when the battery reaches 80%. Leaving a laptop or handphone constantly plugged in can cause extra wear and tear to the battery. Take care of the devices, which you use on a regular basis.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

 

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Why Working From Home Mashes Dark And Light Sides

Ever wondered what it was like to work from home (WFH)? Wish granted! In line with the social distancing measures posed by the Government, most of the Singaporeans are now working from home. It allows you to earn Singaporean dollars despite being in your pajamas. However, what most people do not know is that this perk come with a price.

Your ability to glide through the setbacks of the home office depends on your personality. For instance, people who are disciplined or conscientious can easily work through the domestic tides. While, people who are procrastinators or crammers may have a hard time fighting the distractions at home. On that note, here are the light and dark sides of WFH.

LIGHT SIDE

It goes without saying that WFH enables you to become your own boss. Without a manager in sight, your deeply rooted passion will motivate you to be creative and productive. You make your own schedule and rules. To illustrate this, a 2014 Stanford University study allowed call-center employees to WFH.

Graduate student James Liang and his Economics professor allowed Ctrip’s employees the opportunity to work from home in a period of 9 months. Ctrip is a travel website owned by Liang himself. The study found that the remote employees had higher productivity levels (13.5%) and lower chances of quitting (50%) compared to their counterparts. Moreover, these remote employees reported that they are happier with their job. Imagine the output that satisfied employees produce!

According to Liang and his professor, the positive results may be attributed to the quieter space that the employees created for themselves. You are free to paint the walls blue or to have classical music on the background as you freshen up your own working environment.

Apart from that, setting your own work hours enables you to do more of the things you want such as baking or teaching your children how to read. You may also initiate a video conference with your workmates whom you miss.

DARK SIDE

As with everything, there are two sides of a coin. A pervasive drawback of WFH is the vulnerability to distractions such as noisy family members, accessible electronic devices, and abundant chores. Chores do not seem to end for some reason!

There is a considerable lack of separation between work and home during the initial stages of having a home office. Based on personal experience, there were days when I worked beyond my designated hours. The absence of a management enforcing strict working time may add to the pressure of grinding endlessly. Case and point, I work on weekends too.

Higher utility costs is inevitable if you barely leave your house. Lastly, you may experience negative states as you were plucked from the “interpersonal office environment”. I am referring to feelings of isolation, depression, and loneliness. This can be prevented if you stay in touch with your co-workers.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

The current situation opens our eyes to the wonders and the unpleasantness of working from home. Comparisons aside, accepting the reality and working with your at-home environment will enable you to embrace the work-from-home structure.

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4 Websites Where You Can Get Online Jobs In Singapore

A boiling water that can harden the egg is the same element that can soften a potato! One thing that I have learned during this pandemic is that we must make the most out of our circumstance. Being on a “circuit breaker” entails that we have control over our schedules. Hence, consider enrolling in an online class or searching for an online job.

The Internet has a plethora of online job listings. Where do you start? Well, I have gathered 4 websites that offer legitimate jobs.

#1: CULTJOBS

Website: https://www.cultjobs.com

For specialized jobs that focus on the creative field, look no further than CultJobs. It rejects any potential listing that does not fit the “creative jobs that are based in Singapore” bill. Thus, you will be able to check the jobs that will make use of your talent.

If you are coming from a non-creative field then, you must move on to the next website. If you are a creative freelancer then, you best bookmark this website.

#2: FREELANCER

Website: https://www.freelancer.sg

Freelancer is one of the most well-established freelancing portal around the world. You might have heard of it from your friends. Freelancer works by letting the freelancers bid publicly for jobs posted by the clients. Job does not automatically go to the lowest bidder. Instead, other factors such as qualifications and length of work will be considered.

Competition is fierce! You may strengthen your profile by completing different “exams” that offer skill certifications within the website.

#3: STARTUPJOBS

Website: https://startupjobs.asia

It is no one’s fault that we are currently being thrown in our homes. Instead of whinning, consider embracing the jobs offered by start-ups. Help the community by going to StartUpJobs.

The start-up world is different from JobsDB. Its categories are more refined. You will not look for “F&B” as a category. You will be given “data analysis” or “front-end development” as job categories.

#4: MYCAREERSFUTURE

Website: https://www.mycareersfuture.sg

Last but not the least is the job portal ran by the Singapore government to help Singaporeans find jobs. It is called MyCareersFuture. Unlike other job portals, MyCareersFuture allows you to state the skills that you have. After this, you will be shown relevant listings that require your skills. It enhances the “goodness of fit”.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

You may be surprised that some job posts on MyCareersFuture are marked as “Government support available”. Please check if this is available for freelancers too.

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